MLB 2K13 due March 5

MLB 2K13 will be on store shelves March 5 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, 2K Sports announced today. The game's existence had been in question, as 2K Sports parent publisher Take-Two Interactive's deal with Major League Baseball was reportedly due to expire at the end of 2012.

According to today's announcement, Take-Two has reached a new agreement with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Terms of this deal were not disclosed.

“We’d like to thank our league partners for their support in helping us reach an agreement to bring back MLB 2K,” said 2K Sports vice president of marketing Jason Argent in a statement.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price was chosen as the cover athlete for MLB 2K13. Price was the 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner, posting a 20-5 record and a league-topping 2.56 ERA.

Also returning for MLB 2K13 is the Perfect Game Challenge, which carries a $1 million cash prize. This year, a new contest format will be introduced with "exciting ways to win." These were not detailed, though 2K Sports said additional details on the contest will be announced later. The Perfect Game Challenge is not open to those in Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, North Dakota, or Vermont.

MLB 2K13 is in development at Novato, California-based Visual Concepts.