MLB 13: The Show Release Date Announced

Sony announced on their blog MLB 13: The Show is scheduled to release on March 5, 2013, for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.

The best selling and highest rated baseball franchise is letting the fans select which superstar is featured on the cover of the game this year. The Cover Campaign begins in early January with some of the top players in baseball expected to announce their candidacy soon.

Sony also announced some of the new features for MLB 13: The Show, including a new Playoff Mode. Nothing compares to postseason baseball and that is now reflected in the game. Now, in-stadium atmosphere better imitates the excitement of October baseball.

The game will include a new beginner mode and instructional enhancements to help players who are new to the series or who just may need some help perfecting their skills. Play Now mode has been improved to streamline gameplay for faster and simpler games. Franchise and Road To The Show modes are also enhanced with expanded options and new gameplay experiences.

Of course, the PS Vita version of The Show features cross platform saves so players can sync their Season, Franchise and Road to the Show saves between platforms to continue the action on the go. Sony’s San Diego Studios has promised the same list of upgrades and new features of the PS3 version will be hitting the PS Vita.

The developer is promising more new enhancements, features and game modes regarding The Show will be announced in the coming months.

This year, the game has no competition on the market as 2K Games agreement with MLB has expired. The company has repeatedly stated they have no interest in continuing a relationship with MLB unless their licensing costs are significantly lowered. Parent company Take-Two lost over $30 million each year of their exclusive deal with MLB beginning in 2005. The MLB 2K games developed during the agreement were mostly not good compared to MLB: The Show, culminating in this year’s MLB 2K12.

While MLB: The Show provides a great experience for gamers, it will unfortunately be the only option for baseball gamers in 2013. Players who own an Xbox 360 or Nintendo console will not be able to purchase an officially licensed MLB game.