| ESPN NFL 2K5 | |
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Box art for the XBOX version. |
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| Developer(s) | Visual Concepts |
| Publisher(s) | 2K Sports |
| Series | NFL 2K |
| Engine | Proprietary |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Football (American) simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer, Online |
| Rating(s) |
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| Media/distribution | DVD-ROM |
ESPN NFL 2K5 is an American football video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports and the Sega Corporation. It is a part of the NFL 2K series. The game was originally released on July 20, 2004, for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox video game consoles.
Contents |
The game features a franchise mode with a SportsCenter feature hosted by Chris Berman. He outlines the games of the current week with his co-host Trey Wingo who talks about the latest injuries and free agent deals and trades during the season. Mel Kiper hosts the draft portion of the segment while Suzy Kolber reports from the sidelines There is also weekly preparation for the coming week which allows the player to make decisions on training and preparation. The player can also create his or her own team deciding the team logos (over 10 are available), team name, the teams city, the teams stadium look and build, jersey's and how good the team is. It also has a feature called first-person football, which gives the player the experience on the field looking from the eyes of the players. There is also the traditional create-a-player mode.
Notably, ESPN NFL 2K5 was the first in the 2K series priced at $19.99 the day it shipped. The competitive pricing eventually led EA Sports to reduce Madden 2005's price to a mere $29.95, a 40 percent reduction of the series usual rate at the time of $49.99. Following 2005 editions of both games, EA Sports acquired an exclusive rights agreement with the NFL and Player's Association to be the sole creator of NFL video games. The deal terminated 2K Sports production of any further NFL games. The ensuing season, Madden 2006, saw pricing returned to the $49.99 MSRP.
In December 2010, A U.S. district court judge certified a class action anti-trust lawsuit against Electronic Arts for anti-competitive practices to proceed.[1] Pending the outcome of the suit, 2K Sports could be granted NFL rights again which would permit the series to continue.
But in February 2011, EA dealt yet another blow to 2K Sports' hopes of making NFL licensed games. They extended the exclusive contract until the year 2013. This latest deal came to fruition only a few weeks before the NFL began locking out players.
Die-hard Players still edit the game's rosters to the current present day rosters adding to more replayability, and many football fans prefer its engine to the current Madden NFL engine.
One of the features in the game is a celebrity game involving Jamie Kennedy, Steve-O, David Arquette, Funkmaster Flex, or Carmen Electra which is initiated by a phone call from one of the aforementioned "celebrities" in the player's custom crib. The player plays against a celebrity with his or her own custom team of Pro Bowlers. The teams the celebrities use are The Buartville Funkmasters, Cincinnati Electra Shock, LA Dreamteam, Los Angeles Locos, and the Upper Darby Cheesesteaks. During the game the celebrities appear in a small box and use trash-talk. If the player wins the game, they receive the team's stadium as a playable venue.
Dan Stevens - Play-by-Play Announcer (voiced by Terry McGovern)
Peter O'Keefe - Color Commentator (voiced by Jay Styne)
Suzy Kolber - Sideline Reporter
Chris Berman as Himself
Trey Wingo as Himself
Mel Kiper as Himself
In 2005, the game won the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Interactive Achievement Award for Sports Simulation Game of the Year.[2]
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