U.S. based Netamin Corporation, announced the world's first virtual reality, massive multi-player online sports game - Ultimate Baseball Online (UBO) - is in the final stages of testing and will be ready for a worldwide launch in Fall 2004.
Unlike current video games that aspire to simulate professional sports, UBO delivers a first person perspective online sports experience as real players team up and face off against another team in real-time. In order to ensure accuracy, Darrell Evans, a two-time Major League All-Star ('73 & '74) and World Series winner (1985), serves as UBO's principle baseball consultant. UBO software is available for download and free
trial immediately at the official website, a link to which is available by following the download tab above.
In UBO, baseball enthusiasts and gamers compete in 3D virtual stadiums. With stunning graphics and surround-sound audio reactions from the crowd, participants control a player for a specific field position. Players use an avatar to bat, pitch, field, run, steal and perform any baseball action. Participants can practice, play pick-up games, join or
found their own teams, compete against rival teams and win a league championship in the post season. Gamers build their skill level (player stats) through successful play on the field against other real human players. Netamin is now offering Ultimate Baseball Online at a special preview discount price of USD 19.95 with free monthly play until the game
officially launches in Fall 2004. Once launched, Ultimate Baseball Online will cost USD 29.95, which includes the first month of play free, with a monthly subscription charge of USD 9.95.
To date, baseball videogames, as with all sports video games, have been very solitary experiences. You control a whole team against the computer, or against one other person, said Andy Wang, president of Netamin Corporation. Ultimate Baseball Online is designed to simulate the baseball 'team' experience - a team of nine real people playing against another team of nine real people, with every participant viewing
the action from their own perspective.
Netamin will maintain a secure listing of individual statistics and will rank players daily and weekly in accordance to their performance. Winning teams will be invited by Netamin to compete in a UBO World Series playoff event scheduled when the season is over. In a sport where pitches fly at 100-miles-per-hour, ensuring every player sees the
same action on screen at the same time is crucial. Netamin has addressed potential Internet latency issues with a series of exclusive patented technologies that lie at the heart of the UBO gaming engine.
Ultimate Baseball Online, for me, is the closest thing to being back on the playing field, said Darrell Evans. The Mental part of baseball has finally been captured. UBO will give players a great appreciation for the little nuances of each position, as well as an understanding of the teamwork that is involved in playing the sport of baseball
successfully.
Virtual Baseball World Cup
To promote the addition of the new Tournament feature in Ultimate Baseball Online, Netamin is launching a worldwide round-robin tournament that is open to anyone who wishes to join one of the UBO teams, or form their own. UBO Summer Slugfest 2004, which will start at the end of July, will feature dozens of teams competing in 3D virtual stadiums, to win great baseball prizes such as customized team jerseys and caps, autographed baseballs, and the fame that comes with being crowned the first Virtual Baseball World Cup Champions.