MLB SlugFest makes Midway's 2006 roster

"Adrenaline-fueled" baseball game scheduled to take field this spring; Midway explains how it was able to make an MLB-branded game.

With spring not too far off, professional baseball players are returning to their teams for a Spring Training full of pinpoint precision pitching, gentle bunting drills, and hitting the cut-off man from the outfield. To Midway, however, spring is an opportunity to throw heat at opponents' chins, belt towering blasts into the parking lot, and run the bases with shoulders lowered and fists clenched.

Midway Games today announced that the Slugfest series will once again take the field after riding the pine last season. MLB SlugFest 2006 will be released this spring for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Like seats in the nosebleed section, Slugfest 2006 is budget priced and will have a SRP of $19.99.

The 100 million-dollar question is: How is Midway releasing a MLB-licensed game when Take-Two Interactive (parent company of 2K Sports) holds the exclusive rights among third-party publishers to make MLB-branded baseball games?

When Take-Two announced its deal for MLB exclusivity, it said in no uncertain terms that it is the only third-party publisher that can make MLB-licensed baseball games. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony can make baseball games, but only for their respective consoles. The deal doesn't just cover simulation baseball games either; Take-Two specified that it included MLB games in the arcade and strategy genre as well.

[UPDATE] Midway contacted GameSpot today and cleared up the confusion with its licensing deal with the MLB.

"Midway's deals with Major League Baseball Properties and the Major League Baseball Players Association ran through 2006 and the exclusivity that Take-Two received did not alter that existing contract. Therefore, Midway is able to publish an MLB-licensed game in calendar [year] 2006."

25 Comments

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 11:37 pm PT

    awesome!

  • Segagaga

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 2:35 pm PT

    Ehh... the past few Slugfest games were somewhat enjoyable, much better then 2K Sports dreck. This exclusive stuff pisses me off. My favorite baseball game ever is gone (MVP Baseball 2005 was my most played game last year) and the only game that even plays near as good (MVP NCAA Baseball) doesn't have my dear Orioles :-(

  • Themage

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 2:04 pm PT

    Come on bring out a cube version

  • SaintSadistic

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 11:29 am PT

    Oh..so now I see...

  • molivers7

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 10:39 am PT

    It is nice to see EA not owning everything. Yet.

  • TimSpot GameSpot staff member

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 10:39 am PT

    Baseball Simulator 1.000 -- Best baseball game ever!

  • frankeyser

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 10:29 am PT

    i think blitz baseball could be fun if it was like that robot baseball game i played back in the day. what was the name of that?

  • Mit_Man

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 10:26 am PT

    Yeah screw Slugfest, give me another NHL Hitz >_>

  • starfoxmcleoud

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 9:03 am PT

    Wow! Can't people share these days? Not everyone is into the uber realistic baseball. Ignite the bats and hide the brass knuckles, Slugfest is back!!

  • LinkinSnake

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 8:16 am PT

    what has this industry come to? This is looking like the NFL where contracts mean nothing.

  • ferrarimanf355

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 7:16 am PT

    I'm thinking that Take 2 is sharing the license with Midway. The only reason why Take 2 bothered to do this was because they wanted to get revenge on EA for the wole NFL exclusivity deal. As for steroids, I doubt they will be mentioned here. The reason why Blitz: The League got away with a lot of stuff was because it was unlicensed. Considering the content in previous SlugFest games, though, I'd wager that it will have everything but the steriods...

  • glunky

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 6:31 am PT

    me too

  • nintendogamer19

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 5:32 am PT

    I think i'll stick with Take-Two

  • Lauryn2000

    Posted Feb 23, 2006 3:49 am PT

    They are going to slugfest themselves right into court.

  • matrix_hiei

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 10:12 pm PT

    considering that baseball has a full era shadowed by steriods and blitz: the league was insanely violent, something tells me that this might a little too far...

  • Knight_Rider_3K

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 9:46 pm PT

    Somebody is going to get sued!

  • CelicaCrazed

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 8:40 pm PT

    Where's a new NHL Hitz?

  • warcraftfan234

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 7:59 pm PT

    Can anyone say Blitz The League + Baseball = ?

    Do you think they will have corked bats in the game? And maybe some steroids?

    I have a feeling this will be a good game.

  • alberto2045

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 7:18 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • xxPantherxx

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 6:24 pm PT

    wait... how is Midway using this.....the games most likely gonna suck anyway

  • slow-pc

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 6:17 pm PT

    ooohhh... this could be interesting...

  • 247k

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 6:15 pm PT

    I'm confused??

  • j14rk1n

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 5:49 pm PT

    Hopefully they'll make good use of the fact that EA won't get to do an MLB game for a while

  • sushi_111

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 5:40 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • sushi_111

    Posted Feb 22, 2006 5:39 pm PT

    Wow, I remember my question was submitted on Burning Questions two weeks ago, about wheter there was a possibility of Slugfest, Hitz, or other Midway sports games outside of Blitz were to be made. Alex doubted it, but I'm suprised too.

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