MLB 2K12 News Post

MLB 2K Series is Likely Dead

05:38 PM - May 22, 2012 by woz411

In an earlier article from Pastapadre today, he mentioned the MLB 2K series was left out of the Take Two lineup listing, not long after that Kotaku all but confirmed the death of the MLB 2K series.

Quote:


	Kotaku asked Take-Two Interactive if it could confirm the end of the series, and it released this statement: "Our legacy Major League Baseball agreement will sunset in fiscal 2013," a Take-Two spokesman said, meaning in the coming 12 calendar months. "MLB 2K12 is our last offering under that agreement. At this time, we have no further comment."

Game: Major League Baseball 2K12 Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 12 - View All

Major League Baseball 2K12 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 Spanky @ 05/22/12 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkrich83


	... any time a sports game dies it's not a good thing for the consumers.

This is true is most instances. But not in this case.

This title needed to be aborted, badly, and much sooner. It was obvious long ago that 2k had no clue how to develop a baseball game. And yet many kept hoping, with blind faith, that next year would be the year. And it never was.

2k needed to give it up and hand over the reins to somebody that knows what they're doing. I'm assuming that will be EA. 2k has been doing nothing but impeding progress the last several years.

If EA, despite its faults, had the opportunity to work on a baseball title several years ago, I am confident it would have succeeded in putting out a decent, if not above average, baseball game by now.

Ordinarily, it's bad for the consumer when a company fails, leaving only one option. But it's different in this case, since 2k was hardly any competition for the other title, as much as many on these boards tried real hard to convince themselves that it was.

It's absolutely mind-boggling how the same company can develop such a successful title in one sport (basketball) and fail miserably in another.

# 42 Scribe1980 @ 05/23/12 12:00 AM

In retrospect it sure seems a puzzling business decision by Take Two to offer up exclusive third-party rights to MLB Properties to gain the necessary licenses, then not devote their full time and resources to hiring the very best people possible. They let the series rot, in effect, until it was too late.

With seven years of hindsight, it seemed to be little more than reactionary response to EA's napalming of NFL 2K5, something along the lines of "oh yeah,well we can play that way, too."

And then they had it, and didn't do what was needed to compete in the marketplace. Just a very strange way to run a business.

# 43 bigdoc85 @ 05/23/12 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radney


	While MLB The Show was a far more superior baseball game, MLB 2k 12 was far more fun to play. The Show gave you a more realistic feel and true to life, 2k was just pick up the controller and flat out plain ole, just have fun. I only have the PS3 only for the Show, otherwise it just collects dust. All my other games, the 360 dominates.

I think that's just preference. I have both consoles. I prefer the PS3 and never could get into the 2k baseball series on PS3 or the Xbox for that matter. My concern is that 2k sports, as a company, may be dead after the next NBA 2k release.

# 44 jeremym480 @ 05/23/12 12:44 AM

MLB 2k gets a bad rap, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I would venture to guess that half the people who are trashing it probably haven't played it in years.

This is actually the first year since 08 that I decided to get 2k instead of The Show. Is it as good as The Show? No. The Show does a lot of the little thing so much better. However, I will say that it's every bit just as fun as The Show. If not more fun because of the pitching. Also the Franchise has a bunch of things that make it more interesting than The Show's franchise. Which is probably the most stale franchise of any sports game that I play. The weird thing is that if we could mix both games together, then we would have a damn good baseball game. But, if The Show continues to ignore simple things like career stats, then this may very well be the end of my baseball playing days.

# 45 RoyalBoyle78 @ 05/23/12 12:51 AM

First of all, FYI, for all the guys saying to port The show over, it will never happen, never. The show is owned by Sony, so why in the world would they do this, to sell s few more copies of the show. I don't think so, cause in the end it would be helping M$ and I don't think they care for doing that at all, not ever. Not even to sell a few more thousand copies of the show, the show sells well on its own for only the Sony brand, nice though but it would never happen, so keep dreaming.

Sent from my iPhone 4s
using Tapatalk

# 46 mva5580 @ 05/23/12 01:13 AM

I can't believe there are people seriously saying "Port The Show to the 360." What planet are you living on?

# 47 ExtraWhistle @ 05/23/12 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redsrule


	Hopefully EA gets in the game, MVP 05 is still my favorite baseball game. It would be amazing if they just updated graphics/ teams and kept the core from that game in. Maybe add a my player mode too.

Agreed. I played MVP 05 for GameCube and I still miss it, especially owner mode.

# 48 CrackinBacks @ 05/23/12 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woz411


	don't bother wishing, its a PS3 exclusive, like Halo is to the 360

Well with Sony's huge financial troubles, it wouldn't be surprising, they'd listen to any opportunity to make some money. But I doubt MS would pay for the rights to have it ported to 360

# 49 horrormaster @ 05/23/12 02:54 AM

PC gamers are now doomed for eternity to play MVP 2005 or MLB 2k12

# 50 SpartanBaller @ 05/23/12 04:22 AM

Bring back MVP!!

# 51 inkcil @ 05/23/12 04:23 AM

2k baseball was terrible, plain and simple, especially on the PS3...for years it looked grainy and splotchy compared to the 360 version. In an alternate universe where the Show was on both consoles, 2k baseball would have died long before now.

# 52 fearwhatnow @ 05/23/12 06:45 AM

MLB 2k12 is a very good game especially on pc with all the mods.Previous years versions where mediocre-bad, but this year the game is great.I find myself playing both games (Show ps3-2k12 pc) and 2k12 a little more because of the mods+crisp graphics.
Well, it seems 2k12 will be in a few years a new MVP2005 for pc.

# 53 Yeats @ 05/23/12 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scribe1980


	In retrospect it sure seems a puzzling business decision by Take Two to offer up exclusive third-party rights to MLB Properties to gain the necessary licenses, then not devote their full time and resources to hiring the very best people possible. They let the series rot, in effect, until it was too late. With seven years of hindsight, it seemed to be little more than reactionary response to EA's napalming of NFL 2K5, something along the lines of "oh yeah,well we can play that way, too." And then they had it, and didn't do what was needed to compete in the marketplace. Just a very strange way to run a business.

Great post, and I've been saying that about 2K as a company for years now. All very true; however the game was coming around the past couple of years. Which makes it even stranger they'd pull the plug now.

# 54 Yeats @ 05/23/12 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremym480


	MLB 2k gets a bad rap, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I would venture to guess that half the people who are trashing it probably haven't played it in years.

Heh, when a game dies, the forum vultures come out to pick over the bones. Bottomline, MLB 2K on the PC was a very good game the past two years. I stopped playing The Show four years ago due to the lack of lack of player rating and slider responsiveness. 2K games allow you top edit ratings and tweak sliders and get the game playing the way you want it to. That's what I look for in a game, first and foremost. To each his own, but for what I'm wanting in my sports video games, 2K usually delivers. Now, I admit MLB 2K definitely isn't as pretty as The Show if that's what people are comparing.

# 55 niharjhatn @ 05/23/12 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woz411


	don't bother wishing, its a PS3 exclusive, like Halo is to the 360

Yeah, I was really close to buying a ps3 virtually just for the show before I stopped myself.

I was already suckered into buying a 360 for Madden, But I am a PC gamer first and foremost and love the freedom and power we have over the games we buy...

I'll admit, disheartened by the news

2k were one of the few franchises that continually maintained PC sports games whilst everyone left the platform - and I can appreciate them for that.

Exclusitivity deals suck, hopefully someone else steps up otherwise The Show too will end up like Madden (i.e. no competition and only minute improvements every year).

Wondering where 2k's franchise is - pretty much only nba 2k ATM. Maybe they are going for a football game? We can hope - NFL 2k7 was bloody awesome

# 56 Money99 @ 05/23/12 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremym480


	MLB 2k gets a bad rap, but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I would venture to guess that half the people who are trashing it probably haven't played it in years. This is actually the first year since 08 that I decided to get 2k instead of The Show. Is it as good as The Show? No. The Show does a lot of the little thing so much better. However, I will say that it's every bit just as fun as The Show. If not more fun because of the pitching. Also the Franchise has a bunch of things that make it more interesting than The Show's franchise. Which is probably the most stale franchise of any sports game that I play. The weird thing is that if we could mix both games together, then we would have a damn good baseball game. But, if The Show continues to ignore simple things like career stats, then this may very well be the end of my baseball playing days.

That's my take on it as well.
When I had both games in my possession, I found myself going back to 2K more and more.
The analog pitching, hitters eye, hit variety, commentary and deep franchise mode made the game far more fun for me.
Pitching in The Show was frustrating and bland (to me, anyway). I found that I rushed through my turn on the bump just so I could get back to hitting as quickly as possible.
I don't feel that way with 2K12. I LOVE pitching. And I feel you can tell a greater difference between pitching with a Verlander compared to a Porcello in 2K than The Show.

I hear a lot of trash talk about 2K, but rarely much to back it up except for 'poor graphics'.
The gameplay is solid.

# 57 Yeats @ 05/23/12 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	I hear a lot of trash talk about 2K, but rarely much to back it up except for 'poor graphics'. The gameplay is solid.

True the past couple of years for sure. But in fairness, the game was a shoddy bug fest up until 2K11 or so. I'm guessing most of the people here that are blasting the series got sick of the bugs a couple years back and bought a PS3. I almost did, but I spent my money on a gaming PC instead. Glad I did as MLB 2K on the PC with mods is all I need and the most fun I've had playing a baseball game, with maybe the exception of the Hardball series back in the 1990's.

# 58 Money99 @ 05/23/12 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeats


	True the past couple of years for sure. But in fairness, the game was a shoddy bug fest up until 2K11 or so. I'm guessing most of the people here that are blasting the series got sick of the bugs a couple years back and bought a PS3. I almost did, but I spent my money on a gaming PC instead. Glad I did as MLB 2K on the PC with mods is all I need and the most fun I've had playing a baseball game, with maybe the exception of the Hardball series back in the 1990's.

No argument here. Until VC took over in 2K11, the series was a disaster.
But 2K12 is a solid game. Anyone who says it's 'complete trash' is most likely a poser trying to be cool in front of his Show buddies - and probably hasn't even played one minute of the game.

I swear that if 2K looked as pretty as The Show, you wouldn't hear half the complaints about it.

# 59 Yeats @ 05/23/12 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	Anyone who says it's 'complete trash' is most likely a poser trying to be cool in front of his Show buddies - and probably hasn't even played one minute of the game.

Not sure how much The Show has to do with it. But the "complete trash" comments are pretty typical on this forum when a game dies (see NFL 2K5, NHL 2K10). Gloating over others' misfortune is standard on the internet.

# 60 stlstudios189 @ 05/23/12 12:39 PM

It was a solid game built off the backs of us xbox gamers who loved baseball. Sad part is now if another company jumps in we get to be the test dummys for a couple of years while they get it right. Then the new systems come out and we start all over. With the new hardwear cycle coming up so soon I wonder if we go gameless for a year?

« Previous 1 234 5 Next »

More Links

MLB 2K Series is Likely Dead