Though details are rather scarce, Joystiq has discovered that the latest issue of Game Informer's cover story on Bioshock 2 has confirmed that the game will feature multiplayer.

We'll be on the lookout for more details once someone has gotten their hands on the issue. Stay tuned.

The company has kept their word as they have announced a new 2K pro football series entitled, All-Pro Football 2K8. The game of course will still not feature NFL licensed content, but the game is planned to include slightly different player names, stadiums and teams. Something to the effect of the Indianapolis Bolts instead of Colts and Peyton Manny instead of Manning are planned to get by any legalities.

Visual Concepts president Greg Thomas said, "Football gamers have been awaiting the return of the 2K series. All-Pro Football 2K8 will deliver an authentic next-generation gridiron experience and we are happy to give fans another choice in the football category."

All-Pro Football 2K8 is scheduled to release sometime this summer for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Sports games are consistently some of the most popular launch titles on a new console. 2K Sports is looking to take advantage of this opportunity by bringing their solid basketball title, NBA 2K7, to the PlayStation 3. The game was very impressive on the Xbox 360, so did the PlayStation version get the same treatment?

Simply put, this game is better on the PlayStation 3 for a handful of reasons, most of which have to do with the controls. Previous versions of the 2K series had you using the analog stick to make free throws and that is still available if you’d like to do it, but 2K went into a new direction with the SIXAXIS controller. Instead, players have the option tip the controller backwards and then forwards to release the shot utilizing the motion sensors in the PS3 controller. It’s a really unique way to play and has you feeling more like you’re actually shooting a free throw. To make it even more realistic, you can even add spin if you turn the controller slightly left or right while shooting. It makes free throws a lot trickier to pull off than in previous versions.

Of course all of this goes along with the fact that you have to know how each of your players shoots. Someone like Shaquille O’Neal, for example, holds the ball significantly longer than most other NBA players and you’ll have to adjust to that while shooting free throws since you have to hold the controller back longer if they hold the ball. Overall the new features utilizing the SIXAXIS controller are nice and once you get used to them you’ll wonder how they weren’t there before.

A lot of detail has also been directed towards the players in the game. Every player has a specific shooting style on the court and at the free throw line that is all their own. So much detail has been put into this game and the result of this is a significantly deeper experience in 2K7.

Aside from the controls and player detail, the game has a lot of replay value and terrific graphics. The game features a solid online component as well as a wide variety of offline options including create a situation, practice mode, tournaments for up to 16 players, street balling, and the Association, or full season mode with trades, etc. The game also features the 24/7 mode allowing you to take on your created player against NBA stars on the streets.

As mentioned above the graphics and sound are stunning on the PlayStation 3. There is better brightness and texturing on the court. The crowds look remarkable; there are clear differences between cheerleaders, fans, mascots and more and their reactions change throughout the game depending on how your team performs. Of course the players look very good, especially stars like LeBron, Shaq and Kobe. You’ll literally see beads of sweat coming of them.

Finally, the commentary is nearly identical to what’s been seen in the series before and that’s a good thing. As for the soundtrack, it’s not my personal favorite, but there is a nice variety of tracks included.

Although the motion sensing capabilities are used at the line, they aren’t utilized at all in-game. That was a bit disappointing as I was hoping to be able to utilize the motion sensor to make a move in the post or something else. Hopefully they’ll be able to take advantage of that in future 2K titles.

One other problem if you’re not familiar with the series is the relatively unknown feature of isomotion, or the ability to weave through defenses using jukes, crossovers and more. The game doesn’t discuss it nor is there anything about that ability in the manual. But once you play a little while, you can figure it out. It just would have been easier for novices of the series to be able to take advantage of every capability the game has to offer straight off the bat.

Just a couple other minor problems made their way into the game. One I noticed was how the less popular NBA players didn’t appear to be given nearly as much detail graphically as the stars. I understand the reasoning behind this, but it would be nice to see it be coherent throughout.

Lastly, the menus in NBA 2K7 are very frustrating. Just about every time I put the game into my console, I found myself going back and forth through different menus to get where I needed to go.

NBA 2K7 is an exceptional game. Graphically it’s beautiful on the PlayStation 3 and fine details have been put in to the stadiums and players like sweat running down a players arm. The game goes further by continuing the fine gameplay established in previous titles in the series and adding new opportunities with the SIXAXIS controller. While other sports games pull out essential features from their next-generation titles, 2K Sports doesn’t and instead pulls out all the stops to make this one of the best basketball titles in recent memory.

The gameplay is the same except the addition of the movement control, but that adds to the game

Players and stadium are impressive, although a few don’t quite look like their counterparts.

Commentary is solid. Soundtrack doesn’t appeal to me, but it still works for 2K.

The game is still a lot of fun and personally my favorite basketball game.

Unlike most sports games, 2K7 doesn’t skimp on options that you’d see in other versions.

]]> Sun, 26 Nov 2006 22:55:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/nba_2k7_now_on_xbox_live http://www.gamebump.com/go/nba_2k7_now_on_xbox_live http://www.gamebump.com/go/nba_2k7_now_on_xbox_live# “2K Sports has always delivered the best basketball simulation on any console and NBA 2K7 raises the standard for all sports games,” said Erik Whiteford, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “With the NBA 2K7 demo now available on Marketplace, every Xbox 360 gamer will be able to play this demo and see for themselves why NBA 2K7 delivers the most complete and entertaining NBA video game experience anywhere.”

The game is due out in stores September 25.

“2K Sports’ top-rated hockey franchise has always been highly praised by gamers. With the NHL 2K7 demo now available on Marketplace, every Xbox 360 gamer will be able to test drive this year’s installment and experience for themselves the best next generation NHL game on the market,â€? said Erik Whiteford, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “2K Sports has earned a reputation for developing the highest rated games and NHL 2K7 continues this legacy with new features you can’t get anywhere else.â€?

NHL 2K7 is available in stores nationwide.]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2006 14:35:00 -0500 Brian Mohr http://www.gamebump.com/go/redick_to_grace_the_cover_of_college_hoops_2k7 http://www.gamebump.com/go/redick_to_grace_the_cover_of_college_hoops_2k7 http://www.gamebump.com/go/redick_to_grace_the_cover_of_college_hoops_2k7# This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

2K Sports announced today that former Duke Blue Devil guard J.J. Redick will be the cover athlete for their upcoming college basketball game College Hoops 2K7.

Redick set Duke and ACC records for career points with 2,769 and finished his career with the highest free throw percentage of any NCAA player with .922. He also earned awards including the James Sullivan Award, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year Award, Adolph F. Rupp Award and being named an All-American as a junior and senior.

"We are thrilled to have J.J. as our cover athlete for College Hoops 2K7," Erik Whiteford, vice president of 2K Sports said. "He embodies exceptional talent, drive and spirit -- all of the characteristics of a collegiate basketball competitor and winner."

NCAA College Hoops 2K7 is set to release this fall for the Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.]]> Tue, 01 Aug 2006 21:58:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_shot_of_nhl_2k6 http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_shot_of_nhl_2k6 http://www.gamebump.com/go/first_shot_of_nhl_2k6# Check out the very first screenshot of NHL 2K6 running on the Xbox 360. Enjoy!

“The Major League Baseball season has now begun for Xbox 360 consumers,” stated Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “Our goal for Major League Baseball 2K6 for Xbox 360 was to deliver next generation visual details with a full suite of enhanced gameplay features. We’ve accomplished this and more, giving Xbox 360 gamers the excitement, challenge and delight of the most authentic video game baseball experience ever created.”

Major League Baseball 2K6 is rated “E” for Everyone and is available for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP, and GameCube. The Xbox 360 version is available now for a suggested retail price of $59.99; with the PlayStation 2 and Xbox titles available for $39.99.

The game is expected to include a new swing stick, pitching system that paysoff over time and better AI and physics. Players will be able to play not just with the MLB teams, but the recent World Baseball Classic teams as well. MLB 2K6 is scheduled to release on April 11th for $39.99, up from the 2K $20 titles last year.

The NCAA basketball game includes a handful of new features like a better Legacy mode, high school recruiting, AAU camps/drills and virtual coaches to deal with. The game will even feature real college coaches like Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim and more.

College Hoops 2K6 released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox for $29.99.

The game's soundtrack will consist of 14 songs from The Roots, Common, Aesop Rock, Aceyalone, Lyrics Born, RJD2, Zion I, Jean Grae, Hieroglyphics, among others. 2K Sports mentioned that the soundtrack would be released on CD as well. To further promote both the game and CD, the aritsts will tour the country on the "2K Sports Bounce Tour" later this fall.

The developers also revealed a new mode called "The Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park", which recreates the popular celebrity basketball game held in New York. This mode will sport playable celebs including Redman, Method Man, Flava Flav, and more.

After a year off, the NHL season is coming back in full force not only on the ice, but also to your consoles. This year 2K Sports plans to bring NHL 2K6 to one more console, the Xbox 360. This year’s game includes plenty of new or updated features including on-the-fly coaching, new animations, online experience and franchise perfection.

On-the-fly coaching allows you to call strategy during the action. You can control your players to screen the goalie, crash the net and more. New animations in the game include better checks, shots, passes and goaltending. 2K’s new online mode will have more features than ever including stat tracking, buddy lists and leagues. Finally, the franchise mode is more developed with workouts, scrimmages; you even have to worry about team chemistry.

As for graphics, the player models are much better looking than the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions. Beyond that, the actual arenas, crowds and even the ice are much more detailed as well. You’ll be able to see slices in the ice from where players skated. If that is not enough for you graphically, there will also be impressive reflections shown in the game both on the ice and on the boards. Finally, the gameplay is very close to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. That is a good thing when it comes to the 2K series, especially on the new enhanced Xbox 360 controllers.

NHL 2K6 for the Xbox 360 looks to be a hit for the casual or hardcore hockey fan as it keeps the wonderful gameplay of its predecessors while adding great detailed graphics. Of course, NHL 2K6 will be helped by the fact that it is also the only NHL game coming out upon release for the Xbox 360 in November; obviously EA missed the boat on that decision. The only other question gamers have to wonder is what the price will be for the 360 itineration - will they go for a slightly cheaper value like the other console versions or launch at the high mark? ]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2005 16:08:55 -0500 Brian Mohr http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_nba_2k6_3601 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_nba_2k6_3601 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_nba_2k6_3601# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

2K Sports and Visual Concepts are bringing their critically acclaimed NBA title NBA 2K6 to the upcoming Xbox 360. This game looks better than ever and almost true to life realistic. With obviously better graphics, the same great gameplay and plenty more, this NBA title looks to take sports games to another level.

First and foremost, the gameplay is just like the Xbox version now except with the addition of the extra trigger buttons that allow you to do icon passing and call for passing. Along with this is the fact that all the modes are still here including franchise, online 24/7 and more.

More important than all that is why you plan to get the Xbox 360 in the first place - the graphics. The player models are stunning and they jump off the screen like real-life players moving on the court. These player animations look real with player sweat dripping, detailed and defined muscles, head-and-eye tracking and more. The game also features true-life cloth simulation which makes the jerseys and shorts actually move like they would in real life and they even get wet as the game progresses.

Graphics go much further than just the players on screen though, as the arenas are modeled so much better and now they include authentic arena lighting arrays from the actual NBA arenas. The scoreboard and crowd are much more detailed and they even reflect on the court. Finally, the game will also feature a new broadcast style and more dynamic camera angles to get gamers even closer to the court.

Overall NBA 2K6 for the Xbox 360 is shaping up to be the NBA game fans have been dreaming of since first picking up a controller. Now with lifelike graphics all the way down to sweat and clothing, this game looks to have it all. The gameplay will be just like the previous Xbox releases which is a good sign as those games were easy to pick up and play. NBA 2K6 is a must get for sports fans when the Xbox 360 launches in November. ]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2005 16:07:07 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_mlb_2k5_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_mlb_2k5_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_mlb_2k5_ps2# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Aaron Thomas.

For baseball fans, February doesn’t mean cold weather, Groundhog Day, or even Valentine’s Day – it means baseball. It’s the time when pitchers and catchers report to Florida and Arizona for spring training, and it’s also when the current crop of baseball videogames is released. This year there are three very good baseball games for the PS2, and because each game offers something that the others don’t it’s important to check out the reviews for each game so you pick the one that’s right for you. MLB 2K5 has the ESPN license, outstanding commentary, and smooth online play, but it also has several bugs that might be too much for the hardcore fan.

This offseason has seen quite a few changes in the business of making sports games, and while football may have grabbed most of the headlines, the landscape of future baseball games has changed as well. Take-Two has nabbed the exclusive third-party rights to Major League Baseball, but they lost the ESPN license to Electronic Arts in the process. That means that MLB 2k5 will be the last game from Take-Two and developer Kush Games to feature ESPN logos and overlays, but it’s here this year, and it has been implemented perfectly. As soon as you hear the theme from "Baseball Tonight" everything about the game’s presentation is sublime. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan call the action, the K-Zone is used to diagram pitch location, and TV-style replays show off web-gems. Even the little things like the score that’s displayed in the corner and the way the game goes to break in between innings, are all straight from an ESPN telecast. There’s simply no contest from the competition when it comes to how the game is presented; absolutely none.

MLB 2K5 has all of the standard gameplay modes that you would expect to find in a current baseball game. You can play an exhibition mode, start a season, take over a franchise, play as the general manager, challenge someone online, or participate in a home run derby. There are a plethora of options for tweaking the gameplay and presentation, allowing you to get the gameplay just the way you want it. Rest assured, if you’re one of those people that enjoys tinkering with sliders to get things just right, 2K5 gives you the most control.

Home run derby is more than just going deep this year. There are several different ways to go about playing the derby, from hitting as many homers as you can in a set amount of time, to taking three players up against another team of three and bashing home runs in an effort to take down the opposing players’ hit points. You can even call your shot to do extra damage, but call your blast and guess wrong, and the damage goes to your player. It’s an interesting twist on a competition that often gets boring due to a lack of challenge.

The franchise mode is very deep and even allows you some control over your minor league system. If micromanaging isn’t your thing, you can let the computer handle calling up players, leaving you to worry about tweaking your everyday roster. You can make trades, release players and sign free agents – pretty much everything you’d expect in a franchise mode.

On the field, Kush has totally changed the way you play the game, which is a good thing after last year’s disappointing effort. Hitting is simple – you try and guess the location of the pitch, and then take a swing. The square button is a contact swing, and the circle button lets you swing for the fences. Unless you’re down 0-2 and really need to make contact, most of the time you’ll be better off using the power swing. When trying to guess a pitch, you can take a look at your hot/cold zones to see where the pitcher will likely pitch you. If you guess right, the controller will shake, and you’ll know to stay put in order to put some good wood on the ball.

The biggest addition to the hitting interface is the Slam Zone, which allows you the chance to crush a pitch that is in your wheelhouse, or punish a pitcher for hanging a pitch. A few times a game, a cursor will pop up, and you must quickly maneuver it over the pitch location to enter the Slam Zone. The camera will zoom in on the ball and you must quickly tap X to hit the ball as far as you can. The game will prompt you when to swing, and then you just have to sit back and watch how far the ball travels. It’s not always a home run, but it’s always a hit, and it always travels a long way. Whether or not this is a positive or negative really depends on the person playing. It does make the games more high scoring, but it punishes pitchers for making stupid mistakes, so it’s not a total freebie.

Throwing strikes is made simple with the new pitching interface, which offers a great amount of control, and is easy to use. After selecting a pitch, you must tap the X button twice to make two moving bars intersect where you want your pitch. If you miss-time your button press, the pitch will start to wander, generally towards the center of the plate so it’s important to hit your spots. Different pitchers, depending on their control will have slower moving bars, and taking things a step further, each pitcher will have varying speeds for each of their pitches, which reflects their control over each pitch.

Taking the game online is easy and there are a lot of options to make it worth your while. There are leagues and tournaments, and, since baseball’s all about statistics – full stat tracking too. The gameplay is smooth and relatively lag free, but that of course depends on the quality of your connection. Even people with fast connections will experience the occasional laggy pitch here or there, but as a whole, the online mode is very good.

MLB 2K5 is a nice looking game, even without taking into account the ESPN presentation. The players look like their real-life counterparts right down to their batting stance, and there are more varied body types this year, so you won’t be getting Ichiro confused with Albert Pujols.

The stadiums are very detailed, and the game even shows the outside of some of them before games, which is impressive. The fans are 2D and look pretty bad from most camera angles, but on close-up shots, they are rendered in 3D, and look very good.

Even with the ESPN television-style broadcast, the pace of the game is brisk, and should you want to move things along, you can skip all of the cut-scenes. Sometimes you miss the little things like a shot of the pitcher stomping around the mound after a bad pitch, or Nomar doing his O.C.D. routine with his batting gloves, but it’s a small price to pay for moving the game along quickly.

Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, the voices of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball provide commentary for the game, and are second to none. Miller’s smooth voice calls the action, and Morgan adds his insight from the perspective of a former player. Joe will often tell a story that lasts through an entire at bat, just like commentators do in a real broadcast. Once in a while they will get a bit behind calling the action, on things you wouldn’t expect, like foul balls, but there’s no question that this is the best announcing in a videogame to date.

The music during the game is standard stadium fare, but it’s rather low key. The organ will play tunes like "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?" and all of the clap-along ditties are there, but you won’t be hearing any "Rock and Roll Part 2" after a homer, nor will you be hearing sirens blare as a player rounds the bases. This is a classy choice, and goes along with the refined commentary of the game, but it may disappoint some people.

You’d think that since menu screens have been around for a good 25 years or so that it wouldn’t be too tough to make them easy to deal with, but 2K5’s menus are cumbersome and poorly named. How the heck is someone supposed to know that "IN YOUR FACE" means "play an exhibition game"? The instruction manual is an atrocity and doesn’t explain the basics of the game, much less what each option does.

While there’s nothing wrong with the franchise mode per se, there are several ways it could be improved. The menus are slow to load, and the screen moving around like a fancy DVD menu after you make a choice is a complete waste of time. Managing rosters, especially minor league players is a chore, and the computer doesn’t make things any easier by fiddling with your batting order before every game. Again, it’s not a bad franchise mode, but it’s a bit boring and not user friendly.

One thing that 2K5 is lacking in the visual department is a large variety of animations. Sure, what is in the game is nice, but after just a couple of games you’ll notice the same animations over and over. Players will hop after fouling off a pitch, thinking it’s a homer, the first baseman will snag line drives the same way… it all looks the same after a while. It would be nice to see more unique home run celebrations, a little more emotion from the players, and smoother fielding transitions next year. Oh yeah, the zombie fans singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" look like they are straight out of Resident Evil, and they’ve got to go. It was a nice thought, but it’s just not pretty.

There’s really only one complaint one can make with the game’s audio, and that’s the endless repetition of the Baseball Tonight theme. I love the song as much as the next guy, and nothing says "baseball" like that song, but it is used in the main menus, before the game, in between innings, during in-game menus, and after the game. If you make it through an entire season, you’re looking at hearing that song a good 2,000 times, and no song is tolerable that many times.

If there was one thing that held NFL 2K5 back, it was the abundance of bugs and glitches in the game, and sadly, the same holds true for MLB 2K5. After the sixth inning or so, it’s not uncommon for the computer to uncork wild pitches faster than Rick Ankiel in a playoff game. It’s not just two or three times, but in some cases the wild pitches will total six or more. There are also times where the outfielders won’t pick up a ball, infielders won’t make a throw, or outfielders will let a lazy fly ball hit them in the chest and not get charged for an error. There are also many reports of the game freezing, and I personally had one of my franchise games freeze while I was perusing the box scores. Some people will be able to look past these problems, while serious baseball fans won’t.

ESPN MLB 2K5 features an outstanding presentation and smooth online play, but fails to get a lot of the little things right. Fans of high scoring games, great announcing, slick overlays and camera angles will be happy with 2K5, while people that prefer a more realistic experience with fewer bugs will want to go with MVP or MLB 2006.

It’s tons of fun, but the little thins hold it back.

ESPN stuff is top-notch, the rest is just good.

Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are great. Endless Baseball Tonight theme isn’t.

The home run derby’s fun, and so is the standard game.

Online is smooth. The bugs and freezes hurt how long you will want to play.

]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:56:00 -0600