2K Sports is not planning to seek out a new MLB license and bring back another simulation baseball video game after this year, a move that was expected. 2K Sports parent company Take-Two Interactive, whose baseball deal expires after this season, yesterday in its annual earnings report did not list another MLB game for the upcoming year to follow the March release of "MLB 2K12." Take-Two execs also said losses from the "MLB 2K" series, about $30M in its fiscal '12, are projected to be half that in the upcoming year with the "entire amount" of the loss eliminated thereafter, further signaling its plans to move on without baseball. Prior 2K Sports series for NHL and college basketball died similarly quiet deaths. The company's MLB franchise had been particularly troubled with regard to both sales and critical regard, and was publicly tagged on numerous occasions by Take-Two execs as a primary reason for broader corporate fiscal weakness. The "NBA 2K" series now stands as 2K Sports' last remaining annual sports title. The latest version in the basketball series, "NBA 2K12," has sold more than 5 million units, the second straight year it has reached that level, again positioning it as one of the most popular sports games in the industry. Even amid the ongoing struggles with the "MLB 2K" series, the publisher recently staged a third $1M Perfect Game Challenge around the game, with a telecast of the contest final to air tomorrow night on Spike TV, and enlisted model Kate Upton to help promote the game.
