Thanks to their consistently quality work and continued updates, Out of the Park Developments routinely produces a super product in Out of the Park Baseball. Out of the Park 15 looks to be the latest iteration of one of the highest rated games here at Operations Sports.

If you haven’t tried this text sim before -- and if OOTP's quality continues its upward trend -- here are four reasons to give OOTP 15 a shot...

Flexibility: Like most text sims, the most basic way to play OOTP “out of the box” is to take the reigns of a current MLB team as its General Manager. Doing so will put you in charge of all aspects of the organization, from lineups to minor league rosters. Of course, with a few tweaks and settings, there are nearly infinite ways to play OOTP. For instance, you can limit yourself to the role of a manager, turning over roster control to your AI GM. This is especially challenging at a low level minor league team, when your players are regularly snatched away as soon as they are productive.

Or, reverse that scenario: Become a GM, but leave all lineup and rotation decisions to your managers. This can be frustrating, but realistic: your new manager might have the crazy idea to platoon your aging star with a huge contract.

I like to play as a manager looking for a job, only taking those offered at the beginning of a new game. These tend to be small market and/or low-level teams; with success, you may find yourself climbing the ladder to become a major league manager, or even GM. This method takes a lot of patience (and usually a lot of simulation), but is really rewarding over the long term.

These methods don’t begin to scratch the surface of what’s available, especially with new international leagues, fictional universes, and the large selection of historical seasons. I never feel like I fully explore all that the game has to offer, simply because there is so much to try.

3D Animations: For years, OOTP has simulated games with basic animations: essentially a ball moving on a 2D plane. While impressive animations aren’t what text sims are usually about, more complex representations add realism and build tension while watching in-game simulations.

For the first time, Out of the Park 15 will dabble in 3D animation, specifically in its handling of ball-flight and park environments.

While we have no idea whether this first attempt at 3D will work (and if it doesn’t, it can be switched off), it will be neat to see the trajectory of each hit through a virtual space, as opposed to the flat animation of years past.

Realism: It’s always fun to simulate a season, and then compare with the actual results. OOTP fairs as well as most in this regard, but adds in twists rarely seen in console baseball sims.

Don’t be surprised to see a news story indicating the passing of a team owner or an odd injury caused off the field. Your low-ball contract extensions may cause your star to shut down negotiations. You may be able to scam the AI during a trade, but it is much more likely they are ripping you off, especially if you don't scout like you should.

Ratings play a part here as well, and have been improved in 2014 to more accurately represent potential/skill by position. It’s neat to see the stud you drafted No. 1 turn into the next Mike Trout; it’s equally depressing to see that pick turn out to be a career AAA player.

To borrow a phrase from EA, if it’s in the game, it’s (probably) in this game. Not sure about instant replay, though.

Fun: I’ve used the before comparison in my reviews, but OOTP is as addictive, challenging, and pure fun as Sid Meier’s Civilization, my all-time (sports or otherwise) favorite game franchise. There’s a “one more turn” quality in both of these titles that will leave you wondering why it’s suddenly 2:00 a.m.


Again, f you’ve never played a text sim before, Out of the Park 15 looks to be a good place to start. Its flexibility, realism, new features like 3D animations, and unadulterated fun are unlike anything else in sports gaming.

Of course, if you have played OOTP before, you already know what to expect!

Now we just have to wait.