Is 2k the best publisher around right now?

I think a lot of games keep releasing the same stuff over and over. Games get 9's when they aren't doing much new or to improve. The same formula. 2k has their ips and isn't really releasing anything that new but

nba 2k17 - They could have released the same basic game with a new storymode and new rosters but they revamped their gameplay completely. This is the most real sports video game to date. It's not even like 2k11-2k16. I was getting worried they were becoming stagnant but it's such a good basketball game this year

mafia III - I've been lookng for an open world game that takes itself seriously as far as mature story and polished gameplay and this is about the only game like that on the market. It's not out yet but seen enough. It's not a gta clone. It hasn't dumbed itself down like ubisoft does with their games.

xcom 2 - best turned based strategy game around in a market where high quality strategy games are a dyiing breed

civilization - it's civ and just really high quality

bioshock - one of hte most original first person shooters around. It's like nothing else that way and not watered down. Sure they repackaged it but every entry in the series is different

Other franchises - Borderlands, Sid Meier Pirates, The darkness, Spec Ops, Duke Nukem, Battleborn, Evolve. Good alternative games and not shovelware like some of these other companies like Ubisoft and EA produce.

I think there are other good companies but they don't have call of duty or games like that. More alternative games which are actually better in a lot of ways. They have Sid Meier. The have 2k sports. And other franchises that are very noteworthy. There is a focus on quality with their franchises too. They don't focus on microtransactions either or milking the consumer releasing partial games and dlc.

I don't mind paying for bundles if it's 3 quality full games in bioshocks case. There just is a lack of the usual milkage with 2k which is fine by me. There are no hidden agendas like Activision or any of that. There are other good standalone companies like CD Project Red and others. Square can be up and d own. I like their Deus Ex series and what they did with Sleeping Dogs. They also have Avalanche but they have their problems. Bethesda is alright too but has done some questionable stuff and really sticks to the same formula although Dishonored deserves applause. EA, Activision, Ubisoft do some alright things but so much shovelware and questionable practices. Rockstar is ok. Red Dead I think in particular was really good but they kind of milk GTA just a bit too much. Not everyone is that big on GTA. GTA even has the same parent company as 2k in Take Two interactive. Warner Brothers is out there.

2k is still a game company not just a publisher as well.

serious though. nba 2k17, spec ops the line, bioshock, civilization, borderlands, mafia, xcom. the darkness, battleborn, evolve. That's a company with a good track record and one I trust that gives good variety and I know I'm getting a good game without the bs. Most of their games are not the usual rehashed stuff either. They try new ips too. That's not overly their strength but good nonetheless. I don't think they are as big as companies like Activision and Sony where they can really back the major new ips but pretty straightforward and good business practices. A lot of underrated franchises.

They deserve notice because t hey are just releasing a lot of good games right now. Hopefully it doesn't go to their head and they keep listening and improving their games. They are one company that does that I feel. The cater but they also don't where their games remain challenging and interesting as well and keep a certain quality.

Maybe, they're up there with Blizzard (forget for a second they're part of Activision).

They're my favorite publisher though, as I love Firaxis, Rockstar, solid sports entries, ect.

Bethesda could be in some people's conversation as well.

I will never consider a company, like 2K, that takes down online servers after less than two years in order to get people to purchase their new games to be the best publisher. I'd have more respect for them if they got people to purchase their new games by making significant improvements that make people want to buy the new games instead of forcing people to get the new games by taking away online play for their less than two year old games when there are many much smaller studios that still have online servers up after over a decade. 2K is a scummy publisher.

I agree. 2k has done this stuff in the past. nba 2k17 is actually doing what I've wanted them to do for years and games in general though. They actually revamped their gameplay and physics and everything at very little sacrifice at the other end of the spectrum. They could have very easily jsut released the same game with a roster update, new storymode to bring people in and the same basic game and polished game technically for what it was but they didn't do that. It actually is deserving of a 9 vs questionable business practices like milkage and dlc and microtransactiions and stuff like that. just something doesn't sit right with me there when everyone knows these games are not pushing the envelope at all but they still get 9's on technical merits when instead they are using questionable businesss practices and dlc and stuff like that and better graphics to just release the same game over and over and not really improving it all. Yeah some bug fixes and stuff like that but we wonder why these games are becoming so dumbed down. nba 2k17 isnt that. They actually revamped their entire gameplay vs just bug fixing it so the ai gets to the point of utter stupidity from the players perspective.

What I love about 2k17 is they improved. defensive breakdowns actually occur and realistically and the AI is actually better. Loads better. They revamped their presentation and added all sorts of stuff and the AI is actually better not just dumbed down. It's like a different game.

Mafia III also looks like this. So does Xcom 2. I think right now they deserve some credit. They aren't pulling a ubisoft and just scattering stuff around the map to say they have content and insulting my intelligence like this is better.

AI in games is the same thing. There's a difference between mindlessly bug fixing a game each year vs actually improving it where games get 9's on their technical merit when that isn't greatness.

nba 2k17 is so realistic and I'm seeing so much variety this year because the AI is actually better. It's not just a bug fix, roster update and new story mode.

That is actual development. I don't know if you get what I'm saying but when developers are just adding content and fixing holes in the AI it gets to the point where these games are just dumb and not doing anything new. They aren't very fun to play.

A number of those games are last gen titles. And Duke Nukem Forever was universally hated. While the last Bioshock was not well recieved by fans.

I can't say much about 2k17. But 2k16 and 15 were trash. 2K could have done a lot more with the visuals given the hardware jump. That custom player pic feature was so disgraceful. Some players like Carmelo Anthony, look worst than they did on last gen hardware. Really killing immersion since there's so many close ups shots. The constant screwing with the controls needs to stop too. It takes a long time to learn and remember the controls and moves. For 2k to force us to relearn the controls again. And they also have removed classic teams from previous games for no reason.

Better than Blizzard and actvision releasing Diablo 3 at full price a million times over to get it right I feel.

I agree 2k16 and 2k15 were getting really stagnant. Good games technically but they just were bug fixing them to the point where the games were stupid and mindless to play and doing the same things over and over. 2k17 is not that. I'm impressed with it.

I was ready to just keep 2k15 and was thinking the same thing that im not buying 2k17 and hte same game when i have the same game in 2k15 and they are going shut down their servers just for a roster update.

But 2k17 is actually really better. That's different.

That's basically what 2k is built on anyways. On giving an alternative. If I'm sick of GTA and want a more mature storyline I can play mafia. If I'm tired of the usual first person shooter i can play bioshock. Madden bleh. NBa 2k. Just go down the line. That's what they are. Overwatch bleh. BAttleborn is kind of a miss but still overwatch is so overhyped and not that good imo.

People are killing the strategy genre 2k has Civ and Xcom. Good job 2k. Spec ops the line. Go down the list. I wish they'd improve their games more sometimes and some failures but they do have a history of not focusing as much on dlc and microtranactions and stuff like that.

yeah they're pretty awesome.

not sure about best, though.

The NBA2K series is jus tway too obtuse for a non basketball fan to get into.

Bioshock is a good series, other than that...you seriously mentioned Duke nukem? lol

Borderlands is essentially carton Rage and the way they've milked it with that episodic crap is plain terrible. In terms of civilisation, that hasn't been inventive or creative in almost a decade.

Not saying they are perfect but compared to other companies they are probably the best to me right now. There are some really bad major publishers though. I've been going on ps4 and games are pretty bad and not a whole lot worth the hastle. Actually felt pretty good picking up 2k17, xcom and am looking forward to mafia as well. I'm enjoying both xcom and 2k17. Havent felt that way in a while. It's like this is what i've been talking about in ways. I think the witcher is really the only other game i've really felt was that good this gen.

I havent played battleborn, spec ops or evolve but might give them a try just because overwatch is an overrated pile of poo as well as other overhyped games so far.

@Celtic_34:

There is no such thing as a best developer around anymore.

But to be fair it´s not a surprise, they need to make money not friends.

They're ok but I really don't play all that much from them. I'm not into basketball so that's out. Not a PC gamer either so I don't play Civilization but those games look really good. Battleborn was good but I much prefer Overwatch. I really enjoyed Mafia II and Mafia III looks really good. The Bioshock games were great and those are probably my favourite games from them.

Personally, I love Duke Nukem. I had a lot of fun with that game regardless of all the internet nonsense, and I'm looking forward to Gearbox's first actual Duke Nukem game they develop from scratch. As far as Borderlands, what episodic crap are you talking about? The Telltale Games, Tales from the Borderlands, is the standard episodic style they always do and is a story-based series. That's not part of the main Borderlands series. Borderlands 1, 2 and the Pre-sequel are all great games with great DLC. The Pre-sequel less so, but that was a different dev studio. The main guys will be delivering Borderlands 3, so it should be more on par with BL2, hopefully.

My top 5 publishers are:

1. Capcom

2. Microsoft

3. Nintendo

4. Square-Enix

5. EA

Not based on NBA 2k17. Its good, better than the last two iterations, but it is still nowhere near it needs to be. The crowd being half full even in championship games, the robotic player movement, the still at times baffling stupid ai behavior have been in every iteration since 2k13. And for gods sake, if your gonna do a story mode with cutscenes, and you have two nba players watching a game and analyzing the defense of what theyre watching, dont have them be staring at a tv that is turned off! Tons of little things like that.

I also like Square Enix although they do some questionable things. I like what they did with sleeping dogs last gen though. Deus Ex is also a good series from them. EA also isn't as bad as they are made out to be although they do some questionable things. I am not a big fan of activision or ubisoft which is a shame because they have some good franchises. I just can't stand the stuff they do with them. Not a nintendo person. I like Sony. Microsoft is alright but eh. I like 2k, cd project red and some of the more small major developers. Naughty Dog is kind of overrated imo but makes quality games. Rockstar and Bethesda are good but I think CD Project Red is better. Fan of Doublefine as far as indie developers. I think a lot of indie develoeprs are overrated though. Sony has some overhyped ones. Journey for example is a good game and I can see why people like it but very overrated. Sony has a lot of franchises like that. 2k is really my favorite game company right now I think. NEver got into Capcom games either too much. Not a big arcade type fan but I can see why people like them.

Thing is Bethesda and Rockstar milk GTA and Elder Scrolls too much at this point. Really like what they did with Red Dead and Dishonored though. I think 2k is actually better though. Even Square with Sleeping Dogs and some of their other games. 2k has Mafia and I really like that one. Mafia II wasnt too great though.

EA has bioware and Battlefield. Not overly my types of games but they aren't as bad as what Activision has done with Blizzard, Bungie and Call of Duty.

It's really a handful of major developers at this point. 2k doesn't get mentioned too much but have some really solid franchises.

Not big on Konami. Never have been a huge fan of the metal gear series. Rocksteady and From Software are out there as well as some other developers that make games like the racing games and what not. the Arkham series is alright. Never really got into Dark Souls/Demon souls etc.. I think CD Project Red and the Witcher series impresses me the most right now even over what Bethesda and Rockstar are doing.

They released Xcom 2 on console so they r in my book

the review embargo they've imposed on mafia 3 until release is both equally disappointing and foreboding

They have released some good games they're my fav publisher.

Vietcong 2 never did get finished.

@Celtic_34

2k being the best publisher around?

please, not by a long shot. they have a bad reputation for a reason, their recent games has been utterly complete failures due to their business and marketing practices. people are wary about what games they buy from 2k. the only good things they have going for themselves are basketball games, even then they removed servers and removed ingame content that many people liked, their other good games are a few strategy games(xcom and civilization) Borderland pre sequel and borderlands 1 did not sell as good as borderlands 2 combined. mafia 3? repetitive and a buggy mess, negative reviews from critics and gamers alike. battleborn and evolve? hahahaha not much to say except theyre dead and forgotten, complete failure from the beginning. we get it, you like 2k's shitty games, thats good for you.

you list what other publishers do as "questionable" things but never mentioned anything 2k has done wrong............youre like a fanboy sucking 2k off, praising them like theyre the greatest thing ever. get off their nuts.

they dont make alot of money from their games they actually lose a ton of money.

While I like Borderlands a lot, it is the only game they made that I did enjoy.

Capcom ... since the PS2 era they pretty much lost me completely with how crappy RE is now and all the stupid version of Street Fighter.

Square-Enix : not bad but outside of a few little game like Life is Strange and LA Noire they are a Final Fantasy machine ( my fav serie )

EA : they are like tofu, their game taste nothing

Ubisoft : pretty much like EA, they only game I ever enjoyed from them is Child Of Light.

Warner : their Lego game are fun but forgettable, I did enjoy Mk9 and MK XL a lot

Rockstar : outside of GTA they didn't make that much stuff ... and GTA is a huge empty world

Bethesda : more like Bugthesda ... like Rockstar they make empty buggy world ... but they did publish DOOM ... and now that game has a 28gb update which is as ridiculous as all the bug they put in their shallow RPG

Fromsoft : they seem to only be able to do one thing, great combat but 5 identical games ... a little much

Activision ... I can't even tell what game they made or published

we heard you the first time how you dont like other publisher's games but yet they manage to make better games and sell more games than 2k ever has in history. rockstar makes awesome open world games despite what you say. no developer has ever come close in that genre and they deserve much respect for that. empty open world? is that why thousands and thousands of people still play gta online? your opinion is garbage. get off 2k's nuts fanboy. compared to your shitty failed 2k games like battleborn and evolve which averages 200 people on at peak hours. even south park the stick of truth has more playerbase than that over 1,000 players at peak hours.

Bugthesda? really? like 2k has never come out with games full of bugs, yeah right.

Square Enix did not develop or publish LA Noire you moron, its all Rockstar. goes to show what the hell you are talking about. every publishers and developers has some hit or miss video games but you coming on here saying 2k is the best publisher around is such fanboy bullshit hahahaha. kissing their ass and sucking them off like a true fanboy. now go play your shitty 2k games

Blizzard and Valve barely publish games

Square Enix produces excellent JRPG but that's about it

Bethesda's also somewhat been limited in their scope

Yup, my vote goes to 2k unless someone presents a better argument