2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
05-24-12, 12:15 PM
#1
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2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
http://kotaku.com/5912483/major-leag...n-is-confirmed
Major League Baseball 2K’s Cancellation Looms on Grim News from Game’s Creators
Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of 2K Sports, notably left Major League Baseball 2K out of its planned releases in its coming fiscal year in a call with investors today. Kotaku asked Take-Two Interactive if it could confirm the end of the series, and it released this statement:
"Our legacy Major League Baseball agreement will sunset in fiscal 2013," a Take-Two spokesman said, meaning in the coming 12 calendar months. "MLB 2K12 is our last offering under that agreement. At this time, we have no further comment."
While that language would seem to leave open the possibility for a new agreement, in a conference call with investors today, Take-Two said it expects the losses associated with the game to be 50 percent less in the coming fiscal year, and zeroed out in the one after that, strongly indicating the expiration of the series.
Kotaku asked directly if Take-Two or 2K Sports was in any discussion to extend its agreement and did not receive any answer. MLB 2K was not on its list of anticipated releases for the coming fiscal year, mimicking the quiet deaths shown to 2K Sports' NHL and College Hoops series.
Take-Two's seven-year pact with Major League Baseball, a deal cut by a previous management regime, was believed to cost the company $30 million dollars as the series never found consistent critical or commercial success.
Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick had long indicated that the company would not renew the deal with MLB, calling it a money-loser the company had no interest in. The company's strategy, increasingly, is to produce high quality offerings on franchises it wholly owns, and MLB 2K represented neither.
The move means NBA 2K—which Take-Two said by itself made 2K Sports profitable in the past fiscal year—is 2K Sports' only remaining annual sports title. The label published Top Spin, a tennis simulation, in 2011 but it was never an annual series.
It also means there could be no Major League Baseball simulation title for the Xbox 360 next year. 2K Sports had the exclusive rights to develop and publish third-party console games. This effectively made it the exclusive title on the 360, as Microsoft did not publish its own game. Sony produces its own for the PlayStation line, the acclaimed MLB The Show.
EA Sports publishes a Major League Baseball-licensed Facebook game but is expected to sit out on console titles until the next generation of hardware arrives. Kotaku has reached out to EA Sports for comment.
I have an XBox 360, so The Show isn't an option for me. This sucks for 2K since they also lost their NHL license. NBA is their last game series left.
Has anyone here bought MLB 2K12? Is it any good? I was thinking about eventually picking it up when it gets cheaper.
Major League Baseball 2K’s Cancellation Looms on Grim News from Game’s Creators
Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of 2K Sports, notably left Major League Baseball 2K out of its planned releases in its coming fiscal year in a call with investors today. Kotaku asked Take-Two Interactive if it could confirm the end of the series, and it released this statement:
"Our legacy Major League Baseball agreement will sunset in fiscal 2013," a Take-Two spokesman said, meaning in the coming 12 calendar months. "MLB 2K12 is our last offering under that agreement. At this time, we have no further comment."
While that language would seem to leave open the possibility for a new agreement, in a conference call with investors today, Take-Two said it expects the losses associated with the game to be 50 percent less in the coming fiscal year, and zeroed out in the one after that, strongly indicating the expiration of the series.
Kotaku asked directly if Take-Two or 2K Sports was in any discussion to extend its agreement and did not receive any answer. MLB 2K was not on its list of anticipated releases for the coming fiscal year, mimicking the quiet deaths shown to 2K Sports' NHL and College Hoops series.
Take-Two's seven-year pact with Major League Baseball, a deal cut by a previous management regime, was believed to cost the company $30 million dollars as the series never found consistent critical or commercial success.
Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick had long indicated that the company would not renew the deal with MLB, calling it a money-loser the company had no interest in. The company's strategy, increasingly, is to produce high quality offerings on franchises it wholly owns, and MLB 2K represented neither.
The move means NBA 2K—which Take-Two said by itself made 2K Sports profitable in the past fiscal year—is 2K Sports' only remaining annual sports title. The label published Top Spin, a tennis simulation, in 2011 but it was never an annual series.
It also means there could be no Major League Baseball simulation title for the Xbox 360 next year. 2K Sports had the exclusive rights to develop and publish third-party console games. This effectively made it the exclusive title on the 360, as Microsoft did not publish its own game. Sony produces its own for the PlayStation line, the acclaimed MLB The Show.
EA Sports publishes a Major League Baseball-licensed Facebook game but is expected to sit out on console titles until the next generation of hardware arrives. Kotaku has reached out to EA Sports for comment.
I have an XBox 360, so The Show isn't an option for me. This sucks for 2K since they also lost their NHL license. NBA is their last game series left.
Has anyone here bought MLB 2K12? Is it any good? I was thinking about eventually picking it up when it gets cheaper.
05-24-12, 12:57 PM
#2
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
Not surprising. MLB2k11 was okay which was the last one I played. And truth be told unlike many other 2k games I'm fortunate enough to review, they didn't even send me 2k12 which shows you how much they thought of it. I miss when baseball games used to be fun to play (RBI's, Baseball Simulator 1.000, Baseball Stars, etc). Now it seems too simulationrific and too technical. I'd kill for a good legends game that had an arcade type experience on the 360.
05-24-12, 01:08 PM
#3
DVD Talk Hero
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I wonder if Sony would ever consider going cross platform (not sure if people would buy a PS over an Xbox just for the Show).
05-24-12, 02:31 PM
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
Sony would make some serious cash if they made The Show available on the 360. I know it would never happen...
05-24-12, 02:37 PM
#6
DVD Talk Legend
05-24-12, 04:13 PM
#8
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
Not surprising. MLB2k11 was okay which was the last one I played. And truth be told unlike many other 2k games I'm fortunate enough to review, they didn't even send me 2k12 which shows you how much they thought of it. I miss when baseball games used to be fun to play (RBI's, Baseball Simulator 1.000, Baseball Stars, etc). Now it seems too simulationrific and too technical. I'd kill for a good legends game that had an arcade type experience on the 360.
05-25-12, 08:14 AM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I played every baseball game from Micro League Baseball thru The Show 12 and nothing hold my attention these days. Like Kedrix mentioned, it's just too technical. To steal a base you need to have a Masters Degree in Physics.
05-25-12, 09:25 AM
#10
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
Isn't that the same with most sports games though? Like there's something to be said for the simplicity of a Tecmo Bowl as compared to a modern Madden game.
05-25-12, 11:18 AM
#11
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I absolutely adore baseball stats more than any type of sports statistics on this earth and I understand basically everything about them. So I get "baseball", but MLB2k11 takes all of the fun out of it, especially in pitching. Who wants to tilt an analog stick in some confusing direction to get a pitch go correctly? Answer, nobody.
05-25-12, 05:51 PM
#12
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
The problem is that Baseball games (IMHO) peaked around MVP Baseball. Hitting was one stick "aim where the ball is going" and push the button. It took a little bit of skill, but was managable. These recent games with pitching and hitting require complex 2 stick movements are a pain and create an unnecessary learning curve. If anything baseball games should be more like The Bigs than MLB 2k
05-25-12, 05:54 PM
#13
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I love The Bigs, which is also produced by 2K. That is a fun Arcade simulation and the controls are really simple. They only produced 2 editions (one with Pujols on the cover and the other with Fielder)
05-25-12, 06:39 PM
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I kind of agree with here. Back in the Genesis days, I loved World Series Baseball. The controls were simple and it was a pretty fun simulation. Now with the games becoming alot more realistic (aiming your pitches, selecting the type of pitch, choosing your batting stance and aiming your bat) It's become alot more frustrating and not as fun.
06-06-12, 06:01 AM
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I pretty much canceled all purchases of sports games when they started aping the TV sportscasts. I don't watch sports on TV.
I don't want to watch the game, I want to play it.
I don't want to hear commentators spouting the same stupid cliche for the eleventy-billionth time.
I don't much care about having "real" teams and players.
Toss the licenses. Ditch the TV shows. Stuff the commentators. Make a fun game. I'll buy it.
I don't want to watch the game, I want to play it.
I don't want to hear commentators spouting the same stupid cliche for the eleventy-billionth time.
I don't much care about having "real" teams and players.
Toss the licenses. Ditch the TV shows. Stuff the commentators. Make a fun game. I'll buy it.
06-06-12, 06:17 AM
#17
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I pretty much canceled all purchases of sports games when they started aping the TV sportscasts. I don't watch sports on TV.
I don't want to watch the game, I want to play it.
I don't want to hear commentators spouting the same stupid cliche for the eleventy-billionth time.
I don't much care about having "real" teams and players.
Toss the licenses. Ditch the TV shows. Stuff the commentators. Make a fun game. I'll buy it.
I don't want to watch the game, I want to play it.
I don't want to hear commentators spouting the same stupid cliche for the eleventy-billionth time.
I don't much care about having "real" teams and players.
Toss the licenses. Ditch the TV shows. Stuff the commentators. Make a fun game. I'll buy it.
I don't want to play an Baseball game that features a generic Los Angeles vs San Francisco with made up names like Fatt Blemp or Jim Hincecrumb. I'm not 12 years old with an old NES system.
2K tried that a few years ago after they lost the NFL license with a generic football game with only real Hall of Famer/Legends player names. No current players were used. I don't think that game sold very well. You can now buy it used for less than $10.
06-06-12, 06:58 AM
#18
DVD Talk Legend
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
Agreed --- but I'd like to have the option to start a fictional league. When I play The Show 12 with my Tigers, there are expectations of what each player can/should do based on my knowledge base with those players. I've always liked the fictional option because you never know if you drafter a diamond in the rough or if Fatt Blemp was going to hit 4 or 40 HR's. Just my $0.02
06-07-12, 12:25 AM
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I don't agree with you here. The MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL licenses are extremely important for sports games. It adds realism and the fantasy sports element to it.
I don't want to play an Baseball game that features a generic Los Angeles vs San Francisco with made up names like Fatt Blemp or Jim Hincecrumb. I'm not 12 years old with an old NES system.
2K tried that a few years ago after they lost the NFL license with a generic football game with only real Hall of Famer/Legends player names. No current players were used. I don't think that game sold very well. You can now buy it used for less than $10.
I don't want to play an Baseball game that features a generic Los Angeles vs San Francisco with made up names like Fatt Blemp or Jim Hincecrumb. I'm not 12 years old with an old NES system.
2K tried that a few years ago after they lost the NFL license with a generic football game with only real Hall of Famer/Legends player names. No current players were used. I don't think that game sold very well. You can now buy it used for less than $10.
I'm really only bugged by the limitations and foolish filler caused by making TV broadcasting the dominant paradigm. And the fact that the games aren't really that fun.
Sometime I'll have to complain about the way so many other game genres too slavishly copy the movies.
06-07-12, 12:29 AM
#20
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06-07-12, 01:15 AM
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
06-07-12, 07:12 AM
#23
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I think you're missing the point.
06-07-12, 07:25 AM
#24
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Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
You don't like sports, yet your chiming in on an MLB Sports game thread? As McFly just said, these types of sports games with real players, teams are obviously not meant for someone like you. Just should probably get a Wii and stick to stuff like this then:
http://www.amazon.com/Mario-Sports-M...9071812&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Mario-Super-Sl...9071909&sr=8-4
06-07-12, 07:45 AM
#25
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 2K cancels future MLB games (MLB 2K12 will be last one)
I purchased a PS3 last year so I could play MLB The Show. I loved the MVP series so when that was discontinued I was stuck with the mediocre 2K series on my 360.
The Show is a great series, but I agree that they make the controls overly complex. If they simplified them it would be much more fun.