Skip to main content

Day Two E3 Report Two – 2K Sports

It’s well known in the gaming industry that when you launch a new console you have to have a fleet of sports games to go along with it. Titles like Madden or the 2K series have massive followings; without their presence no console will be a success. The 360 had a full lineup from both EA and 2K Sports available at or soon after its launch, but for whatever reason none of the games really felt ready. 2K is now showing off their section revision next-gen sports titles, and they’re looking more than ready.

2KSports Booth
2K Sports’ booth on the E3 show floor is
constantly packed with sports fans.

NBA 2K7 is looking really amazing. Its improved graphics engine delivers some very impressive results. The wooden floors are layered with subtle reflections that highlight the seams between the boards and hint at what’s hanging from the rafters. Player models have been draped in some of the best representations of fabric shorts and jerseys ever seen in a videogame, resulting in uniforms that sway and flow and reflect light just like you’d expect them to.

College B-Ball 2K7
College Hoops 2K7 adds the college feel
to next-gen b-ball action.

Each pro player is also immediately recognizable, both thanks to detailed facial scans as well as the inclusion of many of the top NBA players’ signature moves, whether they be a particular style of jump-shot or simply a habit of fixing their hair on the floor. Their college version, College Hoops 2K7, looks equally good, and features college-specific features like cheerleaders, fight songs, and mascots. NBA 2K7 will hit the 360 and the PS3 this fall, while Hoops is set for an August launch on the 360, and will surely see a PS3 follow-up after.

NBA 2K7
Improved graphics and impressive fabric effects make
NBA 2K7 one of the best looking sports titles ever.

Another game that didn’t get much love for its first release on the 360 was NHL 2K6.NHL 2K7 hits this fall with a wholly new skating mechanism designed to quell fans of the series who didn’t like the feel of the last release. A quick play session didn’t actually feel all that new or improved, but the game isn’t slated to hit the 360 or PS3 until this fall, so there’s still plenty of time to tweak. The ice features a truly impressive level of detail, with reflections gleaming off of skate trails and ghostly images of scoreboards floating on the surface. New this year will also be a system called “cinemotion” that purports to bring some feeling into the game through pre-game pep talks from coaches and some strong fan reactions during the game. We were unable to sample this in the playable version, but were pleased to hear that it will be something you can disable in the final version should it turn out to be not very inspiring.

NBA 2K7
A new skating mechanic in NHL 2K7 will hopefully result
in a better playing game than 2K6.

2K Sports’ second round of next-gen titles feature some subtle but very important improvements that should turn return their series to their previously high regard. It’s a shame they fumbled in the first round, but nobody’s perfect.

[Text and original images by Tim Stevens.]

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
ESA denies E3 2024 and 2025 have been canceled, despite LA tourism board’s claims
E3 logo

There are conflicting reports over whether or not E3 2024 and E3 2025 will take place. A new document from the Los Angeles City Tourism Commission claims that both E3 2024 and E3 2025 have been canceled, but a spokesperson for the Entertainment Software Association claims no final decision has been made yet.

For over 20 years, the ESA held an event called E3 each June, where companies from around the video game industry would come together and show off their upcoming games. It got canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the ESA took 2022 off after a rough digital-only show in 2021. The expo was set to return in 2023, but was canceled in March after Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and other game companies pulled out of the event. E3's future was put into question after that, and now it looks like it might not be coming back for the foreseeable future.

Read more
You can get NBA 2K23 and more with PS Plus this June
Donovan Mitchell in NBA 2K23.

The three games that make up PlayStation Plus Essential's June lineup have been revealed. There are any major console exclusives or no releases included; instead, there's NBA 2K23, a Jurassic Park tie-in title, and an indie game inspired by classic samurai films.

NBA 2K23 needs little introduction, as it's the latest entry in 2K's long-running, annualized basketball video game series. This latest entry stands out from the ones that came before by deepening the controls an AI further, as well as adding a Jordan Challenge mode that chronicles Michael Jordan's career. Beware of some pretty intrusive microtransactions, though. 
Also available this month is Jurassic World Evolution 2, a theme park management game that swaps out roller coasters and other festivities for dinosaur-related attractions. The management genre is a surprisingly great fit for the Jurassic Park IP, and this game even provides a bit of story context to fill in the gap between Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World Dominion.
Finally, there's Trek to Yomi, a very cinematic indie game. It's stylized like a classic black-and-white samurai action movie, which makes sense as it's telling a revenge story about a pupil trying to avenge their dying master. If you didn't play this game through Game Pass, it's now available on a Sony subscription service as well.
This certainly isn't the most exciting game lineup, but it still provides a wide variety of gaming experiences. NBA 2K23, Jurassic World Evolution 2, and Trek to Yomi will be available through PlayStation Plus from June 6 until July 3. Make sure you download May's PS Plus games before then too. 

Read more
With E3 2023 gone, other gaming events need to step up
A purple E3 logo floats in the air.

Despite how inevitable the complete downfall of E3 felt over the past several years, E3 2023’s official cancellation still strings as it’s a significant loss for the game industry. For gamers, press, and developers, the show served multiple purposes that digital livestreams and scattered publisher-specific events don't currently replicate. In lieu of E3’s cancelation this year, and potentially forever, it’s time for other gaming events to step up and help push the video game industry forward.
Why we lost E3
I’m lucky enough to have the experience of attending three E3 shows across 2017, 2018, and 2019 and many publisher-run events focused on specific games or tighter game lineups. In its final years, E3 felt like the perfect middle ground to the gamer-focused PAX and industry-focused GDC, where people from all walks and sides of the video game industry could come together, see what’s coming in the future, and share their love for games.

It also felt more freeing than publisher-run events, as I discovered and experienced games of all sizes that I may not have otherwise and got to meet many people from every angle of the game industry. Apparently, the Entertainment Software Association struggled to convince enough people that this style of expo was important four years after the last physical event.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Entertainment Software Association president Stanley Pierre-Louis blamed E3 2023’s cancellation on the Covid-19 pandemic, “economic headwinds” due to the current recession that impacted marketing budgets, and the fact that “companies are starting to experiment with how to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.”
The first two are understandable and have impacted a lot of physical events over the past couple of years. Still, the last reason speaks to a bit more worrying of a shift for those looking to network, get attention from the press, get a broader look at the industry’s future, or even pitch a game.
What we lose
Events are a great way for indies to get unexpected and much-needed attention from players and the press; look at the chance encounter that got one of our team’s freelancers hooked on Homeseek at PAX East. Now, indies will have to hope to gain attention at those more indie-focused events like PAX or be cherry-picked to be featured in a more prominent company’s showcasing. There’s also the networking and pitch factor to it.

Read more