Why Release So Early?

[TimLawNYC]

So I know everybody is excited about the new game, and that the MLB season is just around the corner. But I'm wondering why 2K and Sony apparently feel that it's necessary or beneficial to release the full retail version of their baseball games on the first day of spring training, with the actual season a full month away. Nobody knows what the final team rosters will be yet, and while it's great that we can download roster updates as things become finalized, wouldn't it make more sense to release the games just before the regular season starts? That way, rosters could be near-accurate from the start. The problem with the current system is that the game releases today, and if I start a franchise right now I won't ever be able to update it with accurate opening-day rosters, since I'll be progressing through the latter half of my first season by the time the rosters become final. Also, that extra month could be used to polish the game or add things (like the check swing) so that we might not need release-day patches.

From a marketing standpoint, I guess I can see why they want to release them now, and neither company wants to let the other beat them to store shelves (though really, 2K has us 360-only owners held hostage, and any PS3 owner who buys 2K over The Show seems insane, so the extent to which these games compete for the same customers is really debatable IMO). But from a quality/accuracy/gameplay standpoint, it really seems like it would be better to release the game closer to the actual start of the baseball season.

Are there any other reasons they release these games so early?

[jake44np]

Re: Why Release So Early?

So I know everybody is excited about the new game, and that the MLB season is just around the corner. But I'm wondering why 2K and Sony apparently feel that it's necessary or beneficial to release the full retail version of their baseball games on the first day of spring training, with the actual season a full month away. Nobody knows what the final team rosters will be yet, and while it's great that we can download roster updates as things become finalized, wouldn't it make more sense to release the games just before the regular season starts? That way, rosters could be near-accurate from the start. The problem with the current system is that the game releases today, and if I start a franchise right now I won't ever be able to update it with accurate opening-day rosters, since I'll be progressing through the latter half of my first season by the time the rosters become final. Also, that extra month could be used to polish the game or add things (like the check swing) so that we might not need release-day patches.

From a marketing standpoint, I guess I can see why they want to release them now, and neither company wants to let the other beat them to store shelves (though really, 2K has us 360-only owners held hostage, and any PS3 owner who buys 2K over The Show seems insane, so the extent to which these games compete for the same customers is really debatable IMO). But from a quality/accuracy/gameplay standpoint, it really seems like it would be better to release the game closer to the actual start of the baseball season.

Are there any other reasons they release these games so early?

Even if they released the game on Opening Day rosters would not be accurate.
The roster cut off date would be about a month before the game came out, and there will be alot of player movement from now until the beginning of the season.
And like you stated 2K will put out a opening day roster a couple days after opening day.
Again if the game came out on opening day there is no way the rosters would be accurate.

[Sandman42]

Re: Why Release So Early?

All sports games release around a month before the real season. NCAA Football in mid July when the season starts in late August, Madden in mid August when the season starts in September, NHL and NBA release a full month before their seasons start also.

If you really want opening day rosters that badly then wait to start your franchise until opening day when 2K puts out a roster update.

[myghty]

Re: Why Release So Early?

I remember the year, (2k3?) where they pushed their release date all the way to April 30. That was a long wait. :P

[kcxiv]

Re: Why Release So Early?

MLB sets the release date

[Woodweaver]

Re: Why Release So Early?

Mo' money, mo' money...

Yeah, first to market is a big deal sales-wise. Also, as earlier stated, I'm sure they're contractually obligated to a specific release date, and the later they are...the bigger the monetary penalty.

[HK-47]

Re: Why Release So Early?

I have to make or find a good slider and roster set before I start my franchise.

[crumpled_heap]

Re: Why Release So Early?

cus we want to play

[tinpanalley]

Re: Why Release So Early?

Also, April 1st wouldn't help you. You're still playing all of April with a 40 man roster that is full of guys that are never gonna make it back to the majors and may quite frankly never play anything more than AAA ball again. Why make ALL those guys? Plus so many of them aren't represented by the MLBPA so then you have to make fake players and have your customers complaining about fake players in the game. But mostly, because when Consumer Joe Smith turns on his ESPN in April and sees Spring Training, and Joe Smith happens to be a gamer, he's gonna want to play a baseball game and 9 times out of 10, last year's game won't suffice.
Dollars and cents, just like the real MLB. If it wasn't, the Sunday night ESPN game would be the Pirates against the Nationals. But it never is, is it. No offense to either fans. I'm just talking ratings.