Michael Jordan hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2003 series, when he was a member of the Wizards. His presence in an NBA game hasn’t been marketed since well before that. But His Airness is still basketball’s biggest marketing influence, and 2K has paid up to be able to grab him for their cover.
This announcement is old news though. The cover was announced over a month ago, Mike Wang is back, and 2K have been feeding us frequent developer insights, many focusing around how Michael will make 2K11 “the greatest game ever.”
What is new, though, is this trailer that was released on Friday.
I’ll admit it. 2K have released an awesome trailer. Now can they back it up by fixing the many bugs and careless flaws in last years game? The developers have said this years game will be all about polishing the appearance and gameplay of 2K10. But it seems 2K11 will also be all about Mike.
When Michael’s appearance was first announced I didn’t care for it much. I almost exclusively play My Player mode in 2K10, so I doubted there was much in this for me. But the developer insights have got me excited. If 2K can pull this off right, 2K11 is going to have a lifespan of much more than your standard year for an NBA game. Three, four years down the line, it could still be the only game letting you play as Mike. If they can make it worthwhile, they could be on to something special.
IGN managed to get an exclusive hands-on preview of all the modes involving MJ. It is definitely worth a read if you like basketball games.
With NBA Elite remaking their game, this year will hopefully see one competitive battle. I already have both pre-ordered, and I can safely say I’m excited.
