MLB Manager Online Announced, SEGA Partners with MLB Advanced Media and the MLBPA

[Steve_OS]

Check out the rest of the screenshots, right here.

SEGA Partners with MLB Advanced Media and the Major League Baseball Players Association

TOKYO and SAN FRANCISCO - December 14, 2010 SEGA® Corporation and SEGA® of America, Inc. have announced that they will be launching the free-to-play sports simulation MLB Manager™ Online in March 2011, coinciding with the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball® season. Fully licensed by MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), MLB Manager™ Online is SEGA’s first Internet-based sports simulation game to be launched in the United States, Canada, Japan and South Korea. Baseball fans can register online at http://mlbmanageronline.com for one of the limited spots in the closed beta period, which is scheduled to start on January 7, 2011.

MLB Manager™ Online will allow aspiring team managers to select from over 900 actual players from all 30 current US Major League Baseball teams. Gamers can check their players’ stats, profiles and past records, including detailed stats such as on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), to select their ideal team line-up. Gamers also will be able to trade players to create a championship-caliber team, ultimately using their skills as managers to represent their country in the World Champions Tournament of baseball.

The game will be free to play in the browser of any PC or Mac compatible with Adobe® Flash Player 10. MLB Manager™ Online will require no downloads or installation to play.

“MLB Manager Online represents an important step forward in SEGA’s goal of expanding into the digital gaming space and providing fans with exciting new ways to enjoy their favorite sport,” said Haruki Satomi, VP of Digital Business for SEGA of America. “We are thrilled to offer them free access to a fully licensed and engaging online baseball experience.”

“SEGA is a respected publisher in the games space, and we are excited to partner with them in their first foray into the realm of a full-scale browser and interactive media sports game in these territories. Sega’s interactive media MLB-focused game will provide MLB fans with an exciting platform via which they can enjoy America’s national pastime,” said Alex Pigeon, Vice President of International at MLBAM.

“Partnering with Sega to bring MLB Manager Online to baseball fans is an exciting prospect. SEGA has been successful in Europe with their Football Manager title and we hope to carry that success over to MLB Manager Online here with a solid and entertaining product." said Mike Amin, Director of Interactive Games, Internet and Business Partnerships at MLBPA.

MLB Manager™ Online is scheduled for a full product launch in March 2011 in the United States, Canada, Japan and South Korea. Applications to participate in the closed beta are available now on the official website: http://mlbmanageronline.com.

[JohnDoe8865]

Looks awesome. Hope I get chosen for the beta. Love this idea!

[ThatRadioGuy]

Man I bet Markus Heinsohn is suicidal. All these years building a product and SEGA gives it away for free. Now he knows how journalists feel in the Internet age. Well, at least he'll have the maniacal faithful still. That's always good for 110 units sold. After that .. the peripheral players .. boy, hard to compete with free. The standard of "is it good?" goes way, way down when the price is nothing. Poor Markus. First he loses SI distribution and now this. In my opinion, this will about do it for OOTP if is anywhere close to good. The OOTP jihadists over on their forums are just too small in numbers to keep the series afloat. Kinda sad. Passing of an era.

[JohnDoe8865]

I'm not sure. I'm an OOTP fan, and the ability to play any of the past seasons, customize every single aspect down to the most tiny detail, and not be connected online all the time will keep OOTP in my rotation.

I'm not a HUGE devoted player like those you mention - I've bought OOTP 5, 9, and 10. I consider myself a fan but every year isnt a must purchase. So I think the OOTP series will be alright as long as people still yearn for the customization (mods) and the ability to make the world your own.

[geomorphologist]

Yai, I'm in the beta

[jct32]

I also got in.

[murph17]

i got in too. keeps timing out after i select a world though...

[geomorphologist]

Ok, I'm not much enjoying it (all those cards making it feels like kids game). Someone wants my key ? You'll have to keep my team name but other than that - all yours

Not even close to OOTP