1. What will be the biggest/most noticeable difference between MVP 2005 and MVP 06?
Well, first it's an NCAA game, not a professional game! Seriously, I don’t know where to begin. With MVP 06 NCAA Baseball we return the depth and gameplay that people have loved over the years but have added a bunch of features that we believe will put this game on a level above the other games in the MVP franchise. The biggest new feature is Load and Fire Batting that uses the right analog stick to control the batter. I think is going to completely change the way you think about batting in a baseball game. The feature is designed to give the user the feel of swinging a bat and increasing the level. Precision Throw Control also uses the right stick, forces the user to execute the throw as opposed to merely aiming at a target. We’ve also added all-new Online features including ESPN Integration, a new announcing team, a deep Dynasty Mode tailored to college baseball, an overhauled Creation Zone and a whole lot more.
>MVP 06 is not a "fresh coat of paint" on an outdated an antiquated game or a re-release with a new mode and a DVD bundled inside. This is MVP Baseball. I believe the leap we made this year versus MVP05 in terms of depth and features is on par with the leap we made between MVP03 and MVP04.
2. What kinds of changes will we notice with the style of play between professional and college athletes?
We captured a bunch of new animations this year that exemplify the intensity and hustle of the NCAA game. The pro game is more of a 162 game grind where often times players jog or “lollygag” around the field. In NCAA Baseball the kids play like every game could be their last. It’s a beautiful thing really if you are tired of seeing guys like Manny Ramirez jog on any ball his hits, or stand for 5 seconds admiring his home run. There is none of that in NCAA Baseball. I know it sounds lame, but we’ve been calling “the ping before the bling”, referencing the aluminum bat of the college game.
3. How many NCAA teams are in the game?
There are 285 universities that sponsor teams in NCAA Baseball. In MVP06 we couldn’t add all the features I listed above AND add every NCAA D-1 team. Working with our licensing partners we pared the list down to what we believed to be the 14 top conferences that encompasses 128 teams. We also have 19 of their stadiums, including Rosenblatt, which is the home of the College World Series in Omaha. Next year we hope to have every D-1 team.
4. What has been the most challenging aspect of going from a Major League Baseball product to a collegiate product?
It was tough to capture all the differences between the pro and NCAA games and translate them so it was apparent to the user. This spans from gameplay to dynasty. We want to be as true to the NCAA game as we were to the professional game. Our authenticity was one of the reasons why MVP is the best baseball franchise around, and we’re confident that we’ve maintained that.
5. What has been the most fun part of making MVP a college game?
I would have to say it’s been the challenge of adding the aforementioned features, as well as trying to help elevate the level of interest in NCAA Baseball. ESPN is committed to supporting NCAA Baseball on it’s family of networks and we at EA SPORTS are committed to making the best baseball game on the market, a game we hope can introduce a new audience to NCAA Baseball and get them hooked like I was after my first trip to Sunken Diamond to see Stanford play against Cal when I was only 8 years old. I truly believe that all it takes is one game, just watch one game in person and you too will be hooked. We hope the same is true with MVP06. Just one game is all it will take to make you forget the signature batting stances and star player faces, and remember it’s all about the game. I am confident this is far and away our best version of MVP and hope you all will feel the same way.
MVP 06 NCAA Baseball is also in development for the PlayStation 2
