Built by the Pros, Made for You

NHL 2K7 brings all the smooth-skating, crisp-passing, hard-hitting, sharp-shooting action of real NHL hockey home to Xbox 360™. Why is it so realistic? It's simple, really—2K Sports is working hard to make the most realistic professional hockey simulation ever. Who better to help them make it than NHL professionals themselves?

Kick save, and a beauty!

Sitting in a board room in 2K Sports' San Rafael, California headquarters, I'm listening intently to a developers' meeting, focused on the subtle nuances and strategies of NHL play. At the whiteboard, diagramming plays in detail is All-Star forward Anson Carter of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who explains his approach in the offensive zone, as well as those of other teams and players he's faced.

Explaining that teams prefer to be "three-wide" in the zone before taking a shot to reduce the risk of surrendering an odd-man rush, Carter's advice to the game's developers will resonate with NHL 2K7 players, as well.

Learning from the Pros
Carter's smoothly running the meeting as the developers pepper him with questions, and the rough-and-tumble winger scribbles furiously as he answers them all.

"They do an amazing job capturing not just the
look, but what each player brings to the table."
—Anson Carter, Columbus Blue Jackets

Next to take the reins is Matt Carle, Hobey Baker Award winner and collegiate national champion at the University of Denver, who's now earning his NHL stripes as a young defenseman for the San Jose Sharks.

Carle breaks down defensive positioning and responsibilities in the defensive zone, when to dump the puck and when to move it—and how to "shadow" a star player (a note to NHL 2K7 players - you don't, unless you want to get "picked" by his teammate).

Both players look comfortable conducting their respective parts of the meeting, almost as if they were part of the development team themselves—which, when you think about it, they are.

I spoke to Carle about his first experience helping to create a video game based on his chosen career, and asked what he'll remember most about the experience. "Detail," he said, "how much the developers want to know, want to learn. That'll translate into a better game."

Loose on the breakaway.

After watching the two players take NHL 2K7 through its paces, and while they were using their virtual selves in the game, the 2K Sports team mentioned that the two men had recorded lines for next year's version of the game already, which will add to the existing chatter of teammates on the ice and in the locker room.

Getting in the Game
I asked them what it was like to see themselves so accurately represented in-game. "It's my first time in a video game," said Carle, chuckling as his virtual alter-ego was challenged to an in-game fight. "When you were little, you used to create yourself (in games) … it's different, but it's a lot of fun."

"Kids, in particular, who might not play
hockey … this could be their first doorway."
—Matt Carle, San Jose Sharks

"You never get tired of it," said Carter, who traded himself to some different teams in the game just to try out some new uniforms. "It's always a thrill, and you're always amazed by it. They do an amazing job capturing not just the look, but what each player brings to the table."

Growing the Sport
Carter sees working with 2K Sports as more than just fun and games—it's a way to grow the sport itself.

"Kids, in particular, who might not play hockey … this could be their first doorway." Carter sees the uncompromising realism of NHL 2K7 as critical to that goal.

"Authenticity and credibility; consumers are so educated, and you can't fool people. It shows how serious the (design team) is about making the video game product mirror the real NHL product as much as possible." As a player, Carter also thinks appearing in a video game might be a way to gain new fans. After all, if a gamer scores a hat trick with "virtual Anson" to win a game, Carter feels that's one more gamer who might root for him as a hockey fan. "I think there's a correlation between a favorite player in the game and maybe in real life, too."

Carle said that many hockey players, both professional and collegiate, are avid gamers, noting that the team lounge in Denver has an Xbox® console that receives regular use when the players aren't practicing. "Guys play Xbox at home when there's free time—and there's more of that in the pros than in college," he says with a laugh.

Carter agreed. "Locker rooms always have a console," he said. Asked if the games were for relaxation or merely another avenue for competition, Carter smiled knowingly. "When you get guys like us in the room, even when you think it's going to be relaxing, that competitive fire still comes through … you still want to win."

That's exactly what you'd expect to hear from an elite athlete … or an Xbox gamer. As it turns out, sometimes, they're one and the same.

Article by Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com