Nearly months after ESPN NBA 2K5 was first listed as $19.99, Visual Concepts has officially announced the game will indeed be sold at the bargain price point. The E-rated b-baller is due to ship on October 5 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, thus representing the last ESPN game scheduled for released this year. Sega, Visual Concepts' owner, and Take-Two Interactive are copublishing the game.

　　Despite the lowered price, ESPN NBA 2K5 will feature an array of new additions and improvements to its predecessor ESPN NBA Basketball. Foremost among these is "The Next Movement," a new momentum-based system that lets players' real-life physical ability determine how fast they run the court. The game also improves on the series' IsoMotion system, which allows players to perform moves such as fakes and spins. Also included are the "24/7" streetballer mode and "The Association" franchise mode. As before, both versions of the game will support online play.

　　As ESPN NBA 2K5's release nears, Visual Concepts will be showing off new features for the game in a series of updates on the official ESPN Videogames Web site. Called "Fear the 'Fro Fridays," the series will show off a new gameplay movie each Friday until the game hits stores.