Sega lands multi-year deal with ESPN, to add exclusive ESPN type features to Sega Sports titles.
SEGA DRAFTS ESPN TO BRING ITS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SEGA SPORTS GAMES TO NEW
LEVELS OF AUTHENTICITY
Incorporating ESPN Features into SEGA Sports Games Brings Gamers Closer to
the Sport
SAN FRANCISCO - (May 9, 2002) - SEGA Sports(tm), the brand that continues to
set new standards in sports video gaming, today announced a multi-year deal
between SEGA(r) of America, Inc. and ESPN, Inc., the worldwide leader in
sports, to make SEGA Sports' critically acclaimed video game franchises more
authentic and realistic than ever before. With this teaming of two of the
biggest brands in sports, compelling ESPN presentation features will be
added to the SEGA Sports lineup, further blurring the lines between a SEGA
Sports game and a sports television telecast.
More than 74 percent of sports gamers rank realism and authenticity as the
top features they look for when purchasing a game. (Research International
Study for SEGA, 2001) SEGA Sports development teams responded to this
request and are adding popular ESPN branded elements, including Intros,
Replays, Camera Angles, and Stat and Score presentations into its 2K3 series
of games. As a result, gamers will be able to play their games the way they
like to watch them on television.
"Building upon the strongest foundation possible - our world renowned SEGA
Sports franchises - this relationship helps solidify our commitment to
authenticity by continuing to bring the SEGA Sports gaming experience closer
to the true experience of the sport," said Peter Moore, president and COO,
SEGA of America, Inc. "With the unique features and the additional sports
expertise that ESPN will infuse into our games, we expect to continue to set
the standard for authenticity when it comes to sports simulation video
gaming."
"ESPN and Disney Interactive are pleased to be working with SEGA Sports to
push sports video gaming to the next level," said George Bodenheimer,
president, ESPN. "ESPN's mission is to serve sports fans in every way
possible, and working closely with SEGA Sports' outstanding product gives us
a significant advantage in the video game arena."
SEGA Sports will build exclusive ESPN features into the "SEGA Sports 2K3"
series of sports games including "SEGA Sports(tm) NFL 2K3," "SEGA Sports(tm)
NBA 2K3," "SEGA Sports(tm) NHL 2K3" and "SEGA Sports(tm) World Series(r)
Baseball 2K3." The first title to unveil these features will be "SEGA
Sports(tm) NCAA(r) College Football 2K3," available in the fall for the
PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox(tm) video game
system from Microsoft(r) and Nintendo GameCube(tm). All "SEGA Sports 2K3"
titles containing the new ESPN features will carry the ESPN logo on the
package front. Under the terms of this deal, SEGA Sports will also work
closely together with ESPN to market these titles in numerous ESPN
properties via advertisements, promotions and other marketing vehicles.
"ESPN is absolutely the best when it comes to sports telecast
presentations," said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts
Entertainment-the development house behind the 'SEGA Sports 2K' series.
"Incorporating ESPN elements into SEGA Sports games will make them even more
authentic, bridging the gap between a sports TV presentation and an
immersive sports video game experience. Our development team has added key
features that people recognize and identify with - so that the end result is
a sports video game that is unmatched in the industry."
About SEGA
SEGA(r) of America is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA
Corporation, a $3.5 billion corporation by market capitalization, recognized
as a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside
the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive
entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms
including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo,
Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America's Web site
is located at www.sega.com.