Major League Baseball released a modern update of the classic Nintendo game R.B.I Baseball, the 30-year-old cult favorite that was the first of its kind to include names, likenesses and abilities of real players.
The original game — launched in Japan in 1986 and North America in 1988 — carried a license from the MLB Players Association and recreated actual players on its teams that were represented by cities, but not nicknames, because the game was not licensed by the league itself.
The new adaptation, R.B.I. Baseball 18, which features Cleveland Indians star shortstop Francisco Lindor on its cover, has both MLB and MLBAPA licensing. Also, all full names will be included, not just the truncated, six-character editions, in which Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell’s surname became “Tramml” and Red Sox pitcher Calvin Schiraldi became the vowel-less “Schrld.”
R.B.I. Baseball 18 is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Releases for iPhone and iPad are due on March 27 and on Nintendo Switch and Android devices later this spring.
Among the new features: a franchise mode to trade, sign and promote players who progress through a career; a Home Run Derby; detailed renditions of all 30 MLB ballparks; a cadre of available baseball legends to join franchise teams; and roster updates. And the graphics are immeasurably better than its aged predecessor.
SportTechie Takeaway:
While peer North American sports leagues have jumped headfirst into modern esports — with the NHL recently following the NBA, NFL and MLS into the action — MLB has taken its time to evaluate the market and, for now, has opted for a more conservative entry into video gaming with the reboot of an old favorite with a built-in following. While pace-of-play may be a concern in real big league ballparks, the remade video game will stick to its 1980s roots of fast-paced, easy game play. Surely, a bolder venture from MLB Advanced Media’s game and virtual reality will come down the road but, as that group’s VP, Jamie Leece, said at SportTechie’s State Of The Industry conference, “It’s about finding the right entry point.”