Rumor: EA Sports working on NBA Jam revival

ESPN’s Jon Robinson has set the gaming world ablaze, saying sources have confirmed to him that EA now has the rights to the NBA Jam series and is working on a new game. NBA Jam was unbelievably popular during the heyday of video game arcades and spawned a slew of imitators, including EA’s own NBA Street series. None of them, though, ever really captured the magic (or made the money) of the original.

Robinson said series veterans including Jam creator Mark Turmell are coming aboard to work on this one. Robinson said EA Sports will officially announce the game later this month. EA declined any comment when Joystiq questioned the company about it, but Warner Bros. did confirm it didn’t purchase NBA Jam along with the other Midway assets it acquired.

The rumor is spreading quickly, getting picked up by the Chicago Tribune and USA Today. As a child of the arcades of the 90s, I really, really hope this one is true. Jam is one of my all-time Top 10 and from the reactions already pouring in, I’m clearly not alone. Robinson’s report said Jam would “ship to retail” exclusively for the Wii. The arcade title would be a perfect download for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, so it wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see that happen.

Read [ESPN] Also Read [Video Games Republic]