It looks like it all depends on the platform.October 2004 sales data from The NPD Group shows ESPN NBA 2K5, at a tasty low price, outsold EA's competing NBA Live 2005 by 38% -- on the Xbox. The situation was nearly reversed on the PlayStation 2, where EA's title won out by a 33% margin.

There's no doubt that aggressive pricing of the ESPN titles has had its impact -- both in reinvigorated sales for the titles, and in prompting EA to make price reductions of its own. Still, PS2 gamers seem to be sticking to EA as a favorite. Why? We suspect it may have to do with familiarity, as EA's sports franchises have long reigned supreme on Sony's console.

It's a different story on Xbox, however, where SEGA/Visual Concepts' ESPN titles have an established history of Xbox Live support, which EA has only recently introduced. This, combined with ESPN NBA 2K5's tasty sub-$20 price, likely makes the title the safer choice for Xbox gamers.

Of course, all of this is speculation. Regardless of how you wish to spin it, however, there's no doubt that the ESPN-branded games are revitalized, shaking up the market, driving prices down, and fostering some healthy competition. For sports gaming fans, that should only turn out to be a good thing.Source: IGN