ckcsaber Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 link Take Two Snags 7-Year Exclusive MLB License As was being rumored last week already, The Major League Baseball Players Association ("MLBPA") today announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to grant sweeping rights to Take 2 to develop and publish a broad portfolio of products that are expected to drive the baseball video game business to unprecedented heights. The 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, Xbox, Nintendo, PC and hand-helds. At the same time, manufacturers of video game systems (such as Sony with its MLB franchise) will have the opportunity to develop and publish baseball simulation games for their own platforms. Take2, based in New York, is the publisher of top-ranked football, basketball and hockey titles, as well as the top-selling video game, "Grand Theft Auto." The unrivaled development capabilities of its Visual Concepts and Kush studios now will be devoted to baseball video games against all viable platforms. "The baseball video game business has been underdeveloped for years," said John Olshan, the MLBPA's Category Director for Interactive Games. "The upcoming change in technology makes this the perfect time for us to implement our plan for growing the business, and we have no doubt that Take2's proven creativity and innovation, combined with their incredible distribution strength and powerful commitment to baseball, will add real excitement and depth to the video game marketplace. Baseball fans will be the big winners." Well, EA definitely got the ball rolling on this one. First they snag the NFL license, then the AFL, then ESPN. Now we've got Take Two with an exclusive license with the MLB. Rumors predict that Sega will be grabbing the NBA. All in all, this is some ****y news for me, and most sports gamers. There will be NO competition. I can already see the gameplay deteriorating. And, I hate to admit it but, EA made the best MLB game, period, last year. *sigh* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZBomber Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Gah, just when I thought it was over. ;_; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kain Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acdcfanbill Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 competition is bad! brought to you my M$, EA, and take 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swphreak Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I guess it's a good thing I don't like sports game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiE23 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Why do I care? I don't own a single sports game! My bro has one and its an EA Football game. TiE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 If you don't care, why do you bother coming in and posting? Anyway, while I rarely play sports games, this sucks badly. Just wait for the prices of the games to rise and the quality to plummet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukeiamyourdad Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Yay! Big corporations are going to destroy the gaming industry! *jumps around in joy* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master_Ginn Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Ah, this is exactly why i'm boycotting EA, from this moment on. You know, competition is what keeps people making great games. I think EA was threatened by sega and espn 2k5. Not only because it was $20, but because it actually had great gameplay. So instead of making a better game next year, they buy out the competition. Anyways, did anyone hear that EA is gonna take two years to make Madden? Or is this untrue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boba Rhett Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 That's what I heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IG-64 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Hmm, wasn't excpecting it to turn into a contest. EA should spend the 5 years of their contract to make simply "Madden" and make it ultimate. Either that, or other companies should spend the 5 years to make an ultimate nfl game whilst EA is making hooptie ones. hooptie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Uhmmm... noone else can make NFL games, only EA can, considering they have exclusive rights to the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IG-64 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Originally posted by InsaneSith Uhmmm... noone else can make NFL games, only EA can, considering they have exclusive rights to the NFL. But.. that doesn't mean other people can't make NFL games for 5 years and release them after the 5 year contract is over.... right? >.> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZBomber Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Well, the contract will peobably be renewed..... so, EA will probably be the only NFL Game maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swphreak Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Or... game companies can continue to make sports games, but instead of having "NFL" or anything affiliated with "NFL" in their game, they can make up names. Heck, Sega and whoever can rename ESPN 2k5 to "FOOTBALL" or something else, and just rename everything. Then sell it for 20 bucks and basically give EA the finger. And wasn't the EA contract for 15 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IG-64 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Originally posted by StarWarsPhreak Or... game companies can continue to make sports games, but instead of having "NFL" or anything affiliated with "NFL" in their game, they can make up names. Heck, Sega and whoever can rename ESPN 2k5 to "FOOTBALL" or something else, and just rename everything. Then sell it for 20 bucks and basically give EA the finger. And wasn't the EA contract for 15 years? That was the espn contract, the nfl contract was 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBell Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Originally posted by InsaneSith If you don't care, why do you bother coming in and posting? EXACTLY EA did it, others will follow. Although i dont play many baseball games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcd1234 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Originally posted by Feanaro Ah, this is exactly why i'm boycotting EA, from this moment on. You know, competition is what keeps people making great games. I think EA was threatened by sega and espn 2k5. Not only because it was $20, but because it actually had great gameplay. So instead of making a better game next year, they buy out the competition. Anyways, did anyone hear that EA is gonna take two years to make Madden? Or is this untrue? That is exactly how I feel. I don't play many baseball games, none to be in fact, but competition is how our economy works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 NOW may be a good time to introduce some new or imaginary sports and release sport franchises on them. Take Quidditch World Cup or Unreal Tournaments for example. Oh wait, soon somebody will grab a license for those, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Harry Potter is already on EA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 what EA is doing is just as much the fault of the franchises as it is theirs. You might as well boycott the NFL/MLB.... Its a shame my fave sports games are EA games.... FIFA Soccer, NHL & Tiger Woods Golf..... I'm never buying a game of theirs again!!! mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Windu Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Originally posted by Astrotoy7 I'm never buying a game of theirs again!!! mtfbwya You're a terrible liar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothiX Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I guess he means that he'll be playing them, but not exactly buying them. I'll stop there, IS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Sitherino Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I don't think Astro has ever bought an EA game in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Originally posted by InsaneSith I don't think Astro has ever bought an EA game in the past. pfft.... jackass.... apologise ! now ! bark like a dog ! mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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