Sports Interactive gets Out of The Park and Into the Swing
Signing of acclaimed independent developer adds Baseball to Sports Interactive’s growing roster of management simulations.
Sports Interactive, the longstanding leader in the field of football management computer games, has announced a deal with the leading independent development studio, Out of the Park Developments, in a move which will see baseball become the latest sport added to the award-winning developer's roster. The agreement will also see the Out of the Park Baseball development team amalgamated into Sports Interactive.
Led by Markus Heinsohn, Out of the Park Developments have been making games since 1997. Originally based in Stade, Germany, the team now includes members from across the globe. The team has produced six versions of its highly acclaimed baseball management simulation, Out of the Park Baseball, with the fifth incarnation nominated as Best Computer Sports Game at last year's prestigious Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards ceremony. Out of the Park Baseball 5 is also the highest-rated baseball management simulation available, according to the influential Game Rankings website (www.gamerankings.com).
"Over the past couple of years we have carefully monitored and nurtured the best independent game development talent working on sports management simulations; a process which has already led to the successful integration of the Eastside Hockey team into our own," says Miles Jacobson, Managing Director of Sports Interactive. "We have been in discussion with Markus and his team for quite a while and feel that now is the perfect time for us to begin working together. We believe that our management simulation expertise will help the Out of the Park team to achieve its undoubted potential, while their knowledge and experience of baseball will allow us to expand our reach into one of the world's largest and most important markets."
"While Sports Interactive has traditionally concentrated on football, its games have always represented the state-of-the-art to those of us trying to simulate management of other sports," adds Markus Heinsohn. "We are delighted to join forces and look forward to working with some of the best in the business to produce the most realistic, entertaining and compelling baseball management game possible."
As part of the new deal, Markus has moved to the UK and is now based at Sports Interactive's offices in Islington.
Out of the Park Baseball 6 (released independently by Out of the Park Developments) offers the ultimate in realism, playability and unparalleled customisation, placing the player in a virtual baseball world of his or her own making. This virtual world can be populated using players of the past (via a direct link with the Baseball Archive), the present, or, for the ultimate challenge, purely fictional players created by the game's Artificial Intelligence. Virtual managers can build their own dynasty by signing free agents, wheeling and dealing with other owners or by calling up hot prospects from the Minors. A multitude of play options are available, including single-player and multiplayer via the Internet. A demo of the game is available for free download from www.ootpdevelopments.com/ootp, while the full game is available to buy from the same site, priced at $34.95.
Other games from Out of the Park Developments have included Inside The Park Baseball (a unique role-playing game which sees the user take the part of a professional baseball player), Title Bout Championship Boxing and Title Bout Boxing Quiz. Further information on Out of the Park Developments and all of its games is available from the company's website, at www.ootpdevelopments.com. No decision has yet been made on whether Sports Interactive and the Out of the Park Developments team are to work together on these other projects.
Sports Interactive and Markus are aiming to release their first jointly-produced version of Out of the Park Baseball in late 2005.
Led by Markus Heinsohn, Out of the Park Developments have been making games since 1997. Originally based in Stade, Germany, the team now includes members from across the globe. The team has produced six versions of its highly acclaimed baseball management simulation, Out of the Park Baseball, with the fifth incarnation nominated as Best Computer Sports Game at last year's prestigious Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards ceremony. Out of the Park Baseball 5 is also the highest-rated baseball management simulation available, according to the influential Game Rankings website (www.gamerankings.com).
"Over the past couple of years we have carefully monitored and nurtured the best independent game development talent working on sports management simulations; a process which has already led to the successful integration of the Eastside Hockey team into our own," says Miles Jacobson, Managing Director of Sports Interactive. "We have been in discussion with Markus and his team for quite a while and feel that now is the perfect time for us to begin working together. We believe that our management simulation expertise will help the Out of the Park team to achieve its undoubted potential, while their knowledge and experience of baseball will allow us to expand our reach into one of the world's largest and most important markets."
"While Sports Interactive has traditionally concentrated on football, its games have always represented the state-of-the-art to those of us trying to simulate management of other sports," adds Markus Heinsohn. "We are delighted to join forces and look forward to working with some of the best in the business to produce the most realistic, entertaining and compelling baseball management game possible."
As part of the new deal, Markus has moved to the UK and is now based at Sports Interactive's offices in Islington.
Out of the Park Baseball 6 (released independently by Out of the Park Developments) offers the ultimate in realism, playability and unparalleled customisation, placing the player in a virtual baseball world of his or her own making. This virtual world can be populated using players of the past (via a direct link with the Baseball Archive), the present, or, for the ultimate challenge, purely fictional players created by the game's Artificial Intelligence. Virtual managers can build their own dynasty by signing free agents, wheeling and dealing with other owners or by calling up hot prospects from the Minors. A multitude of play options are available, including single-player and multiplayer via the Internet. A demo of the game is available for free download from www.ootpdevelopments.com/ootp, while the full game is available to buy from the same site, priced at $34.95.
Other games from Out of the Park Developments have included Inside The Park Baseball (a unique role-playing game which sees the user take the part of a professional baseball player), Title Bout Championship Boxing and Title Bout Boxing Quiz. Further information on Out of the Park Developments and all of its games is available from the company's website, at www.ootpdevelopments.com. No decision has yet been made on whether Sports Interactive and the Out of the Park Developments team are to work together on these other projects.
Sports Interactive and Markus are aiming to release their first jointly-produced version of Out of the Park Baseball in late 2005.
Companies:
Sports Interactive
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