Ultimate Baseball Online - MMOG sports game in beta
by Ben Zackheim 
{ May 23rd 2005 at 12:02PM }
I'm going to say up front that I'm working on this title, but I feel it's newsworthy (and fun) enough to post here.
The PC hasn't exactly been the platform of choice for sports games. Consoles have been the go-to platform for all the
major American sports, and that won't change. What may change is the character of PC sports games.
Ultimate Baseball Online promises to be the first massively multiplayer online sports game. Build your character,
manage a team, join a quick pick-up game for some xp, or play in a league game. It's an ambitious project and so far it
seems stable and fun. Standing on the field, waiting for the ball to come to you while you talk trash to the base
runner is as much fun as being up at bat. But the real appealing part of the game to me is that superstars will be
built. Those who play the most will be recognized for it, taking the premise of cyber-athlete into a new
direction.
UBO is in beta right now, and anyone can join. Just click on the "Read" link. You'll have to become an ESPN.com
member, which is also free.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Is this the same UBO that's been around forever? A least over a year? I was in on the beta waaay back in the day, but I never actually downloaded it or played it.
When did it get into cahoots with ESPN?
Ben Z. @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Yup same one, but with lots more bug fixes and improvements. ESPN announced the deal back in April.
Brinstar @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I can see that the jocks who are all into this "fantasy sports" business would be interested in a game like this. Rather than hearing about their rankings and trades drifting over the cubicle walls, I may very well be hearing about this game.
Ryuukuro @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
It's nice to see an MMO that's not another fantasy or sci-fi game.
jo @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I can't see the "MMO" term being applied to this as more than a marketing gimmick.
"First evar!"
Having 9 people per team hardly constitutes "massive" at all.
And what are you going to do when people quit mid-game, or people on the losing team stop participating because they dont have a chance? Team-killing, AFK players, etc etc. Ben, are there any interviews or anything showing how developers are working on these balance issues?
Ben Z. @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Sure thing. You can get a run down here. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sports/ultimatebaseballonline/preview_6103505.html
Toolz @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Don't bother, signed up for the ESPN account, the UBO account, etc, all to get a d/l error.
mack @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Ben,
we are all getting this error when trying to download game.
"High security alert!!!
You are not permitted to download the file "Setup_UBO.exe"."
can you help us? thanks.
Eric @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I'm getting the High security alert too. Was looking forward to playing this one.
Ben Z. @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
On it.
Ben Z. @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Ok all. Try now. Sorry about that. It was a new server setting.
Ian Murphy @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I just gave this a try. I give ESPN credit for an amitious undertaking, but if this is beta, then we need a new definition of the term. The game is near-unplayable, with all sorts of core fundamentals of baseball missing (try playing a game without a human catcher!), tons of bugs, graphical glitches beyond belief (every 'caught' ball first bounces a couple times then teleports back to the fielder for an 'out'). There don't seem to be any leagues, or any other kind of advanced functionality, just 'skrimish' type games. Even Alpha would be a dubious classificiation for the title at this point.
mack @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
OMG!!! ...
has anyone played this "game"... I mean, seriously this is something I wouldnt even expect on an atari.. sure the graphics are decent(then again, we are talking about a static field here)... but my god, the game is literally unplayable. I mean, there is no way to even evaluate..you cant play it because it is so unbelievable amateur.
I dont care if this is beta, alpha, whatever...the game itself if pointless. I mean, a beta usually has some bug here and there... but to be completely and utterly unplayable..I mean, its not even a game. Its like... a glorified chat room at best.
You cant tell me with all the talented people out there creating unbelievable game engines that ESPN couldnt come up with something better then this??
Battlefield 2 will support 64 players, physics, graphics that rival half life, stat tracking... and you guys cant figure out a glorified 9 on 9 flash game???
you gotta be kidding me..
Brad @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
I got the high security error at first, but was able to download it. Now whenever I go to launch the game the patcher gives me an "enginedll.dll" download failed error. I contacted customer support. Got asked if I was on XP SP 2 and if my drivers were up to date. I respond yes. The way the email is worded - it asks if the software is upgraded, apparently referring to XP but it's not clear - led me to ask which software was updated. But I did state all software was current and I was on XP SP2. A little while later? I get the first email all over again, asking me if my software is up to date and if I'm on the latest XP patch.
So whoever is in your support group - if anybody - isn't actually reading the emails. And I still can't play the game.I responded to the second form email saying all my software was up to date (a third time) and that I had sent all this before.
No response. I'd like to try the game, sounds interesting. But getting the finger from the support group isn't the best way to keep me interested when something is wrong with your download mechanism.
Toolz @ Dec 18th 2005 8:45PM
Okay I FINALLY got this POS to run after numerous patches, lemme tell you don't waste your time, beta to me means 90% functional, if you can't pitch, steal, etc without every little twig in the game crying a river there's no point in playing a baseball game, in addition there's so many annoying points to the game I wonder why I even gave it a second try aside from the fact that I was just wondering if in fact something this craptastic had been created in the year 2005