Keeping them clean is important, but every 50-60 games most balls have absorbed enough oil to need some additional maintenance.  Find a shop with a Revivor, Rejuvenator, or the newer Detox method to extract oil from the cover, then have the ball lightly resurfaced for optimum results.

The Brunswick poured coverstocks are very durable and respond well to this process.  I have some older bowling balls with hundreds of games that still react very well.

My Ruckus did the same thing, bowled great with it for a couple of months, and after that, it became a straight ball. I loved that ball, and another problem I have with Dv8 equipment, is the cracking so early around the fingers. Dv8 balls have rolled great for me and still is my favorite, but wish the cracking wouldn't occur so soon. All 4 of my dv8's starting cracking with less than 50 games on them

I agree with tommymo here. The new DV8/Radical and Brunswick coverstocks are 2nd to none in terms of performance and longevity. The only drawback to ANY of the new performance coverstocks is that they need to be kept clean. I wipe my ball off each shot with a dry towel and use a micro-fiber towel with That Purple Stuff between games. At the end of the set I clean the balls yet again with a 3 step cleaning process. If the ball is kept at a matte finish I refresh the surface ever 6-9 games with a Siaair pad and my spinner.

Every once in awhile a company makes a great cover that lasts much longer than most.
They would all be out of business if u you didn't need a new one every season, am I right? I know I am, right staffers?  This isn't aimed at any particular company either...its just a shame when you get that one ball...

Proper maintenance is huge......and I mean HUGE.

The Brunswick poured coverstocks are the most aggressive on the market and therefore do require more maintenance. The importance of doing it properly cannot be overstated.

I am currently using a Meanstreak Beatdown as my goto ball for leagues and the ball reacts every bit as good now as it did 2-3 years ago when I first drilled it.

Routine wiping, daily cleaning, refreshing the surface every 6-9 games and deoiling every 30-45 games has kept it reacting like new.