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''Ultimate Baseball Online'' (''''UBO'''') is the first Free-to-play 1 baseball based Massively Multiplayer online Sports Game ( MMOSG ).2 It was developed and published by Netamin Communication Corporation of Diamond Bar , CA with the assistance of former Major League Baseball player and World Series champion Darrell Evans . Ultimate Baseball Online 2006 was replaced by the 2007 edition on April 27 , 2007 . DEVELOPMENT Beta release After releasing two mini-games as teasers to the full-feature Ultimate Baseball Online, Netamin announced an Open Beta release on March 2nd , 2004 . The version included league play, pick-up games and practice mode. The release of the full game was expected to be around Fall 2004; however, those plans fell through.3 ESPN Spring Training On April 27 , 2005 , Netamin Communication Corporation and ESPN announced a partnership to produce ESPN Spring Training and Ultimate Baseball Online.4 ESPN Spring Training was officially released on May 11 , 2005 . ESPN Spring Training was meant to be played offline as practice in preparation for the main game, Ultimate Baseball Online. Participants of ESPN Spring Training were able to see and compare their hitting averages and status on the ESPN Leaderboard.5 ESPN UBO The full-feature version of ESPN Ultimate Baseball Online (ESPN UBO) was released on ESPN360 on May 12th , 2005 . Fans with broadband capability were able to download the world's first massive multi-player online sports game from ESPN.com . Among the enhancements included in the new version are enhanced graphics, new Pitching and Fielding practice, enhanced crowd reactions, and better artificial fielding intelligence. The beta version of ESPN UBO features a new Graphics Engine that runs at 60 frames per second and more than 100,000 polygons per frame - double the quantity of the previous version. Other visual enhancements include dynamic RGB lighting, soft-edged shadows, and natural reflections.6 UBO 2006 Returning to independent development, the release version of UBO 2006 brought completely automated tournament game play. It featured tournament record keeping and tournament-specific Leader Board statistics, extending player information beyond the previous edition's pick up game statistics and Leader Board statistics. Tournament statistics were posted to the UBO Website in real time so players can track their own and their teammates' statistics and scout out the performance of opposing players during the course of the tournament. Significant player achievements are also posted to personal character Web pages.7 On September 25 , 2006 , Netamin Communication Corporation announced the adoption of a Pay-to-play monthly subscription model for its game.8 The plan was scrapped shortly before the new subscription model came into effect. It was announced that Netamin will instead adopt an Free-to-play In-game Advertising model instead.9 UBO 2007 Featuring new mini-games and a power ranking system, Ultimate Baseball Online 2007 was rolled out on March 1 , 2007 . In addition to mini-games, Free Agent Tournaments were also added, allowing for tournament play outside of the team structure, and extending the opportunity for gamers to meet other players. UBO 2007 included the awarding of Power Ranking Points for teams, based on their performance in a wide variety of UBO leagues and tournaments. Points were accumulated throughout the year, with the top 64 UBO teams earning a berth in competition dubbed "The Best of UBO 2007". The global event features US$ 10,000 in cash prizes and will run from November 26 , 2007 , to December 21 , 2007 . UBO 2007 also featured a number of graphical upgrades and changes, including new effects and real-world advertisers in the stadiums, courtesy of a partnership with In-game Advertising company Double Fusion .10 GAMEPLAY MyUBO MyUBO, introduced in November 2006, gives personalized information to each player upon game entry in order to keep them informed and educated about the possibilities of event participation and community networking. The informational hub is dedicated to keeping each UBO gamer up to date on all things UBO that pertain to his or her characters. MyUBO includes:
The MyUBO portal also serves as the launch point of the Ultimate Baseball Online client.11 Virtual Trophy Case Players can earn a variety of virtual trophies based on the accomplishments of their online game baseball characters. The trophy case gives additional visibility to prestige awards, such as UBO ''Player of Month'', which is selected by the entire UBO community. UBO baseball characters will automatically earn trophies for batting accomplishments, such as hitting 10 Home Runs , and Pitching feats, such as throwing 100 Strikeouts . A third category is for awarded trophies, such as recognition for league play or MVP selection.12 UBO Patcher The Ultimate Baseball Online Patcher updates each individuals game to the latest version. The patcher is also used to configure graphics and test connection issues. Ultimate Baseball Online allows 800x600, 1024x768, and 1280x1024 screen resolutions; normal or high textures; or window mode. Servers Ultimate Baseball Online is divided into two main Server s, with other servers serving other purposes. The Rookie Clubhouse is designed for new players levels 1-9 while the Pickup Clubhouse is designed for players level 9-99. Other servers include the Practice Clubhouse, specifically used for practices, and Tournament Clubhouses, for special events. All UBO Servers are located in Diamond Bar, CA . Character creation Players can create and customize their Avatar as a unique baseball character, selecting their baseball position for playing and viewing all game play from the unique perspective.13 Some of the many avatar customization options that Ultimate Baseball Online offers are:
Pitching Ultimate Baseball Online offers a dynamic pitching system, featuring 12 pitches and varying speeds. Pitching is affected by the Arm Strength and Throwing Accuracy statistics. The twelve pitches available in-game are:
Batting Hitters control everything in the hitting mode from swing power to hit location. Just like in real life, timing and accuracy is everything. Players can determine what type of swing they want (from bunt to all types of contact levels). Based on the speed of the pitch and reaction time to start the swing, a player can hit a Home Run out of the park or miss on a breaking ball low and away. Fielding Running, catching, throwing; all in the same play. Fielders must complete plays, make the outs, and prevent runs from scoring, much like in real life baseball. Players are not limited to their positions, as players can choose positions prior to the start of each game as well as during each game. From outfield to infield to foul ground, players can make plays just like real baseball players do, as well as dive and jump for the ball. In the event a full game is not reached, the AI takes the field and plays the position. Stadiums The original Ultimate Baseball Online Stadium includes a jumbotron, billboards, stands, and normal features of a baseball stadium. One unique feature of the UBO Stadium is the outfield waterfalls. The stadium bares a striking resemblance to Kauffman Stadium , the home of the Kansas City Royals . The U-BOB (Ultimate Baseball Online Ballpark) is a new stadium that was made available in UBO 2007. The stadium features palm tree's, an upper deck, and other stadium features expected from a Major League Baseball park. The ballpark will serve as the second stadium to the original UBO Stadium. This new stadium bears resemblance to U.S. Cellular Field , the home of the Chicago White Sox .14 TOURNAMENTS Tournaments are designed to provide quick and intense competition between teams and individuals. Most tournaments are free and hosted weekly by Ultimate Baseball Online's development team. Any team, pending if requirements are met, can join tournaments and compete against each other at the specified time of the tournament. Entire tournaments may last several days, pending on how many teams are entered. UBO pay-to-play tournaments costs a small entry fee, but the winners take home valuable prizes. There have been three prize tournaments featuring the Apple Computer IPod Mini 15, Nike Sunglasses16, and Sony PSP 's17. Prizes were awarded to each individual player of the teams who won the tournament. Netamin has also announced the "Best of UBO 2007" competition, featuring a total of $10,000USD. Power Rankings UBO 2006 included the awarding of Power Ranking Points for teams, based on their performance in a wide variety of UBO leagues and tournaments. Points are accumulated throughout the 2007 calendar year, with the top 64 UBO teams earning a berth in competition dubbed "The Best of UBO 2007".18 Bugs/Glitches One of UBO's main deterrents are it's bugs. Since the games inception it has been riddled with bugs and user made glitches. Many players stopped playing because of this. The Netamin team work to fix these errors, but when one is fixed many new ones are known to arise. GM's Gm's are the name given to the players who police UBO and punish players for breaking the Tos, there are a huge number of Gm's, all with the ability to ban and suspend players, as well as muting them. Gm's are picked from usual players by Netamin and although this action is intended to increase the community value, most Gm's favor players and teams, much to the fustration of players reporting rule breakers that a GM may be friends with. LEAGUE SEASONS Ultimate Baseball Online features seasonal leagues that feature multiple teams of different levels playing against each other for the championship. There are three league classes: Elite, All-Star, and Major. Leagues usually feature a 10-game regular season, 3 wildcard playoff games, 4 division final games, and a 5-game league championship. UBO Press Coverage and Awards are also presented during the league seasons. All winners of UBO 2007 Leagues earn an entry into the Best of UBO 2007. History BEST OF UBO 2007 On January 8th, 2007, Ultimate Baseball Online launched a worldwide, year-long competition to determine the team that will be considered the “Best of UBO 2007.” The Best of UBO 2007 is a global event open to UBO players worldwide and will be the first cash-prize tournament for UBO, featuring $10,000USD.19 64 teams consisting of five to nine players will qualify during the year to compete in the tournament, which will run from November 26 to December 21, 2007. Each round will be a best-of-three series, and the championship round will be a best-of-five series. A team may qualify for a berth in the Best of UBO 2007 Tournament in any one of three ways:
Playing in UBO events will earn each team PRPs that accumulate throughout the calendar year. Participation in free and pay-to-play events earn teams the valuable points necessary to receive their “Best of UBO 2007” invitation. Members of the winning team in the Best of UBO 2007 Tournament will split a $4,500 cash prize. The second place team will take home $2,250, and third place will receive $1,125. Additional cash prizes will be paid to teams finishing through eighth place. The Most Valuable Player of the Best of UBO 2007 tournament series will be selected by popular vote of all UBO members, and will receive a $200 cash award plus a virtual trophy for that player’s Trophy Room. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS Official websites Reviews
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