NHL 07 benched on Nintendo platforms

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jun 28th 2006 at 4:55PM }

Last week, when EA announced that the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin would be NHL 07's cover athlete, many fans were surprised to see that Nintendo was absent from the list of platforms* that would receive the game.

Nintendojo recently contacted EA to verify the platform release list. As it turns out, NHL 07 will not be released for GameCube -- or for that matter, Wii. Currently, 2K Sports' NHL 2K7 is not scheduled for release on GameCube either.

Electronic Arts publicist Jen Riley did make it a point to remind Nintendojo, "Many of our other games are continuing to support DS ... and we hope to be on Wii in the future."

*NHL 07 will be available for PC, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Note that PlayStation 3 is also absent from the list.

Tags: 2K Sports, 2kSports, EA, Electronic Arts, ElectronicArts, NHL, NHL 07, NHL 2K7, Nhl07, Nhl2k7

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

crono141 @ Jun 28th 2006 5:05PM

To reiterate:

I hate EA anyway...

Babylonian @ Jun 28th 2006 5:06PM

Ouch. First they talk trash about Wii, then they give Ninty an unusual cold shoulder.

We don't need them anyway.

Jody Anthony @ Jun 28th 2006 5:14PM

wow, i didnt know many games were still being planned for release on the regular xbox

nonpareil @ Jun 28th 2006 5:19PM

What's hockey?

murph @ Jun 28th 2006 5:40PM

Let the record show, 0 Nintendo hockey games. 2 PSP hockey games.

Looking forward to this on the PSP ESPECIALLY if they include the Sega Genesis NHL 94 version on there as well. (like they did for NHL 06 on PS2)

davis @ Jun 28th 2006 5:43PM

well who cares about that crap sport anyway.I really dont think anyone is lining up for a hockey game.

Jay @ Jun 28th 2006 5:45PM

Thank god. separate the wheat from the chaff. A console with EA sports games is a good sign of heaven for me :) le w00ts.

Thomas Werewolf @ Jun 28th 2006 6:03PM

It would have been cool to brawl on the ice using the Wiimote and Nunchuck. Maybe next year.

Stranger678 @ Jun 28th 2006 6:08PM

2k's hockey is so much better, I stopped buying the EA versions three years ago, and haven't regretted it yet. Now if 2k doesn't port, that would suck.

shivr @ Jun 28th 2006 7:02PM

"As it turns out, NHL 07 will not be released for GameCube -- or for that matter, Wii. Currently, 2K Sports' NHL 2K7 is not scheduled for release on GameCube either. "

Bit redundant, eh?

Bryan Thumme @ Jun 28th 2006 7:14PM

Davis,
Why would you call hockey a "crap sport"?

Hockey provides some of the best game play (sportswise) on any system. It's ease and smoothness, all of the customizational features, the announcers (Although the 2k announcers suck since they dropped the ESPN Tag, R.I.P Gary Thorne's voice), and not to mention that it is so easy to just pick up and play.

Crap sport? I don't think so.

Grant @ Jun 28th 2006 7:39PM

How is that redundant?

fashionfauxpas @ Jun 28th 2006 8:43PM

thats a shame...

hockey is great sport! i wonder if the EA development team is just not ready to port the Wii? what EA should do instead is make Mutant Hockey League for the Wii. that game would be fun to play without the hassle of the licensing.

Jacob Gonzalez @ Jun 28th 2006 9:38PM

I placed my comment here 1 hour ago and they took it away? Why? I said nothing wrong. Or is it because I had the balls to use my real last name (Gonzalez)

Let me find out that the admins at Jotstiq are racist.

I said nothing wrong in my post.

All I said that I hate EA even more after find it out that they not realesing NHL 2006 for Nintendo Wii.

What is it?

Puertoricans can't like hockey.

Don't delete this post again.

I hate EA so what

PS you think everyone that comes here is white and american? Can't latinos like myself like hockey?

The only reason I can find why the admins at Joystiq deleted my post is because they are racist.

Do not delete this post. The money I pay for videogames keeps your videogames alive too.

Jamesology @ Jun 28th 2006 11:13PM

HAHAHA Joystiq is racist!! It seems like they love to favour my country most. B/c all I hear is stats in Japan. When really this website is based in America. It's like 1/100 when I hear actually here stats from USA.

jc @ Jun 28th 2006 11:16PM

I bite my tongue saying this, but I hope NHL06 (from EA) kicks ass. Since 2K Sports bought out SEGA Sports, there has been little done to improve the game... in fact I think it has become buggy, incomplete and almost unplayable in some ways. (oh how I miss SEGA Sports)

EA 2002 for the PS2 was the last hockey game I bought from EA, SEGA NHL 2K3 was 10 times better than the EA version. EA, if you are listening, you have a window of oppertunity here to gain some fans back. Make the game-play solid, drop the gimmicks and make NHL06 shine in HD... you might just make it to the playoffs this year.

Nintendo's King @ Jun 28th 2006 11:38PM

EA and 2K Sports are an ass if they are not on the Wii with sports games. The Wiimote on the Nintendo Wii will bring real life sports at home. It will be better than the Xbox360 and PS3 one with the Wiimote.

JRM @ Jun 29th 2006 2:48AM

It sounds like the same old story in Hockey: Coverage of the game is so low that (with the exception of certain markets) it's pointless investing in it. EA won't spend $$$ on new gameplay when the game only sells well in Canada and Northern US.

I actually hope it's because Nintendo slipped up, and NOT EA.

187 on John Doe @ Jun 29th 2006 5:14AM

First off, ice hockey is the most fast paced sport on earth. I guess won't have ever played it, seeing as al the equipment is rather expensive, bu it is good fun. I mean in which other sport do you have to be fast, strong and think?
On another note Ovechkin shouldn't be on the cover. I hate that little russian bitch.
I'd be for Mats Sundin, seeing as he lead the Sweds to Olympic gold jus thtis year. The russian lost against the Czechs for third I think, well they played the Czechs and I lost money that day. The fucking russian bitch.
Anyways the GC is in my opinion not a good console anyway. But what I'm really waiting to see is how EA will work with the Wii and it's Nunchuk-Wiimote thing. Will you be able to do anything, maybe the fights, but shooting? Shots would be more to the ground and the Wii has a sensor over the TV.
And since these games will probably be out before Wii and PS3 no need to include them on the development list. I'm surprised about the Xbox support.

joe @ Jun 29th 2006 5:39AM

@ #14

Honestly people like you REALLY wind me up. WHY when something doesnt go to your liking do you feel the need to call its racism? Your being stupid Im pretty certain I could put my house on the fact that joystiq deleted your post for a reason other than you being puortorican.

Dont get me wrong Im not a racist, so dont call me one, I think race doesnt matter. Yet some people argue for their rights then decide theyll use that racism card when things dont go that way. Its bull.

jc @ Jun 29th 2006 9:10AM

With the problems Weblogs Inc. have had the past few weeks, I bet the post was deleted by a glitch... I have been losing at least one post a day. Stop crying, the sky isn't falling.

John Doe, while I am a huge leafs/sundin fan... and agree with you somewhat, I think Sydney Crosby should have made the cover. Crosby has style, and is a great community role-model.

elmer @ Jun 29th 2006 9:21AM

John Doe:

Fencing's pretty fast.

I completely expect neither sports games or FPS's to populate the Wii, despite both potentially making so much sense, because the two areas have become so entrenched that the developers of each have become unimaginative, risk-averse asses.

It's not set in WWII? or in a sci-fi environment overrun with aliens? or a sci-fi alien take on WWII?
Then it shouldn't be made.

Your game doesn't have a following that buys the game for a new roster every 12 months?
Then it shouldn't be made.

And your FPS or sports game DEFINITELY shouldn't be made if it might appeal outside of the core "18-34 year old American male Hardcore gamer with disposable income" demographic.

Nintendo systems are right out. No kid would ever buy a sports game where he gets to swing the stick/bat/club. That would be gay. And no kid would ever swing a control about like a weapon, because they shouldn't have to move. In fact, no one should ever have to move. Moving is for jocks.

Don't be creative. That would mean taking a chance.

GL @ Jun 29th 2006 1:08PM

Can't wait for this release. I thought NHL 2K6 was good, slightly better than EA, but hopefully EA will turn it up.

Crosby is a great player, but Ovechkin did more this season with less help. He didn't have Lemieux and Palffy feeding him. EA, like any company, will go with the biggest name and who is most recognizable. And this year it was Ovechkin.

I hope that hockey can grow more now as a result of a Southern team winning the cup.

ryan @ Jun 29th 2006 2:49PM

the wqiimote is a gimmick itself, motion sensors on a controller is really nothing new.. i do think the wiimote is a unique idea but it is a gimmick that is way overrated especially when its already been done by a third party... pelican released a controller for the ps1 that had motion sensing and a guy on a video used it with 2 games 1 fro ps1 and GT4 for the ps2.

im honesltly cant wait for it to be out on the 360, i like ea sports hockey games, and you guys are so quick to defend 2k, let me remind you that 2k wasnt doing so great latly with the 360 support.. remember mlb2k6? it was buggy as hell, and even after the "patch" it still didnt work the way it should.

Quentin @ Jun 29th 2006 5:46PM

James don't forget NCAA 07 and NBA Live 07 won't be making their appearance on GameCube either.

rick @ Jun 30th 2006 6:15AM

damn, nhl (the best ea sports game in my opinion, although the competition is not that high), would be excellent ont he DS, as it would show a larger part of the screen as the nhl games are oriented vertically, not horizontal like the fifa's (if fifa was turned, they could try to make it as good as sensible soccer)