Why Sega chose the Xbox as the primary platform for WSB?

Thanks to gamespot for the info.  
 
Just last week, Sega announced that its latest World Series Baseball game will be exclusive to Microsoft\'s Xbox for its first year on the market, leaving many baseball fans scratching their heads. After speaking with Sega about the reasoning behind the move, it appears that the decision was based on two things: the Xbox hardware and timing. "We have a very deep game, and the Xbox made the best fit for [the type of game we wanted to make]," said Stacey Kerr, senior product manager at Sega Sports. "Another issue was time. We moved the game to the Xbox so that we could release it close to the start of the baseball season and get a deep, good game out."

GameCube owners will still receive a Sega baseball game in the form of Home Run King, but Sega admits that Home Run King and World Series Baseball are two distinctly different types of games. "They\'re different experiences," Kerr said. "Home Run King is not very deep, and it lends itself to a much younger audience. It\'s a perfect fit for the GameCube, whereas World Series Baseball is a true simulation." Kerr also mentioned that the possibility of the general gaming public being confused by two new Sega baseball games on sale for a single system at once was never a concern. "The decision was made independent of positioning each game on different systems," she said.

While PlayStation 2 owners who are waiting for some kind of Sega baseball game will have to wait until WSB\'s year of Xbox exclusivity expires, Sega still recognizes the importance of the PlayStation 2 market when it comes to sports games. "All of our Sega Sports games will be on the PlayStation 2 next year," Kerr said. "It\'s a big focus for us, starting with College Football 2K3, NFL 2K3, and baseball, but [our main concern] is to deliver those games on time--at the start of the season when everyone is ripe with enthusiasm for their sports game."

When World Series Baseball is released for the Xbox, it will include a number of graphical improvements and new features. The franchise mode has been adjusted to include a greater variety of options, and the game will also include the Cooperstown license, which gives Sega the ability to incorporate historic uniforms and players. In addition, every player in the league has had his head scanned, so the faces on the in-game player models will have a realistic look. Many of the animation problems from previous games have been fixed, and a few adjustments have been made to the pitcher-batter interface.

World Series Baseball is scheduled for release in May.

Link: http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2853259,00.html

Umm, its going to be impossible to play a baseball game with that damn bulky ass Xbox controller. I\'d rather be playing a snowboarding game.

>"Why Sega chose the Xbox as the primary platform for WSB?"

Simple, a money hat

:thepimp:  <~~~~~~~~explains it all.....

I don\'t mind the fact that Xbox is getting another Sega exclusive..

But the fact that they pinned the reason on demographic pisses me off. C\'mon Sega..

There sure are a lot of XBox haters on this board.

Sounds like the game needs a lot of memory space and they chose the XBox because of the built in hard drive.

Originally posted by Damien8086
There sure are a lot of XBox haters on this board.

Sounds like the game needs a lot of memory space and they chose the XBox because of the built in hard drive.

See da logo?
Go to TXB for some Xbox ass lickin.

hehehe

Anyway, who cares about Baseball games anyway, except yanks of course.

Originally posted by Terry Bogard
Umm, its going to be impossible to play a baseball game with that damn bulky ass Xbox controller. I\'d rather be playing a snowboarding game.

Well unless you use the X box itself as First base and your controler as a BAT then yeah you could

after all the controler is about the same size as a baseball bat.

Originally posted by fastson


See da logo?
Go to TXB for some Xbox ass lickin.

I\'m not looking for an ass licking. Thanks. I just think it is funny how people get so wrapped up in any one console. They all have their own strengths and they all have games that are only to be found on that particular console that are enjoyable to play.

Originally posted by ooseven


Well unless you use the X box itself as First base and your controler as a BAT then yeah you could

after all the controler is about the same size as a baseball bat.

I thought the controller was very big at first also. After you use it for a little while though it quickly becomes very easy to use. I like it now better then the PS2 controllers even. And if after using it for a while you still do not like it you could always get the adapters that allow you to hook up a PS2 controller to your XBox.

Originally posted by Damien8086


I thought the controller was very big at first also. After you use it for a little while though it quickly becomes very easy to use. I like it now better then the PS2 controllers even. And if after using it for a while you still do not like it you could always get the adapters that allow you to hook up a PS2 controller to your XBox.

Thanks for the tip

but i like playing with my Dualshock 2 on PS2 games

oh and maybe i just fiddle with my "JOYPAD " when no-ones looking , but yeah i can\'t help myself