[title]Take-Two in Total Control of (Third-Party) MLB Games[/title]
They just wanted to make it crystal clear, in case anyone had any funny ideasEarly last week Take-Two managed to pen a somewhat-exclusive video game publishing deal with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).?Somewhat-exclusive because it "only" prevented other third-party publishers from delivering MLBPA licensed titles of their own for the next few years.?In addition, the deal left some wondering if Take-Two didn't forget about the rest of the Major League Baseball license itself.
Today Take-Two confirms that their exclusivity rights will indeed cover the rest of the Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) as well, in effect giving Take-Two total control over Major League Baseball games amongst third-party publishers.
"Take-Two's exclusive, long-term deals, which begin in Spring 2006, enable Take-Two to publish officially licensed Major League Baseball video games on console, PC and handheld platforms. The exclusives include rights to the marks of all 30 Major League Baseball Clubs, MLB players, Major League ballparks and Minor League Baseball Clubs, as well as MLB.com online content, for use in Take-Two's baseball games. These exclusive deals specify Take-Two as the exclusive third-party publisher for officially licensed Major League Baseball video games. Consistent with Take-Two's desire for continued consumer choice, the hardware manufacturers such as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will retain the right to enter into development agreements for MLB games specific to their particular platforms. All other third-party publishers and developers are precluded from publishing officially licensed MLB simulation, arcade, and manager style games, either directly or in affiliation with a hardware manufacturer, during the length of the exclusives. Take-Two will be the sole developer, publisher and distributor of licensed simulation, arcade and manager-style Major League Baseball PC games."
Hope that didn't end up getting too confusing.?As we commented elsewhere, by butting out other third-party publishers whilst leaving the first-party players and the hardware manufacturers alone, it really feels as if Take-Two was at the very least aiming to put the fly in competitor Electronic Arts' ointment.?Perhaps total exclusivity would have been more like it for Take-Two, but both?they and the MLBPA?appeared to have settled on this compromise in the end.
