ESPN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ROCKS AND DELIVERS INNOVATIVE GAMEPLAY FEATURES

Power Pitching(tm), First Person Baseball(tm), and online play round the roster of new breakout features.

SAN RAFAEL, CA (March 16, 2004) - ESPN Videogames is proud to announce several new original features found only in ESPN Major League Baseball.  Key features include Power Pitching(tm), First Person Baseball(tm), and online play.  ESPN Major League Baseball will be available across North America on April 15, 2004. 

The completely revamped pitching system, Power Pitching(tm) gives the gamer supreme control in the movement and speed of pitches.  An improved pitch arsenal includes baffling knuckle-curves, crafty circle change-ups, and staggering slurves for the most complete array of pitch types in any baseball game.  The new pitching interface incorporates an 'Effort' meter where a pitcher can increase the speed of the pitch or apply more movement to the ball.  Pitching is about upsetting the batter's timing and with Power Pitching(tm), complete control is in the hands of the player.

In ESPN Major League Baseball, fans will experience what it's really like to play in a big league game with First Person Baseball(tm).  Users can bat, pitch, field, and run the bases all through the eyes of a Major League Baseball player.  In First Person Baseball(tm), players will comprehend the true speed of a fastball at the plate, witness the soaring flight of fly balls, and feel the roar of the crowd after hitting a game-winning home run.  No game has ever come this close to delivering the experience of major league play.

The continuing rivalry between major league teams can finally be experienced in the video game world as ESPN Major League Baseball delivers online play for both the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox(tm) videogame system from Microsoft®.  Online competitors can heckle their opponent into submission through full voice chat support as they battle to cement their team's winning tradition.

Features

* Power Pitching(tm) - New pitching system and interface delivers complete control on the mound with new pitches, pitch animations, pitcher confidence, and great variations of pitch speed and movement. 

* First Person Baseball(tm) - With this new mode, gamers will see, hear, and feel what it's like to be a major leaguer.  See first-hand the blazing speed of a fastball, jump to take away a home run at the wall, and experience the roar of the crowd upon hitting one out of the yard - all through the eyes of a baseball player.

* Online Play- ESPN Major League Baseball offers online gameplay for both PlayStation®2 and Xbox(tm) -- complete with downloadable rosters, voice chat and more!

* ESPN Presentation - Similar to an ESPN Major League Baseball broadcast - including the insightful game analysis and commentary of veteran ESPN talents Jon Miller and Karl Ravech.  Also included - TV broadcast-style flybys, stadium-specific cut sequences and ESPN's K-Zone pitch analysis - all in the recognized style of the "Worldwide Leader in Sports."

* Field Drama - ESPN Major League Baseball includes hundreds of breakthrough animations including broken bats, barehanded grabs, mound conferences, curtain calls, and player reactions.

* Confidence Meter - Emotion plays a bigger role with the new Confidence Meter that increases or decreases depending on pitching, hitting, and fielding performance.

* New GM Career Mode - Users can control a baseball franchise as the general manager and keep temperamental owners satisfied by completing goals.  Completing these goals will ensure job security and open up future opportunities, while failure brings a greater risk of being fired.

* Clutch Gameplay - Users can utilize turbo boost when fielding to get a quicker jump on the ball or to get the ball to a base faster.  Brand new diving and wall-jumping catch animations bring a new level of on-field excitement.

ESPN Videogames are produced by Visual Concepts - Sega's sports studio. For more information on the games, visit <http://www.espnvideogames.com>. 

About Visual Concepts Entertainment
Visual Concepts Entertainment is the maker of the critically acclaimed 2K series of sports games. The company is responsible for the full development and marketing for all ESPN Videogames titles and is committed to delivering the best, fully integrated sports gaming experience for all consumers. Visual Concepts Entertainment is wholly owned by Japan-based SEGA Corporation.

About ESPN
ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is a multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia assets in sports marketing with over 40 business entities.  The company is comprised of seven domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes , ESPN Now, ESPN Today), ESPN HD (a high-definition simulcast service of ESPN), ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (25 international networks and syndication), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, SportsTicker, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN Broadband, ESPN Wireless, ESPN Video-on-Demand and ESPN Interactive.  Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc, which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.  The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit the official Major League Baseball website at MLB.com (C) MLBPA - Official Licensee, Major League Baseball Players Association. Visit the Players Choice on the web at www.bigleaguers.com  (C) SEGA CORPORATION, 2003 (C) MLBP 2003 / MLBPA 2003.

"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. ESPN is a registered trademark of ESPN, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

About Sony Computer Entertainment America
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America markets the PlayStation® game console and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PlayStation game console and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 

About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/) is Microsoft's future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox is now available in North America, Japan, Europe and Australia.

Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries

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