NBA 2K12 will feature a Big 3 of their own on the cover of it’s top-rated and best-selling NBA video game. Don’t expect to see Lebron James, Chris Bosh, or Dwayne Wade though. Instead, 2K Sports will kick it old school in their covers and feature a trio of players who played in a decade when they competed against each other rather than cried on the same team together. NBA 2K12 will offer three separate covers for the PS3 and Xbox 360 featuring three of NBA’s greatest legends of all time, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson.
The new stylized NBA 2K12 covers are a unique, one-time departure from the traditional 2K Sports brand artwork, and will feature each legendary athlete on his famous team: The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and L.A. Lakers. The Bird and Johnson covers will be in limited quantity at launch. These covers underscore the passion for bringing fans authentic NBA basketball across generations, while celebrating the legacy of legendary hoops athletes, past and present.
This three-part collection extends the strong legacy established by 2K11, which has sold-in more than 5 million units worldwide. The cover artwork for NBA 2K12 was created by Adam Larson of Adam&Co. Larson has created dynamic artwork for galleries, magazines and various product advertising campaigns. His work has received numerous honors, including the Kelly Awards, Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, and two primetime Emmy nominations
“Bringing Michael Jordan to the virtual hardwood last year was a huge success for NBA 2K11 ; however, we didn’t want to stop there,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “We’re bringing ‘His Airness’ back to the NBA 2K franchise as part of a multi-year extended partnership, along with two other legendary icons – Larry Bird and Magic Johnson – for a special cover athlete collection representing the NBA’s greatest heroes.”
I understand what 2K Sports is doing with these covers. They are paying homage to former greats. The truth is, basketball players today just aren’t what they once were and these covers are depicting that. No one wants to see a trio of “greats” on the same cover, let alone on the same team. 2K Sports is returning to a decade when competition was fierce between NBA greats. Basketball is about competition and these covers show that.
NBA 2K12 can now be pre-ordered from leading video game retailers nationwide, and will be available on October 4, 2011, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360, Wii™ system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Windows PC.
