September 9, 2008: 2K Sports today announced details on Team 2K, an elite group to be composed of the best players for both NHL 2K9 and NBA 2K9. Every week a dedicated player will be chosen to join Team 2K during a 10 week online contest beginning at launch for each respective title on both Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.
To be eligible, participants must compete in ranked quick match games either through Xbox LIVE online entertainment network or PLAYSTATIONNetwork. After signing in, they will automatically land on the Team 2K screen, the hub of the competition where participants can find their current ranking and a list of the previous weekly winners. At the end of each week, the player at the top of each platform's leaderboard will earn their spot on Team 2K, and the leaderboard will then reset after each week for players to have a new shot at working their way up to the top. A countdown timer on the Team 2K website and in-game screen will also be available for players to ensure sure they get in their games before the end of the week. To ensure fair competition, an ELO leaderboard rating system will be used to account for both quality of an opponent along with the number of games a player has won.
After proving their skills, each weekly winner will be rewarded with the exciting opportunity to become a playable character as part of Team 2K in next year's game. Each winner will also receive exclusive 2K Sports gear, a library of upcoming games, and more prestigiously, be recognized as one of the top players in the world. Official contest rules and information can be found on the 2K Sports website here.
NHL 2K9 offers brand-new gameplay features including pick-up-and-play controls, expanded superstar moves, friendly Zamboni competitions, a revamped fighting engine, custom Stanley Cup celebrations, and six-on-six online capability. As the first and only officially licensed NHL and NHLPA video game for Wii, NHL 2K9 will also provide fans with a chance to play like the pros using the Wii Remote as a hockey stick, a wholly unique and entertaining experience.
NHL 2K9 is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older by the ESRB, and will be available on September 9 for Xbox 360, Wii home video game system from Nintendo, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems. For more information about NHL 2K9, please visit the official website here.
NBA 2K9 is the latest edition of NBA 2K, the series that has been the #1 rated NBA simulation for seven years in a row* and is back for its 10th season. NBA 2K9 is the premier basketball game for serious players, and will deliver the most realistic and feature-rich simulation experience ever available in the NBA 2K franchise from gameplay and graphics to presentation and online features. NBA 2K9 is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and will be available on October 7 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems. For more information about NBA 2K9, please visit the official site here.
I think that is an awesome idea, and I applaud 2K for setting all this up. This is also a pretty crafty way to get fans of the series to pick up the iterations of NBA and NHL2K. Be sure to get your games in, and I'll see you on the court...or the ice!
