Earlier this afternoon, we received the announcement of the EA Sports Visual Playbook with a very slippery sense of what it was all about. Since then, we’ve gotten a sneak peek at this exciting new tech that Electronic Arts and ESPN have been cooking up over the last year, along with thoughts from EA Sports president Peter Moore.

Imagine an ESPN pre-game studio, but instead of analysts in neckties and loafers tossing a ball around to one another to detail a play, there are virtual players plucked from Madden 09, lined up, and ready for the snap. Now imagine that same necktie/loafer analyst on the virtual field with them, pointing out blocking schemes and walking through the line of scrimmage to explain the play.

As for how it’s done, basically a green screen is used, but instead of 2D -- like we’re used to seeing with weathermen -- this is the first time something like this has been accomplished in 3D. And it’s incredible.

"The story here is that our industry is impacting mass media," said Moore, who went on to say that videogames are often treated as a villain, the "boy in the bedroom." Now, Moore says, games are "leading the way."

While the tech is exciting, we were curious about EA’s stake in it, as the ability to drop an analyst inside a video game favors ESPN significantly but doesn’t add value to the quality of EA’s titles. According to Moore, this is an opportunity for EA to expand their brand footprint, validate their reputation as a sports leader, and create alternative business models (as they could now license this technology for others to use).

Pretty much every EA Sports gaming team has had a hand in furthering the Virtual Playbook tech, as it will be used across all sports. While the tech will debut on NFL Countdown on September 7, it can be used for any sport in the EA library in the future.