May 12^th, 2004 (12:00am) - ESPN Videogames today announced the next iteration of their number-one rated hockey title, ESPN NHL- 2005, will ship in Fall 2004. The top-rated hockey series returns to the virtual arena, promising hockey fans of every level a competitive and compelling experience.

"We continue to innovate year after year," states Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, the producers of ESPN Videogames. "Hockey is a dazzling spectacle of incredible speed and timely teamwork that makes it one of the most electrifying sports to experience. We have added features in ESPN NHL 2005 that will appeal to both the hardcore hockey fanatic and casual weekend warrior."

Players take control of their team’s destiny and establish a hockey dynasty in the most comprehensive Franchise Mode with enhanced minor league management and full coaching staff control. New to Franchise Mode is worldwide scouting, which allows players to scout international talent. If a player is interested in a specific athlete, they can watch them in action and even run practice drills to learn more about the player’s attributes.

The fast-paced nature of hockey is fully captured with ESPN NHL 2005’s Full Intense Contact Controls. Getting physical takes on a new meaning with improved checks and new aggressive defensive tactics that can stifle an opponent or, if not careful, put the offending athlete in the penalty box. ESPN NHL 2005 includes more action and a completely redesigned fighting engine.

ESPN NHL 2005 would not be complete without the stellar hockey commentating duo, ESPN mainstays Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, who return to deliver the most insightful and entertaining hockey analysis. Further ESPN presentation improvements include cut scenes from the locker room, statistic-laden overlays, more music, crowd chants, and ice girls. ESPN NHL Hockey 2005 will be available for both PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

ESPN NHL 2005 and other ESPN Videogames titles are produced by Visual Concepts - Sega’s sports studio.
For more information, log on to http://www.espnvideogames.com.