Major League Baseball isn’t finished with the R.B.I. Baseball name quite yet.
The league’s Advanced Media division is turning the classic franchise into a modern, annualized sports release. R.B.I. Baseball 15 will debut on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC as well as smartphones and tablets. MLB’s development studio is promising “high-resolution graphics” and a “suite of new features” that are based on fan feedback after R.B.I. Baseball 14 failed to live up to expectations. Sony has a stranglehold on professional baseball games with its MLB: The Show franchise that is exclusive to PlayStation devices. R.B.I. Baseball has the chance to get an audience on Xbox One considering it is the only officially licensed baseball product that the system is going to get.
Like last year’s release, R.B.I. Baseball 15 is a downloadable game that focuses on fast and easy play. The new features that MLBAM is promising include revamped ballparks, complete rosters for all teams, and online play.
The developer released a few screenshots of R.B.I. Baseball 15, and the new release looks a little bit cleaner and crisper. The stadium and fields definitely look better thanks to more detailed textures, but the character models also look a little more lifelike as well.
Above: The ballparks look better than they did last year.
Like most sports games, R.B.I. Baseball 15 will feature a current star on its digital cover. MLB has asked Chicago Cubs All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo to act as the face of this release. MLBAM has also worked out a deal with Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez, who will help promote the release.
While R.B.I. Baseball is the only officially licensed series on non-PlayStation platforms, last year’s game failed to thrill fans. And with MLB: The Show and the debut of the arcadey and fun Super Mega Baseball, MLBAM will have to improve upon what it released last year.