2K Sports to be sold and return of XSN?

[ForeverYoung]

Anyone heard of this rumor?

http://xboxfamily.com/xf/index.php?o...d=993&Itemid=1

[utexas]

interesting, I participated in XSN, but I wonder how it would be different from 2k's league setup right now? Online league play is a huge factor in me deciding what game to buy.

[daflyboys]

Allowing custom rosters online a la MVP2005 (console) would be YUGE.

[VCdolphin]

Part of that article:


The rumor of Microsoft actually reviving the Xbox Sports Network is actually coming out of Take Two, not Microsoft. You may remember that Take Two’s own 2K brand absorbed some of the studios involved in the making of XSN games - studios that were responsible for Top Spin, Amped, and others.

While this is only a rumor, we’ve looked at some of the facts that lead us to believe this could happen.

- Take Two has publicly been hurting financially and has already sold off it’s peripheral subsidiaries and has been rumored to be shopping it’s distribution centers around to potential buyers.

- Recent rumors have even had Take Two’s most profitable developer/publisher, Rockstar, shopping around on the market. We’d imagine Take Two would release a smaller dev before letting go of it’s lead horse.

- The commercial failure of All Pro Football 2K8 has caused many to wonder if the line will continue. Which makes us wonder what would happen to the football centric part of Visual Concepts.

- EA’s exclusive license of NFL properties is coming up soon (by logistical business standards) and we’ll likely see studios shifting to prepare football game development. Although this doesn’t effect the tennis, snowboarding, racing, and other sports lines that would likely return to XSN.


MS bringing XSN back, with an exclusive of the NFL license? IS that what this rumor amounts to? While MS easily has the money to get the NFL, and it would KILL the PS3 if NFL was exclusive to the 360, I think this is all bogus.

I'd much rather see MS get a share of the NFL license, and use the 2K guys to develop a football game just for the 360.

[daflyboys]

Quote: Originally Posted by VCdolphin

Part of that article: MS bringing XSN back, with an exclusive of the NFL license? IS that what this rumor amounts to? While MS easily has the money to get the NFL, and it would KILL the PS3 if NFL was exclusive to the 360, I think this is all bogus. I'd much rather see MS get a share of the NFL license, and use the 2K guys to develop a football game just for the 360.

But it seems in the current client, these companies are not interested in playing nice and sharing. And the NFL as we all know will command even more money in the future, as ludicrous as that sounds. So why wouldn't MS be interested in that pool? And kill the PS3 at the same time? Sounds like a win-win for them.

[CaptainZombie]

Guys, we also have a thread over here:

Xbox Sports Network Returning?

[Red Ronin]

I really would prefer that the NFL opened up the license again and no longer had it up for bid on exclusivity. But... One less reason to buy a PS3? As if I needed more urging...


Red Ronin

[bkfount]

to the nfl's and EA's credit, madden is released on anything that can play games. They even had gizmondo versions out at some point I believe. If it went exclusive to MS, only xbox 360 owners could play it. That's more of a "monopoly" than EA ever had.