MLB's iPhone Application Criticized as a Waste

MLB.com has made a big PR push for its MLB At Bat application, which costs $4.95. At first glance, it's awfully impressive; real-time scoring, updated automatically, with video highlights uploaded within minutes. It sounds amazing, and among baseball media folk who understand what an iPhone is, it's garnering some glowing press. It shouldn't be; it actually kind of sucks. This is not to trash MLB.com; those folks are awfully smart, and surely, any minute now, they'll recognize just how inferior their product is and upgrade it. But as for now, it's fairly pointless and not only not worth the $4.95, but not even as good as other, free iPhone applications. First, the problems with MLB At Bat start with the video. Sure, it's kind of cool to watch Ryan Ludwick homer 10 minutes after it happened, I guess, but the video quality is low, choppy and, of course, small. I mean, when you are watching MLB Gameday on your computer, is it that enthralling to watch video coverage of a home run you were informed of 15 minutes earlier? And that at least is high quality video. This is one of those ideas that sounds cooler in practice than in application. But the real problem, and the reason MLB At Bat is a waste of $4.95, is that front page platform you see above there. You see, that's all you get. What you see on that screen there. You get the inning-by-inning scoring, the count, the outs, the pitching matchup and whether anyone's on base. That's helpful information, and if I had no other options, man, I'd take it. But there's no box score, no scoring recap, no way to check how your fantasy players are doing, no link to current standings, no context, no nothing. That's all you get. I found myself continuously tapping that bottom screen, hoping a box score would pop up. Nope. I'm sure MLB.com is aware that these are serious deficiencies in its product, but until they're addressed, they remain unsatisfactory.First, the problems with MLB At Bat start with the video. Sure, it's kind of cool to watch Ryan Ludwick homer 10 minutes after it happened, I guess, but the video quality is low, choppy and, of course, small. I mean, when you are watching MLB Gameday on your computer, is it that enthralling to watch video coverage of a home run you were informed of 15 minutes earlier? And that at least is high quality video. This is one of those ideas that sounds cooler in practice than in application. But the real problem, and the reason MLB At Bat is a waste of $4.95, is that front page platform you see above there. You see, that's all you get. What you see on that screen there. You get the inning-by-inning scoring, the count, the outs, the pitching matchup and whether anyone's on base. That's helpful information, and if I had no other options, man, I'd take it. But there's no box score, no scoring recap, no way to check how your fantasy players are doing, no link to current standings, no context, no nothing. That's all you get. I found myself continuously tapping that bottom screen, hoping a box score would pop up. Nope. I'm sure MLB.com is aware that these are serious deficiencies in its product, but until they're addressed, they remain unsatisfactory.
http://deadspin.com/5028637/why-mlbcoms-new-iphone-application-is-a-waste-of-cash