MLB
Latest
RBI Baseball 14 swinging for XBLA's fences on April 9
Following a previous report that listed April 10 as RBI Baseball 14's opening day, an Xbox.com page has confirmed the series revival is up to bat on Xbox Live Arcade on April 9. RBI Baseball 14 will channel the design elements of the previous RBI games, assigning players to one of three body types and limiting the input to two face buttons. The new season will include stops on the PS3, Xbox One, PS4, iOS and Android platforms. MLB's Advanced Media division is developing and publishing RBI Baseball 14, but a price of admission to its ballpark has still not been revealed. The series debuted on the NES in 1986, but beyond RBI Baseball 14, its last outing was RBI Baseball 95 on the Sega 32x. [Image: MLB]
How to watch Major League Baseball games on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV
The 2014 Major League Baseball season kicked off this week, which means it is time to outfit all your devices with the right tools to catch every morale-crushing strikeout or game-winning homerun. To get the most complete coverage, you'll want to turn to Major League Baseball and its suite of apps and subscription services for your baseball-watching needs. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch Hands-down the best way to follow the action this season is with Major League Baseball's At Bat app for iOS. The app was updated to iOS 7 in the offseason and now includes several new and improved features like inline video, expanded instant replay and a league-wide scoreboard. Free users get just the basics, but you will want to pay for a subscription to get access to every out-of-market regular season game (blackout restrictions apply). Subscription options include $2.99 for a monthly plan or a one-time annual fee of $19.99 for the entire 2014 season from Spring Training all the way through the World Series. Mac Mac owners can watch the games on their desktop through MLB.TV. The desktop version of MLB.TV uses Flash to provide the UI for the linescores and video streams. User can choose between individual, picture-in-picture or split-screen options that support watching up to four games at the same time. Depending on your desktop hardware, the video stream may be of a high quality, but playback may not be as smooth as the compressed video sent to an iPad or iPhone. The MLB.TV subscription service is available as a $109/year standard plan for web-only access or a $129/year premium version. The Premium plan costs more, but it lets you watch almost every game on a wide variety of devices, including media set-top boxes like the Apple TV. The Premium subscription also bundles At Bat 2014, allowing you to download the iOS app and unlock all the features of the mobile app using your MLB.TV login. Apple TV Apple TV owners can dial in the MLB channel on their set-top box and either sign up for an MLB.TV Premium subscription through the device or key in the details from an existing plan. Premium subscription options are available for $129 per year or $24.99 per month.
All screens welcome: watching sports is now easier than it's ever been
Opening Week is upon us and Major League Baseball teams have already started their quest to win this season's World Series, while fans all over gear up for what will hopefully be a very exciting year. And for those who can't make it to the ballpark on a regular basis, keeping up with their favorite team has become a relatively easy feat. A few weeks ago, the MLB, NBA, NHL and others struck a partnership with Time Inc. to launch 120 Sports, with the idea being to provide an online hub that delivers sports video content in a timely manner and across different platforms. This announcement came shortly after the introduction of NFL Now, an all-new digital network that aims to immerse football fans in the ultimate viewing experience -- there will be full on-demand games, highlights, analysis and a lot more to watch. Both initiatives signal how American sports leagues are adapting to the times by introducing viewing experiences that aren't necessarily tied to being at home. Not everyone will be satisfied with the way the content is delivered, but it's worth acknowledging that leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB are going the extra mile to try to give people what they want.
First MLB 14: The Show roster update misses opening day, set for April 8
Those looking to play along with the baseball season using up-to-date rosters this week on PS3 and Vita should take note: The first live roster update for MLB 14: The Show will arrive on April 8, Sony's San Diego Studio noted yesterday on the game's forums. The first roster update for the game traditionally arrives in time for opening day, the first day of Major League Baseball's regular season (which was yesterday). "Please understand that if we could have offered the live roster on April 1st, without jeopardizing other critical responsibilities we would have," the developer wrote. The game launched today on PS3 and Vita, and will arrive on PS4 on May 6. [Image: Sony]
San Francisco Giants (and most of MLB) adopt Apple's iBeacon for an enhanced ballpark experience
"It's kind of a no-brainer." That's what the San Francisco Giants' Chief Information Officer, Bill Schlough, said when asked why the team is implementing Apple's iBeacon technology this season.
MLB.tv and Epix streaming apps are coming to Xbox One
Xbox One owners already have their fair share of video services to choose from in the US, but they're about to get a pair of welcome additions. Major League Baseball now says that MLB.tv Premium should be available to stream live games on the console in time for opening day. Meanwhile, Epix has revealed plans to bring its primarily movie-focused service to the Xbox One in the near future. And don't worry about being left out if you're still hanging on to your Xbox 360 -- Starz has just launched Encore Play and Movieplex Play apps for the earlier system, while Major League Gaming released its e-sports app yesterday. All told, it looks like you'll have plenty of viewing options this spring.
New Xbox One, Xbox 360 entertainment apps debut this week
Microsoft has rolled out a slate of new entertainment apps on Xbox Live, giving Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners access to a broader variety of sports, competitive gaming, and film offerings. Starting this week, Xbox Live Gold members can keep up with live-broadcast tournaments and other competitive gaming events via the Xbox 360's Major League Gaming app. Major League Gaming launched its own dedicated e-sports network last year, serving up competitive gaming streams at up to 1080p resolution. Xbox 360 owners can access new film catalogs via the Encore Play and Movieplex Play apps starting this week, while MLB.TV Premium will deliver live games and league archives to subscribers on the Xbox One. Microsoft notes that its Encore Play, Movieplex Play, and EPIX apps are also scheduled to hit the Xbox One in the coming months. [Image: Microsoft / MLG]
MLB 14, NBA 2K14 team up in PS3 double pack
Hoping to tap the lucrative Venn diagram overlap that includes both basketball and baseball fans is PlayStation Sports Pack Volume 1, a compilation that offers PlayStation 3 owners NBA 2K14 and MLB 14: The Show. This two-game package debuts on April 1, six months after NBA 2K14 first hit store shelves, but the same day that MLB 14: The Show goes on sale. The compilation is priced at $90, and offers players both games in their entirety alongside "6000 STUBS for MLB 14 The Show and 20,000 Virtual Currency for NBA 2K14." If you haven't played either of these games, think of STUBS and Virtual Currency as proprietary points that allow players to pick up additional in-game content. While the package is labeled "Volume 1," it's unknown if this is the first entry in an ongoing promotional series or if somebody at Sony simply thought that addition might make the compilation sound more fancy. We contacted Sony for clarification, but the company is currently only willing to discuss this entry. [Image: Sony]
MLB 14: The Show arriving May 6 on PS4
The PS4 version of MLB 14: The Show will launch on May 6, Sony announced via Twitter today. Sony San Diego's baseball sim will land on the next-gen system just over a month after the PS3 and Vita versions arrive on April 1. MLB 14: The Show marks an introduction in career mode transfer options for the series, as players will be able to bring their created athlete and franchise data to future iterations of MLB: The Show. The baseball game also features an online franchise mode with draft, free agency, trading and scouting systems and community-created challenges. [Image: SCEA]
Two-button slugger RBI Baseball 14 goes retro with unlockable jerseys
In 1986, Namco launched RBI Baseball for the NES (Famcom in Japan), and it grew into a household name before Time Warner Interactive's RBI Baseball 95, the heretofore last game in the series. Now, the MLB will publish RBI Baseball 14 on April 10, and MLBAM Vice President of Games Jaime Leece expects the game will remain faithful to the treasured series. Much like those classic games, the developer created three body types and preset batting stances for those character models as opposed to painstakingly differentiating every batter. And while NES games in the late 1980s were naturally restricted to two face buttons and a d-pad, Leece's team intentionally opted for two-button controls for the modern take on the baseball game. Leece believes that these decisions immediately separate the game from other sports games in the genre. "When you take away the barrier of control, it leaves the competition pure," Leece told Joystiq. "It's you against me, it's not your dexterity versus my dexterity. Having to deal with button combinations and things like that creates an extra challenge that's, I think unnecessary and certainly gets in the way of the enjoyment of the product itself."
Report: RBI Baseball 14 takes the current-gen mound on April 10
RBI Baseball 14 will reportedly launch on April 10, according to a tweet from ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell. Rovell noted that the launch date applies to the game's Xbox 360, PS3, iOS and Android versions, though there's no word on the Xbox One and PS4 versions as of yet. The resurgence of the RBI Baseball series was first announced in January, and is in development by MLB Advanced Media, the baseball league's in-house interactive entertainment division that handles mobile games and broadcast tools like MLB.TV. We've reached out to MLBAM to confirm the game's release date and will update as we learn more. [Image: MLBAM]
MLB, NBA, NHL and NASCAR team up on 120 Sports, a 24-hour streaming video channel
Not to be outdone by the NFL, other major sports leagues in the US are combining efforts to launch a digital network of their own. Dubbed 120 Sports, the newly announced channel is a collaboration between the MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and Time Inc., with the general goal being to deliver video content to fans in a speedy manner and all day long. Unlike the NFL's Now network, 120 Sports' bread and butter will be two-minute segments, which it plans to use for news, highlights and analysis as well as original stories -- sorry, no live games (one day!). Along with being able to stream from the desktop site, there will also be apps for smartphones, tablets and more "connected devices." But here's the best news: Once 120 Sports launches this spring, you won't need a pay-TV subscription to access it.
Your iPhone can now help you find your way around MLB ballparks
iPhone owners should have an easier time getting around the ballpark this season. Following a trial run last year, Major League Baseball is now deploying Bluetooth-based iBeacons at its stadiums. If you use the MLB At the Ballpark app, your iOS 7-equipped device will receive notifications as you visit different points at a given venue. MLB isn't yet saying just what those notices will involve, although the pilot project helped fans find their seats, score discounts and queue up videos. Only Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and San Diego's Petco Park have the iBeacons so far. However, the league promises that more than 20 parks will have iBeacons when the season starts -- odds are that your home team will be ready on opening day. [Image credit: Brendan C, Flickr]
MLB 14: The Show takes the mound April 1, PS4 version arrives in May
Just as everyone's favorite pitchers and catchers report this week ahead of the MLB's spring training sessions, Sony opted to reveal the launch dates for MLB 14: The Show today. The Sony-published baseball game will arrive on PS3 and Vita on April 1 with the PS4 version stepping up to the plate in May. Sony San Diego discussed some of the game's new features in a PlayStation Blog entry, such as cross-platform save compatibility and the guarantee that players will be able to transfer their careers from this year's game to future versions. MLB 14: The Show will also include community-created challenges, an online franchise mode with draft, free agency, trading and scouting support and some as-yet-unannounced improvements to the Road to the Show career mode. Additionally, Sony will implement a universal in-game currency for MLB 14: The Show called "Stubs." Stubs will be earned from general gameplay (similar to experience points) and can also be purchased using real-life dollars. Sony stressed that it is "not designing the system to pressure players into spending money. It will be the same system it's been in years prior, just all rolled together with a new name." Stubs can be used to purchase career mode boosts like training points for players' Road to the Show athletes and increased franchise budgets. [Image: Sony]
MLB.TV app coming to PS4, Xbox One this spring
Major League Baseball's streaming app, MLB.TV, will arrive this spring, coming to PS4 and Xbox One in addition to the myriad of other platforms it calls home plate. The professional baseball streaming service is now available for purchase at two price tiers: The standard MLB.TV subscription for $109.99 per year and the Premium subscription for $129.99 per year. Though no details on the next-gen console versions of the baseball app have been provided, MLB Advanced Media tells Joystiq the features found on the Xbox 360 (seen above) and PS3 versions are a "good indicator" of what's to come on Xbox One and PS4. The Xbox 360 version included a split-screen mode for baseball fans to watch two games at once. The Premium tier grants viewers the ability to watch on connected devices like the aforementioned game consoles, so those looking to stream through their PS4 or Xbox One consoles will need to pony up the extra $20. Premium subscriptions also include access to the mobile app, MLB At Bat 14, viewable on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows Phone 8 devices. Subscriptions for the 2014 baseball season kicks in with spring training game broadcasts, which begin on February 26. [Image: MLBAM]
RBI Baseball returns this spring to consoles, mobile
After being absent for two decades, a formerly long-running sports series is returning this spring in RBI Baseball 14. Developed by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the MLB's in-house interactive entertainment division, the game will launch on all current and next-generation consoles in addition to smartphones and tablets. RBI Baseball 95, a Time Warner Interactive-developed game for the Sega 32X, was the last entry in the series, which began on the NES/Famicom. The timing of the announcement is appropriate, given that 2K Sports officially canceled its own baseball series just one week ago, putting an end to its exclusive third-party licensing agreement. The MLB currently has a landing page with a spiffy logo set up for the game, though no other details are available at the moment.
MLB 2K baseball series canceled
2K Sports has officially canceled its MLB 2K baseball game series. A 2K representative told Joystiq today that it has "decided not to renew our MLB 2K series for 2014. We are very proud of the achievements made by the MLB 2K team and look forward to their contributions to our future titles, including NBA 2K - our industry's #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise." The final game in the series was MLB 2K13, a game that was panned critically for its stark similarities to its predecessor, MLB 2K12. The confirmation of the series' closure comes after the publisher took steps to remove the brand from its various pages – an indicator that it no longer has the appropriate licensing obligations to fulfill. As pointed out by Pastapadre, 2K Sports recently took down its Facebook page for the series, videos from its YouTube page and forwarded each landing page for games in the series to its global 2K website. Of the few MLB-branded pages that remain are a few of the game's online manuals, though it's uncertain how long those will be available to view. Being that 2K Sports was the only company delivering a simulation baseball game for Microsoft's Xbox 360, thanks to an exclusive third-party licensing agreement it signed with the MLB, the Xbox One will be without a Major League Baseball game for the time being. The MLB: The Show series is developed by Sony's San Diego studio, which will launch MLB 14: The Show this spring on PS3, PS4 and Vita.
Major League Baseball offering gift subscriptions for MLB At Bat 2014
Major League Baseball has added the ability for users to gift MLB At Bat premium subscriptions to owners of iOS and Android devices. Previously the only way to give someone an MLB At Bat premium subscription was to buy them a generic credit card gift card and then have them use that card to purchase a subscription. Now, however, users can simply buy an MLB At Bat premium gift subscription for US$19.99 for the user of their choice from MLB.com. Subscriptions to MLB.com At Bat, the 10th highest-grossing mobile app in App Store history, are now available as holiday gifts for the first time. Instead of waiting in bricks-and-mortar store lines or giving a generic gift card, anyone can gift At Bat for the 2014 MLB season, through a direct purchase of the $19.99 full-season subscription from MLB.com. With access to the complete set of premium features in 2014, including live audio of every game and the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day, At Bat 14 will be the perfect holiday gift for any baseball fan. At Bat currently offers full coverage of the Hot Stove and the upcoming Baseball Winter Meetings in December. MLB Advanced Media's mobile developers also are working on new features to be unveiled in the 2014 edition of At Bat. Complete details will be available at launch next year. It seems that MLB At Bat premium subscriptions have arrived just in time for the holidays, ensuring that they'll be a hot gift this year for iOS-loving baseball enthusiasts. MLB.com At Bat is a free download.
MLB releases Franchise MVP for Android, lets you live your baseball fantasies
The World Series is over, and it's a long three months before Spring Training begins. What's a baseball fan to do until then? Well, if you're an Android user, you could pick up Franchise MVP, a new game released by none other than Major League Baseball. MLB's no stranger to apps, of course, with its popular At Bat programs for iOS and Android, but mobile gaming is relatively new territory. Franchise MVP isn't like MLB 2K13 though; instead of creating a team, you follow an individual player through his career in the majors. You can play any position on the field and for any MLB team, building skills like batting, pitching and fielding along the way and making key in-field decisions. The game is free to download, but if you want to hurry things along, you can choose to spend real money for in-game currency. So if your favorite team missed out on taking home the Commissioner's Trophy this year, you can at least console yourself by using Franchise MVP to become the baseball player of your dreams.
MLB and NFL endorse legal battle against Aereo, threaten to limit sports broadcasts
It's not just major broadcasters who are willing to take their fight against Aereo to the Supreme Court. The MLB and the NFL have jointly filed an amicus brief supporting the existing court case, arguing that the streaming TV service jeopardizes their licensing deals. Aereo's ability to offer sports programming at no extra cost undermines the point of exclusive (and very lucrative) broadcasting arrangements, according to the brief. The leagues are prepared to back up their words with deeds -- they claim that they'll have to move their games to cable and satellite channels if Aereo wins. There's no guarantee that the Supreme Court will sympathize with this supposed plight, but it's clearer than ever that Aereo faces stiff opposition from the broadcasting industry's status quo.
