Could a College Baseball Game Succeed Today?

Feature Article

Submitted on: 06/25/2012 by Jayson Young

In the entire history of console gaming, only two college baseball games have ever been released: MVP 06 NCAA Baseball (PlayStation 2/Xbox) and MVP 07 NCAA Baseball (PlayStation 2).

It's possible that neither game would even exist if it weren't for the 2005 licensing deal between Take Two and Major League Baseball, which allowed console manufacturers Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to continue making MLB titles for their own systems, but banned third party developers like EA Sports from creating any licensed MLB games.

Looking back, it's easy to see why EA Sports took a chance on college baseball in the years immediately following Take Two's exclusive control of third party MLB games.

EA Sports' baseball game from the previous season, MVP Baseball 2005, sold a whopping 2.8 million copies worldwide, including 1.54 million copies on the PlayStation 2 and 940,000 units on the Xbox.

To put those numbers in perspective, no baseball game this generation -- not even Sony's excellent MLB: The Show franchise -- has managed to sell 750,000 copies on a single system, which if it did, would still only be half of what MVP Baseball 2005 sold on the PlayStation 2.

At the time, the PlayStation 2 was a game publisher's dream system, as by November of 2005 -- just weeks before the January 2006 release of MVP Baseball 2006 -- the PlayStation 2 reached the milestone of 100 million units shipped worldwide, giving Sony's system a massive consumer base.

Today's consoles are only two-thirds as popular now as the PlayStation 2 was in 2006, as Sony's PlayStation 3 currently sits at just under 64 million worldwide units shipped as of March 2012. Microsoft's Xbox 360 is only slightly better, with 67 million units shipped worldwide as of April 2012.

Essentially, the climate for releasing a college baseball game could not have been any better than it was in early 2006 when the MVP NCAA Baseball series debuted.

EA Sports even went so far as to reduce the price of MVP 06 NCAA Baseball to $30 on release -- $10 cheaper than their chief competitor, MLB 2K6, which carried a price tag of $40 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

How Previous College Baseball Games Fared

Despite favorable conditions leading up to its release, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball received mixed reviews from most game critics, earning a 76 Metascore. While the gameplay was solid and the innovative analog-stick hitting was widely praised, many reviewers found the overall experience dulled by generic players, inauthentic ballparks and boring presentation.

At retail, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball's performance was solid but unspectacular, selling 750,000 copies for the PlayStation 2 and 340,000 units for the Xbox. While those numbers look great by today's standards, at just $30 per sale, EA Sports' overall profits were significantly less than other sports games retailing at full price.

The following year, EA Sports scrapped the Xbox version and launched MVP 07 NCAA Baseball exclusively for PlayStation 2. Releasing in February of 2007, MVP 07 NCAA Baseball was once again met with mediocre reviews, totaling an identical 76 Metascore.

Sales data for MVP 07 NCAA Baseball could not be found, but given that EA Sports chose not to continue the series any further, it's likely that MVP 07 NCAA Baseball was significantly outsold by Take Two's Major League Baseball 2K7, which was beginning its second season on the Xbox 360 and making its first appearance on the PlayStation 3.

How Recent NCAA Games Have Fared

Besides baseball, only two other college sports have ever received an officially licensed NCAA video game: football and men's basketball.

EA Sports' NCAA Football series continues to sell millions of copies each year, as it has regularly since its 1993 debut on the Sega Genesis under the name Bill Walsh College Football.

A number of college basketball games have irregularly appeared through the years, beginning with 1995's Coach K College Basketball on the Sega Genesis and ending in 2009 with NCAA Basketball 10 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Currently, no college basketball games are being developed, as the basketball genre has been NBA-only since 2009.

Besides football, the only current collegiate sport receiving video game adaptions is lacrosse, as independent developer Triple B Games has quietly released a downloadable College Lacrosse game over Xbox Live every year since 2009. The College Lacrosse series is currently unlicensed, but the developer aims to eventually secure the NCAA rights once the franchise is able to transition from being a download-only title to a multiplatform retail release.

Why aren't more college sports games being made? The primary reason is that, outside of football and men's basketball, there's just not enough national interest, let alone worldwide interest in college sports. Football and men's basketball are generally the only profitable sports programs for NCAA schools. Most other sports cost universities more money to maintain than they generate in yearly revenue.

The other difficulty facing collegiate video games is licensing costs and royalty fees. Publishers must give the NCAA an initial payment just to put school and team likenesses in a video game. Then once the game is on store shelves, every copy sold generates royalties for the NCAA. Like all licensed sports games, NCAA video games are simply more expensive to make and more difficult for game companies to draw a profit from.

How Recent Baseball Games Have Fared

As baseball's national popularity continues to decline, so, too, have baseball video game sales. Even undeniably great baseball games like Sony's MLB: The Show have posted less-than-great numbers when compared to other titles in the sports market.

Since moving to the PlayStation 3, Sony's MLB: The Show has consistently ranked as one of the highest-rated sports franchises among media outlets. But despite critical acclaim, The Show has performed average at retail.

MLB 12: The Show -- 440,000 (PS3) + 70,000 (Vita) = 0.51 million total
MLB 11: The Show -- 490,000 (PS3) + 110,000 (PSP) + 130,000 (PS2) = 0.73 million total
MLB 10: The Show -- 680,000 (PS3) + 170,000 (PSP) + 410,000 (PS2) = 1.26 million total
MLB 09: The Show -- 680,000 (PS3) + 250,000 (PSP) + 330,000 (PS2) = 1.26 million total
MLB 08: The Show -- 680,000 (PS3) + 330,000 (PSP) + 420,000 (PS2)= 1.43 million total
MLB 07: The Show -- 300,000 (PS3) + 280,000 (PSP) + 930,000 (PS2) = 1.51 million total

While series like FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA 2K and NCAA Football continue to sell several millions of copies annually, The Show has only hit the 1.5 million mark once this generation. The Show's sales have also dropped or stayed even every year since its PlayStation 3 debut.

Take Two's MLB 2K series simply has not performed well by any standard this generation. Despite releasing every year on a multitude of systems, the MLB 2K franchise has been routinely disliked by critics and by game-buyers, leading to its recent cancellation.

Major League Baseball 2K12 -- 250,000 (Xbox 360) + 80,000 (PS3) + 50,000 (Wii) + 20,000 (PSP) + 10,000 (PC) + 10,000 (DS) = 0.45 million total
Major League Baseball 2K11 -- 390,000 (Xbox 360) + 140,000 (PS3) + 140,000 (Wii) + 60,000 (DS) + 50,000 (PC) + 50,000 (PS2) + 40,000 (PSP) = 0.87 million total
Major League Baseball 2K10 -- 470,000 (Xbox 360) + 240,000 (Wii) + 230,000 (PS2) + 170,000 (PS3) + 140,000 (DS) + 60,000 (PSP) = 1.31 million total
Major League Baseball 2K9 -- 590,000 (Xbox 360) + 250,000 (Wii) + 170,000 (PS3) + 170,000 (PS2) + 80,000 (PSP) = 1.26 million total
Major League Baseball 2K8 -- 590,000 (Xbox 360) + 280,000 (PS3) + 150,000 (PS2) + 130,000 (Wii) + 110,000 (DS) + 30,000 (PSP) = 1.30 million total
Major League Baseball 2K7 -- 700,000 (Xbox 360) + 600,000 (PS2) + 240,000 (PS3) + 90,000 (PSP) = 1.63 million total

Video game analyst, Michael Pachter, estimates that Take Two's MLB 2K games were costing the company $30 million a year in losses.

Japanese publisher, Konami, also makes baseball games, albeit with much smaller development budgets. While their Power Pros series comes out every year in Japan, it has seen just two releases in North America this generation:

MLB Power Pros -- 280,000 (Wii) + 110,000 (PS2) = 0.39 million total
MLB Power Pros 2008 -- 150,000 (PS2) + 130,000 (Wii) + 50,000 (DS) = 0.33 million total

No specific sales data is available for MLB Bobblehead Pros, which was Konami's attempt to rebrand the Power Pros series as a downloadable budget title. Though the Xbox Live Arcade game earned generally favorable reviews, it currently sits as just the 303-bestselling title on the platform out of 489 games. MLB Bobblehead Pros' XBLA performance was so poor that the planned North American PlayStation 3 version was ultimately cancelled.

Konami also produces the Pro Yakyuu Spirits series, which releases yearly in Japan, using the league license for Nippon Professional Baseball.

Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2012 -- 160,000 (PS3) + 140,000 (PSP) + 30,000 (Vita) = 0.33 million total
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2011 -- 180,000 (PS3) + 240,000 (PSP) + 70,000 (3DS) = 0.49 million total
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2010 -- 210,000 (PS3) + 240,000 (PSP) + 100,000 (PS2) = 0.55 million total
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 6 -- 150,000 (PS3) + 130,000 (PS2) = 0.28 million total
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 -- 110,000 (PS3) + 180,000 (PS2) = 0.29 million total
Pro Yakyuu Spirits 4 -- 70,000 (PS3) + 190,000 (PS2) = 0.26 million total

Outlook Not So Good

Baseball fans may remember the MVP NCAA Baseball series fondly, but from the perspective of a modern game publisher, it seems like financial suicide to invest millions in a sports title the requires high licensing fees and appeals to only a small potential market.

With Take Two leaving the baseball genre to focus on NBA 2K, and EA Sports expressing no interest in making a new baseball game anytime soon, it would be up to Konami, Sony or maybe even Microsoft to attempt a college baseball title. However, with Major League Baseball no longer under an exclusivity deal, it's much more likely that those companies would pursue a MLB game long before they ever consider a collegiate baseball game.

If gamers see a new college baseball title in the immediate future, it would likely be a small-budget unlicensed game, similar to the yearly college lacrosse titles that Triple B Games have been releasing on the Xbox Indie channel since 2009.

Member Comments

# 21 sportznut02 @ 06/30/12 10:52 AM

I loved 06 and 07. I actually purchased a PS2 again to play 07. I would absolutely buy NCAA MVP again if they ever made it. If EA or someone actually put it 100 % effort into the game and aggressively marketed the game, then I think it would sell just fine.

# 22 jcon4 @ 07/01/12 11:56 AM

I always thought NCAA MVP06 was a great game! Especially with the ESPN Mike Patrick presentation and realism it had at the time. Funny this article came out, because I just recently I brushed the dust off of it and put it in my XBOX and played it. Holy Cow is it dated! After spending the last couple of years and especially this year 2012 MLB the Show has spoiled me to the point that I wouldn't want to play it (NCAAMVP06) anymore. Even if a new version of it came out... MLB The Show and all its glory would just overwhelm it.

# 23 Cod @ 07/01/12 01:25 PM

Now that the market is down to PS3-only baseball games (Show and Pro Yakyuu Spirits), I believe a college baseball game could succeed...at least on the XBOX. If done correctly, the game could potentially sway a lot of MLB fans to buy the college game. I know I would because there are way more teams, more things to do in dynasty mode, etc..

# 24 biggiejerseys @ 07/04/12 12:50 PM

I always have fun when I put NCAA MVP 06 in my ps2. But in all honesty there'll probably never be a college baseball game again. But I'd love to see a college hoops game again.

# 25 32 @ 07/05/12 11:01 AM

I'd pay for NCAA MVP Baseball in a heart beat!

# 26 jpeters1734 @ 07/05/12 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thevaliantx


	It's all about marketing, people. The game publishers will only make games where they can get the most marketing funding. Their revenue doesn't just come from sales off the shelf. The real life sports supported most by marketing are (I think) the NFL and the NBA. That's where the game publishers will look to focus their games. The gamer really doesn't matter. Now, if gamers stop buying games (that's key, gamers in general don't realize just how powerful their wallets are) then the marketing for the respective sports aren't going to have money to spend.

lol well in 2007 gamers "voted with their wallets" and the series was cancelled. consumers aren't always as smart as they think

# 27 hbk_wess @ 07/06/12 10:47 AM

I find it funny that The Show sells only on 1 format and hits the same numbers or higher than any of the rest of the baseball games. Anyone who doesn't like The Show series needs to actually play the game and not just the demo.

# 28 hbk_wess @ 07/06/12 10:49 AM

Oh yea...and if SCEA made a college baseball game I am sure they would let you import draft classes into every years version. They also haven't taken any mode out of the game and cried they didn't have room on the disk. They just make each mode better every year.

# 29 $NevaBroke$ @ 07/06/12 08:19 PM

It would be nice to have a college baseball game powered by The Show devs. It would sell better than 07 fo sho!

# 30 aldogabd @ 07/08/12 01:44 PM

I am from Greenville, NC where East Carolina University has a perrineal top 25 baseball team, phenomenal stadium, and great attendence/game day atmosphere. Because of this, I am a huge college baseball fan and was absolutely overjoyed when my favorite series MVP baseball combined with my favorite team ECU baseball. Seeing our stadium in virtually accurate detail was amazing as was the analog pitching and hitting systems not to mention the wonderfully satisfying PING of aluminum bats!

All that being said, and despite the units sold argument in the article, I'm just not so sure college baseball has a nationwide appeal strong enough to support a full release. While someone such as myself would pay near any price for a MVP or The Show version of college baseball I'm not sure how many others would. Perhaps there is a way to make a cost efficient version that is DLC instead of disc based-maybe even letting it be highly editable to appeal to the roster gurus out there that can expand it beyond college baseball...either way what a tempting thought...

# 31 mattvols3103 @ 07/09/12 05:02 PM

so there will be no more MLB 2K??? that sucks..what other baseball game is there on 360? id love to see a college baseball game. hell they can make a baseball game on the league i play in and id play it.

# 32 Eski33 @ 07/09/12 05:39 PM

If the game had solid presentation with real stadiums and had either The Show's or MVP's gameplay, it would be solid. The only thing I didn't like about the NCAA version of MVP was that it felt like they took shortcuts.

It would make sense for EA since they have the NCAA license already so creating a baseball game would actually help in that they are getting more for what they spent. Not to say that the game would sell a million copies but if it were done right it could be a hit.

I love college baseball (played at the collegiate level myself). The College World Series is a great time and an awesome atmosphere.

# 33 PS3rocks09 @ 07/10/12 01:32 PM

I think college basketball games would do pretty good and i would love to see 2K sports start making college hoops again and put some sort of link between it and nba 2k, like taking draft classes into association and taking ur MyPlayer into the nba, but ea has the licence

# 34 jwilphl @ 07/10/12 11:53 PM

I actually did enjoy NCAA '06 and I still occasionally play it on XBOX. MVP '05 remains my favorite baseball game of all time, but The Show '11 comes right up to it. Regardless of baseball's success, I find it highly unlikely you can even discuss a college baseball game when college basketball has also fallen out of the market. I think NCAA Basketball is immediately more marketable, but it too faded because of the NCAA money-grubbing for its licensing fees.

Until the NCAA stops exploiting developers, I find it unlikely we will ever see any sort of licensed college game again outside of the football series. I would still like to see basketball make a return before any other collegiate product, but baseball would be right behind along with hockey, soccer, and lacrosse (I know nothing of the current lacrosse game as I play on PS3).

# 35 RobbieMacc @ 07/11/12 02:24 PM

One thing about it, the NCAA Baseball games were some of the most entertaining sports games I've ever played, and I've played A LOTTTT. It's a shame the market for such a game doesn't exist right now because I would most definitely buy it. I know it seems like a stretch, but if Sony and MLB The Show could somehow work out a deal it would be awesome to have a college baseball game ran on the same engine as the MLB The Show series (as a few of you have mentioned). Hell why not come up with game where it combines the two into one, again a bit of a stretch but there you could tap into both the MLB market and the NCAA market with one game. Blah blah yes I know it would mean the cost of the game would most certainly rise but if you could somehow pull this off, economics aside, while not forgetting what made the series so great it would make for an amazing title.

# 36 22cedric @ 07/18/12 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ


	Baseball games in general are a tough sell, it would appear. I'm surprised that The Show's sales have slipped so far in the past 3 years. Wonder why that is when the game is so highly regarded?

Maybe lack of marketing

# 37 wolverine3281 @ 07/21/12 05:16 AM

MVP College baseball 07 was the best baseball game that i have ever played. i would still rank it number 1 over The Show. I would pay regular price for a new college baseball game..

# 38 hysteria499 @ 07/22/12 09:21 PM

I would love to see sony do a college baseball game that can transfer into the show it would be amazing

# 39 Colonel Reb @ 07/22/12 10:00 PM

I'd love to see a new NCAA baseball game, but we won't see one. If there wasn't enough market share for a basketball game, there won't be enough for a baseball game. Really, outside the SEC, Texas, and a handful of schools on the West Coast and in the ACC, college baseball isn't that popular a sport.

Also, knowing EA's approach to the games they've created the last few years, it would undoubtedly be a game with solid gameplay but be basically unplayable due to major bugs. I can't see anyone else trying to pull it off.

# 40 maizeblue13 @ 09/17/12 08:15 PM

I would buy a new college baseball game on release day.

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