Midway Slugs It Out
The final non-2K baseball title is here.
Published: June 5, 2006
When EA started snapping up exclusive sports licenses left and right, it was entirely expected that someone would snap up baseball at some point. Given the buying power of EA, though, it was a bit of a surprise that 2K Sports (or at least their Take-Two parent), not EA, managed to woo the MLB into an exclusivity agreement.
Regardless of who actually picked up the exclusive, it leaves everyone else that makes MLB-licensed games out to dry -- including Midway and their surprisingly good SlugFest franchise. With the series now in its twilight (at least in terms of featuring actual MLB players and stadiums), the Chicago-based dev/pub has decided to give the series one last big hurrah.
"MLB SlugFest 2006 provides gamers with a much needed alternative gaming experience as the only MLB licensed baseball videogame featuring adrenaline-fueled game play," sobbed Steve Allison, Midway's chief marketing officer. "Midway is excited to be able to deliver the 'non-simulated,' over-the-top baseball option at retail this year, and we feel that this year's SlugFest will offer a quality, entertaining product at a competitive price point."
It had better; though the series as a property isn't completely dead, the removal of the MLB license strips out one of the key selling points of the game. We still think it's great in its own right, but what we think doesn't really matter. It's you guys, the consumer, that will have any sort of say in this (however small), and Midway is hoping that the $20 price tag will be low enough to bring in at least a couple more fans before the series closes out for good.
Help them let the series go out with a bang rather than a whimper, won't you? The game is on shelves as you read this, so you have no excuse. Well, except for that whole "needing food to survive" thing, but who needs their health when they can have baseball! Right? No?
Regardless of who actually picked up the exclusive, it leaves everyone else that makes MLB-licensed games out to dry -- including Midway and their surprisingly good SlugFest franchise. With the series now in its twilight (at least in terms of featuring actual MLB players and stadiums), the Chicago-based dev/pub has decided to give the series one last big hurrah.
"MLB SlugFest 2006 provides gamers with a much needed alternative gaming experience as the only MLB licensed baseball videogame featuring adrenaline-fueled game play," sobbed Steve Allison, Midway's chief marketing officer. "Midway is excited to be able to deliver the 'non-simulated,' over-the-top baseball option at retail this year, and we feel that this year's SlugFest will offer a quality, entertaining product at a competitive price point."
It had better; though the series as a property isn't completely dead, the removal of the MLB license strips out one of the key selling points of the game. We still think it's great in its own right, but what we think doesn't really matter. It's you guys, the consumer, that will have any sort of say in this (however small), and Midway is hoping that the $20 price tag will be low enough to bring in at least a couple more fans before the series closes out for good.
Help them let the series go out with a bang rather than a whimper, won't you? The game is on shelves as you read this, so you have no excuse. Well, except for that whole "needing food to survive" thing, but who needs their health when they can have baseball! Right? No?
