MLB The Show 23 is apparently upholding the recent tradition of making Sony’s popular baseball franchise available to fans on rival consoles.
MLB The Show 23 doesn’t have a release date yet, but it appears to be on its way. As with last year’s entry in the long-running franchise, MLB The Show 22the forthcoming installment seems destined to reach popular platforms in addition to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, despite Sony Interactive Entertainment likely serving again as the publisher.
MLB The Show as a franchise dates back to 2006, when it debuted with MLB 06: The Show on PlayStation 2 and PSP. Developed by Sony’s San Diego studio, numerous additional entries in the franchise have focused on simulation play that goes well with the all-important MLB license. Last year, as is typical for the series, MLB The Show 22 reviewed quite well. Critics made note of minor issues at launch that subsequent patches had to resolve, but appreciated as usual that the game offered an enjoyable experience for newcomers and veterans alike.
According to a document posted by The Ministry of Justice and Public Security in Brazil, MLB The Show 23 is now slated for eventual release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in the region. The federal body is responsible (through its advisory rating system branch) for establishing ratings for movies, TV shows, and video games in the country. Some countries take entertainment very seriously indeed, and Brazil has even considered legislation to make violent video games a crime.
Video games and destination platforms are occasionally outed by ratings boards around the world, as happened earlier this week when Europe’s PEGI prompted rumors Borderlands 3 may reach Switch. The ratings process must take place well in advance of a game’s release. Consumers who pay attention to such sites are sometimes rewarded for their interest with news a game’s publisher may not yet wish to share.
In the current gaming environment, console exclusives frequently serve as fodder for schoolyard debate as to which console is superior to the next, even though Phil Spencer expects fewer console exclusives in the future. Sony continues to release a variety of blockbuster titles that are playable only on PlayStation hardware and sometimes PC. The MLB’s requirement that the games hit numerous other platforms as part of the licensing deal allows people to play the game who might otherwise find themselves unable to experience the sport with such quality. It will be interesting to see whether licensing bodies for other professional sports consider enforcing such terms when the relevant contracts expire.
MLB The Show 23 is in development.
Source: The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil)