NHL 2K

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It has been suggested that NHL 2K3 be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that NHL 2K6 be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

NHL 2K7

Developer(s)	Kush Games
Publisher(s)	2K Sports
Release date(s)	September 12, 2006
Genre(s)	Sports
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: 10+
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 Xbox Xbox 360
Media	DVD, HD-DVD

NHL 2K is a series of hockey games by 2K Games for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360. Its main competitor is EA Sports' NHL video games. The game is officially licensed from the National Hockey League Players Association.

1 History
2 Installments
3 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Series beginnings

The NHL 2K series first appeared on the Sega Dreamcast on February 9, 2000 as part of an exclusive lineup of sports titles (such as NFL 2K). The game was received fairly well, and looked to become a true competitor to the EA Sports series of NHL games. A year later the developers did not release NHL 2K1, and instead took a break, following up with NHL 2K2, which was one of the last games ever released for the Dreamcast.

[edit] Multi-platform and new license

NHL 2K3 was released on the Xbox, Playstation 2, and GameCube. It was the first in the series to feature a franchise mode, and the Xbox version also featured online play. It had many improvements over its predecessor, although players complained that goalies were too hard to score on. Even so, with this title the NHL 2K series was starting to form its own identity as a more 'simulation-like' style of game, as opposed to EA's more 'arcade-like' style. Next, the whole 2K lineup of games was given an ESPN makeover, as the publishers acquired the ESPN license, making the next game ESPN NHL Hockey. It addressed some issues like scoring, and presentation, and was acknowledged as an exceptional sports title. Even with the lockout looming, video game fans didn't have to worry about the series being put on hiatus, as ESPN NHL 2K5 was released on August 30, 2004. Because Sega had signed a deal with Take-Two Interactive in which Global Star (Take-Two's low-price unit) distributed and copublished all titles in Sega's ESPN franchise, ESPN NHL 2K5 was priced at US$19.99 the day it shipped—versus the typical new-release price of US$49.99. This earned it a wide audience among more casual hockey fans on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. However, EA soon signed an agreement with ESPN to become the sole licensee of ESPN's brand in sports games on all platforms.

[edit] NHL 2K6 and beyond

Nevertheless, NHL 2K6 was soon released, again at US$19.99, with a new deeper franchise mode, as well as other new extras (such as Bob Cole and Harry Neale providing commentary). With the Xbox 360 launching, NHL 2K6 was quickly released for that system as well, with a new 'goalie control' feature. NHL 2K7's new features consist of all new animations, mainly geared towards skating, and 'Cinemotion' which is designed to capture the intensity of hockey through close up angles and orchestral music.

[edit] Installments

Title	Release date	Console(s)	Cover Athlete
NHL 2K	Feb 9, 2000	Dreamcast	Brendan Shanahan
NHL 2K2	February 14, 2002	Dreamcast	Chris Drury
NHL 2K3	November 19, 2002	GameCube PlayStation 2 Xbox	Jeremy Roenick
ESPN NHL Hockey	September 9, 2003	PlayStation 2 Xbox	Jeremy Roenick
ESPN NHL 2K5	August 30, 2004	PlayStation 2 Xbox	Martin St. Louis
NHL 2K6	September 6, 2005	Xbox 360 PlayStation 2 Xbox	United States: Marty Turco Europe/Canada: Mats Sundin
NHL 2K7	September 12, 2006	Xbox 360 PlayStation 2 Xbox	Joe Thornton