Baseball Home-Run for Take-Two

Major League Baseball Players Association Makes Bold Move to Grow Video Game Business (thanks Frans) is the press release announcing that Take-Two Interactive has succeeded in its pitch for an exclusive license with the Major League Baseball Players Association (story). Here's a bit:
NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Major League Baseball Players Association ("MLBPA") today announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to grant sweeping rights to Take2 Interactive, Inc., to develop and publish a broad portfolio of products that are expected to drive the baseball video game business to unprecedented heights.

The innovative seven-year arrangement will dramatically limit the number of baseball video game manufacturers and ensure aggressive marketing and promotion of baseball video games, while promoting competition in the marketplace to drive innovation in baseball product development. Beginning in 2006, Take2 will have exclusive rights among third-party publishers to develop and market simulation, arcade and manager-style baseball video games on the current and next-generation PlayStation, X-BOX, Nintendo, personal computer and hand-held video game systems. At the same time, manufacturers of video game systems will have the opportunity to develop and publish baseball simulation games for their own platforms.
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19.
 
No subject
Jan 25, 2005, 14:38
19.
No subject Jan 25, 2005, 14:38
Jan 25, 2005, 14:38
 
Take Two is hypicritical!

Regarding the NFL deal with EA, they said "We believe that the decisions of the National Football League and PLAYERS INC to grant an exclusive license for videogames do a tremendous disservice to the consumers and sports fans whose funds ultimately support the NFL, by limiting their choices, curbing creativity and almost certainly leading to higher game prices."

http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=53514

"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
Avatar 18786
18.
 
Re: FOR FUCK'S SAKE
Jan 25, 2005, 03:45
18.
Re: FOR FUCK'S SAKE Jan 25, 2005, 03:45
Jan 25, 2005, 03:45
 
Sega/Blue SHIFT *is* Take Two (cf this post from a month ago:

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/espnmajorleaguebaseball2k5/news_6114690.html

) ...I hope you like cross-hairs in your pitching interface. LOCK ON! LOCK ON!

Your confusion with the exclusivity comes stems from missing the key words "third-party". ("Beginning in 2006, Take2 will have exclusive rights among third-party publishers") "First Party" is industry lingo for the console makers themselves. ("Second party", btw, is a out-of-house team that works exlusively for a first party developer (eg, Retro for Nintendo))

And the MLBPA is most definately not the MLB with a couple more letters. They are their own entity and operate within their own bounds. The MLB will probably ink the same deal as the PA did, but only because they realize splitting the brand is a rediculous move for all involved.

Look at it this way - FIFA (the EA game) got exclusivity from FIFA (the football org) and what happened? Pro Evo kicked their ass. Maybe we'll see a serious upheaval in both the american football and baseball markets as well.

(Silver lining, etc)


17.
 
Re: FOR FUCK'S SAKE
Jan 24, 2005, 20:01
17.
Re: FOR FUCK'S SAKE Jan 24, 2005, 20:01
Jan 24, 2005, 20:01
 
Nintendo, MSFT and Sony are still free to do it.

Is that what it means? To me, the word "exclusive" at the top of the post seems to mean that if anyone wants to do a MLB game, they have to pay big fucking moolah to Take 2. I think it's a bit of an ambiguous statement.

But, in any case, even if they are still free to do so, the two best baseball games don't fall under that caveat, and so anyone who likes baseball games is still fucked.

Bah.

Creston


Avatar 15604
16.
 
Re: FOR FUCK'S SAKE
Jan 24, 2005, 19:58
16.
Re: FOR FUCK'S SAKE Jan 24, 2005, 19:58
Jan 24, 2005, 19:58
 
Creston:
Take2 will have exclusive rights among third-party publishers to develop and market simulation, arcade and manager-style baseball video games on the current and next-generation PlayStation, X-BOX, Nintendo, personal computer and hand-held video game systems. At the same time, manufacturers of video game systems will have the opportunity to develop and publish baseball simulation games for their own platforms

Nintendo, MSFT and Sony are still free to do it.

15.
 
FOR FUCK'S SAKE
Jan 24, 2005, 19:46
15.
FOR FUCK'S SAKE Jan 24, 2005, 19:46
Jan 24, 2005, 19:46
 
FUCK ALL THE FUCKING PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUES, THEIR OWNERS AND THEIR FUCKING UNIONS TO FUCKING HELL.

Football games =now teh suck
baseball games =now teh suck

GREAT FUCKING GOING. TAKE FUCKING 2 FOR CRYING OUT FUCKING LOUD. HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS PROMOTE COMPETITION, BOB FUCKING DUPUY?

FUCKING COCKSUCKERS

FUCK
FUCK
FUCK

Creston

Edit : There go the good baseball games, same as the good football games. FUCK.

Furthermore, this is (so far) a deal with the MLBPA only. They are not the same as the MLB. I'm sure a deal with the MLB will follow, but it's still theoretically possible they won't get exclusive rights from the MLB, allowing someone to make a MLB game with all the teams/stadiums but without real player names.

You operate under the assumption that the MLBPA is somehow different from the MLB. They're not. They have a different chief operating officer, but Bud Selig is still in charge, and the MLBPA still reports to the entire conglomerate that is major league baseball.
I'm pretty sure that the only reason there is such a thing as a Major League Baseball Players Association to begin with is because they have a union, and does could not legally be under the same incorporated entity as their employers.

But in the end, it makes no difference. You don't seriously believe that the MLBPA somehow negotiated this without the consent of (the rest of) major league baseball, right?

I also seriously doubt that 989 or any First Party Developer is exempt from this rule, unless they can manage a deal with Take 2 to have them publish it. Either way, the best baseball game (Sega / Blue Moon) is shit out of fucking luck, albeit apparently starting 2006.

And no, this is worse than EA getting the Football deal, because at least you could make a strong case for Madden being the best football game out there to begin with, which alleviates the pain somewhat.
Which baseball game has Take 2 or any of its contracted developers been gracing us with lately? Oh that's right. None worth mentioning.

FUCK

One thing I don't understand though, didn't we have a newspost just recently that EA signed a deal with ESPN to have the ESPN stuff put into their baseball game? Or was that just Football?
I can't imagine ESPN being happy with the MLB screwing them over that way just after they signed a deal for their baseball stuff, and ESPN is a pretty big client of MLB (although not as big as Fox).

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKKKK. Anyone remember the time when overweight guys with long hair just made games, and everything was all fucking good? And then the fucking suits came in, and started shafting everyone up the ass. FUCK I am pissed off.

This comment was edited on Jan 24, 19:59.
Avatar 15604
14.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 18:51
14.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 18:51
Jan 24, 2005, 18:51
 
They never HAD licenses in the first place, as they could never afford them. You played games as the New York Angels or New Jersey Meteorites. No real teams, no real players, at least not as far as names, likenesses or logos went.

What about Diamond Mind Baseball? They use real team and player names. Could it be that since they use no images, they are somehow exempt from this sort of exclusivity?

13.
 
Re: Hate to say it...
Jan 24, 2005, 18:51
13.
Re: Hate to say it... Jan 24, 2005, 18:51
Jan 24, 2005, 18:51
 
Yet another great day for big business and another kick in the face for those who made them what they are. Screw them both.

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12.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:57
12.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:57
Jan 24, 2005, 16:57
 
I prefer those games to the action ones, anyway. Although EA had been moving towards blending the two, it still wasn't quite there.

Baseball games I prefer on the console, don't know why. All Star for the N64 was incredible. Football will never surpass Madden 94. Hockey is the only sport I think has always been best on the PC, from NHL 95 up to 2001. Haven't played any since.

11.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:55
11.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:55
Jan 24, 2005, 16:55
 
my bad, you're right. I forgot that I used a patched player file when I had FOF way back when.

Avatar 20018
10.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:43
10.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:43
Jan 24, 2005, 16:43
 
Are games like Front Office Football and Out of the Park Baseball doomed as a result of these deals

Have you ever actually played these games?

They never HAD licenses in the first place, as they could never afford them. You played games as the New York Angels or New Jersey Meteorites. No real teams, no real players, at least not as far as names, likenesses or logos went.

9.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:38
9.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:38
Jan 24, 2005, 16:38
 
> All I have to say is...Thank God 989 Studios hasn't gotten any of the exclusive deals.

Actually, 989 is exempt from the exclusivity because they are a First Party Developer. This also means Microsoft, Nintendo and even someone like Nokia are free to negotiate a license with the MLBPA to make an officially licensed game.

Furthermore, this is (so far) a deal with the MLBPA only. They are not the same as the MLB. I'm sure a deal with the MLB will follow, but it's still theoretically possible they won't get exclusive rights from the MLB, allowing someone to make a MLB game with all the teams/stadiums but without real player names.

The silliest thing about this deal is they actually picked the wrong horse to bet on. I don't care how anti-EA you want to be, but MVP was clearly the better baseball game, hands down.

8.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:30
beaves
 
8.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:30
Jan 24, 2005, 16:30
 beaves
 
we (consumers) lose again

Avatar 14756
7.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:29
7.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:29
Jan 24, 2005, 16:29
 
What does this mean for all of those little companies that make football and baseball simulations? Are games like Front Office Football and Out of the Park Baseball doomed as a result of these deals?

-BT

Avatar 20018
6.
 
Re: Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:21
6.
Re: Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:21
Jan 24, 2005, 16:21
 
I wonder if EA and Take2 can do some sort of cross licensing deal. Like for the 2007 season take2 lets EA use the MLB license and EA lets take2 use their NFL one.

5.
 
Actually....
Jan 24, 2005, 16:13
5.
Actually.... Jan 24, 2005, 16:13
Jan 24, 2005, 16:13
 
I read somewhere that it was the NFL who instigated the "exclusive" deal. It was just EA who happened to win the bidding war. There were other bidders and if EA hadn't gotten it - someone else would've.

All I have to say is...Thank God 989 Studios hasn't gotten any of the exclusive deals.

As for the other EA/Take2 deals - I have no idea how they came about other than what is obvious.

4.
 
Re: Dont hate to say it...
Jan 24, 2005, 15:50
4.
Re: Dont hate to say it... Jan 24, 2005, 15:50
Jan 24, 2005, 15:50
 
It depends on how you look at the market.

So Take Two now has a monopoly on MLB games. Right.
But they prevented EA from gaining a market on licensed sports games.

So you could view this as a monopoly or as a block to a monopoly. Depends if you're someone that concentrates on single facts or someone that looks at the bigger picture.

The reason people are cheering isn't because this happened, but because it happened to someone other than EA. I think this was well accepted as inevitable, people just like seeing the underdog win. If Take Two hadn't done it EA would have.

This comment was edited on Jan 24, 15:51.
3.
 
Dont hate to say it...
Jan 24, 2005, 15:38
3.
Dont hate to say it... Jan 24, 2005, 15:38
Jan 24, 2005, 15:38
 
You are fucking stupid

So its ok to make a monopoly on something as long as you aren't the first? EA Buying exclusive rights? OMFGWTF!!11oneone
Anyone else? Ok !

So basicly you dont hate monopolies, you just hate EA like a retard.

2.
 
Re: Hate to say it...
Jan 24, 2005, 15:32
2.
Re: Hate to say it... Jan 24, 2005, 15:32
Jan 24, 2005, 15:32
 
If I was a fair and honest person I would denounce this much like did EA buying the NFL. But since EA has now set a precedent in buying exclusives I'll support anyone who stands in their way even if it means that company buying the sport before EA does.

This comment was edited on Jan 24, 15:32.
Avatar 17249
1.
 
Hate to say it...
Jan 24, 2005, 15:27
1.
Hate to say it... Jan 24, 2005, 15:27
Jan 24, 2005, 15:27
 
But WOOT for Take-Two...

Now go save Ubisoft for us.

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