Out of the Park Baseball

Last updated
Out of the Park Baseball
OOTP24 Logo.png
Out of the Park Baseball 24 Logo
Genre(s) Sports game
Business simulation game
Developer(s) Out of the Park Developments
Publisher(s) Out of the Park Developments
Platform(s) Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
First releaseOut of the Park Baseball
May 1999
Latest releaseOut of the Park Baseball 25
March 15, 2024
Out of the Park Baseball Go! (formerly iOOTP Baseball and MLB Manager)
Genre(s) Sports game
Business simulation game
Developer(s) Out of the Park Developments
Publisher(s) Out of the Park Developments
Platform(s) iOS, Android (operating system)
First releaseiOOTP Baseball 2011
May 5, 2011
Latest releaseOut of the Park Baseball Go!
June 15, 2021

Out of the Park Baseball (abbreviated as OOTP) is a text-based baseball simulation for career, historical, and fictional play.

Contents

Starting with OOTP 16, the game has licenses for Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball.

Games

GameRelease datePlatforms
OOTP BaseballMay, 1999 Windows 98
OOTP 2March, 2000
OOTP 3March 31, 2001
OOTP 4February 28, 2002 Windows XP
OOTP 5February 28, 2003
OOTP 6June 14, 2004
OOTP 6.5June 14, 2005
OOTP Baseball Manager 2006May 31, 2006
OOTP Baseball 2007March, 2007 Windows Vista
OOTP Baseball 8December 17, 2007
OOTP Baseball 9June 18, 2008
OOTP Baseball 10March, 2009
OOTP Baseball 11April 14, 2010 Windows 7
OOTP Baseball 12June 22, 2011
OOTP Baseball 13March, 2012
OOTP Baseball 14April 12, 2013 Windows 8, Linux, IOS
OOTP Baseball 15April 24, 2014
OOTP Baseball 16March 23, 2015
OOTP Baseball 17March 22, 2016 Windows 10, Linux, IOS
OOTP Baseball 18March 24, 2017
OOTP Baseball 19March 22, 2018 Windows 10, MacOS, Linux
OOTP Baseball 20March 22, 2019
OOTP Baseball 21March 20, 2020
OOTP Baseball 22March 26, 2021 Windows 10, Windows 11, MacOS, Linux
OOTP Baseball 23April 22, 2022
OOTP Baseball 24March 24, 2023
OOTP Baseball 25March 15, 2024 Windows 10, Windows 11, MacOS

History

The first version was released in May 1999 with the help of sportswriter Sean Lahman, who sold the game through his website. [1] This initial version received attention from several online gaming sites. The breakthrough release came in 2001 with OOTP 3.

In 2002, lead developer Markus Heinsohn joined with other independent developers to form .400 Software Studios to publish OOTP 5. Heinsohn and a few others split from .400 Software Studios in mid-2003 to continue work on the OOTP series as well as Inside the Park Baseball.

In 2005 OOTP was purchased by Sports Interactive, makers of Football Manager and NHL Eastside Hockey Manager , though Heinsohn remained the game's primary creative force. Out of the Park Baseball 2006 was released on May 31, 2006. Sporting a rewritten codebase and several new features, it was met with mixed critical reaction. [2]

Out of the Park Baseball 2007 the eighth iteration of the game, was released on March 23, 2007, to much better reviews than its predecessor. [3] Out of the Park Baseball 2007 was Metacritic's second highest rated game on the PC platform with a score of 96 out of 100, scoring higher than The Orange Box , and second to Half-Life 2 . [4] Metacritic removed the game from the "Best PC Video Games of All Time" list in 2015 after being there almost nine years, due to a new review threshold limit. [5]

On September 20, 2007, Sports Interactive announced the amicable severance of relations with Out of the Park Developments and the OOTP franchise. [6]

In December 2007 Out of the Park Developments released Out of the Park Baseball 8, a simple update of OOTP 2007 that adjusted for the split from SI and added a few new features. [7] [8]

Since OOTP 2006 the user interface utilizes the P.I.S.D. Ltd platform libraries for cross-platform portability. [9]

OOTP Developments released OOTP X (10) on June 5, 2009. OOTP 11 was released to the masses on April 14, 2010.

In October 2010 OOTP announced that development had started on iOOTP, a version of the game for iPhone and iPod touch. [10] iOOTP became available at the App Store on May 5, 2011. [11]

On May 13, 2011, it was announced that OOTP 12 was expected to be released to the general public on June 22, 2011, and on June 20 for those who pre-ordered the game. [12] OOTP 12 was shipped to the general public on June 22, 2011, and on June 20 for those who pre-ordered the game, as expected. [13]

On April 5, 2012 iOOTP Baseball 2012 Edition was released to Apple's iOS App Store. [14] New features in iOOTP 2012 included 2012 major league rosters, detailed player histories, a revamped user interface, a new fictional setup, the ability to use pitch-by-pitch mode, the ability to use the DH in any league, and more. The iPad HD version, which takes advantage of the iPad's larger display, was included free, as in the 2011 version.

On April 9, 2012 OOTP 13 was released to the general public after an April 6 release to those who pre-ordered the game. [15] New features in OOTP 13 included: 2012 major league rosters; a real-time simulation mode that lets players watch games play out in real-time (or at a faster speed); interactive storylines that allow gamers to make decisions when situations happen (i.e., a star player becomes difficult—player can release him, trade him, or ignore the problem; each choice impacts fan attitudes, player morale, etc.); a revamped pitching model that more closely mirrors real life, where most drafted pitchers are starters and later become relievers, rather than being drafted as relievers; and random historical debut, which allows real players to show up at any point in history (perhaps Ruth shows up today and Koufax is drafted in the 1930s).

In addition, OOTP 13 offered a revamped user interface, more custom playoff options, Associations that can combine multiple leagues and share free agents, rules, and more, core gameplay engine and AI improvements, and more.

On April 4, 2013 iOOTP Baseball 2013 was released to Apple's iOS App Store. [16] New features in iOOTP 2013 included 2013 major league rosters, achievements, a redesigned interface, new trading AI, a new player development system, more realistic player creation, historical career play with real rookies imported each season, and more. The iPad HD version, which takes advantage of the iPad's larger display, was included free, as in the 2012 version.

On April 12, 2013 Out of the Park Baseball 14 was released to everyone who pre-ordered the game; the general worldwide release was April 15. [17] New features in OOTP 14 included: 2013 major league rosters; a recoded player origin system, allowing, for example, foreign players to be signed as free agents, like Ichiro Suzuki and Yu Darvish were; a recoded scouting system; a new fielding ratings development system; a new Player Development Center for tracking purposes; achievements; new trading AI; more realistic player creation; a new in-game "Pitch to Contact" option; and more.

On April 24, 2014 Out of the Park Baseball 15 was released on Steam. [18] It was released on April 18, 2014, on the OOTP Developments web site. [19] New features in OOTP 15 included: Opening Day 2014 rosters for all major and minor league teams; support for 3D stadiums and 3D in-game ball flight; support for 7 real international leagues with real teams and players in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other countries; a new optional ratings system; a revamped interface; historical league improvements; and more.

iOOTP Baseball 2014 was released on the iOS App Store on April 17, 2014. [20] New features included: Opening Day 2014 rosters; the ability to edit players; a redesigned interface; iPhone 5 and full Retina Display support; and more.

On January 23, 2015 Out of the Park Baseball 16 was announced for PC, Mac and Linux. Featuring a new license with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, along with reworked finances, a new managers and coaches system, new independent leagues, and more, it was expected to be released in March of that year. [21] OOTP 16 was released on March 23, 2015. [22]

On the same day, OOTP Developments announced that iOOTP Baseball would now be known as MLB Manager, and the 2015 version would also be released in March for iOS and Android, with the MLB license applying to that game too. New features were due to be announced in February. [23] MLB Manager 2015 was released on March 26, 2015. [24]

Out of the Park Baseball 17 was released on March 22, 2016, on PC, Mac, and Linux. In addition to the MLB license added the previous season, OOTP 17 also features the MLBPA license. A host of new features were added, including the ability to play Historical Exhibitions against any teams ever in the "era" of the user's choosing. A "16 in '16" tournament was set up by the development team based upon ranking all-time teams by famous baseball writers such as Tim Kurkjian, Neil Paine, Mark Simon, Brian Kenny, Ken Hirdt, C.J. Nitkowski, and others. The 1927 Yankees were the tournament champions. Out of the Park Baseball 17 wound up tied with The Witcher 3 as the highest-rated PC game on Metacritic for 2016, with a rating of 92. [25]

On March 20, 2020, Out of the Park Developments released OOTP Baseball 21. [26]

Prominent OOTP gamers

Some renowned sports figures have played the game, including writer and statistician Bill James, sports journalist Roy Firestone, and retired MLB pitcher Curt Schilling. [27] [28] Other ex-MLB fans of the game include Jeff Montgomery, Don Stanhouse, John D'Acquisto, and Lary Sorensen, who all participated in the 2012 Seamheads Laundry League, an online OOTP league that also featured ESPN's Eric Karabell and Jerry Crasnick, among other journalists, bloggers, podcasters, etc. [29]

On March 24, 2012, Curt Schilling was given an early look at OOTP 13 and tweeted: "WOW! Early first look at #ootp13 seems like they really upped the bar! New UI is outstanding so far!" [30]

Pitcher Pat Neshek is also a fan, commenting in a tweet on August 12, 2012: "Spent the day off yesterday playing OOTP13 Baseball for most of the day. Talk about addicting." [31]

In addition, professional wrestler Steve Corino is a fan of the game. On November 23, 2012, he tweeted: "Totally addicted to this 'Out Of The Park Baseball 13' game. Anyone play it out there?" [32]

Boston Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry is an OOTP fan as well, commenting: "Last year, I explored OOTP 15 and was amazed by the breadth and depth of it." [33]

Gameplay

OOTP presents a minimal graphic depiction of a baseball diamond with text indicating positions and on-field action. Scrolling text allows one to follow the game as it unfolds. The game offers HTML reporting ample enough to engage baseball fans. Third-party developers have contributed utility programs that assist gamers in creating leagues, players, logos, and other game enhancements.

Other versions

In 2001, a retail (physical media) version of OOTP3 called Season Ticket Baseball was released. [34] Released a year later was its sequel, a retail version of OOTP4 titled Season Ticket Baseball 2003. [35]

In 2004, Heinsohn released Inside the Park Baseball, which tracked the progression of an individual baseball player. Gamers followed a player's career from before the draft, through the minor leagues, until possibly called up to the Major Leagues. Inside the Park Baseball was designed to work alongside OOTP 5, whereby one might insert a player into an OOTP 5 season.

Reception

Out of the Park Baseball 6 was a runner-up for Computer Games Magazine 's 2004 "Best Independent Game" award, but lost to Gish . [36]

The editors of Computer Games Magazine presented Out of the Park Baseball 2006 with their 2006 "Best Sports Game" award. [37]

During the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Out of the Park 5 for "Computer Sports Game of the Year", [38] which was ultimately awarded to Madden NFL 2004 .

The most recent iterations of Out of the Park Baseball have all had very positive reviews on Steam . [39]

Related Research Articles

Football Manager, also known as Worldwide Soccer Manager in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game began its life in 1992 as Championship Manager. Following the break-up of their partnership with original publishers Eidos Interactive, triggered by the fiasco release of Championship Manager 4 in 2003, Sports Interactive lost the naming rights to Eidos Interactive but retained the game engine and data, and re-branded the game Football Manager with their new publisher Sega. The latest version of Football Manager, titled Football Manager 2024, was released on 6 November 2023. Football Manager 2024 is the most played title in series history, clocking 7 million players by the end of February 2024.

<i>MVP Baseball</i> (video game series) Video game series

MVP Baseball was a baseball game series published by EA Sports, running from 2003 to 2007 with five games produced. In 2003, MVP became the official successor to EA's long-running Triple Play Baseball series, and it simulated Major League Baseball from 2003 to 2005. However, an exclusive licensing deal between Major League Baseball and Take-Two Interactive in 2005 prohibited EA Sports from making another MLB game until 2012. In response, EA made NCAA college baseball games in 2006 and 2007, but discontinued the series in 2008 because of poor sales.

<i>R.B.I. Baseball</i> Baseball video game series

R.B.I. Baseball is a baseball sports video game series. R.B.I. stands for "runs batted in". Launched in 1987 as a localized version of Namco's Family Stadium series, the R.B.I. Baseball series initially ran through 1995. In 2014, the series was rebooted as a competitor to MLB: The Show, with releases each year until its cancellation. The series ended in 2022 with the release of MLB The Show 22 on the Nintendo Switch.

<i>MVP Baseball 2005</i> 2005 video game

MVP Baseball 2005 is a baseball video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It features Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez on its cover. It holds the full Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and Major League Baseball Players Association licenses. Like the previous instalments, the game includes real-life announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, who are best known for their roles as the announcers for the San Francisco Giants. The game received positive reviews across all platforms and is retrospectively considered by baseball fans as one of the best sports video games ever made.

NHL Eastside Hockey Manager is an ice hockey management simulation game developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. It was the first commercial release in the Eastside Hockey Manager series started by the freeware game Eastside Hockey Manager.

MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (MLBAM) is a limited partnership of the club owners of Major League Baseball (MLB) based in New York City and is the Internet and interactive branch of the league.

<i>Baseball Mogul</i> Video game series

Baseball Mogul is a series of career baseball management computer games created by game designer Clay Dreslough. The product was first published in 1997. The 27th and latest installment is Baseball Mogul 2024. A proprietary database, included with the game, permits play in any season of historical baseball from 1901 to the present. The early Baseball Mogul games are considered to be influential works within the baseball management simulation genre.

MLB 2K was a series of baseball video games that were developed by Visual Concepts and Kush Games, and published by 2K. The series was licensed by, and based on, the Major League Baseball professional baseball organization. It was a successor to the World Series Baseball games, which were published by Sega.

<i>High Heat Major League Baseball 2003</i> 2002 video game

High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 was the second-to-last of a series of baseball computer games, released on PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows; a different game of the same name was released for the Game Boy Advance. The game, featuring the official licensed team and player names from all 30 MLB teams, was created by The 3DO Company, who later filed for bankruptcy in May 2003.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K7</i> 2007 video game

Major League Baseball 2K7 is a Major League Baseball licensed baseball simulation video game developed by Kush Games and published by 2K. Released on February 27, 2007, it is the only 2007 MLB licensed game available for the Xbox and Xbox 360. It is also available for the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation 2 and, for the first time, the PlayStation 3, though its competition came in the form of MLB 07: The Show from 989 Sports. Portable versions for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable were released. It is the first baseball game to be released for the Nintendo DS and the last major release for the original Xbox game console.

<i>MLB 08: The Show</i> 2008 video game

MLB 08: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by San Diego Studio published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It is the longest-running officially licensed Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation systems. MLB 08: The Show is the third edition of the MLB: The Show series of video games. The game was announced for all three PlayStation consoles on December 11, 2007, and released on March 4, 2008 in North America. Ryan Howard, all-star first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, is featured as the game's cover athlete.

<i>MLB Front Office Manager</i> 2009 video game

MLB Front Office Manager is a Major League Baseball-licensed sports management game developed by Blue Castle Games and published by 2K for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was released on January 26, 2009.

<i>Tropico 3</i> 2009 video game

Tropico 3 is a video game developed by Haemimont Games and published by Kalypso Media. Like the previous games in the series, Tropico 3 is a construction and management simulation as well as a political simulation game, with emphasis on city building. As a thematic sequel to Tropico, the game attempts to return to the roots of the series, which puts the player into the shoes of "El Presidente" – a ruler governing over an island banana republic.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K11</i> 2011 video game

Major League Baseball 2K11 or, in short, MLB 2K11, is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. MLB 2K11 is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Wii.

<i>Football Manager 2012</i> 2011 association football management simulation video game

Football Manager 2012 is a football management simulation video game and the ninth instalment in the Football Manager series developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. It was released on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X on 21 October 2011.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K5</i> 2005 baseball video game

Major League Baseball 2K5 is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. MLB 2K5 is available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The previous game in the series made by Sega Sports was ESPN Major League Baseball back in 2004. Unlike the other "2K5" branded sports games, this was published by 2K, making it the first Visual Concepts-developed sports game not to be published by Sega, though Sega's logos are still seen in the background of menus and ballparks. The game included Web Gems instant replays, K-Zone pitching, Slam Zone hitting, and baserunner mode. The game was released in late February 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. The cover baseball player was New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Later that year, an upgraded version titled Major League Baseball 2K5: World Series Edition was released during the 2005 MLB postseason.

<i>Football Manager 2013</i> 2012 association football management simulation video game

Football Manager 2013 is a football management simulation video game and the tenth instalment in the Football Manager series developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. It was released on Microsoft Windows and OS X on 2 November 2012. Football Manager Handheld 2013 was subsequently published for PlayStation Portable on 30 November, and for iOS and Android on 13 December.

<i>Armello</i> 2015 video game

Armello is a 2015 digital role-playing strategy board game developed by League of Geeks. Announced as an iPad title in September 2012, the game has been in development since mid-2011, with music by composers Lisa Gerrard and Michael Allen. Between April and May 2014, a successful Kickstarter campaign was started to help fund a port to Microsoft Windows as well as stretch goals to bring the game to Android and Windows tablets. The game was chosen to receive additional support from governmental funding agencies Screen Australia and Film Victoria.

Out of the Park Developments GmbH & Co.KG is a German video game developer based in Hollern-Twielenfleth. Founded by Markus Heinsohn and Andreas Raht in 1999, the studio specialises in text sim-style sports games, and as produced notable franchises, such as Out of the Park Baseball and Franchise Hockey Manager.

<i>Football Manager 2018</i> 2017 association football management simulation video game

Football Manager 2018 is a football management simulation video game and the fifteenth instalment in the Football Manager series developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega. It was released worldwide on 10 November 2017 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. The Nintendo Switch version by Lab42was released on 13 April 2018. For the first time in the series, all three versions of the game were all released on the same day.

References

  1. ↑ Stavenhagen, Cody. "'OOTP Baseball:' How a German programmer created the deepest baseball sim ever made". The Athletic. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  2. ↑ "Metacritic Summary of OOTP 2006 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  3. ↑ "Out of the Park Baseball 2007 for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Best PC Video Games of All Time". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Arnott, Jack (30 August 2015). "The obscure baseball game that went on to be the PC's second highest ranked game". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "Sports Interactive and OOTP Developments go their separate ways". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  7. ↑ "OOTP 8 released!". Archived from the original on November 11, 2007.
  8. ↑ "OOTP 8 released!". OOTP Developments. 17 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  9. ↑ Out of the Park Developments. "OOTP Developments: OOTP Developments licenses P.I.S.D". Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  10. ↑ iGadgetLife Out of the Park Developments Announces Development of iPhone Version of Out of the Park Baseball Archived 2010-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "iOOTP Baseball comes to iOS".
  12. ↑ "OOTP 12 Release Date! - OOTP Developments Forums".
  13. ↑ "Out of the Park Baseball 12 Available Now!".
  14. ↑ "Baseball Management Sim iOOTP 12 Released For iOS". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on 2012-04-13. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  15. ↑ "News: Out of the Park Baseball 13 Released and Screens". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  16. ↑ "iOOTP Baseball 2013 for iPad in the App Store Now". iPad Insight. 4 April 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  17. ↑ "OOTP 14 launches April 12 for pre-orders, new features announced". iSource. 29 March 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  18. ↑ "Out of the Park Baseball 15 on Steam". Archived from the original on 2014-05-28.
  19. ↑ Chris. "OOTP 15 Review - An Improvement on (near) Perfection". GM Games - Sports General Manager Video Games. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  20. ↑ "iOOTP 2014 Now Available (iPhone, iPad)". GM Games - Sports General Manager Video Games. 17 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Out of the Park Baseball 16 Debuts Official MLB License - IGN". 23 January 2015 – via www.ign.com.
  22. ↑ "News: Out of the Park Baseball 16 Released". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
  23. ↑ "MLB.com and MiLB licenses acquired for Out of the Park Baseball series". Archived from the original on 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  24. ↑ "Officially-Licensed Baseball Sim 'MLB Manager 2015' Now Available". March 26, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Best PC Video Games for 2016". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  26. ↑ Miglani, Yogesh (2020-02-22). "Out of the Park Baseball 21 Release Date Announced. Find out What's New". PensacolaVoice.com. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  27. ↑ "Seamheads Sneak Peek—Coming in November".
  28. ↑ "The Battle for Seamheads Historical Baseball League Supremacy".
  29. ↑ Seamheads’ OOTP 13 ‘Laundry League’ Managers to Include Jeff Montgomery, Lary Sorensen, Other Ex-Major Leaguers
  30. ↑ "WOW! Early first look at #ootp13 seems like they really upped the bar! New UI is outstanding so far!". Twitter.
  31. ↑ "Twitter / PatNeshek". Twitter. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Twitter / SteveCorino". Twitter. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Out of the Park Baseball 16: Manager Mode Details and More - Operation Sports". forums.operationsports.com.
  34. ↑ Walker, Trey. "Infogrames announces Season Ticket Baseball". GameSpot.
  35. ↑ Walker, Trey. "Season Ticket Baseball 2003 announced". GameSpot.
  36. ↑ Staff (March 2005). "The Best of 2004; The 14th Annual Computer Games Awards". Computer Games Magazine (172): 48–56.
  37. ↑ Staff (March 2007). "The Best (and Worst) of 2006; The 16th Annual Computer Games Awards". Computer Games Magazine (195): 46–51.
  38. ↑ "2004 Awards Category Details Computer Sports Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "Out of the Park Baseball 25 on Steam".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.