Rewind History with All-Pro Football 2K8

2K Sports' latest football game will allow players to pick up the controller as legendary athletes like Rice, Unitas, Butkus, and Singletary.

When Electronic Arts cut a deal with the National Football League in 2004 giving them exclusive rights to the league’s branding in their titles,  the Madden series put a major damper on other football franchises. How would they sell without the teams fans were rabidly attached to? Game publisher 2K Sports has their own answer: sell the players, not the teams.

2K Sports announced details about the upcoming All-Pro Football 2K8 on Thursday, which revealed that the game’s roster will consist of football heroes past and present. Each one will have signature abilities, and an attribute system will be included for further customization.

“With All-Pro Football 2K8, we’re bringing the greatest players in football history back to the game,” said Greg Thomas, president of a 2K Sports studio, in a press release. “Imagine an offense featuring John Elway, Thurman Thomas and Jerry Rice going against a defense led by Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary and Reggie White. By highlighting the signature abilities of the game’s greatest legends, we have created a highly customizable and unique football experience tailored for the football fan.”

Hopefully O.J. Simpson’s signature abilities won’t get this title an M rating from the ESRB.

All-Pro Football 2K8 is scheduled for release this summer for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.