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Bird will be integrated into game,
in addition to being on cover |
2K Sports has selected the Basketball HOF trio of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan to be the cover athletes for the upcoming "NBA 2K12" release. 2K Sports used Jordan alone for last year's edition, and integrated him into the game. The moves helped spur retail sales beyond 5 million units, largest of any 2K Sports game ever, and "NBA 2K11" has remained among the top 10 selling U.S. video game titles each of the past nine months. "The initial goal was to bring Michael back, but do it in a way that showed further progress and growth," said 2K Sports VP/Marketing Jason Argent. "So not only do we have these three legends but also a very different look to the covers. It's a big departure from what we've done in the past." The street art-inspired box covers were designed by Boston-based designer and illustrator Adam Larson. Each of the three covers will be sold separately, though it is not yet known whether a purchaser of one will be able to download the other two. Bird and Johnson, like Jordan last year, will also be integrated into "NBA 2K12" itself. Argent said the production and marketing schedule for the game has not been impacted by the ongoing NBA lockout, and it will be released this fall as originally scheduled. "Our philosophy is to not let that distract us from building the best game possible," he said.
