Take-Two Interactive Suggests MLB Exclusivity May End When 2012 Deal Expires

[Knight165]

Steve....this has all to do with the content of the story and nothing to do with the reporting of the news(for that....thank you!)...but is anyone surprised by this?
I think it's become readily apparent that an exclusive license does two thing.
1. Adds little or no unit sales to the product directly. I don't think anyone can say that because of an exclusive license....the masses flocked to buy one game either over another or because there was none other to purchase instead.
So...
2. The exclusive license was actually detrimental to the profits of the title by eating(devouring would be a better word) a pretty good portion of the plus side of the ledger.

While no exec of any of these companies will come right out and say it...but I'll bet that they all think the same thing.....they wish exclusive deals would just GO AWAY.

Anyone who wants in....pays a license fee and makes their game.

I do get a chuckle out of the thoughts of "watch out"...or "wait 'til this it's going to blow away"(paraphrasing) comments though.

M.K.
Knight165

[CardsGamer5]

Quote: Originally Posted by DickDalewood

Man I hope you're right... to be able to play MVP Baseball and NFL 2K again seems like little more than a dream right now. Hell, just having OPTIONS again is what I most look forward to. I really believe we will someday be able to look back at this gen and say, "Remember when companies had all those exclusive deals?"... then laugh and go back to playing our four football titles and six baseball titles

I'm pretty sure MVP will come back if there is no more MLB exclusivity deal. As for 2k football, there is no idea to know if EA will keep the exclusivity deal or not.

[Ciws1]

APF 2K8 shot it's self in the foot by not building on what was so great about NFL 2K5, they just cut and pasted instead. That's why ESPN 2K5 is still seen as the better game. 2K8 didn't even have a full season or franchise mode. What it all comes down to is that exclusive rights kill competition and that hurts everyone. MVP Vs The Show would be as hot as it gets. In also liked the general idea behind Acclaim Sports All Star Baseball. It had terrible graphics and stiff animation and control mechanics but it really did a great job of giving a sense of the history of baseball. For that alone i enjoyed it and still play it on occasion today. I hope we see more variety and less exclusivity in the future.

[Ciws1]

Quote: Originally Posted by MLB01

I personally don't believe that applies to this situation because MLB 2K hasn't been any competition for MLB The Show since 08. MLB The Show is competing with itself anymore.

Do you honestly think that The Show would be what it is if 2K Baseball wasn't on the other side of the table? I think that it does apply to this pretty well. Yeah The Show is Better but only because they had to compete. I can guarantee that the dev team at SCEA had to really push their imaginations to put together a product that would stand out in front of 2K. They simply pulled an ace out of their hat and now have a comfortable lead is all. A race with only one competitor isn't a race, No one is the winner as the single racer is both winner and loser all at once. As Madden is showing now.

[Knight165]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ciws1

Do you honestly think that The Show would be what it is if 2K Baseball wasn't on the other side of the table? I think that it does apply to this pretty well. Yeah The Show is Better but only because they had to compete. I can guarantee that the dev team at SCEA had to really push their imaginations to put together a product that would stand out in front of 2K. They simply pulled an ace out of their hat and now have a comfortable lead is all. A race with only one competitor isn't a race, No one is the winner as the single racer is both winner and loser all at once. As Madden is showing now.

Honestly...and don't take this the wrong way...but you have no idea what you are talking about.
I've been to SCEA with the dev team 5 times now and I would say I've got a pretty good handle on them and the way they work. They would make this product and continue to improve it as it's been, not only if there was no other competition....but if it was just 10 people buying the game. These guys push themselves and led the charge to involve their users in the process and nobody does it better right now.
I'm not sure what you mean..."they pulled an ace out of their hat....that is all"...but if you mean that it was an accident or because EA lost the rights...that too is incorrect.

Take it for what it's worth.

M.K.
Knight165

[MLB01]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ciws1

Do you honestly think that The Show would be what it is if 2K Baseball wasn't on the other side of the table? I think that it does apply to this pretty well. Yeah The Show is Better but only because they had to compete. I can guarantee that the dev team at SCEA had to really push their imaginations to put together a product that would stand out in front of 2K. They simply pulled an ace out of their hat and now have a comfortable lead is all. A race with only one competitor isn't a race, No one is the winner as the single racer is both winner and loser all at once. As Madden is showing now.

Yes, I do. They're just trying to make the most realistic baseball game possible and that has nothing to do with a pissing contest with MLB 2K.

[Crash Davis]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ciws1

Do you honestly think that The Show would be what it is if 2K Baseball wasn't on the other side of the table? I think that it does apply to this pretty well. Yeah The Show is Better but only because they had to compete. I can guarantee that the dev team at SCEA had to really push their imaginations to put together a product that would stand out in front of 2K. They simply pulled an ace out of their hat and now have a comfortable lead is all. A race with only one competitor isn't a race, No one is the winner as the single racer is both winner and loser all at once. As Madden is showing now.

Really? is this serious? look im all for more games and im not gonna sit here and say I have a PS3 and the show so i dont care. Thats Ignorant, however this post is just brutal, The show isnt a success because they had to "get ahead" of 2K, thats just dumb, MLB 08 and 09 were classics, regardless wether EA would have been involved or not these would have still been classics. Again im not trying to gloat in anyways but this post was just wrong.

[Amazing808s]

Why wait until 2012? Why not 2011