Andrew Anthony—few gamers know him by name, but most will recognize his voice. He delivers EA Sports’ signature “It’s in the game” tagline, and at the Microsoft E3 press conference, he belted out another four-word phrase that Xbox owners are sure to remember: “The wait is over.” Yep, starting with NCAA Football 2005 (coming out in July), the next wave of EA Sports titles—Madden, Tiger Woods, NBA Live, and more—will feature Xbox Live online play.

And sports games aren’t the only ones heading online. First-person shooters GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, TimeSplitters Future Perfect, and Battlefield: Modern Combat (which will support up to 24 players) will deploy with Xbox Live play, along with fast, furious racers Need for Speed Underground 2 and Burnout 3.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.