NBA Jam rebounding at EA - ESPN

EA Sports community manager Alain Quinto set gamers atwitter last month following a cryptic Twitter update that teased the reveal of a new game in January. That revelation now appears to have come, though it isn't EA Sports behind the announcement. Instead, EA Sports partner ESPN reports today that the publisher's newest title will actually be an old-time revival in the form of NBA Jam.

Citing unnamed sources, ESPN states that NBA Jam will return exclusively for the Wii as a full retail product. Further, ESPN notes that EA Sports has hired on franchise creator Mark Turmell, along with a number of other contributors to the original, to work on the project and other sports titles at EA Vancouver. According to the noted developer's LinkedIn profile, Turmell has carried the senior creative director title at EA since October 2009.

Now-defunct publisher Midway released the original NBA Jam to arcades in 1993, where it became an overnight classic thanks to its two-on-two competitive mode, official roster, and memorable catchphrases. Acclaim released the most recent installment in the franchise, titled simply NBA Jam, for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2003, garnering positive reviews.

EA Sports is expected to officially announce the title later this month. The publisher had not returned requests for comment as of press time.