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RaychelSnr · 03-15-2013, 01:01 PM

During the spring of 2003, console owners had a wealth of choices when it came to choosing a baseball title: All-Star Baseball 2004, High Heat MLB 2004, Inside Pitch 2003, World Series Baseball 2K3, MLB Slugfest 20-04, and MVP 2003. While not all are considered classics today, most offered something unique for gamers, or, at the very least, helped to launch several different classic baseball series.

Ten years later, the well has seemingly run dry on MLB baseball games. Xbox owners have only one choice, save for a few arcade releases--the best (MLB Bobblehead Pros) was just recently pulled from sale and is no longer available. PS3 owners have it a bit better, but current reviews of MLB 2K13 probably reduce the amount of viable choices in half as well.

The question now becomes, who is going to develop baseball games on the XBox platform and when can we expect to hear from them?

Read More - Where Does Major League Baseball Go From Here?

bigdoc85 · 03-15-2013, 01:15 PM

What about Konami -- the maker of the Japanese Pro Baseball Spirits series?

RaychelSnr · 03-15-2013, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdoc85


	What about Konami -- the maker of the Japanese Pro Baseball Spirits series?

Konami is an intriguing possibility to me personally. I know Caley wrote the article, but I definitely think that could be possible -- just I think that the license wouldn't make it into their price range. Microsoft or EA would get it before Konami could ever afford it. EA/Microsoft both would have to basically say 'not now, not ever' for Konami to get a shot.

CPRoark · 03-15-2013, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdoc85


	What about Konami -- the maker of the Japanese Pro Baseball Spirits series?

That's a fair point; I actually thought about Pro Spirits as I wrote this. However, the financials aside, making an MLB game would still be a different beast than the Japanese game they currently make, even though the differences are small.

bhurst99 · 03-15-2013, 02:36 PM

Interesting article. I would think this is a pretty big issue for Microsoft (more than MLB) considering sports titles are a significant impetus for people to buy new consoles. If you're a sports fan and you're looking at buying either a PS4 or Xbox 720 it's a pretty easy choice to pick the PS4 over the Xbox 720 since you know a) Sony is going to have The Show on PS4 next year and b) any EA Sports title will be on both consoles. I can't believe Take Two would be willing to spend the necessary money to upgrade its baseball title for the next gen of consoles. You have to think Microsoft is aware of this issue and is either making a game in house or has approached another developer.

SteelersFan09 · 03-15-2013, 04:00 PM

As a huge 360 fan and a non owner of the PS3 I'm seriously thinking about buying a PS4 this year unless of course the 720 blows me away. Back when the 360 came out there where titles that were only on the 360 that made me want that system. However today in 2013 that is not really the case anymore. So either Microsoft needs to step up their game with the 720 or another company better make a good baseball for the 720 or I'm going with the PS4.

Jimbo614 · 03-15-2013, 04:07 PM

I find it interesting, yet disturbing, that the author refuses to even mention The Show by name. Obviously written from the angle of an Xbox owner. But to say that the ONLY choices Major League Baseball has involves the list he does mention has sort of a blackballing feel to it.
As in.. Hey! Over Here!! Over Here!! Yeah, us! You know, The Show..? Remember us?

CPRoark · 03-15-2013, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo614


	I find it interesting, yet disturbing, that the author refuses to even mention The Show by name. Obviously written from the angle of an Xbox owner. But to say that the ONLY choices Major League Baseball has involves the list he does mention has sort of a blackballing feel to it. As in.. Hey! Over Here!! Over Here!! Yeah, us! You know, The Show..? Remember us?

It should be interesting, seeing as how I am also the author who just gave The Show a 9/10!

No slight intended...I felt it pretty obvious that The Show is a guarantee for the PS4.

03-15-2013, 01:01 PM	#1
RaychelSnr Executive Editor OVR: 57 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 4,846 Blog Entries: 490	Where Does Major League Baseball Go From Here? During the spring of 2003, console owners had a wealth of choices when it came to choosing a baseball title: All-Star Baseball 2004, High Heat MLB 2004, Inside Pitch 2003, World Series Baseball 2K3, MLB Slugfest 20-04, and MVP 2003. While not all are considered classics today, most offered something unique for gamers, or, at the very least, helped to launch several different classic baseball series. Ten years later, the well has seemingly run dry on MLB baseball games. Xbox owners have only one choice, save for a few arcade releases--the best (MLB Bobblehead Pros) was just recently pulled from sale and is no longer available. PS3 owners have it a bit better, but current reviews of MLB 2K13 probably reduce the amount of viable choices in half as well. The question now becomes, who is going to develop baseball games on the XBox platform and when can we expect to hear from them? Read More - Where Does Major League Baseball Go From Here?

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03-15-2013, 01:15 PM	#2
bigdoc85 MVP OVR: 22 Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,082 Blog Entries: 14	What about Konami -- the maker of the Japanese Pro Baseball Spirits series?

03-15-2013, 02:36 PM	#5
bhurst99 All Star OVR: 27 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Hamilton, Ont.	Interesting article. I would think this is a pretty big issue for Microsoft (more than MLB) considering sports titles are a significant impetus for people to buy new consoles. If you're a sports fan and you're looking at buying either a PS4 or Xbox 720 it's a pretty easy choice to pick the PS4 over the Xbox 720 since you know a) Sony is going to have The Show on PS4 next year and b) any EA Sports title will be on both consoles. I can't believe Take Two would be willing to spend the necessary money to upgrade its baseball title for the next gen of consoles. You have to think Microsoft is aware of this issue and is either making a game in house or has approached another developer.

03-15-2013, 04:00 PM	#6
SteelersFan09 Rookie OVR: 2 Join Date: Aug 2008	As a huge 360 fan and a non owner of the PS3 I'm seriously thinking about buying a PS4 this year unless of course the 720 blows me away. Back when the 360 came out there where titles that were only on the 360 that made me want that system. However today in 2013 that is not really the case anymore. So either Microsoft needs to step up their game with the 720 or another company better make a good baseball for the 720 or I'm going with the PS4.

03-15-2013, 04:07 PM	#7
Jimbo614 Rookie OVR: 1 Join Date: Jan 2005 Blog Entries: 27	I find it interesting, yet disturbing, that the author refuses to even mention The Show by name. Obviously written from the angle of an Xbox owner. But to say that the ONLY choices Major League Baseball has involves the list he does mention has sort of a blackballing feel to it. As in.. Hey! Over Here!! Over Here!! Yeah, us! You know, The Show..? Remember us?