R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

MLB Advanced Media announced this out-of-the-blue back in January, and now Polygon has some more details on it:

R.B.I. Baseball 14 wants to be the simple, fast-paced game you remember

• All 30 MLB teams, 16 real players from each team
• Classic two-button controls
• Three modes: Exhibition, 162-game season, and Postseason
• Local multiplayer only; no online play
• Digital release only
• No price yet
• the game will initially launch simultaneously on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android and iOS in "early April"
• PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions to follow soon afterward.
• No PC version, apparently

"It's going to be very true to the roots of the brand, of R.B.I. Baseball," said Jamie Leece, vice president of games for MLB Advanced Media, in a phone interview with Polygon earlier this week. "It will be fast-paced; games can be played in under 20 minutes. From a user control standpoint, fans will find the controls to be 'classic,' reminiscent of the two-button controls from games of that generation."

...

The modes in R.B.I. 14 are similarly basic. Three are available: You'll be able to play one-off exhibition games, take a team through a season (a full 162 games or less) or start at the beginning of the postseason. Each team has three jerseys — home, road and alternate — and you can gain access to a fourth uniform, a retro jersey, by completing a challenge in the season mode. The unlockable uniforms include the Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and the yellow jersey for the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates of 1979.

R.B.I. 14 won't offer any of the deeper, more expansive modes that fans of simulation sports games may be used to, such as single-player career modes or online leagues. In fact, R.B.I. 14 doesn't feature online play at all; multiplayer action is limited to local one-on-one games.

...

MLB Advanced Media has not yet confirmed the prices for the various versions of R.B.I. 14, but a spokesperson told Polygon that it will only be released digitally on all platforms. With such a limited scope for the game, prospective buyers will likely be expecting it to cost less than $60.

...

An MLB Advanced Media representative declined to confirm last week's report of an April 10 release date for R.B.I. 14. The rep said the game will initially launch simultaneously on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android and iOS in "early April," with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions to follow soon afterward.


Cover art:

http://i.imgur.com/mV0qTV4.jpg

Screens (click for full-size):

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

One of the things I've always hated about baseball games are the complicated controls. Simple is better.

I'll definitely consider downloading this for my 360 since there are no good baseball games for that system. When and if I get a PS4, I still hope to get The Show.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I always loved playing the RBI BB series. For a little more realism, World Series BB '98 on the Sega Saturn was fun too.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I love the original RBI Baseball on NES and still play it. A big part of the fun is how shitty the fielding and baserunning is and also the overall glitchiness of the game. I don't see how they're going to have updated graphics and keep all the charm of the original.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I remember playing endless hours of RBI against my best friend growing up. We had a trophy that would change hands multiple times per day :lol:

I distinctly remember that when he'd get a hit, I'd throw the ball to my 3B and have the 3B whip the ball against the wall... I'd be daring my buddy to try and advance on the basepath. More times than not, I'd pick up the ball and peg him at second. Ahhh... when games were simple and fun!

Not having online MP really, really sucks though.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I agree. I'm really looking forward to this and will definitely pick it up, but no online MP is a bummer. I was looking forward to playing some of my old high school buddies that are now across state lines. We used to do weekend all night marathons going to the wee hours of the morning. Good times.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I remember Bret Saberhagen being an absolute stud, I always used him on RBI Baseball. Kirby Puckett was another beast in the game.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

Man I had some great f'ing times with the old RBI games. My buddy's ass is still chapped to this day from me hitting a walk-off grand slam on him with Ozzie Smith. I loved that Cardinals squad.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

Loved that game!

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I'd be all over simpler, licensed versions for all pro sports, without necessarily going the full NFL Blitz route. I played endless hours of the Microsoft Sports series on the original XBox (NBA Inside Drive and NFL Fever). They hit the sweet spot for me.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I don't like that they went with the old overhead batting view. It takes away that vertical aspect of swinging high and low. I understand it's supposed to be a throwback, but that's throwing it farther back than necessary. I think they could have kept the more modern behind-the-batter view (which does go back to the 16-bit days with World Series Baseball on the Genesis) while simplifying things by taking away pitch selection and meters.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

WSB on the Genesis was also a fun game.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I never played RBI Baseball, I was always a Baseball Stars guy.

The 3D in the game looks pretty bad, wish they just went with some stylized 2D or something instead.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I loved that team too. No real power but Jack Clark, but man they had so much speed you could steal bases with ease or turn a single in to a double, etc. The top two on the pitching staff were great too if I remember right...Tudor and someone else?

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I hope they retain the classic RBI Baseball music :)

I've played almost every baseball game since the Apple IIe, a couple of my all time favorites:

Micro League Baseball
High Heat Baseball
All Star Baseball (there was a guy on the Washington team (I believe) who would hit a homerun EVERY time at the plate :lol:)
Tommy Lasorda Baseball
RBI - of course
World Series Baseball
MVP
The Show

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

Agree with this. :up:

Sports games used to very "pick up and play", and they were...you know...fun. Now they are a mess of super complex controls that only hardcore fans can play effectively.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

what annoys me even more about the super complex controls (Madden/Fifa), is that there are no instruction books, and they seem to have done away with in-game tutuorials/training modes. The last versions of Madden & Fifa I played (probably 3-4 years ago), I had no way to learn or practivce any of the advanced moves.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

At least Fifa offers a simplified control scheme for those who don't want to learn all the controls. I don't know how well it works, though.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

This applies to like 90% of all new video games. :(

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

true, but at least most non-multiplayer-only games they bring you through the controls slowly with built in tutorials. If I was dropped right into the full control scheme of Ni No Kuni or GTA5 I'd be equally as lost as I am with Fifa.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

Good news! I'll have to get this for PS3 (unless it gets released on the Wii U as well).

I was way into the original RBI baseball (if you havent guessed by my avatar). I even had a stand up arcade version in my garage for a while. My crowning achievement was using Cat Fish Hunter to strike out 27 of the computer controlled, all time great Yankees in a row.
For the NES version, I'd usually play as the Cards or Mets.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

I still can't get over the fact that there isn't MP over Live or PSN!! That's inexcusable.

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

Will it track stats?

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

This is launching this week on PS3, 360, and iOS. Android to follow. PS4 and Xbox One in May. $20 on consoles, $5 on mobile.

Polygon: R.B.I. Baseball 14 hits PS3, Xbox 360 and iOS on April 9, PS4 and Xbox One in May

re: R.B.I. Baseball reboot
 

$20? Seriously?

Sorry, but it's a $10 game at most. I would have been willing to try it at that price point. At $20, it's a non-starter. I can wait another month for The Show.