EA Sports gives the Triple Play series a new name, which is a not a bad idea given the baggage that the previous versions carried with it. Triple Play always focused on action/arcade baseball instead of accurate simulation… and the later versions failed at doing even that correctly.

But we all have our skeletons. So EA has wiped the slate clean and presents us with MVP Baseball 2003. Still focused on arcade-based play, the game features improvements targeted at the casual baseball gamer. It includes an improved batter/pitcher interface, picture-in-picture baserunning, and new player models and animations. Toward the realism end of the scale, MVP has revamped the AI and gameplay engines and will include scouting reports in real-time to help managers make intelligent decisions. Borrowing from golf games, the game includes a throw-meter that allows players to trade accuracy for power in their throws.

MVP Baseball 2003 will be available in stores for $49.99.

The Diamond Mind Baseball series is the granddaddy of them all. Known for its statistical accuracy in replaying seasons, the game introduced years ago a predictive mode that allowed gamers to play the upcoming season, rather than historical ones.

Version 8.0 was the first release for the Windows platform and now an updated version 9.0 is in the works. Not much is known about it at this time, including if it will be released this year or next, but to cover all our bases (sorry), we felt it best to mention it here.

The game is still in development, but planned features include direct internet-play, encyclopedia to store data from previous seasons, font customization, improved play-by-play, report grouping, and game logs. More details will be made available as development progresses.

Diamond Mind Baseball 9.0 will be available directly from Diamond Mind, Inc. A free upgrade is available to anyone who purchases version 8.0 after October 1, 2002.

Ultima or Ultimate? Baseball goes massively multiplayer.

Bottom line: Baseball the MMOG. Not since GFL Baseball for the Commodore 64 has a game attempted to let players actually play out a game at a single position. However, this time, your teammates will be other players around the world.

Each player starts at the amateur level and must progress through several levels of minors to make the Major Leagues. UBO allows gamers to customize their player representation, join a team or create their own, and compete for the UBO championship. Statistics are tracked and presented via the Daily Sports Page feature.

Ultimate Baseball Online will require an initial software purchase and monthly fee thereafter. No specific pricing information is available.

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