2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

[kehlis]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

I was just supporting your argument by showing that another sport did it.

Ha, my bad. Went into all out defense mode there....

[Mendota]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

I agreed with it being simple...

I don't see having multiple games as an issue at all.


I'm saying this is the first time I've EVER heard that argument used. I've never seen it given as an actual reason for exclusivity other than strawberry's speculation.

I have heard people speculate that the NFL wanted an exclusive deal because it would be easier for them to control the product. But I never got the impression it was because dealing with multiple publishers was hard. Rather, it the increased leverage they had over EA, since they could always threaten to take their exclusive deal elsewhere.

But there is not a shred of real world logic in shortcake's posts.

[kehlis]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

I have heard people speculate that the NFL wanted an exclusive deal because it would be easier for them to control the product. But I never got the impression it was because dealing with multiple publishers was hard. Rather, it the increased leverage they had over EA, since they could always threaten to take their exclusive deal elsewhere.

But there is not a shred of real world logic in shortcake's posts.

That would absolutely make sense to me.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

[Mendota]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

I'd use "suicidal" instead of "friendly". The deal 2K signed with MLB was insane, and a huge money loser. You guys don't know how close that deal came to resulting in the end of all 2K Sports titles (yes, including NBA).

I agree 100%. That deal was purely emotional, and it didn't hurt EA nearly as much as it hurt 2K. EA lost a decent selling baseball game, but 2K went into a complete tailspin.

When i said friendly, I meant that they provided a loophole for Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to make games to compete with them. They were not locking up baseball, but just blocking EA.

But you are right, it was suicidal. They just had no margin for error, and 2K8 was released in a nearly unplayable state. While it improved, it was too late. And then 2K overreacted, fired Kush and brought VC in to fix the game, but essentially created a situation in which they had less time to get 2K9 out, which shipped with a ton of bugs and problems. Those two releases rendered the much improved later games irrelevant. And it was all because they were operating in panic mode.

This is probably why they never had community days or other outreach programs. They were playing from behind from the beginning.

[DrJones]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

But you are right, it was suicidal. They just had no margin for error, and 2K8 was released in a nearly unplayable state. While it improved, it was too late. And then 2K overreacted, fired Kush and brought VC in to fix the game, but essentially created a situation in which they had less time to get 2K9 out, which shipped with a ton of bugs and problems. Those two releases rendered the much improved later games irrelevant. And it was all because they were operating in panic mode.

Close. What really happened was half of Kush quit to form their own company during 2K8's Alpha. Blue Castle (where I was working at the time) was brought in to help the remnants of Kush get 2K8 out the door. 2K's deal with MLB included extremely harsh penalties for not shipping on time. If 2K8 didn't ship, the entirety of 2K Sports would've been scrapped, and it's fairly likely that Take Two itself would've been acquired by EA. Fun times!

The more you know, huh?

EDIT: Why'd that guy just get banned?

[kehlis]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

EDIT: Why'd that guy just get banned?

Unfortunately (I was enjoying the conversation as well) it wasn't the first or even the second time he's been banned.

Can't get into it more than that but you can PM me if you want to.

[DrJones]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

Unfortunately (I was enjoying the conversation as well) it wasn't the first or even the second time he's been banned.

Can't get into it more than that but you can PM me if you want to.

Weird. The internet is a strange place.

[strawberryshortcake]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

So you are making up an argument that hasn't been made and then using it to support your argument?

That's laughable. It's not a hassle to monitor two or three game companies, it's really simple, that you and I agree with.

If that's your ammo your point is moot. Has nothing to do with any point you've brought up thus far.

I don't quite find it humorous, and not exactly making up an argument... this quote below is something that's posted recently (I can probably dig through other threads to find someone bringing up "NFL" "dealing with one company" is better, etc. etc., and just different ways of phrasing it).

Yes, I know the current majority argument is having an exclusive deal is a better business move for the NFL. I'm simply putting my thoughts into words on a message board and trying to look at this "NFL exclusive" from a different perspective, and maybe an alternative could be profitably valid (however small or microscopic that percentage may or may not be). I don't see anything wrong. All of you guys may be completely right and I completely wrong, but I don't see anything wrong with me putting my two cents into the mix.

We'll just have to see how this things plays out in the long run.

That's how it started.
But right now, the NFL loves it's exclusive deal with EA. They're dealing with one of the top developers in the world, who's brand is highly visible.
I also believe the NFL is making more money with this exclusive deal than they would with opening it up to more companies.
On top of that, the NFL is very controlling with what it wants in it's games. So only having to deal with 1 company as opposed to 2 or 3 makes for less hassles.

I don't have all the answers and I'm not saying I'm 100% right about all of this, but I've read enough and been told by a few insiders (on both EA and 2K's side) that this exclusive deal is and was not EA's idea. It all came from the NFL.
EA didn't approach the NFL to squeeze out the competition. But when the NFL offered this, EA jumped at the chance, which any company would. 2K would have done the same.

As long as Madden keeps selling millions of copies this will never change. The NFL is making a boat-load of money off of this deal. So until this partnership becomes a financial burden on EA (like MLB was with 2K), don't expect anything to change anytime soon.

[kehlis]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

Sure, dealing with one company is easier than dealing with three. Didn't think that was a question?




Doesn't mean dealing with more than one company is a hassle.

[mike24forever]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

Close. What really happened was half of Kush quit to form their own company during 2K8's Alpha. Blue Castle (where I was working at the time) was brought in to help the remnants of Kush get 2K8 out the door. 2K's deal with MLB included extremely harsh penalties for not shipping on time. If 2K8 didn't ship, the entirety of 2K Sports would've been scrapped, and it's fairly likely that Take Two itself would've been acquired by EA. Fun times!

The more you know, huh?

EDIT: Why'd that guy just get banned?

This is one of the more interesting things I've read on OS in a while. Thanks for sharing. Nothing beats a little first hand information from someone who was on the inside.

[DrJones]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

This is one of the more interesting things I've read on OS in a while. Thanks for sharing. Nothing beats a little first hand information from someone who was on the inside.

No problem. Needless to say, I never would've shared that information if I thought anyone could be negatively affected by it. Since 2K's deal with MLB is over and all involved have long moved on, it seemed "safe" to do so.

[Money99]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

I'd use "suicidal" instead of "friendly". The deal 2K signed with MLB was insane, and a huge money loser. You guys don't know how close that deal came to resulting in the end of all 2K Sports titles (yes, including NBA).

Yup.
When I as in Vancouver at the EAC office, an EA rep told me that when MLB was shopping their semi-exclusive deal around, EA looked at the numbers and determined it didn't make sense; there was no way to make money from it.

But I think 2K felt they had to jump on this deal after losing the NFL license.

[pietasterp]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

Fascinating stuff, fellas. Appreciate the cool inside stories from Doc and others. With 10 years in our most-discussed companies, you have to know where some of the bodies are buried...

I really liked the MLB2K series, but of course it was far from perfect and had its well documented issues. I think the pitching mechanic was the best sports game innovation of the last generation, and the game could be a lot of fun despite the flaws. I really like the first MLB game Sega Sports ever made for Dreamcast, though...that one was a personal fave. Breaking the homer record with Bobby Higginson was such good times...

[dsk]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

Konami should bring Pro Spirits to the states. I'd be happy if they simply translated the game into english. Add MLB teams and make it for both system and they would most likely double their sales revenue. Pro Spirits 2013 sold 200,00 copies last year in japan (PS3.)

[matthewk]

Re: 2K Sports Confirms They Are Done With Baseball

This is sad news. We've gone from having 5 choices down to 1/3 (Show not on Xbone or WiiU) in 10 years.

In football the are literally no other options other than Madden now. Last year we at least had NCAA. Over the past few years there was always some football alternatives (NCAA, All Pro 2k8, Backbreaker, Blitz).

Wrestling games have suffered the same fate. Multiple choices down to just one.

Sports gaming is not much fun lately. Well it can be fun, but only when playing games from days gone by.