Imagining a Quebec Nordiques expansion team with FHM 5 on Twitch

December 18, 2018 by OOTP Staff

The Quebec Nordiques spent 23 years on the ice between the WHA and NHL® before moving to Denver and becoming the Colorado Avalanche®. However, that didn’t stop Franchise Hockey Manager 5 producer Jeff Riddolls and community manager Adam from indulging in a “What if?” scenario by bringing the highest level of North American hockey back to the city.

Adam explains: “As with any game we create, we wanted to do something interesting and long term. Since was going to be our first Twitch stream game, we decided to take the opportunity to showcase many of the new features in FHM5, allowing us to start with an expansion team, realign the divisions (we moved Toronto to the powerhouse Central Division) and had Quebec join in their spot.”

He adds: “While I think there are many hockey fans who would love to see another team in Canada, Quebec was a natural fit, and I personally wanted to see what would happen if we moved Toronto back to the West.”

OOTP 19’s Perfect Team Mode: ‘A Next-Level Phase’ for the Game

December 18, 2018 by OOTP Staff

“This is a next-level phase for us,” OOTP Developments CEO and Out of the Park Baseball creator Markus Heinsohn says about OOTP 19’s new Perfect Team mode. “It offers an always-on, dynamic new online experience for players that has never been available in our history. Giving players the chance to assemble completely unique teams, tailored to their preferred style, and competing against other fans from around the world, is extraordinarily fun.”

And what fun it is. Thousands of Perfect Team mode participants discovered that during the public beta of the new game mode, with over 8,000 teams created in more than 260 leagues. And now that it’s been officially released as a free OOTP 19 update, fans around the world will get to experience the thrill of opening digital card packs, battling other managers in simulated online leagues, and working their way up to the Perfect League and a shot at a World Series crown!

We talked to Heinsohn, Perfect Team Community Manager Kris Jardine, and Development Assistant Lukas Berger about this incredible accomplishment in OOTP Developments history.

Boston Red Sox predicted to win World Series, according to OOTP 19

October 19, 2018 by OOTP Staff

The Major League Baseball Postseason is underway, with the Houston Astros seeking to defend their first World Series championship. Many of the teams have returned from the 2017 MLB Postseason, with the exception of the Atlanta Braves (last appearance: 2013), the Oakland Athletics (last appeared in 2014), and Milwaukee Brewers (last berth: 2011).

Like last year, when Out of the Park Baseball 19 correctly forecast the Houston Astros winning the World Series in seven games, OOTP 19 has offered a glimpse into the 2018 MLB Postseason. Our friends at MLB Network offered a look at what could be in store this month, courtesy of OOTP 19’s robust simulation engine.

San Jose Sharks forecast to win Stanley Cup, according to FHM 5

October 12, 2018 by OOTP Staff

The 2018-19 NHL® season is underway, and Franchise Hockey Manager 5 is now available worldwide. You can also check out the game trailer on YouTube.

To celebrate, we took the latest season for a spin in the game and shared the results with our friends at NHL Network, who recently featured our forecast on one of their shows. Read on to find out why FHM 5 sees the San Jose Sharks securing their first Stanley Cup® Championship.

What does the future hold for the LA Angels, Milwaukee Brewers and Florida Panthers?

September 6, 2018 by OOTP Staff

The OOTP Developments Twitch channel continues to feature game streams from Out of the Park Baseball community managers T.J. Lauerman and Kris Jardine, as well as from Adam, community manager for Franchise Hockey Manager. When we last checked in with them, Lauerman and Jardine were running modern days sims of the Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively, while Adam was helming the Florida Panthers® in the year 2020.

How are the three of them doing these days? We checked in to find out.

Scott Andes: From the dugout with Mike Scioscia to talking baseball with Orel Hershiser

July 27, 2018 by OOTP Staff

Yes, that’s former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher and current LA Angels manager Mike Scioscia between two smiling kids. That photo was snapped in 1990, and the kid on the left is Scott Andes, who went on to become such a respected blogger that he was able to earn press credentials and meet and interview many Dodger players and other luminaries.

Of course, Andes’ love of baseball also led to his discovery of Out of the Park Baseball in 2016, when he launched his newest site, LA Dodger Report. He recalls: “I played OOTP because I love simulated baseball games that are realistic where you can begin a campaign/season and build your own roster.

“OOTP was one of the most if not the most realistic computer simulated baseball games I have ever played. It gets pretty addicting especially when you get deep into the season. You can make trades, sign players, build and tweak your roster and the game play is fantastic.”

OOTP attends the 2018 All-Star Game in Washington, DC

July 27, 2018 by OOTP Staff

Three members of the OOTP Developments team — creator and lead developer Markus Heinsohn, co-developer Matt Arnold, and Chief Marketing Officer Rich Grisham — attended this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game and All-Star Home Run Derby in Washington, DC. They spent some time letting us know how the trip went.

What does 2018 hold for the LA Angels and Milwaukee Brewers?

July 8, 2018 by OOTP Staff

While David Carducci, owner of new OOTP blog The Yakker, indulges in historical “What if?” scenarios, our own T.J. Lauerman and Kris Jardine are forging their own paths through the 2018 season and beyond at the helms of the Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively.

They’re streaming their seasons on our Twitch channel on Mondays at 8:30 and 9:30 PM Eastern time, so check it out to follow all the action. All of the broadcasts are archived on our YouTube channel.

We talked to Lauerman and Jardine to find out how their sims have been going so far. Among other things, it turns out that Bryce Harper will unsurprisingly have multiple suitors during the next offseason.

The Yakker explores the OOTP multiverse

July 8, 2018 by OOTP Staff

“Exploring the Out of the Park Baseball multiverse,” it says on the homepage of The Yakker, the new blog from sportswriter David Carducci, who has covered multiple World Series and spent six years as a beat writer focused on the Cleveland Browns, among many other media roles.

True to its tagline, The Yakker indulges in the “What if?” scenarios that make OOTP’s historical option so much fun. There’s “Save our Expos,” a series in which Carducci takes over Montreal in 1995 and tries to keep the team competitive so they don’t leave town. And then there’s “Beyond the Sixth Game 1976,” where the Boston Red Sox attempt to avoid the real life letdown they had after that classic 1975 World Series.

Mike Silva fills the demand for historical stadiums in OOTP

May 22, 2018 by OOTP Staff

When Out of the Park Baseball 15 debuted the ability to play out games in 3D stadiums, Mike Silva found his calling and began creating historical 3D stadiums and sharing them with others. (You can find the complete list on our forum.) “I had always had a love for baseball stadiums and their unique appearances, as well as their effect on the sport,” he says.

Silva continues: “I began my sports gaming days with Microleague Baseball in the mid-80’s as a 10-year-old. I was completely sucked in at that point, but it only had one stadium. When Pure Stat Baseball came out, there was an optional stadium disk which I got as a birthday present and it opened me up to every MLB stadium in the league.

“I would always take graph paper as a kid and try to draw out many of the field layouts from the various stadiums. Being from Boston, Fenway had its obvious charms and I would draw the Green Monster and the unique shapes of the outfield every day.”

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