Hollywood Goes Gaming

San Jose Shark Joe Thornton Loves Xbox 360

NHL All Star center Joe Thornton had quite a year last season, which he split between the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks. The prolific scorer was a key part of the Sharks' playoff run, and he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leader in points during the regular season. Thornton was also nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy for last season as the League MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Award.

Joe Thornton up close and person in NHL 2K7.

This year, the 1997 first round NHL Entry Draft pick is on the cover of 2K Sports' NHL 2K7. He's also one of a growing number of NHL stars that grew up gaming, and he loves to play both virtually and on the ice.

"A lot of my friends back home are
playing the game and they get a kick
out of seeing me on the front of the cover."

Thornton has been playing games since the old days of Nintendo and SEGA Genesis. He grew up on hockey video games and he remembers back in the day, when a particular deke right and then left always lit the virtual lamp. These days, he says the hockey videogames are a lot more like the real NHL.

The scoring in today's games requires skill, not the memorization of game glitches. Thornton said passing the puck at just the right moment to draw the goalie out of position is the best way to score in any game, just as it is in real life.

Fire and Ice
There's nothing better than a good hockey videogame, according to Thornton, who loves the fighting, the big checks, and the scoring. This year is special for the center, however, because it's his face on the box art.

"It's awesome," said Thornton." Growing up I played a lot of the hockey games myself. To be the cover athlete is a huge honor. The NHL 2K series has been recognized as the top rated NHL video game for several years and it's the game I always played. A lot of my friends back home are playing the game and they get a kick out of seeing me on the front of the cover."

In addition to being on the cover, Thornton spent time with 2K Sports to talk about the game—and talk in the game. The development team actually put a microphone on him during a practice session to capture the trash talking that takes place on the ice.

NHL 2K7 delivers all of the action and big hits of the NHL.

Gamer at Heart
Thornton is a big Xbox 360™ gamer. He has the system at home and loves to play FIFA Soccer 07, Madden NFL 07, and, of course, hockey.

"I play the NHL 2K7 game with a lot of my buddies and brothers back home via Xbox Live®," said Thornton. "I don't like getting killed in the scoring department, so I don't play in the general Xbox Live games. I get on with my buddies so we can chirp over the Xbox Live Communicator."

Thornton also invites teammates over to his house to play Xbox 360 sports games, which helps build camaraderie. Last year, NHL 2K6 actually helped the center, who played his entire career on the East Coast, get familiar with West Coast teams and faces. Under the setup of the new NHL, the East and West Coast teams don't regularly play each other any more.

2K Sports brings the full NHL 2K7 gameplay experience to Xbox 360 for the first time.

Virtual Ice
Thornton will be playing in his fourth NHL All Star Game this season, and this year NHL 2K7 is the main sponsor of the festivities, so he will be featured prominently. The NHL is reaching out to tech-savvy fans more than ever since the lockout. In fact, the All Star Balloting has gone completely digital this year.

"I think it's great to get the names and the faces out there through Google video or the NHL games or the digital All Star balloting," said Thornton. "It's good exposure for the game. The All Star Game is a great way for the fans to see the guys' faces, see the game and how quick it is, so it's very exciting."

Article by John Gaudiosi