Humongous Entertainment was (and nominally remains) a video game developer formed in the 90s to make kids’ games. They made their bread and butter from two types of products: adventure/puzzle point-and-clicks like Putt-Putt and Spy Fox, and, of course, the Backyard Sports series, which I have paid tribute to previously and which the guys over at Cespedes Family Barbecue have done several brilliant posts on (like this one).
However, as sometimes happens, Humongous fell on hard times, passed between various corporations, and has most recently had it’s assets sold when Atari went under a year or two ago.
Which leads us to the current situation. Most of Humongous’ point-and-click classics, like Putt-Putt, went to a studio called Night Drive, and they have restored them and are putting them up for sale on Steam, the famous digital distribution platform that has allowed for countless of current best-sellers and forgotten classics to be put into the hands of gamers digitally. Thanks to the fact they don’t have to worry about shipping or actually creating a physical copy of the game, prices are often lower (especially for older games, although even newer games often have sales now and then).
Problem: When Atari went under, one of the things that Night Drive did not get was the Backyard series. Instead, the “Evergreen Group” did. So, the Backyard games have NOT gone to Steam.
Yet. You see, to the best of my knowledge, the Evergreen Group hasn’t done a thing with the Backyard sports stuff they have in their possession (there was a brief thing on their Twitter about “stay tune”, but…). Let’s change that with a good old fashioned campaign:
Tell TEG’s Twitter feed and Facebook Page that we want Backyard Baseball (and the other Backyard Sports games) on Steam.
Contact them through their website. (Note that the contact page may not be working, as it gave me an error message when I tried it. Still may be worth a try.)
Send actual snail-mail to the Evergreen Group’s headquarters at 1600 Rosecrans Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266 (note that I am not sure if this address is current, as I found it on a old SEC info thing that popped up on Google).
UPDATE: Jim Wagner of the Evergreen Group has confirmed that they will relaunch the franchise, which is great. However, it really doesn’t change the goal of this Campaign to get Backyard Baseball and the other Backyard Sports games on Steam.
I recently received an early copy of OOTP Baseball 2015 from the fine people at Out of the Park Developments, and while this early build is buggy and in parts incomplete, it already shows the promise of being another great installment for the best baseball simulation on Earth (and, presumably, all other planets, moons and asteroids). Today, a day after the game went out to those who pre-ordered, here are some first impressions- a full review is coming later.
First off and most importantly, it’s the same old OOTP.
They haven’t changed anything about the gameplay itself: it remains the good old OOTP, allowing you to command your team’s front office and on-field moves (managerial decisions, line-ups, etc.), simulate old seasons, manage transactions, etc. This is a case of “not messing with success”. It also remains very moddable- in a few of these pictures you’ll see real MLB logos or player faces, which aren’t default but rather things you can download.
The Biggest Additions are Graphical
For example, whereas once you could either have a computer-generated image of your players, or, in cases where you were playing using real players, a photograph of them, now you can have both, as the “facegen” system can now mold the player’s actual face onto a 3D computer body. Like David Ortiz here:
As you can see, it’s not exactly perfect, and as a result the picture above looks more like an action figure of David Ortiz than Big Papi himself, but with other players it’s a bit better. And, what’s more, what is great about this is that it means the picture can now change as they move from team-to-team, or if a new uniform style is added. Previously, David Ortiz always was in his Red Sox cap if you had downloaded his image to use- even if you were playing a simulation of a year where he was with the Twins. Now, the picture would change to show that.
The other, bigger and even more exciting development, is the introduction of 3D into the actual in-game experience, allowing you to see, in 3D graphics, the stadium where you are playing, as well as the ball flying into the seats or harmlessly dropping into a second-baseman’s glove. It’s not complete yet- OOTP Developments even has admitted so- so I can’t really comment on it yet, and I don’t quite feel comfortable showing a screenshot of it yet either, mainly because of that unfinishedness. Still, from what I can see, this could be one of the coolest additions to OOTP since the ability to play multiple leagues around the world was added, especially once you consider how nice some of the modding will be as people add in 3D models of Fenway Park, Camden Yards, and the like.
The International Focus Is Stronger Than Even
OOTP has for several years had the ability to simulate all the world of baseball, even including many leagues, such as Japan’s and Korea’s, in the game’s “league creation” screen. This year, they’ve added in the Dutch and Italian Leagues, and, in a first, they’ve added in the real rosters for the international teams, although they are sometimes a bit haphazard- DOOR Neptunus of the Dutch League, for example, had an empty roster last I checked. Still, it’s neat that the OOTP team has done all of this research, and I’m sure as time goes on we’ll see even more additions to OOTP’s global leagues- perhaps a defection feature for Cuba, for example, or the promotion/relegation of the Dutch League. Maybe even a World Baseball Classic is in the future of the OOTP world!
You probably never thought about the L&D Amsterdam Pirates of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse before now!
In addition, they’ve added in the Posting System function, a pretty big part of the business of baseball that hadn’t been in OOTP games until now. Of course, as with almost everything in OOTP, that’s customizable and can be turned on/off.
Scouting Changes
One of my favorite additions/changes are the differences in how scouting and ratings are now shown. Previously, OOTP didn’t really give you an idea if, say, a “60” in power was good or not. Now, though, the ratings are set so that they are based on how well a player is compared to his league and whatever scale you’ve set for your game. So on a 1-100 scale, a player who is a 60 in power is a bit above average in the power category in your league. Of course, you can also now change the league that is used as an average, allowing you to laugh at how awesome your utility player would be in the low minors or in one of the lesser international leagues.
Little Things Mean A Lot
Every OOTP also makes some small adjustments. For example. OOTP now has a retired number feature:
(Sadly, they have yet to have the ability to import this in from the start- so if you want to make sure nobody is wearing number 8 as you simulate the next 5 years of Orioles history, you have to enter those numbers yourself)
NOTE: I’ve since learned that the most recent version of the game has gotten this fixed.
It also has a little funny ditty for the “can’t be fired” option:
Heh.
Stuff I haven’t covered/played yet
There also are changes with how you can set up historic leagues- sadly, I haven’t had a close look at that yet. I also have yet to really do a long sim yet, as I’m waiting for some of the bugs and glitches to stabilize. Still, it’s obvious already that this will be the best OOTP yet, and I’m sure it’ll get even better as time goes on.
Johnny Cueto struck out a career-high 12 and gave up just 3 hits in a complete game shutout against the the Pirates yesterday, good for MVP of Yesterday!
In Bizarre Baseball Culture, I take a look at some of the more unusual places where baseball has reared it’s head in pop culture and fiction.
With the upcoming release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, now is the best possible time to unleash upon you not one but TWO stories featuring the Super Soldier of World War Two. One of them features Cap back during the “Golden Age” of the 1940s, while another takes place after he had been unfrozen from a decades-long ice-sleep.
And, man, what a doozy this one is, from Captain America Comics #7 in October 1941 (I read it as a reprint in a 2009 commemorative issue celebrating 70 years of Marvel comics). This is very early in the history of Captain America, before his trademark shield had it’s most notable look and even before Pearl Harbor. Yes, Captain America was punching Nazis before the United States was even in the war. No Nazis in this story, though, nor are there any Japanese or Italians. No, this story has Captain America and Bucky face off against the hooded villainy of… the Black Toad! You know of the Black Toad, right? Right?
Freddie Freeman was 3-3 with two HR yesterday, giving him his first MVP of Yesterday of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be just the first of many.
It’s time. Who will be the division winners? Who will win the World Series? Time to see my predictions… without further explanation (except for one).
AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Texas Rangers
AL Wild Cards: Tampa Rays, Oakland Athletics
AL Champion: Detroit Tigers
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: LA Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Reds and Giants
NL Champion: St. Louis Cardinals
And finally….
World Series Champion: St. Louis Cardinals
So why do I think the Cardinals are going to win it all this year? Well, it’s partly my gut, but there is also plenty of good logic behind it. While they have lost Carlos Beltran, the fact remains that their young players- and they have some good ones- will be one more year experienced. And, what’s more, many of those young players are pitchers (such as 2013’s postseason hero Michael Wacha and fire-balling reliever Trevor Rosenthal), and as always pitching is the way to October success. Mix that with their experienced players like Adam Wainwright and Matt Holliday, and you have a team that should be one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2014.
To predict awards is often even harder than to predict the actual results of the season. So I’m going to just get this out of the way quickly, without any explanation. So you can try to guess why I’m going out on a limb and predicting Matt Moore as AL Cy Young winner, but I’m not telling. Unless I’m right, in which case you can be sure I’ll go into detail on my brilliant genius.
So, it won’t be long before the 2014 MLB Regular Season starts… in Australia. Yes, this year, it starts in Sydney, Australia. You may or may not have questions about this, but I don’t particularly care what you think, so for our latest preview, we look at these two games that will start off the season.
Okay, first thing’s first, give me the basic details of this thing again?
The LA Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks are going to play a two-game series at Sydney’s Sydney Cricket Grounds. These are regular season games that count in the standings.
Okay, so when are they taking place?
Game one takes place around 4 AM Eastern (1 AM Pacific) on March 22nd, with the second game taking place later that date at around 10 PM Eastern (7 PM Pacific). The reason for that is due to the international date line- locally the first game takes place a bit past 7 PM on the 22nd and a bit past 1 PM on the 23rd. Fun fact: Due to these games being in the Southern Hemisphere, the MLB season will, for the first time, START in Fall, as opposed to merely ending in it.
In addition, both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks will have exhibitions against the Australian National Team on the 20th (Dodgers) and 21st (Diamondbacks).
Who’s the home team here?
The Diamondbacks will be the “home” team.
Is it on TV here in America?
Yup. They’ll be on MLB Network, with Matt Vasgersian and Tom Smoltz calling it, with Ian Chappell providing further commentary.
The games will also be on the local TV broadcasts in Arizona and LA. The games about the Australian National Team should be available online, for example on MLB.TV.
Speaking of which where is this being played, again?
The Sydney Cricket Ground, established in 1848 (although renovated and/or rebuilt several times since then), is one of the world’s most storied cricket venues. It has also been used for both rugby union and league, the Commonwealth Games (at the time called the “British Empire Games”), Australian Rules Football, soccer, concerts, and, yes, at one point baseball- the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants played there during their 1914 world tour.
For baseball, the fences have been set up as 328 down the lines, 370 in the gaps and 400 to straightaway center. Here’s how they changed it from cricket to baseball:
Partially not there because an injury screwed up his throwing schedule, partially not there because his rather… unfiltered… thoughts about how he felt about starting the season in Australia. Carl Crawford and Matt Kemp also didn’t make the trip due to injury.
Are there even any Australians on these teams?
Sort of. Ryan Rowland-Smith. AKA “Hyphen”, is fighting for a spot in the Diamondbacks bullpen. He definitely will be playing in the exhibition games- in fact, the Diamondbacks have given him permission to pitch for Team Australia against the Dodgers.
Can you give me a brief history of baseball in Australia?
The first baseball in Australia was played by American expats and their friends in the 1850s, but it wasn’t until the 1870s that the first organized teams were formed. The sport received more attention during the World Tours of barnstorming MLB players in the 19th and early 20th century and by the time American servicemen arrived in Australia during WWII there was a small but devoted amateur culture of baseball, one that has survived to this day. However, baseball has not yet been able to get permanently get past that amateur status, with two professional leagues (the Australian Baseball league of 1989-99 and the International Baseball League of Australia of 1999-2002) failing and a complete lack of professional baseball until the new Australian Baseball League was formed with MLB help a few years ago.
What will the crowds be like? I mean, you just said that professional leagues have struggled to survive and that it’s amateur baseball is simply “small but devoted”.
Well, baseball has becoming increasingly driven in expanding the game’s reach internationally, and just having the WBC and the occasional opener in Japan isn’t going to be enough. Already there is some talk that MLB could return to Australia in 2018 if this series is a success, and there have also been rumblings about games in the Netherlands. And, just this year, there have been exhibition games in Panama City and, later in the spring, a return to Montreal. So, yeah, this is going to be a regular thing. Maybe it won’t be in Sydney, maybe it won’t even be a return to Tokyo, Mexico or Puerto Rico (although all of those are certainly possible), but there will be more openers overseas in the future.
Like where?
Besides obvious suspects like Korea, Taiwan or the Dominican Republic (none of which, amazingly, have ever hosted an official MLB game), I wouldn’t be surprised if you see rumblings about maybe doing series in other countries that play cricket, since it’s a lot easier to turn a cricket ground into a baseball field than, say, a soccer pitch. So, don’t be surprised if we end up seeing games in New Zealand (where baseball is the fastest-growing team sport) and the United Kingdom (although the weather there could be a problem) in the not-that-distant future.
Can I see the picture of Vin Scully holding the Koala Bear?
Best-Case Scenario: The World Series comes to Washington for the first times since the 1930s, while Bryce Harper makes a great leap forward into near-Trout levels of awesomeness, bro.
Worst-Case Scenario: Stephen Strasburg’s arm spontaneously combusts during a game.
Worst-Case Scenario That Could Actually Happen: Harper stagnates, Strasburg and Friends get hurt, Matt Williams is not a good manager, etc.
Best Case Scenario: Everybody stays healthy and they don’t embarrass themselves too much before Matt Harvey returns next season from Tommy John. Maybe some of the prospects, like Noah Syndergaard, make their first appearances.
Worst Case Scenario: This is the Mets, so you should imagine your worst case scenario for them then multiply it by 500.
Worst Case Scenario That Could Actually Happen: This is the Mets, so you should imagine your worst case scenario for them then multiply it by… 499.
The Baseball Continuum 