jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Take-Two, Baseball Union Sign Videogame Agreement By NICK WINGFIELD Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL January 24, 2005; Page B4 In the latest turn of a contest over the future of sports videogames, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. reached a game-software licensing agreement with the union representing Major League Baseball players, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the seven-year agreement, which could be announced as early as this week, Take-Two has agreed to pay a licensing fee of between $80 million and $90 million to the Major League Baseball Players Association, for rights to begin publishing baseball videogames starting next year, the people said. A person close to the union said the group is valuing the deal closer to $150 million, including commitments by the company to market future baseball videogames. Take-Two has also been negotiating with Major League Baseball for rights to use team names and other assets in a baseball videogame; the status of those talks couldn't be learned. The deal with the union, though, is a crucial precursor to any deal with the league because it allows Take-Two to use the names and likenesses of professional ballplayers in its games. A spokesman for Take-Two, New York, declined to comment. The deal is a win for Take-Two in sports, a category that accounted for about $1.1 billion, or nearly a fifth, of all U.S. console-game sales last year. The company has suffered a string of blows in sports at the hands of Electronic Arts Inc., the biggest game publisher, which recently struck exclusive agreements with the National Football League and Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN sports channel. Take-Two holds rights to co-publish sports titles, including football, under the ESPN name, though those rights won't be renewed because of the recent EA deals. EA agreed to pay ESPN about $850 million and advertising commitments over their 15-year deal, while EA signed a five-year deal valued at more than $300 million with the NFL and the football players association, people familiar with the pacts said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee4Life Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 And in the end, who gets stiffed ? The fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Yup. As of now, MVP is the only PC baseball game. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 And in the end, who gets stiffed ? The fans. exactly. This is what EA caused by being greedy. I hate to admit that but they did it to themselves and ultimately us. Now we wont have another PC baseball game for years unless Take Two starts making them, and I don't see that. We better enjoy MVP 2005 because we are not getting another EA baseball game for a long time. I still expect EA to fight it, but they don't have much to stand on. Greed is a b!tch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snash13 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 So do we know for sure that MVP 2005 will be the last from EA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 So do we know for sure that MVP 2005 will be the last from EA? You read the story just like we did. The only way EA can make another baseball game would be with fictional players. Why would they even bother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snash13 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 what companies would be able to make games with the real players? also im greatly looking forward to your rosters in march jpup :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 what companies would be able to make games with the real players? also im greatly looking forward to your rosters in march jpup Take Two would be the only company that would be able to use the MLBPA unless there is more to the deal. Exclusive means exclusive. So, as of right now, the only people who will make a MLBPA liscensed game in 2006 will be the people that currently make the ESPN Videogame baseball series. Any way that you look at it, this is bad news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee4Life Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 jpup, let's try to look at the bright side of this, if there is one at all. If MVP 2005 is the last one from EA, and the article spells it out, then imagine the possibilities for modding? This is what I mean. I bet some people stopped trying to mod the 2004 edition at some point during the off season because of the new game coming out. Can you imagine with even more time to devote to modding the quality of work that has the potential to be produced? The mods for 2004 are tremendous and will always be. But now, with more time for this version, the modder can add even more of his own touch to the project. And rosters? Heck, that can be easily updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carter Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I agree completely. We're going to be all over the 2005 edition like bees to honey. If EA gets it right, we should have no problems modding the 2005 edition for years to come. If 2005 is similar to 2004, everything should be moddable, except for the damn in game music. They locked that one up good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
five Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 The only way EA can make another baseball game would be with fictional players. Why would they even bother? I think it would sell, because I mean games like NCAA sell even though they are not allowed to use the real names. You would still be able to mod the names, so you could have the real ones, to me it isn't that bad of a situation. It'll be much worse if TakeTwo is able to get a deal where all of the logos and such aren't allowed for EA. That would be the dagger, in my opinion. So far, I think EA is winning this 'exclusive rights' race by a mile. The NFL deal was a much bigger blow to TakeTwo than the MLBPA deal was to EA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 jpup, let's try to look at the bright side of this, if there is one at all. If MVP 2005 is the last one from EA, and the article spells it out, then imagine the possibilities for modding? This is what I mean. I bet some people stopped trying to mod the 2004 edition at some point during the off season because of the new game coming out. Can you imagine with even more time to devote to modding the quality of work that has the potential to be produced? The mods for 2004 are tremendous and will always be. But now, with more time for this version, the modder can add even more of his own touch to the project. And rosters? Heck, that can be easily updated. like i said, any way you look at it, it's bad news. i know what you are saying, but i don't think it's going to work that way. people want to play new games every year, i have to say that about myself too. just because the deal was signed, doesn't make MVP 2005 a better game. if it turns out that we can make it that, then yeah, but I don't see it with EA's track record of leaving things out so that they can add it next year. What happens now? There is no next year. Our best hope is that they make a Minor League baseball game next year, but I am not sure how that would work. This sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 It'll be much worse if TakeTwo is able to get a deal where all of the logos and such aren't allowed for EA. That would be the dagger, in my opinion. that's coming too. just wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carter Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 What do you think they are leaving out of 2005? In my opinion they seem to have added almost everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkweb Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 So what if EA cant use the players names. There is always some players that are missing that get created by modders anyway. Now all players will be created. People edit faces too so what cant this community do. I hope just hope they keep coming out with the game and keep improving everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee4Life Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 i know what you are saying, but i don't think it's going to work that way. people want to play new games every year, i have to say that about myself too. . I take back what I said. I forgot about this point. People always want to play the newest game. I guess all we got to do is wait and see. Maybe the new game can be modded just like the modders modded High Heat, Triple Play and MVP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 What do you think they are leaving out of 2005? In my opinion they seem to have added almost everything. let's play the game before we hype it to the moon. Maybe they won't leave anything out, but I will hate to know that next year, I will have to look at the same graphics. Xbox 2 and Playstation 3 are on the way. I have my hopes up too, but this game isn't going to be perfect. there will be bugs and glitches just like last year. let's just hope they are not as bad. sorry guys, this is just bad news for the "baseball gaming" community and sports gamers in general. :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 I take back what I said. I forgot about this point. People always want to play the newest game. I guess all we got to do is wait and see. Maybe the new game can be modded just like the modders modded High Heat, Triple Play and MVP. going to be hard to mod a game that's not on the PC. Also, starting next year they will be on the Xenon (Xbox Next) or the PS3. Let's just all make the most of MVP '05 and hope for the best. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee4Life Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 let's play the game before we hype it to the moon. Co-signed. Let me tell you, I don't care how many articles I read about this game or how many videos I see that IGN has for MVP 2005. I am going to base my judgement of the game on two things: how it plays for me when I get it, and opinions of people in here and what they think is the positive and negative points of the game. Videos tell me nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 Co-signed. Let me tell you, I don't care how many articles I read about this game or how many videos I see that IGN has for MVP 2005. I am going to base my judgement of the game on two things: how it plays for me when I get it, and opinions of people in here and what they think is the positive and negative points of the game. Videos tell me nothing. bingo. especially when you have the village idiot playing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bman0123 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I thought EA had more money :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee4Life Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I thought EA had more money :cry: Yeah, good point. I thought so too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpup Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snash13 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 sorry guys, this is just bad news for the "baseball gaming" community and sports gamers in general. :cry: i agree its bad news but i think EA is still gonna make a baseball game. maybe they will make the other parts of the game better to compensate for the rosters :wink: look at the NCAA games, they all sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timzeig Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Anyway.....Let's enjoy this year's MVP Baseball 2005 and hopefully we can mod the hell out of it! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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