ESPN has launched six new online video games for sports fans, available via ESPN360 — the sports network’s broadband service.
The games consist of two collections: “Arena Games," which include basketball, baseball and boxing and “Bar Sports,” including air hockey, coin toss and bar curling. The new games are the initial offering from ESPN Online Games, an ESPN New Media initiative.
As part of the ESPN360 All-Access trial period, the games are available to all fans with a high-speed Internet connection until July 19. Thereafter, they’ll be available exclusively through ESPN360. However, on a rotating basis, one game will be available to all Internet users via ESPN.com as a showcase game.
According to ESPN vice president Tanya Van Court, video games are “a key aspect” of the total sports experience for fans. The games represent another step on the part of ESPN to deliver that experience.
Produced using Adobe Flash, the online games use a combination of video footage, stop-motion animation and 3-D rendering to deliver a distinctive look and feel. The current games are all single player.
