Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015 is Coming to the PS3 and Vita This Spring

Feature Article

Submitted on: 01/24/2015 by Jayson Young

Last week's issue of Famitsu magazine confirmed that Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015 will appear on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita during the series' regularly scheduled spring release period. The suggested retail price for this year's game has not been revealed, thus pre-orders are not currently open at popular import shops like Play-Asia and NCSX.

Famitsu's article highlighted two of Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015's new features:

3D face scans will make players and coaches look more authentic. Facial expressions and mouth movements will also appear more lifelike.
"Live Seasons" mode will create short challenges based on the real-life results of Nippon Professional Baseball games. Users will be able to replay the key turning points from each day's NPB matchups. Winning challenges will reward stamps that can be redeemed for special items at the in-game shop.

Though it wasn't officially announced, one screenshot (shown above) hints that Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015 might reinstate a roster limit on foreign-born players. In this image, the nameplate of South Korean cleanup hitter, Lee Dae-ho, has an orange bar going through it, likely indicating that he is a foreigner. This restriction was removed from Pro Yakyuu Spirits several years ago, but it returned in the 2014 edition of Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu, which is Konami's anime-inspired take on Nippon Professional Baseball (better known to Americans as Power Pros).

Another screenshot (pictured above) suggests that Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015 will record the location of each pitch and display that information during at-bats. Pitch history charts could only be accessed after a game's conclusion in Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2014.

Konami have declined to comment on whether or not Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015 might appear later this year on PlayStation 4. The company's first sports title for the system, Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, was released globally last November. Nippon Professional Baseball, however, is a much more niche product -- one that lacks the international appeal of soccer -- and as such, draws a predominantly Japanese audience each year. In its homeland, Sony's PlayStation 4 just recently topped one million units sold this past January, so the Japanese install base might not be large enough yet to justify a PlayStation 4 release of Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2015. Keep an eye on Operation Sports' baseball section, as we'll post a news story whenever Konami's PS4 publishing decision goes public.

Member Comments

# 1 KennyJ1976 @ 01/24/15 02:05 PM

I just checked out last years version of this game on YouTube. Why in the world won't anyone get this company to make a MLB game? The Show needs some competition and the Xbox just needs a game period.

# 2 Shaffer26 @ 01/24/15 05:41 PM

This is great news! Always wanted to give this game a try.

# 3 Will I Am @ 01/24/15 05:55 PM

Konami home page.

http://www.konami.jp/products/prospi_2015/

Release Date: March 26, 2015
Manufacturer's suggested retail price:
PS3� package version, download version: 7,600 yen (excluding tax)
PS Vita package version, download version: 6,980 yen (excluding tax)

# 4 Asp86 @ 01/24/15 07:10 PM

I must say, this game reminds me of MVP baseball. Looks good on YouTube.

# 5 maltliquor23 @ 01/24/15 08:53 PM

I skipped 14 since i have 12 and 13 but i am definitely picking this years. The fact that spirit translation does such a wonderful job covering menus and abilities, its quite easy to navigate.

# 6 bonannogiovanni @ 01/24/15 09:20 PM

No PS4? total bummer...

# 7 mrcultureshock @ 01/25/15 12:39 AM

It's really a shame that Konami is still unable to release the PS4 version. I've bought Pro Yakyu Spirits every year since the PS2 days but I'm skipping this year.

# 8 C.J.S. @ 01/25/15 03:52 AM

We still have a chance for a PS4 version...Hope!

This game is the best sports game iv'e played.

# 9 GlennN @ 01/25/15 09:23 AM

I just can't get past the language barrier (even with the great translation work available). Just too much of a hassle for me. I would love if they made a western version of this game! For now, I'll stick with The Show.

# 10 TerryP @ 01/26/15 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennN


	I just can't get past the language barrier (even with the great translation work available). Just too much of a hassle for me. I would love if they made a western version of this game! For now, I'll stick with The Show.

Same here. Just an English text option would do it for me. Love the Japanese commentary though.

# 11 OaklandFanatic @ 01/26/15 03:13 PM

The language barrier is no problem. As long as you have the menu memorized you really don't have to worry. There was one Pro Yakyuu Spirits game that had it where the game was in English.

# 12 bxphenom7 @ 01/27/15 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennyJ1976


	I just checked out last years version of this game on YouTube. Why in the world won't anyone get this company to make a MLB game? The Show needs some competition and the Xbox just needs a game period.

Would Konami even release this game on an Xbox if it were to release it on the current consoles? I feel it would only be on the PS4, so even then, Xbox gamers would lose out on baseball unfortunately.

# 13 C.J.S. @ 01/27/15 09:26 PM

Microsoft has so much money a golf and baseball game where they would clean up means nothing to them......

# 14 jyoung @ 01/28/15 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bxphenom7


	Would Konami even release this game on an Xbox if it were to release it on the current consoles? I feel it would only be on the PS4, so even then, Xbox gamers would lose out on baseball unfortunately.

Konami tried bringing MLB Bobblehead Pros to the Xbox 360 in the summer of 2011, but nobody in America bought the game. It was one of the lowest-selling XBLA games of all-time and was delisted from the marketplace a year and a half after its release.

# 15 gillz107 @ 01/30/15 11:36 PM

Been over 7 or 8 years since I've posted on these forums, lol.

Anyway, someone above mentioned that there was a previous version of the series that had english text. Which version was that?

# 16 OhioCub @ 02/09/15 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	Konami tried bringing MLB Bobblehead Pros to the Xbox 360 in the summer of 2011, but nobody in America bought the game. It was one of the lowest-selling XBLA games of all-time and was delisted from the marketplace a year and a half after its release.

Maybe they need to try it without the lame bobblehead gimmick? lol

# 17 Blzer @ 02/11/15 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlennN


	I just can't get past the language barrier (even with the great translation work available). Just too much of a hassle for me. I would love if they made a western version of this game! For now, I'll stick with The Show.

I agree. I have PYS 2013 and love it, but I can't just memorize things here and there. I'd rather learn the language. I can't do franchise with all those hassles, man.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asp86


	I must say, this game reminds me of MVP baseball. Looks good on YouTube.

This game plays nothing like MVP. However, I do seem to remember watching some gameplay trailer of this other Japanese game that was either coming out or came out, and that one seemed to feel exactly like MVP from the looks of it. I might dig around later and find that one for you, but I'm sure there's a thread in this very subtopic on that game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	Konami tried bringing MLB Bobblehead Pros to the Xbox 360 in the summer of 2011, but nobody in America bought the game. It was one of the lowest-selling XBLA games of all-time and was delisted from the marketplace a year and a half after its release.

That's because that was a terrible game, and it didn't much represent what PYS or Power Pros does correctly whatsoever.

Also, they didn't try the PSN crowd. I still would have bought it, though I would have been very disappointed in it.

# 18 geisterhome @ 02/21/15 01:19 PM

Once this makes it's way to the PS4 I'll buy it for sure, language barrier or not

# 19 Will I Am @ 02/26/15 11:09 AM

2015 in action.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jCFj9M...l=0&vq=highres

# 20 Blzer @ 02/26/15 12:34 PM

Graphics look last-gen.

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