2K Sports announced Michael Jordan as NBA 2K11's cover athlete today in an interview with CNBC. The NBA Hall of Famer will be the first player to grace the cover of a game in the yearly series after retirement when the game releases on as-of-yet unspecified consoles on October 5. Jordan's role within the game is also still undefined, with 2K Sports' Marketing Vice President Jason Argent telling CNBC that Jordan's appearance would consist of "some really good surprises." The teaser image for the announcement (shown above) pictures Jordan in Chicago Bulls colors, though he also spent his career's final years on the Washington Wizards and currently serves as the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
The cover of EA's next basketball game will also see a major change when it sees release this October on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. After 16 years of being known as NBA Live, the basketball franchise have its surname changed to Elite. In addition to the name change, NBA Elite 11 will include a new "Hands-On Control" system that allows for immediate control responses for all offensive and defensive moves. Elite will also include a new physics system that allows for players to move independently from each other as well as an improved shooting system that determines the likelihood of scoring by assessing the player's position on the court instead of using more random methods.
Look for more coverage of both new NBA games over the next few months as they near release. Which of these new developments are you more excited about?
SOURCE: Michael Jordan To Appear On Video Game Cover [CNBC Sports]
