In 2004 Visual Concepts released one of the greatest football games of all time with ESPN NFL 2K5. And it was only $20. No sooner had SEGA and VC popped the cork on the champagne than EA swooped in and signed an exclusive licensing deal with the NFL, essentially killing the 2K football franchise. Fans wept. The VC team redistributed itself to help out on other sports titles. All seemed lost for 2K fans. Now, three years later, Visual Concepts has finally regrouped with a new gridiron title sans NFL license. All-Pro Football 2K8 plays and feels a whole lot like NFL 2K5, but the brilliant presentation and feature set of VC's last great football game didn't make the next-gen transition.
All-Pro Football 2K8, now 11 years old, is still a popular game among football fans. One man created a Twitter page that is all about showcasing APF 2K8's gameplay, which was ahead of its time.
In many ways, this past console generation was a brutal one for sports video games. While other genres flourished, sports gamers were subjected to an irreversible thinning of the herd, losing MLB 2K, 2K Sports football, NHL 2K, both NCAA basketball franchises, and seeing arcade sports games all but vanish. Competition, which breeds innovation, is weaker than ever. But that’s not to say some standout games didn’t arrive as well.
Allan Muir of VGU.TV takes a look at exclusive sports licenses in games and why they hurt the genre
