Press release: 2002-02-28: Sega Sports Signs New York Yankees Slugger Jason Giambi as New Cover Athlete; Announces World Series Baseball as Xbox Exclusive

From Sega Retro

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This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below.
Language: English
Original source: The Free Library


SAN FRANCISCO--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2002

All-Star First Baseman Inks Deal to Become Official Spokesperson for Sega Sports World Series Baseball, Joining Esteemed Ranks of Sega Sports Cover Athletes

Sega Sports(TM), the brand that continues to set new standards in sports gaming, today announced the signing of New York Yankees(R) Jason Giambi to a multi-year deal to serve as the official spokesperson and cover athlete for the "World Series(R) Baseball" franchise. Sega Sports gamers also scored another "home run" today with the announcement that the highly anticipated "Sega Sports(TM) World Series(R) Baseball" video game which ships in May 2002, will be available exclusively on the Xbox(TM) video game system from Microsoft(R). Developed by Visual Concepts, the development house behind the sports video game revolution and makers of the acclaimed NFL 2K and NBA 2K series, "Sega Sports World Series Baseball" will deliver a baseball experience on Xbox that will be unmatched in the industry.

"The combination of these two announcements is a great win for sports gaming enthusiasts," said Tom Nichols, group director of sports marketing, Sega of America. "Not only will Xbox gamers have an exclusive on the best baseball sim for this year, but they can also enjoy the most realistic Sega Sports baseball experience endorsed by one of the best players in the league. We will be looking to leverage Jason's expertise and knowledge inside `World Series Baseball' over the coming years in order to make the game not only the best looking and best playing, but also the smartest baseball video game on the market."

As arguably the greatest player to hit the diamond in recent years, Jason Giambi's athleticism and power both at the plate and on the field have captivated baseball fans all over the country. Giambi, who led Oakland to the American League West title last season, will participate in activities promoting the Sega Sports brand among consumers, which may entail involvement in the development of the "World Series Baseball" series and a presence in upcoming advertising campaigns. With this agreement, Giambi joins the long line of other athletic greats who have graced the covers of Sega Sports titles such as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, 76ers luminary Allen Iverson and U.S. Olympic hockey team member and Colorado Avalanche player Chris Drury.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of the Sega Sports team," Giambi said. "The Sega Sports brand is well-known among MLB players and video game fans as the most realistic sports video games. With my involvement, I'm hoping that I'll be able to take `World Series Baseball' to the next level and make it the predominant baseball video game in the industry."

"Sega Sports World Series Baseball" combines enhanced gameplay mechanics, next-generation graphics, advanced artificial intelligence, full team management and the most complete Franchise Mode of any baseball video game to result in the most authentic baseball simulation made to date. "Sega Sports World Series Baseball" also incorporates new fielding animations such as off-balance throws and new facial animations with over 50 different emotions, so that with each hit, error or home run, gamers will actually see the passion on the player's face. New camera angles along with a broadcast quality presentation including new two-man commentary, brings the game to life like an actual Saturday afternoon game on T.V. "World Series Baseball" also includes the new Cooperstown Collection(TM) license so gamers can play as or against 25 of the greatest players ever to grace the game. With these and many other new features, "Sega Sports World Series Baseball" for the Xbox brings the gamer closer to authentic baseball action than ever before.

"Sega Sports has a legacy of creating some of the best sports games in the industry," said J Allard, General Manager, Xbox Platform. "The combination of the incredible graphics and gameplay of `Sega Sports World Series Baseball' along with the high performance of the Xbox hardware makes this title a `must have' for all Xbox owners. We believe that the strength and appeal of this game will make it one of the more anticipated game launches of the spring."

"Sega Sports World Series Baseball" will be available at retailers nationwide this May for $49.95. This game will be rated "E" for everyone. Screen shots of "Sega Sports World Series Baseball" can be found at: ftp://ftp.accesspr.com/public/sega/Sega_Games/Microsoft_Xbox/

About Sega

SEGA(R) of America is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corporation, a 3.5 billion corporation by market capitalization, recognized as a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America's Web site is located at www.sega.com.

About Xbox

Xbox (http://www.xbox.com/) is Microsoft's future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox is now available in North America and Japan, and will ship in Europe and Australia on March 14, 2002.

Note to Editors: World Series is a trademark owned by the office of the Commissioner of Baseball and may not be reproduced without written consent. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit the official Major League Baseball website at MLB.com (c) MLBPA -- Official Licensee, Major League Baseball Players Association. Visit the Players Choice on the web at www.bigleaguers.com (c) SEGA CORPORATION, 2001 (c) MLBP 2002 / MLBPA 2002 The Major League Baseball Players Association is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the National League and the American League and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League Baseball Players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards and Big League Challenge events, which benefit children through the Major League Baseball Players Trust for Children, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League Baseball Players. Xbox is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
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