February 22^nd, 2005 (8:50am) - MVP Baseball 2005 has shipped to retailers nationwide and is available in stores under the EA SPORTS brand. Last year, MVP Baseball 2004 was the #1 selling baseball video game with more than one million copies sold.

Featuring the EA SPORTS Hitter’s Eye, MVP Baseball 2005 gives players unprecedented control of their at-bat including the power to read the pitch and the ability to move in the batter’s box. An all-new visual indicator allows hitters to pick up the pitch the moment it leaves the pitcher’s hand. In addition, players can use the Pitch/Swing Analysis to review the timing and location of their swings and adjust accordingly.

An all-new Owner Mode enables players to control all aspects of an organization including concession stand prices, promotional days, hiring and firing coaches as well as building their field of dreams. In Create Ballpark, players can customize their stadium by selecting a ballpark name, location, field dimensions and much more.

The addition of 30 Single-A minor league teams (90 minor leagues teams overall), three new mini-games, an improved Dynasty Mode and all-new unlockable legends, stadiums and uniforms, makes MVP Baseball 2005 the most innovative and authentic baseball simulation ever created.

Online gamers will enjoy enhanced features on the PlayStation 2, PC-CD and for the first time, Xbox Live support. Gamers can use custom rosters, send challenges to players with similar rankings and play in traditional or quick tournaments.

Developed in Vancouver, B.C., by EA Canada, MVP Baseball 2005 is available on the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PC-CD. The game is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $29.95. MVP Baseball for the Sony PSP™ will ship alongside NBA STREET Showdown, NFL STREET 2: Unleashed, FIFA Soccer, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and Need for Speed Underground Rivals in March 2005 when the new handheld entertainment system is released in North America.