Cal Ripken's Real Baseball
First free-to-play baseball massively multiplayer online sports game.
Cal Ripken's Real Baseball, also called Real Baseball Online or Ultimate Baseball Online, was a free-to-play online baseball game that let up to 18 real people play at once. It ran from 2003 to 2008 and was made by Netamin Communication Corporation. The game was the first free baseball MMOSG.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- NCK Tiger Electronic Handheld Studios
- Publisher
- Netamin Communication Corporation
- Engine
- Virtual Reality Environment Engine; EMotion FX (Q3 2008)
- Released
- 2003
- Genre
- Baseball MMOSG
- Modes
- Multiplayer
- Platforms
- Windows
Facts from the source article.
Development and history
Netamin Communication Corporation, founded in 1999, developed Real Baseball Online and became the world's first company to create a Massively Multiplayer Online Sports Game (MMSOG), led by founder and CEO Andy Wang. The game entered live Beta testing in April 2004 and later associated with Disney/ESPN. Former Major League Baseball player Darrell Evans served as the game's Ambassador for most of its history until shortly after the ESPN deal. Ultimate Baseball Online 2006 (UBO) ended the Beta phase. In September 2006, Netamin announced a monthly subscription fee of $7.95 for early adopters and $9.95 for new players, which drew negative reactions. Netamin responded by creating a new season and league system while making the game free to play for those only in pickup games. Disney/ESPN insisted on a visual face lift, which introduced more problems and contributed to the game's demise. Angry players lashed out at General Managers (GMs) on message boards. Netamin tried discounts for six-month or one-year subscriptions, free months for tournament wins, and limited-time free play until a certain level, but none attracted enough subscribers. With seasoned players leaving and new players not paying, Netamin ended subscription fees and returned to free play.
Gameplay
Real Baseball could field up to 18 players occupying all active baseball positions, but players often refused to field 18 due to lag and synchronization issues, and games rarely ended with all original participants. Netamin later revised the game to allow only ten human players total between two teams. Characters had levels from 0 to 99, with 99 being the maximum. Game-coded team names (Home and Away) were used instead of player-created team names, allowing players on normal servers to play regardless of team affiliation. Servers were divided by players under level 10 and over level 11. Team play was enforced only in Team Tournaments and the UBO League. Game settings offered day and night options with three, six, or nine inning games, plus extra innings if needed, in two stadiums. Batting power was intended to be amplified by adding parameter points in body strength and stamina, but stamina was never implemented. RBO hosted seasonal leagues with three classes: MVP, All-Star, and Major, managed by Netamin and Game Masters. Leagues included a 10-game regular season, 3-game wildcard playoffs, 4-game division finals, and a 5-game league championship. Press coverage and awards were written by official RBO players. Winners qualified for the Best of RBO competition, which never took place. Prizes included hats, shirts, pens, keychains, Darrell Evans autographed baseballs, iPods, PSPs, Tickle Me Elmo dolls, Domino's Pizza, Michael J. Fox Bobbleheads, gift cards, and level upgrades. Pay-to-play tournaments and in-game advertisements were added to fund prizes.
Shutdown and baseball MMOSG future
By October 2008, players could no longer access Cal Ripken's Real Baseball Online. A notice on the game's site announced the service was halted indefinitely and apologized for the trouble. Shortly after, Netamin's own website disappeared. Fans started an open-source project called Multiplayer Baseball Online, which was worked on from early 2009 until it stopped in mid-2010. Around 2010, a different company revived the game as Big League Online, but that too shut down, and its developers have been silent for more than a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Cal Ripken's Real Baseball?
Cal Ripken's Real Baseball was developed by NCK Tiger Electronic Handheld Studios.
What platforms is Cal Ripken's Real Baseball available on?
Cal Ripken's Real Baseball was released for Windows.
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