2K’s latest baseball release, MLB 2K13, was widely panned as being a limp copy of the previous MLB 2K12. And now, we have all been taken by surprise at their decision to cancel all future development of the MLB series in its entirety.
According to a statement given to Joystiq by 2K
“[We’ve] decided not to renew our MLB 2K series for 2014. We are very proud of the achievements made by the MLB 2K team and look forward to their contributions to our future titles, including NBA 2K – our industry’s #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise.”
Sales of the MLB title have never lived up to the sales around other sports titles like NBA 2K, FIFA or Madden but at the same time Baseball is a hugely popular sport in the States and in quite a few other countries and as such you would think all that was needed for great sales was a great game.
This announcement however is going to hit Microsoft and the Xbox franchise harder than anyone else as 2K had the exclusive rights for a baseball title on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. At the time of writing the Xbox One has no baseball title planned for the platform and with the only other proper baseball title currently in development being the PlayStation exclusive, MLB The Show, I wouldn’t expect anything to arrive on the Microsoft platform anytime soon.
I played Baseball quite seriously growing up and I for one am hoping that the MLB finds a new developer for their franchise pretty quickly. The MLB franchise is hard to pick up here in deepest darkest Africa but I’m hoping whoever the next developer is realises the size of the game in countries outside of America and makes the effort to truly bring the world into the game. Maybe one day before we all die the world series could in fact includes teams from across the world?
Last Updated: January 7, 2014
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 7, 2014 at 10:39
Ouch for the game and ouch for the header
TiMsTeR1033
January 7, 2014 at 10:42
Indeed poor baseball fans!
Hammersteyn
January 7, 2014 at 11:11
During the weekends Titans Dolphins game a teenager tried to catch a six.Went straight through his hands into his face.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
January 7, 2014 at 11:22
Any teeth left?
Hammersteyn
January 7, 2014 at 11:55
Bloody nose, was funny as hell at the time but I once stopped an action cricket ball with my face from a batsman less than two meters away, so yeah. I can relate a bit.
Unavengedavo(aka. MadeYouLook)
January 7, 2014 at 10:49
Don’t we all wish that it read:
Activision’s latest release, Call of Duty: Ghosts, was widely panned as being a limp copy of the previous Call of Duty: Black Ops II. And now, we have all been taken by surprise at their decision to cancel all future development of the Call of Duty series in its entirety.
TiMsTeR1033
January 7, 2014 at 11:02
Indeed and make a new franchise.
Sageville
January 7, 2014 at 10:59
I still laff at the whole “World Series” that doesn’t include anyone else in the world.
MURICA!
TiMsTeR1033
January 7, 2014 at 11:01
They think they are the world!
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 7, 2014 at 11:03
Maybe they can play the new cricket game instead? 😉
TiMsTeR1033
January 7, 2014 at 11:04
ashes?
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 7, 2014 at 11:07
I don’t know, whatever the good one is that was delayed. Not the crappy one.
Hammersteyn
January 7, 2014 at 11:16
Time for the Yanks to learn all about cricket then.