the NEW MADDEN 2010 - Ian - EA - Just buy the tech

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by MJenness

I see your point, to a degree. I don't think ANY exclusive license is a good thing for us as gamers, CB. Look at MLB2k8 as an example....poor game, IMO. However, it DID benefit 2k financially, as many of the MVP fans had to come over to get their baseball fix, just as many 2k5 fans have to buy Madden for their NFL fix. Was it worth it for T2?? Who knows besides their accounting department. But for US, all of the exclusive licenses are not good in any way, shape, or form. As we all can clearly see now, not having competition allows companies (yes, Take 2 also) to become complacent and lazy, and our games suffer.

I agree with the exclusive license being a bad thing for everyone. And I understand that as far as the 360 owners, 2k has "cornered" the market. But how many this past season on here did you see defect over to the PS3 just to play the Show. It was certainly more than I would've envisioned.

But like I said, I'm not sure that it was the best thing to do for 2k at the time. Sure they benefited the first year by having the MVP fans come over, but since their product is not the best available, many have moved on to other things. Imo, for a company that was/is struggling to stay afloat, spending the money on an exclusive deal that doesn't totally eliminate the competition, may not have been the smartest investment to make. I understand their frustration at EA for what happened, but spending money that you really don't have?

[Stroehms]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

I agree with the exclusive license being a bad thing for everyone. And I understand that as far as the 360 owners, 2k has "cornered" the market. But how many this past season on here did you see defect over to the PS3 just to play the Show. It was certainly more than I would've envisioned. But like I said, I'm not sure that it was the best thing to do for 2k at the time. Sure they benefited the first year by having the MVP fans come over, but since their product is not the best available, many have moved on to other things. Imo, for a company that was/is struggling to stay afloat, spending the money on an exclusive deal that doesn't totally eliminate the competition, may not have been the smartest investment to make. I understand their frustration at EA for what happened, but spending money that you really don't have?

I'm a MVP fan. I had to go to MLB 2k and then even bought a PS3 to play the Show. Guess which one I play most?




MVP 2005 w/ Mods

Darn-tootin

[mercalnd]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

But like I said, I'm not sure that it was the best thing to do for 2k at the time. Sure they benefited the first year by having the MVP fans come over, but since their product is not the best available, many have moved on to other things. Imo, for a company that was/is struggling to stay afloat, spending the money on an exclusive deal that doesn't totally eliminate the competition, may not have been the smartest investment to make. I understand their frustration at EA for what happened, but spending money that you really don't have?

I think they did it to protect one of their sports series. They wanted to get at least one exclusive to ensure EA would not get every major sports license. There were rumors that both tried to get an NBA exclusive but the NBA chose to keep multiple publishers (leagues always have hte final say in these matters).

The NHL situation was even more interesting as one of the companies had reached an agreement on an exclusive license with the NHLPA while the other had reached a similar agreement with the NHL. So if these deals had gone through we would have one hockey game with real players but not the real teams and the other with the real teams but no the real players. In the end neither locense became exclusive.

As far as what their MLB exclusive deal got them, I think it might have been better for them to pay the extra money that would have landed them full exclusivity. That way they would at least have made sure to get all the baseball game sales. But I'm convinced that either the amount necessary to get that full exclusive was too much for what they wanted to pay or the MLB was simply not interested in ending its relationship with Sony.

[MJenness]

Found on Wiki-pedia:

In 2005, in response to EA Sports' exclusive license with the National Football League and ESPN prohibiting any NFL 2K games for the foreseeable future, Take-Two Interactive signed an exclusive third-party licensing contract with Major League Baseball (MLB), MLBPA and MLBAM to produce MLB games. The agreement, which runs from Spring 2006 to 2012, allows for the console manufacturers Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to produce MLB titles for their respective platforms, but bars third party developers such as EA Sports from continuing or developing their own MLB games.

[Stroehms]

So Microsoft could make their own baseball game?

I guess it could work. Can't be any worse than MLB 2k8. But will they do it?

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by mercalnd

As far as what their MLB exclusive deal got them, I think it might have been better for them to pay the extra money that would have landed them full exclusivity. That way they would at least have made sure to get all the baseball game sales. But I'm convinced that either the amount necessary to get that full exclusive was too much for what they wanted to pay or the MLB was simply not interested in ending its relationship with Sony.

I agree that it may have had to do with one or the other, but I don't understand why pony up the money to get an exclusive deal to only knock out EA? They still have to compete, at least in theory, with Sony, MS, and Nintendo. I just don't see how spending that money was a smart investment. I understand they were trying to keep from being left out so to speak, but the last thing a staying afloat company needs to do is spend more money, especially when the return on that spent money is minimal at best.

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by stroehmerbasebal

So Microsoft could make their own baseball game? I guess it could work. Can't be any worse than MLB 2k8. But will they do it?

I'm surprised they haven't. They have the rights to the old High Heat series that was one of the best and was well ahead of its time. I can't believe that they haven't at least attempted to get into the market.

The other thing I don't understand is that 2k has at least one member from the old Acclaim All Star Baseball development team but instead of having this person work on the MLB 2K series, they are working on the Bigs.

[Stroehms]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

I'm surprised they haven't. They have the rights to the old High Heat series that was one of the best and was well ahead of its time. I can't believe that they haven't at least attempted to get into the market. The other thing I don't understand is that 2k has at least one member from the old Acclaim All Star Baseball development team but instead of having this person work on the MLB 2K series, they are working on the Bigs.

Wow thats messed up. That's like having the guy from Head Coach work on NFL Tour instead of Madden.