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[SteadyEvo]

Meh. Only reason I played was because of gamepass. Haven't purchased a baseball since EA MLB 2004, think Pujols was on the cover.

Way to complex and complicated, plus I don't watch or follow baseball.

 

[DeepEnigma]

I seriously doubt MLB is going to chart in any region other than the US.

It does well in Korea and Japan.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Anyone can make a baseball game but not necessarily a MLB game. That has to be licensed through MLB. Doesn't matter if anyone has exclusive rights or not. It involves players just as much as the league itself. Making a game based on a professional sport isn't as simple as you are making it out to be.

Yes, you need an MLB license to make an MLB game. Obviously that goes without saying. When I say anyone can make an MLB game, I mean there is no exclusive license deal that exists for other sports. Anyone can make an MLB game.

 

[Topher]

Yes, you need an MLB license to make an MLB game. Obviously that goes without saying. When I say anyone can make an MLB game, I mean there is no exclusive license deal that exists for other sports. Anyone can make an MLB game.

Right....so MLB can choose to let any other publisher make a MLB game if they can come to terms. As I said, this is going to involve players as well as every one of them are going to have to be paid if they are in the game. Check the back of a Madden box and you will see it is not just licensed by the NFL, but by NFL Players Inc. as well. Same with every sport. Heck, college football didn't have a game for years for one reason: the players.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Yes, you need an MLB license to make an MLB game. Obviously that goes without saying. When I say anyone can make an MLB game, I mean there is no exclusive license deal that exists for other sports. Anyone can make an MLB game.

Let me break it down for everyone as someone who spent time with that studio, especially the licensing and authenticity sides of things.

MLB had different structures than the NFL at the time. EA bought the sole sim license. Nobody else can make an NFL "simulation" game.

MLB was structured like this:

Since the beginning from 989 sports to SDS, Sony had "first party licensing" with the MLB and another with the MLBPA.

Those contracts were on a 7 or 9 year renewal cycle. I can't remember the exact dates of the two.

Other publishers were able to in that timeframe, purchase 3rd party licenses and continue to make games. 2K tried (locking out EA) for a while, but eventually bowed out with failure after failure. MLB The Show was the "go to" game.

Microsoft (who owns the High Heat IP which they purchased and vaulted to entice EA to their platform and on Live back on the original Xbox first gen) could have also purchased a 1st party license to utilize that IP for Xbox gamers... they never did.

MLB then decided to make a third party game themselves with revitalizing the RBI Baseball IP (after 2K did not renew), funding their own dev studio, that only lasted for about 2 or 3 years, and they too bowed out. MLB The Show was the "go to" game.

Sony's license was up for renewal. The sole 1st and 3rd party license was up for grabs to give Sony full exclusive use of the license (like EA has structured with the NFL for Madden) and thus you see what we have today with a mutual agreement and to build more revenue for both parties with their version of MTU/FTU with Diamond Dynasty.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Right....so MLB can choose to let any other publisher make a MLB game if they can come to terms. As I said, this is going to involve players as well as every one of them are going to have to be paid if they are in the game. Check the back of a Madden box and you will see it is not just licensed by the NFL, but by NFL Players Inc. as well. Same with every sport. Heck, college football didn't have a game for years for one reason: the players.

Again… yes. You’re harping on licenses and making it more complicated than it needs to be. Anyone can make an MLB game. And in saying that, I am assuming they pay for the licenses, because otherwise it wouldn’t be an MLB game. And licenses include the licenses for minor leagues and players and everything else. MLB made multi platform a stipulation last time they reupped a license deal with Sony. But Sony isn’t the only company that makes MLB games.

Out of the Park is licensed. Konami is making a mobile licensed game and will likely bring their very good Japanese franchise to the US with MLB players (the sim one, not the stick figure one). There are a few other licensed ones.

If I say anyone (with the licenses) can make MLB games, does that make you feel better?

 

[EverydayBeast]

The game doesnt change enough year over year to pay full price for.

That’s how I feel about it spending $70 on that franchise feels like a reach

 

[DeepEnigma]

The game doesnt change enough year over year to pay full price for.

They only have a 10 month dev cycle, which is why there are those who now opt to skip a year between purchases. Especially when games are now $70 a pop. Or some opt to wait for the $30 to $40 tag around the All Star Break.

It still charts well in sales, but I do wonder if they would do more with a $50 release day buy-in year over year.

 

[Topher]

Again… yes. You’re harping on licenses and making it more complicated than it needs to be. Anyone can make an MLB game. And in saying that, I am assuming they pay for the licenses, because otherwise it wouldn’t be an MLB game. And licenses include the licenses for minor leagues and players and everything else. MLB made multi platform a stipulation last time they reupped a license deal with Sony. But Sony isn’t the only company that makes MLB games.

Out of the Park is licensed. Konami is making a mobile licensed game and will likely bring their very good Japanese franchise to the US with MLB players (the sim one, not the stick figure one). There are a few other licensed ones.

Huh? I started my last post with "right" and then simply pointed out that there was more than just a MLB license involved due to players. Stating a fact isn't making it more complicated than it needs to be. It is simply stating what it is.

If I say anyone (with the licenses) can make MLB games, does that make you feel better?

None of this has me "feeling" one way or another. lol

 

[ComputerBlue]

How did it ever survive for so many years up until a few years ago without Xbox? This makes no sense, it’ll be just fine. In fact it might even do better financially.

 

[DeepEnigma]

How did it ever survive for so many years up until a few years ago without Xbox? This makes no sense, it’ll be just fine. In fact it might even do better financially.

Fantard article.