Go Yard with Electronic Arts and Triple Play 2001.
Play as a Major League Baseball Legend of The Past or a Superstar of Today.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 14, 2000 – Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd…or better yet, bring the ballgame home where the peanuts and popcorn are cheaper. Now you can step up to the plate as Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Mike Piazza or many other Major League Baseball® (MLB™) stars past or present and take a cut at an entertaining and authentic baseball experience. If you don’t win, hit reset and play another game of Triple Play 2001, the newest iteration of the best selling interactive baseball series from Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS).
Weeks before the first pitch of the upcoming MLB season is thrown, EA SPORTS™ unleashes a fastball strike with Triple Play 2001 for the PlayStation® featuring the exclusive MLBPA Big League Challenge license and a stacked roster of new game features. Gone are the limitations of playing only in the baseball park. Big League Challenge Extreme Target Mode sets up the playing field in a variety of settings ranging from a construction site, or a castle to the wacky “living room” environment. Think of the kitchen as the pitching mound, open your stance and for once, be rewarded for breaking windows as strategically placed targets earn players big points and allows game players to live out their baseball fantasies and experience all the fun that comes with it. Play in this mode with current big hitters or a select group of legendary hitters of the past such as Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig or Jackie Robinson. For the authentic Big League Challenge experience, play in Cashman Field where players can choose from a bevy of big-hitting stars from today like Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Shawn Green.
“We were thrilled to bring the Legendary Players of the past to the Triple Play Series for the first time. It is fun to bat as Reggie Jackson with his “flip-shade” sunglasses down or stack your lineup with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Ty Cobb,” said Kirsten Duvall, EA SPORTS Marketing Manager for baseball. “Our focus was to make this game fun for casual and die-hard baseball fans, even if they never have played an interactive game."
In addition to the legendary players, baseball fans will recognize the authentic batting stances, facial characteristics and pitching motions of their favorite players. From Jeff Bagwell's windmill bat twirl, to Randy Johnson’s wind-up or Babe Ruth’s stance. Triple Play 2001 features them all, down to the minute details, thus creating the familiar feel that baseball fanatics crave.
“With Triple Play 2001, is not just about batting though, we wanted to make this game fun for the fielder too,” said the game’s Producer, Brent Nielsen. “With that goal in mind, we added the ‘Behind-the-Fielder’ camera so that the game player can feel the anticipation of the outfielder as he tracks the ball, runs to get under it and watch as the ball drops into the glove. We created a fielding experience, not just a new camera angle, and in turn it became a favorite feature of the guys on the production team.”
Additional features that add to the deep roster of new features are Triple Play 2001's all-new Rewards structure that rewards users for outstanding accomplishments in gameplay. Novelty rewards include special power ups, hidden legendary players, teams and stadiums that are discovered through feats in the game. For example, play a unique series with a miniaturized squad versus a team wielding giant bats.
Triple Play 2001 for the PC is scheduled to ship at the end of March and has a suggested retail price of $39.95. Whether you face the computer-generated artificial intelligence or go head-to-head in any number of Internet modes, you will be challenged and entertained from the first pitch to the final out. MLB and MLBPA licenses give game players all the teams and players in the major leagues. Triple Play 2001 Game Boy® Color is scheduled to ship later this spring. Consumers may purchase the game directly at the EA Store™ (http://eastore.ea.com) or by calling EA Direct Sales at 1.800.245.4525. The game carries an ESRB rating of “E” (Everyone).