2K Games is a company synonymous with sports video games and is one of the largest gaming companies in the industry. They have been dominating the sports gaming world for the past decade with their NBA 2K franchise. Even though the series’ first installment was released in late 1999, the 2K group has still managed to retain the game’s popularity. The total amount of players has reached over 3.5 million for their newest game, NBA 2K21, which was released on Sept. 4.

For the most part, 2K Games has always been a dominating force in the sports game industry, rivaling EA (Electronic Arts) as their main competitor. Their rivalry goes all the way back to the 1990s, which blossomed when EA attempted to squash 2K Games before they became a huge competitor.

EA had signed an exclusivity deal with the NFL to be the only company to make NFL related games. This meant that 2K had to cease production of their football video games, with their final release being NFL 2K5. Even though it may have seemed like this was the end for 2K, it was actually a blessing in disguise. Following the EA news, 2K was able to put all of its efforts into developing NBA2K. Shawn Lee, one of the lead 2K software engineers, considerers this to be “the best thing that ever happened to 2K Games.”

From that point forward, 2K has been on an upward slope with no end in sight. Each new 2K release features new animations and new ways to play, including the “My Career” mode, where gamers can create a player and become an NBA star. Today, 2K Games has become one of the most recognizable titles and is arguably one of the greatest sports titles in gaming history.

Although some players have said that each 2K release is similar to the previous year’s release, the current generation of consoles and 2K’s latest game is thriving on the market. 2K has released some new footage of what their next-generation game will look like on newly released consoles such as Play Station 5 and XBOX Series X.

“Honestly, the game looks like it’s been put through some major updates and the players themselves look more real than they ever have,” senior Delsyn Rivero said. “The graphics are crazy for this new generation of 2K, it looks promising to say the least.”

With how insanely successful 2K has been, one would have never expected the company to have been facing serious financial hardships in the company’s younger days. The path of 2K games is truly a story of an underdog that was down but never out. They were able to take the hit of EA’s NFL deal on their business model and turn that misfortune into their greatest success.

Written by Blake Hendrickson | Graphic Designed by Blake Hendrickson

Published November 17, 2020 | ePathfinder | Sports