Take Two Lands Exclusive MLB Deal

The deal reported last week on Slashdot has come to fruition: Take Two interactive and MLB have signed an exclusivity deal. Worthplaying has the news. "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..."

Comments

Maybe I am missing something...

[Willie_the_Wimp]

Can someone explain to me how "dramatically limiting the number of baseball video game manufacturers" will "promote competition in the marketplace to drive innovation in baseball product development"? Maybe I was asleep that day in ECON 101.

Oh wait, (not that I usually bash MS) but limiting choices to drive innovation is the new economy. Sorry... I forgot.

Todd

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[AceCaseOR]

I believe the press release could best be translated as, "In your face, EA!"

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[musikit]

the premise of "promote competition in the marketplace to drive innovation in baseball product development" comes from the fact that no one will be able just to slap together a baseball game having your favorite player in it with some cool graphics and sell it for $50.

now if a new baseball game wants to enter the market place they have to provide some game play that is fun and replayable.

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[Sierpinski]

I'd have to agree. Its competition that makes the company strive for excellence. Especially when there are other good comparable (similar) products out there. If EA is prohibited, for example, from developing any more MLB games, then what will set the 'bar' for a good game? (Not that EA does it, but they are a major player in the sports genre.) As Willie said, limiting choices doesn't seem the best way to promote competition.

Maybe they're talking about just the few really big companies, but any time I hear the phrase 'Exclusive deal' I groan just a bit.

Competition also ensures that if you dont like one developer's take on a game (game play, controls, etc) you have other options. If Take2's version of MLB basically doesn't meet expectation, who else will we have to turn to for our MLB games?

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[fireduck]

Those 2 sentences really seem at odds, don't they? The only way I can spin is is that it's not quite a monopoly, as the deal is only applies to 3rd party developers. Apparently if Sony, MS or Nintendo wanted to make their own MLB games, they are entitled to. So, rather than get hundreds of lousy MLB games for each console system, you'll have at most 2 Take2's and S/MS/N's version. (are MLB games even that popular that there are more than 2 for any given system?)

But even then, I think it's a stretch to claim that Take2 competing against Nintendo for the best MLB game on the gamecube is going to result in innovation...

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[ecklesweb]

Its competition that makes the company strive for excellence.

No, it's competition that makes the company strive for first-to-market. Excellence is expensive and time consuming. Making an "excellent" product is a last resort for marketers when price, promotion, and hollow features don't win the market share they were looking for. That is, excellence is for people who *know* they won't make it to the market first, no matter what, but still want to compete.

Don't believe that excellence is lower on the list of priorities? If you think about it, the fact that game companies are competing over big-dollar major league exclusivity rights shows how much just slapping "Major League Baseball" or "National Basketball League" or "National Football League" on your game does to improve sales. If someone came up with *the* best baseball video game (whatever you imagine that to be) with fictional teams and players, how do you think its sales would compare to an inferior game with Major League teams and players?

Guess I woke up on the cynical side of the bed this morning...

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[JFMulder]

Judging by Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, I'm pretty sure Mario Baseball would be a lot more fun than real baseball.

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[cmallinson]

IANAIPL (I am not an IP lawyer) but doesn't this statement mean that nobody can make ANY type of baseball game? Not just ones with licensed characters, etc, but anythign having to do with baseball?

I'm pretty sure it's just the players/teams/stadiums that are licensed here. I think EA should create a baseball game with all their licenced football players and teams. NFLB 2005 - The Off-Season.

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[phreakmonkey]

the premise of "promote competition in the marketplace to drive innovation in baseball product development" comes from the fact that no one will be able just to slap together a baseball game having your favorite player in it with some cool graphics and sell it for $50.

Right. No one except Take-Two Interactive will be able to do that.

now if a new baseball game wants to enter the market place they have to provide some game play that is fun and replayable.

Bullshit. A more accurate assertion would be:
Now if a new baseball game wants to enter the market place the development company has to be able to pay Take Two Interactive's exclusive publishing price.

So you have to have enough money to convince TT to publish you, or you have to develop a game and convince them that it will make a mint, and then sign the rights over. Either way, they make out.

This promotes innovation the same way that having to compete with Anheuser Busch's marketing machine in the beer industry promotes innovation- not at all.

It's just typical corporate marketing bullshit. What it does guarantee is that everything with MLB on it will be marketed by TT with a sh!tload of money. That hardly guarantees anything- except that we'll have to see commercials for it during every major televised sporting event.

{sigh}

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[superpulpsicle]

Well, this is a good first step for TakeTwo to counter EA. While I like baseball games, I'd have to admit they are not nearly as $$$ as football games.

The best case scenario would be a settlement to trade between the companies. So TakeTwo can use NFL player licenses and EA can use MLB licenses. It wouldn't surprise me if TakeTwo try to grab the NBA license too. This year's ESPN NBA2k5, especially online, was superior to the EA counterpart.

Re:Maybe I am missing something...

[Galvatron]

Actually, if one Reads The Fine Article, it acctually states that the agreement was with the player's union, not MLB. So the deal is probably ONLY for player names, and stadiums and team names are still available to all.

and in other news

[computerme]

Take 3 Interactive retained an exclusive 6 year agreement from the US park service to build video games of watching grass grow...

Wrong.

[tekunokurato]

Bullshit. Anyone can make a baseball videogame. It's rights to the use of MLB trademarks, logos, and other intellectual properties that have been auctioned here.

Re:Wrong.

[DeepRedux]

The deal does not include MLB trademarks and logos. It is with the player's union and not with MLB. The deal is basically for the right to use player names.

Re:Wrong.

[tekunokurato]

It's all downhill after the perfection that was 'Ice Hockey' for the NES. Fat, skinny, or medium players. Who needs pro names and attributes?

Huh?

[zoomba]

How is a seven year licensing deal "innovative"? What's so innovative about a contract?

Lawyer 1: Ok, I've got this great idea... we'll buy the rigths to Major League Baseball for a period of seven years!

Lawyer 2: Seven years?!!? I've heard of five year deals, even ten year deals... but SEVEN?! That's so far outside the box we'll have to label it as 'innovative' in our press release!

Lawyer 1: What can I say? I'm a visionary. No longer will we be tied to 5 year intervals on licenses... it will liberate the industry from the chains of oppression!

because

[tod_miller]

baseball games are easy to make. You hit a damn ball. How many new golf games are released?

What next? SSSSSSX Tricky Baseball pro underground 2?

Mod up your bat, and do break dance moves while hitting home runs into crowd of oiled up lesbians.

Get extra points for inventive sliding moves...

lets face it, baseball sucks.

Does baseball even have cheerleaders? (sorry I know nothing about american sports, so feel free to mod me down!)

Re:because

[wo1verin3]

Mod up your bat, and do break dance moves while hitting home runs into crowd of oiled up lesbians.

You have a torrent for this game?

Re:because

[syrinx]

Except that here, it's played by 9-year-old girls

In the US, they're too busy playing soccer.

Features Needed

[trekstar25]

As long as whatever baseball games they produce still have the "Hit batter with pitch" and "Charge the mound" buttons, I'm fine with this.

I don't get it

[Mauvaisours]

exclusive rights among third-party publishers to develop and market simulation, arcade and manager-style baseball video games

Can you explain me how MLB can forgive to make baseball games ? I understand that they can prevent using MLB brands, team, players,... but that doesn't prevent from doing baseball games. It's the same for football (or soccer as you call it on the other side), and Pro Evolution Soccer proves you can make successful games without the official license.

College Teams

[awhelan]

MLB and the NFL may be hurting their popularity by doing this. All the companies left out of their exclusive deals aren't going to just let their game engines go to waste. Within the next few years we are probably going to see more NCAA games. Many people prefer watching the unpaid college athletes over the professionals anyway and these excluseive deals will make college sports more popular... it's free publicity for the NCAA.

Doesn't say anything about FPS!

[rsilvergun]

I can see it now: Earl Weaver III:Knee Deep in Gore. The Yankees thought they were just going to play a little exhibition on the moon, and then all Hell broke loose (literally)! Now the only question is: Doom 3 or Source?

BaseBall games

[clinko]

I've always hated baseball games anyway, it's just 1 button you need, not even a joystick.

1. Aim pitch with line that goes up down. (HIT BUTTON)
2. Pick speed with line that goes up down. (HIT BUTTON)
3. Swing (HIT BUTTON)
4. Run towards ball on ground (HIT BUTTON -REPEAT)
5. Throw to base (HIT BUTTON)
6. See Stats (HIT BUTTON)
7. Next inning starts.

Re:BaseBall games

[Momoru]

which makes it significantly more complicated then any FPS which are just:

1. Aim
2. Shoot (HIT BUTTON)

Re:BaseBall games

[mikael]

I've always hated baseball games anyway, it's just 1 button you need, not even a joystick.

Unfortunately, the concept of one-click gameplay has already been patented. That's why console system controllers have so many buttons these days, and why many PC games still use the keyboard.

baseball gaming = overrated (for me, anyway)

[Second_Infinity]

In many years of playing baseball games I've grown weary of them altogether. Seems that major improvements have been made in gameplay and graphics, but the games still have a boring aspect to them - nothing really new. At least the football/basketball games incorporate different play options, Helmet-cams and enabled rough-housing.

Maybe if the stadium is in Liberty City and we have to run from the cops while running the bases it'll be a bit more entertaining... Who knows though.

Of course, maybe they'll surprise me and resurrect baseball gaming once again.

Damned Internet Explorer

[ZoneGray]

Damned Internet Explorer cache must be screwed up, it keeps displaying old Slashdot stories that I read a few days ago.

Re:Damned Internet Explorer

[d34thm0nk3y]

The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the swoosh sound of the joke rocketing over head.

Why Sega/T2 = EA

[superultra]

People were bitching at EA for picking up the NFL exclusivity contract and talking about its unfairness to Sega. Yet, here is Take Two (who distributes Sega sports) doing the same thing. Moreover, Take Two tried to do the same NFL exclusive contract as EA got, they just bid less than EA. So are people starting letter writing campaigns into Sega?

As an interesting sidenote, the EA-NFL contract was completely exclusive. But here, it seems that first-party studios are not barred from making MLB games. I wonder if Microsoft put too much into buying the High Heat franchise to let that go?

PR

[Tony]

Imagine you are in public relations. Now imagine you tell nothing but lies. But I repeat myself.

In the wonderful world of "News" releases, up is down, SCO is a Linux company, our government is here to help us, and massive restrictions lead to innovation.

If you repeat a lie often enough, people forget the truth; eventually, the lie becomes Common Knowledge. Right now, the market seems rife with "Common Knowledge"-- like, the market will adjust itself because it's a "fair market", helping the rich get richer helps the poor get richer, and restrictions lead to freedom.

Ah, well. Such is life. As bad as it is, it still is pretty damned good. I mean, as long as you don't live in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Uzbekistan...

business case?

[uujjj]

I can understand why the exclusive deal makes sense from Take 2's perspective. Can someone explain to me how MLB would make more money licensing ONE company to do games than it would licensing MANY companies to do games?

I don't think Take 2 alone could give MLB more money than, say, MS, EA, Vivendi, etc combined all doing their own licensed games.

In other news

[DarkFencer]

In other news, EA is considering buying out Take Two Interactive to gain the MLB license back and "drive competition"

Diaster

[ThresholdRPG]

This is an impending disaster for the gaming marketplace.

First it was EA with the NFL license. We know why they did it: the ESPN line of games was eating into their profits bigtime, and had exposed the fact that $20 for a barely updated annual game is more than enough to charge.

2003
Madden sales 5,000,000
ESPN sales 450,000

2004 (through Nov)
Madden sales 3,000,000
ESPN sales 2,000,000

Now Take 2 tries to counter EA by inking this deal.

This is a horrible trend and I don't see it being reversed unless consumers vote with their wallets.

"innovative" my ass

[doormat]

Since when is limiting competition innovative? Its a shame there isnt a law against spewing such bullshit.

NHL exclusive deal

[Anonymous Coward]

In other news, I've personally signed an exclusive deal with the NHL to develop and market simulation, arcade and manager-style hockey video games that let you re-live the excitement of the 2004-2005 NHL season.

Re:NHL exclusive deal

[andrewdski]

Oh? How much did they pay you?

Here's how you did it.

[AtariAmarok]

"In other news, I've personally signed an exclusive deal with the NHL to develop and market simulation, arcade and manager-style hockey video games that let you re-live the excitement of the 2004-2005 NHL season"

Oh. I wondered who was buying, re-labelling, and re-selling those old "Tiger Woods 2002" game CD's. What better way to show what the players and owners did during the 2004-2005 season!

Base Wars

[Kyru]

I just hope this brings about the return of the greatest baseball game ever Base Wars

eh. Only two things to say.

[His name cannot be s]

1. The last good baseball game I played was on the colecovision.

2. Thank god for modchips. :p