14 DAY TRIAL // 2K Sports has revealed the official cover for the upcoming NBA 2K11, featuring a highly stylized image of Michael Jordan, the best player of the sport in the world and a recent inductee into the Hall of Fame of the NBA. The cover images for the NBA 2K series usually feature realistic shots of current athletes but the publisher decided that the presence of Michael Jordan required something different, allowing the series to create an identity entirely separate from that of the NBA Elite series coming from EA Sports.
NBA 2K 11 comes with more than the image of Michael Jordan attached. The developers are promising an improved game engine and better graphics but attention will also be paid to a deeper My Player mode and to Create a Player.
Jason Argent, who is the vice president of marketing working for 2K Sports, stated, “We knew as soon as we signed Jordan that we needed to do something special for the cover. This could possibly be the most highly anticipated cover art in the history of sports games and we think the image we came up with delivers on every front. I think fans will be pleasantly surprised at how Jordan is actually used in game, as NBA 2K11 will pay homage to ‘His Airness’ in many ways, but the cover art represented our first chance to stop and honor him along the way.”
Michael Jordan himself, arguably the best basketball player in the history of the sport, has been a bit more reserved, saying just that “It’s exciting to see it all come together. I am looking forward to seeing the final product, but my kids might have to give me some lessons.” NBA 2K11 is set to arrive on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, the PS3, the Nintendo Wii, the PlayStation Portable, the PC and the iPhone. The launch date is set for October 5.