Monday, March 01, 2010

MLB At Bat 2010 Goes On Sale Tomorrow...Maybe

MLB.com has always been on the cutting edge of internet technologies, so it was no surprise that its MLB At Bat application for the iPhone last year was so incredible, it basically justified the cost of the very iPhone itself, in my book.

With features like updated in-game statistics (especially pitch counts), real-time radio feeds from both home and away broadcasting teams, in-game video highlights, live video feeds from one to two out-of-market games (randomly selected, but still), it without a doubt made my iPhone the most important gadget of my 2009 summer. And then the playoffs came, and I got multiple camera angles as well--this was the best 10 bucks (or 5/6th of a Dodger Stadium beer) that I had spent last year on baseball.

So here we are, on the precipice of At Bat 2010, which allegedly releases tomorrow, not only for the iPhone and iPod touch, but also for the Android and Blackberry. Yet MLB.com's website about this strikingly vague, when it comes to describing new features in the 2010 version. Couple this with the fact that they've already delayed the release once, from February 28 (I can't find a major announcement of this delay, just a quiet shift of the launch date to March 2), and I have to wonder if the distraction with other devices has plagued their ability to deliver an application to the base iPhone device itself.

Which would suck.

Come on, MLB.com, get your shit together. The Dodgers' first spring training game is on Friday, and I don't want to miss out! The clock is ticking....

P.S. I also expect them to jack the price up to $15 or $20. Watch.

31 comments:

Mike Scioscia's tragic illness said...

No streaming video on the Android, sadly.

Josh S. said...

I have a little more info on this. Earlier today, I noticed that they had refreshed the description in the app store, saying the app does indeed go on sale tomorrow for the new price of $14.99.

BUT...I just went to double check that right now and the app is completely gone from the store. A search leads nowhere.

Steve Sax said...

Thanks Josh S. I just posted a postscript--before I had read your comment--that I expect a McCourt-like increase in price this year.

Sure enough, it's a 50% increase! It's just like McCourt McParking!

Josh S. said...

Oh, I forgot that the new description also said that live video and audio are "coming mid-March". So, even if it is out tomorrow, we may miss out on the first week or so of ST games.

And in other MLB.com weirdness, I can't seem to find the page for ordering Gameday Audio only. (Even though it's redundant with At Bat.) Everything redirects to MLB TV.

Kyle Baker said...

$15-20 bucks for this window to baseball goodness all summer is but a small price to pay.

They'll sort it out guys; have faith.

[Karina hijacked Dusty's account]

Kyle Baker said...

They may have just changed it so that you either get MLB.TV regular or premium, and Game Day Audio is included in both. Ergo one must buy at least the MLB.TV regular to get audio. That would be shitass to do for those who just want the audio.

Here's the link, which I'm sure you've already checked:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/index.jsp?product=gameday

Steve Sax said...

As of 9.31p, no mention of it on the iPhone app store...my old At Bat app (which changed from "At Bat 2009" to "At Bat" during the offseason) still says it goes on sale March 2. Maybe I'll wait up.

Kyle Baker said...

I'm packing for a trip and will be up awhile, so I'll pull up a stool and wait with you, Sax.

NicJ said...

14.99?!?

I remember in the first season when it was 4.99. This year they better come up with a camera angle that shows the players girlfriends.

Kyle Baker said...

New and improved MLB.TV/Game Day:

- Camera angle of players' GFs
- All Yankees games blacked out; Jeter coverage filtered
- Russell Martin power meter
- Digital zoom for better MSB viewing
- Text alerts for identifying shortest beer lines at MLB stadia
- Social media app for SoSG reader meet-ups
- Portable steroids and HGH test kit
- Bottle opener

Steve Sax said...

Dusty, I like it! Might I respectfully add:

--Rally monkey silencer (unfortunately, effects are permanent so please wear gasmask)
--application that determines bear concession stand with shortest wait
--map of secret urinal rooms at Dodger Stadium
--Rick Monday automatic story-interrupting score-telling feature

Steve Sax said...

Still no mlb app, btw (10:39p PT).

Steve Sax said...

@10:38, make that "beer concession stand".

However, the original idea would be a pretty cool app, too.

Kyle Baker said...

Yeah, I really would like to know where there are bears conceding around the ballpark. We have the technology - let's use it wisely!

Steve Sax said...

App works on Cubbie fans, too.

Kyle Baker said...

Oh, the late-night turn of phrase. How I love thee.

Kyle Baker said...

MLB World Series 2009 app, how you mock me, sitting there in the iTunes app store like a giant foam middle finger.

Kyle Baker said...

Still no app. Dusty out. Off to DC all week, so will check in on this from the Least Coast later.

Josh S. said...

Maybe the app was removed because of Pablo Sandoval's boobs.

Kyle Baker said...

Added bonus: ability to unlock 3 new secret levels of East Coast Media Bias

Henry Breimhurst said...

I say $15 is fair... last year Gameday Audio was $15 and the app was $10, and I felt ripped off as an Audio subscriber. I'm just happy they aren't charging a premium for going mobile as I dropped Audio to buy this. Now if they DROPPED the prices to equalize them...

BTW, thanks for the post. I've been watching the date shift and its sudden disappearance from the app store too, so glad to have confirmation.

Steve Sax said...

8.30a, and no mlb at bat app in the iPhone app store... the ad still says it's available March 2!

Get some more hamsters on the flywheel, mlb.com!

Unknown said...

03/02/2010, 12pm (b)EST time. Still no app.

Glad to know I'm not the only one chewing fingernails over the delay. I am sorry to read reports of the price hike, and audio/video streams being even further away. Amidst headlines of iPhone bandwidth-use taxing AT&Ts 3G network, I was worried there would be no app at all this season.

As a Boston fan (sorry)I am still holding out hope for listening in to the first game of ST Thursday, but I have not forgotten how to be disappointed since 2003.

Josh S. said...

The Twitterverse is saying it's available, but I still can't find it.

Josh S. said...

Oh, there it is!

It's up!

(I'm going to wait a few days, though. Servers will likely be slammed today.)

Josh S. said...

Description says "background audio".

Oooooooh.

Sherry W said...

I'm a little perplexed. Do you get gameday Audio as part of App now automagically? Or do you need the $99 TV package?

Pete said...

@Sherry, you don't get the desktop version of gameday audio as part of the At Bat App, but the app does allow you to listen to gameday audio on your phone, with no blackouts. You do not need to purchase MLB.tv to listen to audio...

On another note, I noticed they jacked up the price on the desktop version of gameday Audio to $20. What a crock!

Unknown said...

come on android OS version. I have been checking like every 15 min.
I watched the WS demo someone did on youtube, live audio (and nearly no delay with tv), really quick vid highlights for scoring plays punch the pinch by pitch stuff..

easily worth 15 bucks for me. but should include the online PC version to. I guess i could just wifi to my PC and stream if home.

Unknown said...

Wow, you can filter videos all the way down to specific players. There are standings for Spring Training Leagues. You can now designate more than one team as a 'Favorite'.

Kyle Baker said...

@ Jeff, et al:

"Sports nirvana: @MLB At Bat 2010 app for #iPhone is live. Android & BB apps forthcoming. http://bit.ly/dlCg8B"

From official MLB Twitter feed.