Kotaku
The undisputed winner of the video game boxing ring is about to get some stiff competition as 2K Sports announces Don King Presents: Prizefighter, ready to go a few rounds with EA's Fight Night franchise this Spring on the Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Wii. Developed by 2K's Venom Games of Rocky and Rocky Legends fame, Prizefighter promises a deep and authentic documentary-style boxing experience, where fighters will experience all of the temptation and adversity of the road from chump to champ.
"In all my years working in professional boxing, I have never seen anything come as close to recreating the thrill, the intensity, the courage and the spectacle of the sport," said legendary boxing promoter Don King. "Don King Presents: Prizefighter is more than a game — it is a glimpse at what life is like in and out of the ring for these incredible athletes.""More than just a night at the fights" says it all. 2K is gunning for EA, and with Don King's hair in their corner it's going to be one hell of a fight.
2K Sports Announces Don King Presents: PrizefighterDon King Presents: Prizefighter brings an innovative feature set and story line to set the standard in boxing video games
NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced the spring 2008 release of Don King Presents: Prizefighter, the most realistic boxing video game simulation, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo's Wii™ home video game console and Nintendo's DS™ portable system. This in-depth, documentary-style title will provide the deepest, most authentic and entertaining experience ever seen in a boxing video game.
"The combination of real-life fight scenarios, story-driven gameplay and photo-realistic graphics will set this title apart from the competition," said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "Our goal has always been to deliver the most engaging and realistic titles, and Don King Presents: Prizefighter will exceed these expectations. Based on the game's innovative features and high-profile fighters, this title will be a 'must have' for any sports gamer."
"In all my years working in professional boxing, I have never seen anything come as close to recreating the thrill, the intensity, the courage and the spectacle of the sport," said legendary boxing promoter Don King. "Don King Presents: Prizefighter is more than a game — it is a glimpse at what life is like in and out of the ring for these incredible athletes."
Developed by Venom Games, the 2K studio that brought Rocky and Rocky Legends to the Xbox and PlayStation 2, Don King Presents: Prizefighter will bring the realism of live action match-ups and the true tactics of the sweet science together for the first time. More than just a night at the fights - players will be responsible for building a career by overcoming adversity, avoiding temptation, and balancing their commitments to train and promote, all while focusing on the goal of ultimately winning and defending the title belt. The story will be told by a revolutionary sports documentary-style narrative never before seen in a video game.
Don King Presents: Prizefighter will be available in spring 2008 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo's Wii™ home video game console and Nintendo's DS portable system, leveraging the unique hardware features of each platform.
For more information, log onto www.2ksports.com/prizefighter.
Comments
Eh? No PS3 version? Not really that broken-up about it.
Can't support a game that has Don King getting a piece of the action.
Pass.
About time Lucius Sweet I mean Don King got his own video game. I wonder if Drederick Tatum I mean Mike Tyson will be a fighter.
I wonder if by "experiencing the temptation and adversity" on the way to becoming the champ means 'taking a dive in the eighth for a million bucks under the table.'
I saw this on IGN's release date calender and I was wondering what it was.
Should be interesting. Hopefully it will be a budget title like the rest of 2K sports games.
I'd endorse something if it had my name on it, too.
I can see it now..You win a fight with a purse of 10,000 bucks and get only 1000 of it. Also the "Stop Don King from ruining your career" Minigames.
Sweet. I think I'll pass.
Let's all talk about how much boxing owns, but nobody in our generation watches it anymore because that homo-erotic MMA stuff is all people care about.
@Heliophage: Heliophage's Prizefighter. Hmm has a nice ring to it.
Don King's hit video game, "Take a Dive for a Cut of the Purse"
I can't wait to play the beat up your mom and throw her down the stairs mini game. Then after that the don't drop the soap mini game. Oh this is going to be great!
Umm ... yeah. Because Don King has never been known for making outlandish, superlative, and exaggerated statements over things he's promoting.
Only in America!
This guy almost single handeley ruined boxing, and he gets his own game and 2K thinks thats OK? WTF, what a slap in the face to boxing fans the world over.
This will be the king of boxing games*
*until Fight Night Round 4 hits stores
@NotAZombie:
"In all my years of casual blog commenting, I have never seen anything come as close to recreating the thrill, the intensity, the courage and the spectacle of the pastime," said regular Kotaku commenter Heliophage. "Heliophage's Prizefighter is more than a game -- it is a glimpse at what life is like in and out of the internet for these incredible wordsmiths."
with blitz the league, and now this, I love the idea of off the field antics playing a significant role in the in game sport. We all know what effect it has on players. From sports betting to steroids to all sorta of other situations (my favorite is sending a hooker to the other team in blitz)
This is not the kind of image any sports organization wants to portray (well, maybe golf.) But it is more 'real' and clearly more interesting.
Keep doing does exclusives boys, you'll keep seeing more of this
If only the final boss character you fought at the end was Don King himself - count me in!
Yes, but what is Don King's hair's impression of the game? THAT is the question.
@SnakeCL: Doesn't bother me either, but is there any particular reason why all Sony consoles are excluded?
Yet another game being kept off the PS3? Hah. Even if this one blows, it's still funny.
Only in America!
SO can you fix the fights in this game?
Don King must meet the Yugioh Abridged version of Bandit Keith
@Len Bias Cocaine Surplus:
Wasn't the EA branch in charge of the Fight Night series shut down? I don't know if there will be a sequel, or if there is, if it'll be any good without that team.
Don King's an ass, that's for sure, but who the hell cares, if the game turns out good. Fight Night is nice, but it's the only game in town. Let's see what 2K can do!
Why the fuck do you need a prick like Don King on the front of your game. I have no idea why Ubisoft keep paying to paste Tom Clancy's name on everything too, what left has he to offer? Don't even get me started on John Mullins, given Soldier of Fortunes demotion to budget tripe, I hope they got rid of that pointless overhead.
A boxing game doesn't need King. It needs the legends of the ring that EA provide.
The picture that goes with this article looks like horrible box art from some early 1980's game.
Will we be able to "trade punches with live fighters"? Maybe this'll be the second all-video boxing game. Yeah, I'm talking about Sega CD's Prize Fighter by Digital Pictures. Never understood the timing of that game - very button-masher friendly though.
No button controls or GTFO.
2K Sports is acknowledging that Nintendo systems exist once again? Nice!
First one that expands on the Victorious Boxers gameplay wins... (uhh, PS2, not Wii version... you gotta play that game...)
Experience the world's most sophisticated bribery system, ohh and there is some boxing too.
As awesome as Fight Night Round 3 was, it wasn't like real boxing, it was more like a movie.
Victorious Boxers 2 for the PS2 was very realistic, despite it being an anime-based game.
Don King or not, I hope... no, I expect they deliver on their promise of true to life boxing.
ha ha ha..ok wait a game endorsed by don king! oh man this is down right funny.
i dont care that its not coming to ps3, so long as i get fight night round 4 im good, thank you:)
and btw, like to send a special shout to the don king for destroying the lives of many professional boxers, further plummeting the sport into oblivion. yeah don, mike tyson could have been a legend....Peace!
No thanks, Don King makes money off other people's hard work.
@shiwasu: if my memory serves me correct EA Montreal will be handling future iterations of the fight night franschise
I want to fight Don Kings hair.
Hey 2K ... EA's boxing was stellar, so good luck.
How can claim it will be the most realistic boxing video game simulation?
Your Hockey you said this = FAIL
Your Baseball you said this = FAIL (but is looking up)
And anything with Don King on the cover will have fixed bouts in an already openly known FIXED sport!
Only in America.
"If you could fight any celebrity, who would you fight?"
"I'd fight Hemingway."
The pstriple just be too hard for programmers I reckon
Maybe there's a level where you get to kill two people like Don King did...
@-EDGE-: I totally agree with you, and HERETRIX and NASCAR. What the hell is 2K thinking? Boxing fans HATE Don King and hate to see him involved with any boxing match for fear of fixed fights. I hope this game sucks because I don't want to feel like I'm missing out when I pass on it.
Must have been on hell of a brain storming session on this one 2K. "Hey, I got it. Let's get one of the most corrupt, hated, despised and untrustworthy people in all of sports and put his name in the title!"
Of all the respectable promoters out there trying to bring credibility back to boxing 2K picks the one almost solely responsible for its down fall. It's apparent they know nothing about boxing.
I wouldn't spend one damn dime on something with this crooks name on it.
Almost as good as Michael Vick's Pro Football.
@DangerChimp: Shatner
Ah man, all this talk and no George Washington Duke jokes? I know he's from Rocky V, but the man still needs his props
"Touch me and I'll sue"
Anyways, game sounds interesting. The documentary style is intriguing since 24/7 was AMAZING for Mayweather/Hatton. Even if it won't be like that at all.
Spoiler Alert: If you beat the game on Career Mode, King steals all your money, leaves you broke, brain-damaged, and half insane leading you to get a face tattoo and "volunteer" to be a male stud at Heidi Fleiss's new bordello.
@EvilJ:
Winner!
yay, lets celebrate a murderer and scam artist!
I have to agree with a number of the above commenters, I think this game is screwed from the get go. Who is going to buy a boxing game over an arcade fighting game? Boxing fans of course. Who do boxing fans universally hate? Don King. I normally like 2K, but this move is kind of brain dead. Also, I was extremely worried that there was ZERO mention of licensed real life fighters in the press release. Didn't 2K learn their lesson when All Pro Football bombed without the NFL?
@WalletMan: Boxing was a way of fighting