Triple Play Baseball '96

Last updated
Triple Play Baseball '96
Triple Play 96.jpg
Developer(s) Extended Play Productions
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series Triple Play
Platform(s) Sega Genesis
Release
Gold Edition
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Triple Play Baseball '96 is a sports video game developed by Canadian studio Extended Play Productions and published by EA Sports for the Sega Genesis. An updated version titled Triple Play: Gold Edition was released exclusively for the Sega Genesis the following year and added updated 1996 rosters and a new "Professional Mode".

Contents

Gameplay

Triple Play Baseball '96 gives players the option of using an enlarged view or normal view, and allows for trading players, and includes a season mode and player stats. [3] [4]

Development and release

Triple Play Baseball '96 was produced by Canadian studio Extended Play Productions, which was a developer within Electronic Arts division EA Canada. The game's lead designer, Chris Taylor, started at EA Canada (then Distinctive Software) in 1988. EA asked the team to replicate the success they had on Sega Genesis release of FIFA International Soccer with other sports. Baseball was chosen as Taylor had experience leading production on HardBall II . Prior to using on the name Triple Play, the titles Line Drive Baseball and Double Play Baseball were considered but were both already copyrighted. [5]

Taylor sought help from Rick Smith to provide a robust statistics calculation system by breaking down "pseudo code" into C. Programmer Kevin Pickell, who wrote the Genesis data and asset libraries for EA Canada, stated their task was "to essentially mirror the look and feel of FIFA" and they "already had the workflow for generating the animating characters and that was essentially copied for Triple Play." The large batter sprites popularized by the World Series Baseball influenced Taylor to include them in Triple Play. [5] This was the last EA game Taylor worked before moving on to Cavedog Entertainment and then eventually Gas Powered Games. [6]

A promotion event for Triple Play on the Sega Channel had 10,000 participants. [7] The game went to retail for the Genesis exclusively in North America in June 1995. [1] An updated version, Triple Play: Gold Edition, was released for Genesis in October 1996. [2] It was the last EA Sports title for the console. [5] Enhanced ports for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn were also announced. [8] [9] Sega listed them for a July 1996 release [10] but they never materialized.

Reception

Next Generation reviewed the Genesis version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "Triple Play Baseball is a solid baseball effort, and it ranks right up there with Sega's World Series '95 ". [3]

The Gold Edition was the runner up Genesis game of the year by Electronic Gaming Monthly . [21]

References

  1. 1 2 GamePro staff (July 1995). "Short ProShots: Triple Play '96". GamePro . No. 72. IDG. p. 124. ISSN   1042-8658.
  2. 1 2 The Feature Creature (October 1996). "The 16-Bit Gamer's Survival Guide: October's 16-Bit Releases". GamePro . No. 87. IDG. p. 92. ISSN   1042-8658.
  3. 1 2 3 Next Generation magazine (August 1995). "Finals". Next Generation . No. 8. Imagine Media. p. 76. ISSN   1078-9693.
  4. ↑ Sega Visions staff (September 1995). "Sports Playbook: America's Game Without The Athletic Supporters". Sega Visions . No. 25. IDG. p. 92. OCLC   794192137.
  5. 1 2 3 Hickey Jr., Patrick (February 13, 2024). "Triple Play 96: Third Name's a Charm". Old School Gamer Magazine. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  6. ↑ Wallace, Alistair (February 21, 2007). "Playing Catch Up: Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor". Game Developer . Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Press release: 1995-09-11: Time Warner Interactive's Primal Rage(TM) pulls in heavy hits on Sega Channel". Business Wire. September 11, 1995. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  8. ↑ Game Players staff (February 1996). "Triple Play '96". Game Players . No. 81. Imagine Media. p. 79. ISSN   1087-2779.
  9. ↑ Tommy Glide; The Black Widow (March 1996). "Sports Insider Previews: Triple Play '96". GamePro . No. 80. IDG. p. 79. ISSN   1042-8658.
  10. ↑ "Software Release Calendar FY97" (PDF). Sega of America. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  11. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Triple Play '96". AllGame . Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  12. ↑ Video Cowboy; The Iceman (July 1995). "Team EGM Reviews: Triple Play '96 (GEN) by Electronic Arts". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 72. Ziff Davis. p. 114. ISSN   1058-918X.
  13. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Reiner, Andrew; Anderson, Paul (July 1995). "Genesis Reviews: Triple Play '96". Game Informer . No. 27. Sunrise Publications. p. 22. ISSN   1067-6392.
  14. ↑ Game Informer staff (September 1996). "Triple Play: Gold Edition Genesis Review". Game Informer . No. 41. Sunrise Publications. p. 51. ISSN   1067-6392.
  15. ↑ The Axe Grinder (August 1995). "Triple Play Baseball '96 Hits a Grand Slam". GamePro . No. 73. IDG. p. 80. ISSN   1042-8658.
  16. ↑ Stretch Armstrong (September 1995). "Review: Triple Play '96". Hyper . No. 22. nextmedia. pp. 48–9. ISSN   1320-7458.
  17. ↑ Kunkel, Bill (August 1995). "Balls Out: Diamond Drills and Outfield Thrills with Triple Play '96". Fusion . No. 1. Decker Publications. p. 70. ISSN   1083-1118.
  18. ↑ Gamers staff (1996). "Triple Play '96". Gamers (in Portuguese). No. 8. Editora Escala. p. 20. ISSN   1413-1471.
  19. ↑ Burney, Peter (September 1995). "Mega Drive Review: Triple Play '96". MegaZone . No. 55. Mason Stewart Publishing. p. 30. ISSN   1321-8131.
  20. ↑ VideoGames staff (March 1996). "Reviews: Horray for Triple Play". VideoGames . No. 86. Larry Flynt Publications. p. 97. ISSN   1059-2938.
  21. ↑ EGM staff (March 1997). "The Best of '96". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 92. Ziff Davis. p. 86. ISSN   1058-918X.
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