At a press conference at the ESPN Zone earlier today, Sega, Visual Concepts, and ESPN announced that the Sega Sports 2K series--including 2K4 games planned for release later this year--is being retired in favor of a new ESPN Videogames brand. Games already scheduled for release under the new brand starting this fall include PS2 and Xbox versions of ESPN NFL Football, ESPN NBA Basketball, ESPN NHL Hockey, and ESPN College Hoops.

　　"With ESPN Videogames, sports gamers will experience the same level of fun, realism, and competition that they know and demand from the 2K games, but with an all-new presentation and attitude only ESPN can help us deliver," said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts Entertainment. "We are making great game changes this year, and players can look forward to seeing the new ESPN integration and innovative features not only this fall, but year after year."

　　"We've only scratched the surface with this relationship. The possibilities are endless for how we can continue to enhance the sports gaming experience with ESPN Videogames," said Rick Alessandri, senior vice president and general manager of ESPN Enterprises. "The new branding and further integration is just the first step, with so many more improvements and groundbreaking features to come."

　　All of the games released under the new ESPN Videogames brand will feature ESPN-style presentation and camera angles, as well as ESPN commentary from the likes of Chris Berman, Gary Thorne, and Bill Clement. We'll bring you more information on all of Sega's ESPN games as soon as it becomes available.