MVP 06 NCAAA Baseball

[Deep Blue Sea]

Don't know how many baseball gamers we have on here but is anyone else looking forward to this game??? Was kind bummed EA lost the MLB license but I've always been a college baseball fan so it's awesome they're making this game. It looks VERY good so far and I can't wait, already got it pre-ordered. For those that don't know a lot about it, here's some useful info...

KEY FEATURES

The Road to Omaha - With an exclusive NCAA Baseball license, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball features 128 universities from 14 of the top conferences and 16 authentic ballparks including Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the NCAA Championship.

EA SPORTS™ Load and Fire Batting System - Take full command of your swing using the right stick. With Load and Fire Batting, you load your back swing as the ball accelerates towards you and at the right moment fire your swing through the zone towards the incoming pitch. Featuring multiple new swing types, it's as close as you can get to the game without actually putting on a uniform.

Creation Zone - Personalize your NCAA experience by creating your own university from the ground up. An enhanced Create Ballpark feature allows you to customize your park's wall dimensions, field surface and setting. A deeper Create-a-Player features face and body morphing that creates endless possibilities.

College Dynasty - Build a college dynasty with year-round recruiting and stat tracking by Baseball America. NCAA Challenges allow you to upgrade facilities, equipment and earn the respect of recruits.

Authentic Equipment - MVP 06 features authentic equipment from the top baseball brands - Rawlings , Easton , Louisville TPX, Wilson , Worth , DeMarini, Nike , Miken and more.

Broadcast Style Presentation - See MVP Baseball like never before with new visual enhancements, the top ESPN announcers, Mike Patrick and Kyle Peterson and a television-style presentation.

NCAA or Summer Rules - In MVP 06 you will have the option to use NCAA Rules or Summer Rules (professional rules) or a hybrid of the two.

Precision Throw Control - Gun down runners at home or make an easy toss to first as you control the power and accuracy of your throws.

Here's what conferences, schools, and stadiums are included....

Conferences

Atlantic Coast Conference
Big 12
Big East
Big 10
Big West
Conference USA
Missouri Valley Conference
Mountain West Conference
Pacific-10 Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Patriot League
Sun Belt Conference
West Coast Conference
Western Athletic Conference

Schools

Arizona State University
Arkansas State University
Army
Auburn University
Baylor University
Boston College
Bradley University
Brigham Young University
Bucknell University
Cal Poly - SLO
Cal State Sacramento
California State Fullerton
California State Northridge
Clemson University
Creighton University
Duke University
East Carolina University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Fresno State University
Georgetown University
Georgia Tech
Gonzaga University
Holy Cross
Illinois State University
Indiana State University
Indiana University, Bloomington
Kansas State University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Long Beach State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana Tech University
Loyola Marymount University
Marshall University
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Mississippi State University
Missouri State University
Navy
New Mexico State University
North Carolina State University
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
Oklahoma State University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Purdue University
Rice University
Rutgers
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
Santa Clara University
Seton Hall University
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
St. John's University
St. Mary's College of California
Stanford University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
Texas Tech University
Troy University
Tulane University
U.S. Air Force Academy
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas, Little Rock
University of California
University of California Los Angeles
University of California Santa Barbara
University of Central Florida
University of Cincinnati
University of Connecticut
University of Evansville
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Hawaii
University of Houston
University of Illinois
University of Iowa
University of Irvine
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
University of Memphis
University of Miami (Florida)
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri
University of Nebraska
University of Nevada
University of Nevada Las Vegas
University of New Mexico
University of New Orleans
University of North Carolina
University of Northern Iowa
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Pittsburgh
University of Portland
University of Riverside
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of South Alabama
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Tennessee
University of Texas at Austin
University of the Pacific
University of Utah
University of Virginia
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington State University
West Virginia University
Western Kentucky University
Wichita State University

Authentic Stadiums

CWS - Rosenblatt Stadium
Arizona - Frank Sancet Field
Arizona State - Packard Stadium
Baylor - Ferrier Field at Baylor
Cal State Fullerton - Goodwin Field
Clemson - Doug Kingsmore Field
Florida State - Dick Howser Stadium
Georgia Tech - Russ Chandler Stadium
LSU - Alex Box Stadium
Miami - Alex Rodriguez Park
Mississippi - Swayze Field
Nebraska - Hawks Field
Notre Dame - Frank Eck Stadium
Rice - Reckling Park
St. John's - The Ballpark at St. John's
Stanford - Sunken Diamond Field
Tennessee - Lindsey Nelson Stadium
Texas - Disch Falk Field
USC - Dedeaux Field

Here's a Producer's Interview from RosenblattReport...

Those of us who have followed college baseball for the past few seasons notice the growth that has taken place. And yet, the one thing we have been waiting for is a baseball game completely devoted to the game we love most, which is college baseball.

Thanks to the hard work of several individuals at EA Sports, as well as baseball operations officials at institutions around the country, the concept that was once tabbed as a "pipe dream" has now become a reality.

The head producer for MVP '06 NCAA Baseball is Ben Brinkman, a guy that has seen extensive work with baseball games, as he was the producer for the MVP MLB versions as well.

With many intriguing questions in mind, we sat down with Brinkman on Tuesday to talk about the concerns and issues regarding the game, as well as the exciting specifics of the game-play, as well as other items such as the actual game engine and the different options that users will be able to utilize.


Obviously the loss of MLB gaming rights affected your decision to create a college baseball game, but what other factors contributed to the launch of MVP '06 NCAA Baseball?

EA Sports Producer Ben Brinkman: There were two primary reasons that we welcomed the idea of a college baseball game and went through with the development of the product itself. First and foremost, the fact that we had an industry leader with MVP Baseball on the professional front showed that our game engine is a success to consumers. Therefore, we wanted to utilize the same engine in a different format. Also, we have observed how college baseball has pushed forward during the past year, capturing what is special about the game versus the professional game through trips to the College World Series in Omaha. The passion displayed by the fans, coaches and players is truly impressive and we aim to show that in our product.


Some critics believe that there is simply no market for a college baseball game. In the development of this game, it's assumed that you believe that there is a market for a college baseball game. Yes, No?

BB: To me, if you present a compelling product to any consumer base, the product will sell well, and with this college baseball game, that is the way we feel given the trends of other college-related games. We also feel that with one of our game partners, ESPN, showing a stronger commitment to college baseball lately that our product will sell regardless of the situation.


Perhaps one of the most important questions about the game, how will you rate the players?

BB: Since the schools can't give us stats or rosters due to NCAA rules and regulations, we have teams of statisticians that go out and find that information out for us. Also, we will explore different algorithms and generate ratings based on the use of those as well.


How will users be able to use in the incoming recruiting classes on the game?

BB: We are basing the game off of last year's roster and the players back from the '05 season, so we aren't to the point of using incoming recruits yet. But that is certainly something that may be in the works in the future. With that said, we are going to give users the option to customize players at their discretion and place them on whatever team they want. With this we hope to please the user in adding players such as new recruits or transfers.


I received a few emails asking why Texas A&M and Arkansas in specific did not have their stadiums on the game. What exactly was your thought process in developing stadiums?

BB: It was not an easy process what so ever and we took several factors into mind on the development of stadiums and which stadiums would actually be used in the game. A couple of factors that we looked at were recent trends in the programs, as well as historical references. Perhaps even more important was the manner in which we received information on the stadiums from the individual schools. Schools that will have their stadiums on the game include Texas, Ole Miss, Baylor, Georgia Tech, Cal-State Fullerton, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Rice, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, Miami, Nebraska, Southern California, Notre Dame, Tennessee and St. John's. Rosenblatt Stadium will obviously be on the game, as well as a variety of customized stadiums that our team made up.


How will you integrate the sounds and atmosphere of college baseball into the game?

BB: That is something we are very much taking into effect on this game. We traveled down to Omaha for the College World Series last season and recorded audio and sounds from not only the play, but of the fans as well. We also recorded sequences of team interaction, in terms of huddling up at home-plate after a homer, as well as reactions in the dugout. Unlike the MLB game, where we would emphasize the Manny Ramirez staring at his homerun ball, we will show things such as the team running to home-plate to greet the player that just hit the all-important big fly. We are showcasing team interaction on this game.


What will users of this game see on MVP NCAA Baseball that was not seen on previous versions of MVP Baseball?

BB: A lot of animations on the game will be different from previous MVP engines. For instance, this game engine will engage in many more humanistic responses to events. For example, if a player is running toward a ball at the wall, he may not take the same path every time, as seen in previous reasons. Instead, he may have to back-track in order to get the ball or shift to the right or left. This engine change will be most evident when a ball is head up against the wall. We wanted to make this game lifelike with mistakes.


Do you have any plans for marketing the game at schools this spring?

BB: That is something that our marketing department will handle, but from what I do know, we're planning on traveling to several schools around the country to display the game, especially the new and improved hitting features seen in it.


What type of options will users have in terms of Dynasty Mode, recruiting, etc.?

BB: The dynasty mode option will be available to users of NCAA '06 Baseball, as well as year-around recruiting. We wanted to bring the recruiting element to the baseball game, and as always, names will be generated through our own system. We will also have several games within the games, such as challenges or what not, while brand name suppliers such as Wilson, Nike and Easton will be utilized as well. You will also have the ability to create your own ballpark with several styles from which to choose from.

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This game is gonna be sooooooooo sick, can't wait to play through my Dynasty and into the Regionals, Super Regionals, and CWS.

[Bonham]

If the gameplay is the same as MVP 05, I'll probably pick it up. 05 is definetly the best baseball game in a long time.

[TheLoveBelow]

Sounds good. I'm definatly getting it in 06....