Joystiq via ESPN writes: Electronic Arts and Midway have shelved their competing arcade-style basketball franchises, as ESPN reports that both NBA Street and NBA Ballers have been benched. Regarding NBA Street, EA Sports boss Peter Moore explains to ESPN that the division is reevaluating its mixture of licensed and original IP, adding that we need to develop some new things. But don't go expecting anything particularly edgy to come out of this moment of clarity. If Wii Sports has taught us anything, adds Moore, it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long. We need to be able to tap into that audience.'
Kotaku: NBA Ballers: Chosen One lead designer John Vignocchi recently gave his two weeks notice at Midway Chicago to help start a new venture capital backed studio in the city. The new studio, located on the north side of Chicago, will concentrate on creating games for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Vignocchi leaves Midway after working on five games with the company over the past 8 and a half years. His departure is just the latest in a stream of lay-offs and departures in the financial strapped company.
Video games and sports have always seemed like a match made in heaven, and game publisher Midway continues to mine the depths of sports gaming as the NBA playoffs enter full swing, announcing it has shipped NBA Ballers: Chosen One for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game packaging features Dwight Howard of the Orlando Heat and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks on the packaging, and music from artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Usher, Busta Rhymes, T.I., and others on the game's instrumental score. The game is the third installment of Midway's NBA Ballers franchise.
See what to watch for in this week's new videogame releases for the Nintendo DS (The World Ends With You), PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PSP.
Midway announced today that it has hired musician Chuck-D and music publishing firm Just Blaze to lend their talents to NBA Ballers.
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