Re: MLB Lockout

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Lockout

The legitimacy of a game result being resolved on its own volition according to the standard rules of the game is *far* more important than anything else, including being tired the next day, players unavailable to pitch, travel, you name it.

Not to mention games are more memorable when those really special circumstances kick in and wouldn't you want to remember that? I don't remember any extra inning game from 2020 or 2021. But I sure remember ones from years and even decades ago.

I am not all talk. I stopped watching games as soon as they went to extras because they were pointless to watch. That's why I don't remember. Because the results weren't legitimate. And if it ever becomes permanent, I'll stop watching. I've stopped or at least significantly cut my viewing of other sports due to their stuff and I'll do it here.

I realize I'm only one person however and am not delusional about that. Ultimately whatever the players and owners determine is best is what they determine. But don't expect me to go along with it and don't expect others to too as if the fundamental basis for the game wouldn't be absolutely annihilated by such a change. They're free to decide whatever. And so are we.

[Caulfield]

Re: MLB Lockout

The legitimacy of a game result being resolved on its own volition according to the standard rules of the game is *far* more important than anything else, including being tired the next day, players unavailable to pitch, travel, you name it.

Not to mention games are more memorable when those really special circumstances kick in and wouldn't you want to remember that? I don't remember any extra inning game from 2020 or 2021. But I sure remember ones from years and even decades ago.

I am not all talk. I stopped watching games as soon as they went to extras because they were pointless to watch. That's why I don't remember. Because the results weren't legitimate. And if it ever becomes permanent, I'll stop watching. I've stopped or at least significantly cut my viewing of other sports due to their stuff and I'll do it here.

I realize I'm only one person however and am not delusional about that. Ultimately whatever the players and owners determine is best is what they determine. But don't expect me to go along with it and don't expect others to too as if the fundamental basis for the game wouldn't be absolutely annihilated by such a change. They're free to decide whatever. And so are we.

I admire that. I'm weak and can't stop following the major leagues. I remember after the mess in '94-'95 a lot of my friends quit watching MLB and to this day still wouldn't know Shohei Ohtani from Showme Themoney lol
at this point I can only hope it's another 26 years till the next lockout or strike and by that time I'll be nearly 80 and senile and won't be worried as much about a baseball game as much as I will about pooping myself or falling and breaking a hip bone

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Lockout

I was reading a post highlighting the new CBA in regards to front loaded contracts.

Sounds like those deals could start becoming more common which will benefit teams a lot when it comes to dealing guys.

Guys luxury tax payroll hits are determined by their AAV.

However, if he gets traded, the hit is based on remaining salary.

So if a guy makes 40m total for 4 years, but 30n is in the first 2 years and then he's dealt for the final 2, the hit will be just 5m per season as opposed to 10m.

On the flip side, 40m total for 4 years but its back loaded so 30m is in the final 2 years, that payroll hit if dealt after year 2 will be 15m as opposed to the old 10m amount.

Even when it comes to older players, this could be good too. Front loaded deal which makes dealing them even more appealing near the end.

[DrJones]

Re: MLB Lockout

absolutely it did. the only way EA was going to make money off those titles was to reduce the scorn and hate. and that sure wasn't going to happen

and this is what I was driving towards. sure, the money is there to make those games, but not profitably. you don't stop making a game if it's profitable and can sustain itself. they weren't, and they couldn't. so EA cut back to making fewer titles. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have scorn and hate for EA that still buy the product any way. I see that same phenomenon with MLB the Show. but there are those that refuse to buy what EA produces because of their said scorn and hate. remove those two obstacles from their heart and they would become paying customers again. does that increase bottom line or keep it the same? obviously that bottom line increases. I'm not saying EA isn't happy with their bottom line but to say there is no room for growth of that bottom line by reclaiming lost customers, I'm not sold they are lost for good and forever. maybe I'm wrong on that but if EA cannot get them back, that's where the bottom line is impacted. which is not the same as saying EA isn't making a ton of money. I'm just saying there is more to be made

I think you're misunderstanding me. It's not bad press that stopped EA from making smaller titles; it's that those titles never made much money in the first place, and development costs have increased while game prices haven't, therefore it didn't make sense to devote resources to them. Remember my old title, MVP? MVP 2005 was among the most loved EA titles ever, and sold very well (for a baseball title), and... EA dropped it like a hot potato as soon as 2K made MLB an offer. Why? Because the MLB market is small, and even a 90 Metacritic title didn't move enough units to pay MLB what 2K was willing to (and 2K lost a lot of money on their baseball deal, I can tell you that much). Even when 2K's exclusivity deal ended and the Xbox market was wide open, EA never bothered starting it back up because the returns wouldn't have been worth the investment, even if the reception & revenues matched MVP's.

License is king. A lot of those smaller titles were vanity projects, whether they were well-received or not. The economic downturn of 2008-2009 sealed their fate. EA doesn't think the scorn and hate is costing them business (minus very public blunders like the Battlefront 2 microtransactions fiasco, and EA turned that around very quickly and made boffo money from it), and the numbers back them up. These articles are on the right track:

https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/16/21436929/madden-nfl-21-review-scores-sales-figures-ea-2k-sports-nba-2k21-metacritic

https://www.theverge.com/22921824/madden-nfl-football-trash-talk-youtube-backlash

There are individual developers that want to win over long time fans, absolutely, but EA's interested in new buyers, not old, because they know that the vast majority of longtime buyers will complain and buy anyway. The numbers that actually quit are very small, so there's not that many to really win back. I guarantee you that there are no decision makers at EA worried about "winning back" anyone.

And that's my point with sports in general. They're not worried about what you or I think, they're worried about business. And for them, business is good. I admire those who say enough is enough with sports' cynicism and turn away - just don't expect them to care. Interest in MLB may be dying for some people in this forum, but baseball itself isn't dying, whether we like it or not. Pro sports are pretty much bulletproof.