[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.]
NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2017 – The National
Basketball Association (NBA) and Take-Two Interactive Software,
Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today announced plans to launch the
NBA 2K eLeague
, a new, professional competitive gaming league that will
bring together the best basketball gamers in the world. This
marks the first official eSports league operated by a U.S.
professional sports league.
Set to debut in 2018, this groundbreaking competitive gaming
league will consist of teams operated by actual NBA
franchises. The founding teams, each composed of five
professional eSports players who will play the game as user-created
avatars, will be announced in the coming months. The
NBA 2K eLeague
will follow a professional sports league format:
competing head-to-head throughout a regular season, participating
in a bracketed playoff system, and concluding with a championship
matchup.
Download the assets
here: https://www.2kpresshub.com/assets/games/78/nba-2k17/artwork/38ae82ec-8b19-49b1-8dfe-04266fa9f8e9
“We believe we have a unique opportunity to develop
something truly special for our fans and the young and growing
eSports community,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“We look forward to combining our best-in-class NBA sports
team operators with Take-Two’s competitive gaming expertise
to create a brand new league experience.”
“We are proud to expand our strong relationship with the
NBA and co-create the
NBA 2K eLeague
,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of
Take-Two.
“Through the
NBA 2K series, which is renowned throughout the world for
capturing the authenticity of the NBA and the passion of its fans,
we have a proven track record of highly successful
collaboration. With this new venture, Take-Two and the NBA
aim to fuel the accelerating growth of eSports and take the thrill
of competition to exciting new heights.”
The relationship between NBA and Take-Two dates back to 1999,
with the
NBA 2K series selling over 68 million units
worldwide. The most recent release,
NBA 2K17, is the highest-rated annual sports game of the
current console generation and the highest-rated title in the
history of the
NBA 2K series.
(1) To date,
NBA 2K17 has sold-in nearly 7 million units, and is poised
to become 2K’s highest-selling sports title ever.
In December, 2K launched its second official eSports
competition,
NBA 2K17 All-Star Tournament, which offers teams of gamers
the chance to win a trip to NBA All-Star 2017. The 5-on-5
tournament, featuring a $250,000 grand prize, will culminate on
Feb. 17 in New Orleans.
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three
professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association,
the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA
Development League. The league has established a major
international presence with games and programming in 215 countries
and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in
more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.
NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featured a record
113 international players from 41 countries and territories.
NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com and the NBA App,
which achieved record viewership and traffic during the 2015-16
season. The NBA has created one of the largest social media
communities in the world, with more than 1.3 billion likes and
followers globally across all league, team, and player
platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important
social issues by working with internationally recognized
youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and
family development, and health-related causes.
About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software,
Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive
entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops
and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar
Games and 2K. Our products are designed for console systems and
personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are
delivered through physical retail, digital download, online
platforms and cloud streaming services. The Company’s common
stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more
corporate and product information please visit our website at
http://www.take2games.com.
About 2K
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive
entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems
and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which
are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online
platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in
today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters,
action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family
entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented
development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games,
Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, and Cat Daddy Games. 2K’s stable
of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed
BioShock®, Borderlands™, Mafia, and XCOM® franchises,
the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, Evolve™,
Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the
highest rated* annual sports title of this console generation.
2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned
label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For
more information, please visit
www.2k.com.
(1) According to 2008 - 2016
Metacritic.com
All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property
of their respective holders.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained herein which are not historical facts
are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities
laws and may be identified by words such as "anticipates,"
"believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans,"
"potential," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," "will," or words of
similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding the outlook for the Company's future business and
financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on
the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made
by and information currently available to them, which are subject
to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that
are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary
materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety
of risks and uncertainties including: the absence of a definitive
agreement with the NBA relating to the NBA 2K eLeague, our
dependence on key management and product development personnel, our
dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to
develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market
acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing
levels on our games, and risks associated with international
operations. Other important factors and information are contained
in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including
the risks summarized in the section entitled "Risk Factors," the
Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the
Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be
accessed at
www.take2games.com. All forward-looking
statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply
only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no
obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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