'NBA Jam' Remake in the Works for Silver Anniversary?
It looks like Electronic Arts (EA) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of "NBA Jam" by remaking the video game series.
Tim Kitzrow, the voice behind the long-running basketball franchise, teased the studio's plan in an interview with ESPN:
I can't speak anything to the specifics, but I can tell you there is movement in the works to get it done for the 25th year. So I'm hoping that we get a remake that does justice to the original.
Original lead designer and programmer Mark Turmell, who was one of the people who worked on the "NBA Jam" reboot in 2010, will not be involved with the latest attempt to bring the franchise back having left EA the following year:
I helped on the reboot of the franchise. They did a pretty good job. But there's so much more that can be done. It's really sort of an untapped category, to have that over-the-top NBA action with the official license. It's a great brand.
Having played a huge role in the creation of "NBA Jam," Turmell recalled the game's success and how it brought gamers to the actual National Basketball Association.
I have so many letters and comments over the years where people said, "I wasn't an NBA fan until the game." And then they became fans of the NBA. So I think in a very small way, in that era, there in the early '90s, it actually had some inflection onto the popularity of the NBA. That game made a billion dollars in 1993. One quarter at a time. A billion! So that touched a lot of people.
EA is yet to confirm the "NBA Jam" remake, but it looks like there is work being done to put the game together. Players can expect big upgrades on the visuals and gameplay experience over the 2010 attempt.
