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Major League Baseball (video game)
Encyclopedia
Major League Baseball is a sports
video game released in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
. It is notable for being one of the first video games licensed by Major League Baseball
, although it was not endorsed by the Major League Baseball Players Association
. Without the backing of the player's association, the game could not name the actual players, although it was able to use their numbers, thus accurately portraying the contemporary teams and their rosters. In doing so, it became the first baseball game for the Nintendo Entertainment System to carry official Major League Baseball licensing and lineups.
Major League Baseball was developed by Enteractive Incoprorated, published by LJN
, and programmed by David Rolfe
. It featured many facets of realistic gameplay and a focus on managerial details, which stressed the importance of choosing a well-balanced team. Despite its graphical limitations, it was considered a three-dimensional game at the time and was featured in the first issue of Nintendo Power
as compared the system's other baseball games of the era.
Prior to 1988 there had been two games released with the official endorsement of Major League Baseball. In 1980 Mattel Electronics released Major League Baseball (also known as Super Challenge Baseball and Big League Baseball) for the Atari 2600
and the Intellivision
. This version was developed by APh Technological Consulting
. Four years later MicroLeague was licensed to develop and publish MicroLeague Baseball
for the Amiga
, Atari ST
, Commodore 64
, and PC
. This version contained contemporary and classic teams and players and MicroLeague released extra disks that featured additional lineups.
In 1988 Enteractive Incorporated signed on to develop an "official" Major League Baseball game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which would be a first for that particular console. In 1987 Tengen
had released R.B.I. Baseball for the NES, which contained a Major League Baseball Players Association license, but no endorsement from Major League Baseball itself. This meant that, while the players were named in this version, the team names and logos were absent and replaced by generic place references such as Boston or St. Louis. An earlier version for the console, entitled Baseball
was released in 1985 and contained no endorsement from either organization. American company LJN
agreed to be the publisher and David Rolfe
was brought on board as the game's programmer. Rolfe had previously been a publisher with Activision
and had been a chief contributor to the foundations of the Intellivision
.
at the time, the team members are only listed by number, not name. In addition to their numbers the players are represented by their statistics
, abilities, throwing arm, and even placement in the batting order
. 1988's Major League Baseball was therefore the first NES game to be officially endorsed by Major League Baseball and to feature accurate contemporary lineups, albeit without the actual player names attached to their numbers.
Managerial decisions are a focus and game players are allowed to select their own lineups, although the game lacks Sabermetrics
statistics due to the limitations of the era. Instead, the "manager" must make their decisions based on data such as player's average and home run
totals. They also have the ability to change and decide who will be a pinch-hitter and who will be a substitute pitcher
. One is even allowed to pick out a designated hitter
. The game prohibits one from putting out more team members in a certain part of the field
than would normally be allowed, which makes deciding which player will be used where a part of the experience.
There are three modes that can be played with teams from either the American League
or the National League
: regular season games, All-star game
s or the World Series
(interleague). The World Series rounds, however, are only one match each, which is not accurate to the real World Series. Due to the licensing, the teams even appear complete in their official uniforms and colours and also have all the options that a real baseball player would have, including bunting, pitching out, base stealing and throwing errors.
s, which would not happen within a real game (in that case a ground rule double
and/or error would be scored instead). Another bug allows players to go into the stands past the wall with the ball if they enter at certain points in foul territory.
There are also gameplay issues when the player takes their turn to bat. The AI
is not developed and, when the player hits a pitch, it nearly always takes the longest possible route to the ball, making runs
easier to score. It also lacks the capability to throw out a runner who is returning to a base (instead of advancing) or perform a double play
after catching a fly ball. Furthermore, the batter can only move vertically, not horizontally, in the batter's box.
The graphics themselves were considered to be three-dimensional
given the constraints of the technology at the time. All the players are Caucasian
and each one's batting stance is exactly the same. The game view is always top down; when batting or pitching, it is centered above the catcher
, behind the batter and with an overhead look of the pitcher
. In the outfield, there is an aerial view
of a portion of the field, with the team members represented by tiny sprites and an inset with red dots representing where the players are on base. Although the official colors are intact, the actual symbols on their uniforms are absent. The crowd is represented by a series of colored dots.
s, there is no real background music
present during the game. For example, the charge fanfare
is played at random points and the introductory screen begins with a different baseball tune while the player is loading up and selecting his team, along with a home run fanfare. Generic sound effects include the bat cracking upon contact with the ball, the sound of the ball flying through the air during a pitch, bouncing and throwing effects, and a stream of crowd noises.
and compared to R.B.I. Baseball and Bases Loaded
, although the magazine did not pass any judgment on which game was superior. Allgame
's review of Major League Baseball
rated it three stars out of five, the same rating is gave to R.B.I. Baseball and half a star lower than it awarded to Bases Loaded
.
Sports game
A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the practice of traditional sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport , whilst others emphasize strategy and organization...
video game released in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. It is notable for being one of the first video games licensed by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, although it was not endorsed by the Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
. Without the backing of the player's association, the game could not name the actual players, although it was able to use their numbers, thus accurately portraying the contemporary teams and their rosters. In doing so, it became the first baseball game for the Nintendo Entertainment System to carry official Major League Baseball licensing and lineups.
Major League Baseball was developed by Enteractive Incoprorated, published by LJN
LJN
LJN was an American toy company and video game publisher. It created toy lines and video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and later in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.-Founding:...
, and programmed by David Rolfe
David Rolfe
David Rolfe is a computer programmer who was instrumental in the development of many "golden age" arcade and home video games. He received his BS in Engineering from Caltech in 1977.-Arcade games:...
. It featured many facets of realistic gameplay and a focus on managerial details, which stressed the importance of choosing a well-balanced team. Despite its graphical limitations, it was considered a three-dimensional game at the time and was featured in the first issue of Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
as compared the system's other baseball games of the era.
Development
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
and the Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
. This version was developed by APh Technological Consulting
APh Technological Consulting
APh Technological Consulting is a software company, located in Pasadena, California, USA. In 1976 they helped Mattel to develop the Intellivision video game console and also wrote most of the early games for it...
. Four years later MicroLeague was licensed to develop and publish MicroLeague Baseball
MicroLeague Baseball
Micro League Baseball was a 1984 baseball simulation video game. It was developed by Micro League Sports Association and published by Micro League Multimedia Inc. It was released on Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and PC.-Summary:...
for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. This version contained contemporary and classic teams and players and MicroLeague released extra disks that featured additional lineups.
In 1988 Enteractive Incorporated signed on to develop an "official" Major League Baseball game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which would be a first for that particular console. In 1987 Tengen
Tengen (company)
Tengen was a video game publisher and developer that was created by arcade game manufacturer Atari Games.-History:Atari had been split into two distinct companies. Atari Corporation was responsible for computer and console games and hardware and owned the rights to the Atari brand for these domains...
had released R.B.I. Baseball for the NES, which contained a Major League Baseball Players Association license, but no endorsement from Major League Baseball itself. This meant that, while the players were named in this version, the team names and logos were absent and replaced by generic place references such as Boston or St. Louis. An earlier version for the console, entitled Baseball
Baseball (Nintendo game)
Baseball is a simple baseball video game made by Nintendo in 1983 for the Nintendo Family Computer, making it one of the first games released for the Famicom. It was later one of the NES's 18 launch titles when it was released in 1985 in the United States. As in real baseball, the object of the...
was released in 1985 and contained no endorsement from either organization. American company LJN
LJN
LJN was an American toy company and video game publisher. It created toy lines and video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and later in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.-Founding:...
agreed to be the publisher and David Rolfe
David Rolfe
David Rolfe is a computer programmer who was instrumental in the development of many "golden age" arcade and home video games. He received his BS in Engineering from Caltech in 1977.-Arcade games:...
was brought on board as the game's programmer. Rolfe had previously been a publisher with Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
and had been a chief contributor to the foundations of the Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
.
Gameplay
Officially licensed by Major League Baseball, the game features all twenty-six teams that existed in 1987. Additionally, the lineups and the player numbers are accurate to the team rosters that year. Since the game did not have the endorsement of the Major League Baseball Players AssociationMajor League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
at the time, the team members are only listed by number, not name. In addition to their numbers the players are represented by their statistics
Baseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
, abilities, throwing arm, and even placement in the batting order
Batting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
. 1988's Major League Baseball was therefore the first NES game to be officially endorsed by Major League Baseball and to feature accurate contemporary lineups, albeit without the actual player names attached to their numbers.
Sabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
statistics due to the limitations of the era. Instead, the "manager" must make their decisions based on data such as player's average and home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
totals. They also have the ability to change and decide who will be a pinch-hitter and who will be a substitute pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. One is even allowed to pick out a designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. The game prohibits one from putting out more team members in a certain part of the field
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
than would normally be allowed, which makes deciding which player will be used where a part of the experience.
There are three modes that can be played with teams from either the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
or the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
: regular season games, All-star game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
s or the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(interleague). The World Series rounds, however, are only one match each, which is not accurate to the real World Series. Due to the licensing, the teams even appear complete in their official uniforms and colours and also have all the options that a real baseball player would have, including bunting, pitching out, base stealing and throwing errors.
Gameplay limitations
In Major League Baseball, the pitcher is unable to move around the pitcher's mound and many are also able to perform the feat of 100 mi/h pitches. The ball's physics have been called into question, with the ball stopping on a dime after three or less bounces. The game's camera system does not function properly and, when a ball is hit, the outfield camera follows the ball looking upwards, making it impossible for the game player to see where their fielders are. The ball can also be thrown and get stuck in the well between the stands and the field on an overthrow of a baseman, and cause inside the park home runInside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
s, which would not happen within a real game (in that case a ground rule double
Ground rule double
In baseball, a ground rule double is an award of two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batter-runner as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground rules in effect at the field where the game is being...
and/or error would be scored instead). Another bug allows players to go into the stands past the wall with the ball if they enter at certain points in foul territory.
There are also gameplay issues when the player takes their turn to bat. The AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
is not developed and, when the player hits a pitch, it nearly always takes the longest possible route to the ball, making runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
easier to score. It also lacks the capability to throw out a runner who is returning to a base (instead of advancing) or perform a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
after catching a fly ball. Furthermore, the batter can only move vertically, not horizontally, in the batter's box.
Graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
given the constraints of the technology at the time. All the players are Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
and each one's batting stance is exactly the same. The game view is always top down; when batting or pitching, it is centered above the catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, behind the batter and with an overhead look of the pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. In the outfield, there is an aerial view
Aerial View
Aerial View is the fourth studio album by the German band Blackmail. The album was released on Friday, January 13, 2006 under City Slang Records. The album is noted for its harsh guitar melodies and mellow vocals. Crediting the album release, the band's website released a promotional e-card with...
of a portion of the field, with the team members represented by tiny sprites and an inset with red dots representing where the players are on base. Although the official colors are intact, the actual symbols on their uniforms are absent. The crowd is represented by a series of colored dots.
Music and sound effects
There are a limited amount of effects and, aside from brief ballpark jingleJingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s, there is no real background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
present during the game. For example, the charge fanfare
Charge (fanfare)
"Charge" is a short fanfare frequently played at sporting events.-History:"Charge" was written by Tommy Walker while a junior at the University of Southern California in the fall of 1946...
is played at random points and the introductory screen begins with a different baseball tune while the player is loading up and selecting his team, along with a home run fanfare. Generic sound effects include the bat cracking upon contact with the ball, the sound of the ball flying through the air during a pitch, bouncing and throwing effects, and a stream of crowd noises.
Reception
Major League Baseball was featured in the first issue of Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
and compared to R.B.I. Baseball and Bases Loaded
Bases Loaded (video game)
Bases Loaded, known in Japan as , is a baseball video game by Jaleco that was released in Japan. A version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1987 in Japan and in 1988 in the U.S., and a Game Boy port was released in 1990. A mobile phone version exists as well...
, although the magazine did not pass any judgment on which game was superior. Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
's review of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
rated it three stars out of five, the same rating is gave to R.B.I. Baseball and half a star lower than it awarded to Bases Loaded
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
.