<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2004	O
basketball	B-Application
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Visual	O
Concepts	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
both	O
Sega	O
and	O
Global	O
Star	O
Software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2004	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
February	O
2005	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sixth	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
NBA	B-Application
2K	I-Application
series	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
predecessor	O
to	O
NBA	B-Application
2K6	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
last	O
NBA	B-Application
2K	I-Application
game	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
by	O
Sega	O
before	O
the	O
company	O
sold	O
Visual	O
Concepts	O
to	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
,	O
forming	O
2K	O
Sports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
strives	O
to	O
realistically	O
depict	O
the	O
experience	O
of	O
basketball	B-Application
,	O
in	O
the	O
National	O
Basketball	B-Application
Association	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
mainly	O
play	O
NBA	O
basketball	B-Application
games	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
game	O
modes	O
with	O
real	O
players	O
and	O
teams	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
customizable	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
mode	O
focusing	O
on	O
street	O
basketball	B-Application
is	O
present	O
,	O
as	O
is	O
a	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
simulates	O
through	O
a	O
team	O
's	O
NBA	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
received	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
upon	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
is	O
a	O
basketball	B-Application
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
which	O
strives	O
to	O
emulate	O
the	O
National	O
Basketball	B-Application
Association	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
mostly	O
play	O
in	O
basketball	B-Application
games	O
in	O
several	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
with	O
real	O
teams	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Detroit	O
Pistons	O
and	O
Boston	O
Celtics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
follows	O
the	O
rules	O
and	O
objectives	O
of	O
basketball	B-Application
and	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
presented	O
like	O
televised	O
NBA	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
game	O
modes	O
are	O
available	O
;	O
24/7	O
mode	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
player	O
,	O
Association	O
mode	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
play	O
through	O
an	O
NBA	O
season	O
with	O
a	O
selected	O
team	O
,	O
another	O
mode	O
lets	O
the	O
player	O
compete	O
in	O
basketball	B-Application
tournaments	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
plays	O
street	O
basketball	B-Application
is	O
also	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
NBA	B-Application
2K	I-Application
series	O
,	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
is	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
predecessor	O
to	O
NBA	B-Application
2K6	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Application
on	O
September	O
28	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
version	O
following	O
on	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
both	O
for	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NBA	B-Application
2K3	I-Application
,	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
,	O
and	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
are	O
the	O
only	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
feature	O
ESPN	O
licensing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
is	O
the	O
last	O
NBA	B-Application
2K	I-Application
game	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
by	O
Sega	O
before	O
the	O
company	O
sold	O
Visual	O
Concepts	O
to	O
Take	O
Two	O
Interactive	O
,	O
forming	O
2K	O
Sports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
both	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Andrew	O
Reiner	O
of	O
Game	O
Informer	O
praised	O
Visual	O
Concepts	O
for	O
still	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
make	O
subtle	O
improvements	O
over	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
despite	O
not	O
implementing	O
drastic	O
overhauls	O
,	O
as	O
was	O
the	O
case	O
with	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
and	O
NBA	B-Application
2K3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reiner	O
summarized	O
his	O
review	O
by	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
This	O
is	O
still	O
the	O
best	O
playing	O
,	O
most	O
rewarding	O
,	O
and	O
realistic	O
basketball	B-Application
game	O
that	O
money	O
can	O
buy.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Hilary	O
Goldstein	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
is	O
n't	O
a	O
horrible	O
game	O
by	O
any	O
means	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
probably	O
Sega	O
's	O
weakest	O
sports	O
game	O
this	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
July	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
version	O
of	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
1	O
million	O
copies	O
and	O
earned	O
$20	O
million	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
ranked	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
57th	O
highest-selling	O
game	O
launched	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
,	O
or	O
GameCube	O
between	O
January	O
2000	O
and	O
July	O
2006	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combined	O
console	O
sales	O
of	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
reached	O
1.6	O
million	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
by	O
July	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
