MLB
MLB.TV has been on PlayStation Network for a couple years now, and today it’s finally made it to Xbox Live. What this means is anyone who has an MLB.TV Premium subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription will be able to stream all eligible games in HD straight to their Xbox. As with Netflix, Hulu Plus, or some of the other apps now available; this isn’t really much of an incentive for anyone to go out and buy an Xbox for that purpose. Instead, it only serves as a nice bonus to those who already have both. MLB.TV and the other apps require an Xbox Live Gold Subscription – that’s $59.99 a year – in order to work on the Xbox 360. This is, of course, on top of the subscription you’re already paying for MLB.TV, Last.FM, Verizon FiOS, or whatever it may be that you want to stream. Seeing as MLB.TV is a free service on the PlayStation 3, this looks only to hurt the Xbox 360 when someone is deciding which to buy.
Then again, the Xbox 360 certainly has its advantages when it comes to watching the games. The ESPN app has yet to even make it to the PS3, and MLB.TV will have some exclusive features that PlayStation 3’s version won’t and can’t have. As with the popular ESPN app, the MLB.TV app will feature full Kinect support and the Xbox Exclusive mini guide and split screen viewing, allowing you to watch multiple games at the same time. It’s also likely the alerts will be brought over, allowing you to instantly jump to another game when something exciting is going on. This can even be done with your voice via Kinect! Likewise, you can pause, rewind, and fully navigate the menus without even having to touch a controller.
PlayStation 3 users are upset over the lack of ESPN on PlayStation 3. Many hoped that with the release of MLB.TV on Xbox, there would be a swap and ESPN would finally make an appearance. Apparently, that’s not so, and whether there are any plans right now is not really known. In an email from ESPN Customer Care, a representative stated that:
…We have heard of no updates regarding a WatchESPN application for Playstation 3 systems. I would contact Sony to let them know you would like to see them become compatible with WatchESPN, but again, we haven't heard anything regarding WatchESPN on PS3.
This is a little surprising for some, as many expected the ball to be in ESPN’s court. Instead it seems as if they have little to do with their apps outside of promoting them, and of course providing content for them. With this in mind, contact was also made with Sony in regards to development of an ESPN app. In regular Sony fashion, they shed no light on the situation:
Sony Network Entertaiment International LLC (SNEI) has not released any details concerning the product, project, or development referenced in your email. SNEI and its affiliated companies are regularly engaged in extensive research and development in many areas of the computer entertainment industry. Hence, we cannot comment on future PlayStation® developments, projects, or products.
So maybe it is in development, or maybe they’re still trying to decide if it’s even worth their time. One thing that you can be sure of is you need to make your voice heard. If you really want some ESPN on your PlayStation 3, head over to the PlayStation Blog where you can voice your opinion and let them know. There, users can suggest ideas to improve the PlayStation 3 and then vote on the level of importance each of the potential upgrades are to them. So far, 90 ideas from the site have been implemented on the PlayStation 3, and there are over 5,600 more ideas to vote upon. Right now, the vote on WatchESPN doesn’t have very much weight behind it, so rally your friends and add some votes. Then, maybe someday soon, it will become the 91st ‘idea in action’.
Original Post – Comcast XFINITY TV, HBO GO and MLB.TV now available on Xbox LIVE
Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he would love to hear from you