Warren Sapp Signs as Cover Athlete for
ESPN NFL Football Game
Title First Released Under Newly-formed
ESPN Videogames Brand
NEW YORK – (June 18, 2003) – ESPN Videogames
today, at a press conference at the ESPN Zone, announced the signing of Tampa
Bay Buccaneers’ defensive tackle and Super Bowl champ Warren Sapp to serve as
the official spokesperson and cover athlete for "ESPN NFL Football."
"ESPN NFL Football" will be the first game
released under the newly-formed ESPN Videogames brand announced today as a
collaboration between SEGA(R), Visual Concepts, maker of the acclaimed "2K"
series, and ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports.
"Warren Sapp embodies the intensity and
passion the NFL is known for. He possesses an amazing amount of drive and
competitiveness that makes him one of the most intimidating figures in the NFL,"
said Greg Thomas, president, Visual Concepts Entertainment. "Warren plays like
every game may be his last, despite facing double and triple teams on virtually
every down. He works tirelessly to shut down his opponents’ offense and has a
great time doing it, epitomizing what ‘ESPN NFL Football’ is all about."
Upon joining the Buccaneers in 1995, Warren
Sapp immediately made his mark in the NFL and was named Defensive Player of the
Year by Football Writers’ Association, Football News and ABC. He is also a
five-time Pro Bowl pick whose career sack total of 65 puts him second in
all-time club history.
"I’ve been playing sports videogames for as
long as I can remember," Sapp said. "You always imagine yourself in the games
and dream of the day that it could be a reality and now that it is, I can only
say that I am ready to be a part of ‘ESPN NFL Football.’"
"ESPN NFL Football" will bring sports gamers
the same unparalleled gameplay that they have come to expect from the 2K
franchise along with ESPN’s well known presentation features that will now be
entirely integrated in all ESPN Videogames.
With an all-new play calling system and
gameplay that can be scaled to both hardcore sports gamers and rookies alike,
ESPN NFL Football will provide a polished and fun experience for football fans
everywhere.
Additional titles being released starting
this fall under the new ESPN Videogames brand will include: "ESPN NBA
Basketball," "ESPN NHL Hockey" and "ESPN NCAA College Hoops." All titles will be
available for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox(TM)
videogame system from Microsoft(R).
"ESPN World Series(R) Baseball" is also
planned for release.
"ESPN NFL Football" will be available at
retailers nationwide this fall.
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 SEGA
SEGA(R) of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA
Corporation, 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.
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 (launching the end of 2003), 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.
NBA, NFL, NCAA, and NHL are trademarks of
their respective owners and used with permission. "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. (TM), (R), Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube are
trademarks of Nintendo. ESPN is a registered trademark of ESPN, Inc. ESPN
branded elements (C) Disney. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
World Series is a trademark owned by the
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball and may not be reproduced without written
consent. 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.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment
America markets the PlayStation(R) game console and develops, publishes, markets
and distributes software for the PlayStation game console and the
PlayStation(R)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.
