Sony to Develop Critically Acclaimed MLB The Show Series for Other Consoles

Wont this affect the quality of the games going forward?

Pretty cool to be honest, it’s another revenue stream for Sony and I doubt they’re really system sellers at the moment, as much as I enjoyed this year’s one. Would love it to come to PC though, I probably spend more time on that than PS4 at the moment.

@get2sammyb True, they probably have engines that will run on Switch and porting the PS4 version to XB1 wont be that hard. This is strange though. I wonder if Sony will acquire a new studio to "make up for" loosing San Diego?

So this means Sony now has a Scarlett Dev kit LOL.

Indeed this is an interesting news, I just hope that this serves for the growth of San Diego Studios so they can develop more games outside the MLB IP, I would love to see a new Mod Nation Racers for example.

It's unfortunate, it's not like MLB could have successfully contracted the game out to any other developer. No one has done it like San Diego. Hopefully this doesn't compromise the overall product, it's a yearly get for me.

Please let there be a handheld version. XCloud or Switch - I'll take anything at this point.

@Shepard93n7 the contract says 2021, the Scarlett releases 2020, by the time they get it, it's old news.

Different.

It's kinda weird seeing the big three play so nice with each other regarding Minecraft and now MLB The Show.

@NomNom Not really, MLB was a Sony exclusive franchise that's now coming to everything. That's never going to be old news.

That's the fate of sport titles, sony will get so much money from this move which is good for playstation platform I guess (more money for making exclusives games).

The other possibility is ea trying to make mlb their franchises and sony is given the option either make mlb for other systems or their license will be given to ea.

@wiiware let's hope Marvel don't see this, cuz they will pressure Sony to make Spiderman multiplat too. At least Sony has the movie rights so probably they can pressure back and keep the franchise only on PS.

This could actually help Sony San Diego in the long run. Great news.

I think this is the only ip Sony doesn't really own that's why they had to do this

Didn’t expect this news waking up in the morning. I can see Dreams now go multi-platform (but only on PC). It makes sense, isn’t it?

Well these comments are much less interesting than I thought they'd be, good job everyone. 😀

I wonder if they'll make xbox and Nintendo players sign in to playstation network to play online. That would make me laugh

@get2sammyb
A dumb (and I'm cleaning this up) move from the perspective of selling consoles. Now that I know my favorite sports series, and a big reason I've bought PlayStation consoles early, is going to other platforms, why shouldn't I also sit back and wait to see if other franchises make the jump? As dumb as people claim MS is for putting games on PC, it's never done anything this stupid with a pillar franchise like Halo, Forza or Gears. If nothing else, it makes me think there's a shot for future God of War or Horizon games on PC. Over the last couple years there have been things Sony has done that has made PS5 go from an absolute day one buy to a 'wait and see.' It's absolutely there now. No reason to get PS5 or whatever the final name is for the next Xbox, if I can get the best versions on one far, far superior platform.

Goldschmidt! Go Cardinals!!!!!

@KingSimba
Every Sony franchise should be on PC now, just like every Xbox franchise is. Each gen, PlayStation and Xbox consoles become more like welfare PCs anyway. I've stuck with PlayStation because of exclusives but when I see MLB The Show, which has been a good seller for Sony, making the jump, it leaves open the possibility for others. From the standpoint of more $, it makes no sense not to expand into the lucrative PC market at the very least.

@AdamNovice
We may not always agree, but we do here. For all the talk the last year people have done about Sony not being consumer friendly, not thinking of the bigger market and the praise nice guy talking Phil has received, he hasn't done something like this. I don't care about Halo, it's trash since 343 took over, but bring Gears or Forza to both PlayStation and Nintendo. Put up or shut up time for him and of course, he won't bring those games over and nobody will say anything. A decent number of us here have always known he's full of you know what, time the wider audience wakes up and realizes it.

And while I'm ranting. I'd love to see Nintendo at least expand into PC as well. I've always understood why exclusives exist but as I've grown older I've also hoped to eventually see a day where we can play all, at the time, current-gen games on any gaming hardware brand we choose.

@Gamer83 Short-term - yes, long-term - not at all. But I guess it's their own foolishness and they can do whatever thet want with it.

@Gamer83 Actually it makes a lot of sense not to, if they want to keep selling as many consoles.

@Tasuki
A possible scenario. And if that's the case, Sony should make a statement.

@Tasuki Could play different and not being 100% submissive. Games like FIFA or The Show or NBA2K are based on reusing your old assets and already done technology. I doubt that any publisher could develop a sports game of this size under a year or even two from the scratch. This would result in at least one year gap, which would bring huge losses and brand damage for MLB only. But I have a feeling (considering the latest actions) that kind of situation wasn't the case and it was just Sony wanting to go multipat with it.

@Tasuki
Yeah, no doubt sales would suffer without the MLB license. While all of us who frequent game websites like this know that, to many people they're just going to see a longtime Sony franchise going multiplat. I have no stake in this, I actually don't mind more people getting to enjoy games, but if Sony is still planning on selling home consoles, it needs to get out in front of this now. If people think there is even a slight chance of God of War going to Xbox, that could effect sales.

@Shepard93n7 Marvel is in different position I guess, they needs sony more than sony needs them, marvel already make spidey for all system with activision and the result isn't great, there are no big company that want to make serious superhero games because they prefer investing the money for their own games, like acti with cod, or ubisoft with assassin creed. Btw batman is made by their owner devs (warner brothers own batman and the devs that made it, rocksteady).

@KingSimba Yeah, creation type games is really big on pc, I can see dream sells better on pc rather than ps4.

@Gamer83 "Every Sony franchise should be on PC now". No, unlike apple, sony not in the business to make fortune on their hardware, sony make their console as cheap as they can with the best hardware they can get for the price point so they can sells you the software and receive 30% cut on every 3rd party publishers.

Of course there are few exception, like some indie games (jouney and helldivers), exclusive games but the devs didn't want to make exclusive games for sony anymore (quantic dream detroit become human), or if they have no other choice because their license will be taken if they don't make the game multiplayform (mlb the show).

@wiiware Dreams launching for PC would be pointless for PS4 and PS5. Maybe they should go all in already and abandon the singnificantly inferior version for the console, if that's the case? Considering the vast amount of concent created on PC wouldn't be available on Playstation (higher specs required, mature or copyright content) it seems like a pointless thing to even have it here then.

@Tasuki
Could hurt console sales. By how much, who knows? Just saying if I was running the company, I'd make it clear why this happened.

@Gamer83 I'd disagree with that I think. MLB is not a Sony brand it is a license. Licenses come up for renewal all the time.

Historically, officially licensed sports games fare better than those without official licensing. So Sony have a studio that do a yearly game and do it very well. So if the license holder wants it on more platforms, so that they can circulate their brand more, Sony either accept or give up the license.

This is very, very different from a situation like God of War whereby the IP is owned exclusively by Sony.

This isn't Sony moving multi-platform... if they do, it will be via subscription based models imo.

I mean, Minecraft is on every possible device and eco-system. How is that different?

@Rudy_Manchego Minecraft IP is owned exclusively by Microsoft and not a licence. But unlike anything else it was already a huge IP and being available on the competing platforms before the MS aquisition's happened (hell, it's over 100 million sales by now).They realistically couldn't revoke it and even if they could, it would be simply a PR nightmare. As for licences... do you know Spider-Man is technically the same kind of licence as MLB one?

@snakemake Spider-Man is entirely different. While I don't quite understand the specifics, Sony has a huge hold on the IP seemingly almost to the point of ownership - I mean, the fact that Sony could rip Spider-Man from Disney's MCU is pretty telling on how much of a hold Sony has on our Friendly Neighborhood superhero (Disney had to cut a deal with Sony even though it owns Marvel).

Regarding The Show, I can understand the disappointment here - Sony has had a monopoly on MLB games for a while now and it's a draw to PlayStation. It is also the only authentic baseball simulation game out there. I can also see it from MLB's perspective that it would like to broaden audience towards it's officially licensed game.

Yes...100 million PS4's have been sold is a huge pool of gamers to have as potential buyers. But, that still cuts out another 80+ million users on other consoles - which is nothing to sneeze at, either.

@snakemake Most of pc that used for gaming is a low end one not high spec pc, that's why most played games on pc is moba not AAA titles, dreams on ps4 will not the the inferior experience for most people compared to pc version (if that version being made).

Another IP that Sony loses, I know a lot of people that bought a PS4 just for The Show but I guess that in this case they didn't have a choice but to go multi platform, sad day for Sony exclusives they have lost a lot of exclusives this generation

And there goes another one....

@wiiware Modders and graphics artists (the Dreams audience) opperate on high end PCs.

@snakemake I'm sure the large percentage of people that play dreams on pc (if that's being made) is not modder and graphics artist.

@wiiware The creators are and they are the only players that matter. And technical capabilities of that "large percentage" of inactive players will grow over the time, while PS5 will be staying in the same place. Not to speak about modding and cracking (pirating), which will make it even more incompatible with consoles. I can't see those countless Skyrim mods on PS4 while on PC they are plenty. But I guess at least with Skyrim they are only a side thing and not the main gimmick.

Xbox lucky day then bet they look forward to MLB the show for free on the monthly games.

@3Above it absolutely will.

Nintendo should chime in with their bayonetta 2 and 3 too..

@snakemake Yes I know but I am saying that no one is stating the reverse that because one IP is available on another platform that this means a policy change.

Sure Spiderman is a license and the same could happen here. Marvel could demand that they make future installments multi-platform. Although there is a slight difference - Sony hold the film and some other rights to Spiderman and have a very complicated and delicate agreement with Marvel/Disney. So the game rights may well be tied into that. Also, Spiderman and the universe IS the game. MLB is a baseball game that has real life licensed players and leagues etc. You could take that away and still have a baseball game.

BUT... Now Sony first party studio will be "wasting" time porting for pc/switch/xbox instead of spitpolishing PS versions!! There, I've said it. Edgy fanboy comment!

I don't know about sales on Xbox, but I reckon it will sell poorly on Nintendo (as well as be a poor version itself). So it seems like quite a waste of time.

This is a stupid decision. Nothing stopping MLB from letting other devs use the license and make their own games. I would have just let the license go then and let a third party have it.

@Tasuki They could have bought PS4 to play MLB.

@SaikoWaifu2003 Another dumb a$$ comment as usual lol. Only fanboys are those who refuse to buy a platform for games they claim they want. I'm starting to think there is something wrong with your brain.

@Prime_Objective You are righy. MLB is the best quality sports game since it was on one platform, but now the quality will go down like Madden and 2K. Yuck. I guess fanboys who don't want to buy a PS4 are ok with getting an inferior game. Sad.

@Gamer83 Shhh the idiot fanboys don't want competition, which is best for all of us.

@3Above They didn't lose San Diego Studios. Lol. They are still a Sony first party studio. Only difference is, that they'll be developing for other platforms in regards to MLB The Show. Any other non-baseball projects will be PlayStation Exclusives. Not sure why you thought they lost them. O_o

@InsertUsername I meant that they lost the exclusivity. San Diego doesnt make all that many non-MLB games.

@3Above Well The Show is their bread and butter, so of course. They do make other games on occasion, but I think that'll be less likely now with The Show going to other platforms. Sony will probably hire more staff to take on porting. Either way, it's more money for Sony and MLB.

@InsertUsername Yeah its Definitely a more lucrative turn of events. Maybe Sony plans to use the extra money for that rumored 2nd team that might take over the Uncharted series.

@3Above More than likely they already have one working on another Uncharted game despite not confirming it. Can't see Sony letting a money maker take a backseat. I'd imagine they'll acquire another studio to increase their 1st party output.

@InsertUsername Bluepoint is looking likely but they could surprise us.

@3Above I like the idea of BluePoint. They are already talented in remaking classics. With how long they've been working with Sony, it seems like a great match. If they do by chance acquire them, I hope they also take a chance on making their own original projects. Sony can surely hire plenty of talent to make that happen.