Saying Goodbye: A Personal Message from Markus

[Akamai]

Thank you for OOTP, Markus.

I have been around for all of the versions (including OOTP 1) and have played year after year. It is a primary hobby for me and will be for as long as I'm around.

Good luck in your future endeavors. All the best.

Rob M.

[Ross333]

You have given great and continuous joy to many. Thank you. I wish you future equivalent, if not greater, success. I have no doubt you will achieve it.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Thank you so much for your well wishes everybody. This means a lot to me! And I will definitely stick around from time to time. The good thing is, I now have more time to actually play the game, and I'm sure I'll bother Matt & co with issues / ideas eventually, haha.

[Baebae32]

Wow! Thank you for everything Markus. Wish you nothing but the best!

[Tyke]

Thank you so much, Markus, and I wish you nothing but the very best for the future.

[hibees70]

Thank you for a fantastic game,Markus.I shudder to think how many hours I’ve invested in OOTP over the years and continue to do so.Best of luck for whatever the future holds.

[AstroDeke]

I am beyond shocked. But I completely understand Markus. Life goes on and we must do what our heart commands us. I've never had the pleasure of meeting you personally, but we both share a deep passion for our beloved game of baseball. I wish you well in whatever future endeavors you may embark upon. Good luck and Godspeed Markus. Thanks for a great game. You will be missed.

[landru22]

Thank you, Markus. OOTP Baseball has been everything I ever wanted out of a sports simulation. Good luck in you future endeavors.

[BusterKing]

Thank you Markus for your so addictive game. My health is in decline but I am able to forget my problems by immersing myself in the wonderful world of OOTP.

I wish you the best of luck and many many more years of success and happiness.

[Potemkin]

Thank you, Markus, for all that you have done for us. I first started playing with OOTP 5 and have enjoyed the upgrades over the years. At the time, it was funny to search the internet for information about OOTP 5, because all the search hits were about Harry Potter--Order Of The Phoenix was the 5th book in the series. But I wanted the OOTP 5 about baseball!

Over the years, from managing the SF Giants to my current league set in the Dungeons and Dragons world of Faerun, I have enjoyed the stories that your creation has given me. Especially the best pitcher ever, Beorhtweald Theodlac of the Athkatla Storm Giants and, later, the Caer Callidyrr Sea Cats, 10 time All Star and 8 time Pitcher of the Year; may some of his records never be broken.

Thank you, Markus.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

Thank you so much for your well wishes everybody. This means a lot to me! And I will definitely stick around from time to time. The good thing is, I now have more time to actually play the game, and I'm sure I'll bother Matt & co with issues / ideas eventually, haha.

I'd imagine it'll seem quite strange for the first time when you play the game without having been as involved in it.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

I don't post here as much as I once did, but I had to pop in to thank you, Markus, for this amazing thing you built. Since the day in April 2002 when I read a review of OOTP4 (when I should have been studying for my 1L finals) and immediately bought the game based on that review and started playing (instead of studying for those 1L finals), I have probably logged over 20,000 hours with the game across all versions.

The game's longevity and staying power are a testament to your innovation, responsiveness, and willingness to stay on the cutting edge of baseball research. Thanks for all that you've done, best of luck in all future endeavors, and I hope the development team will continue to honor your vision in the years ahead. Cheers!

[CobaltJays]

As a player since OOTP5, I won't try to estimate what percentage of my life I've spent playing the game (the number would probably scare me). The game has brought endless hours of fun, and numerous questions from my wife wondering what its appeal is. Thanks Marcus for building a great game, and building a great team of developers to ensure it continues on well into the future.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

I'd imagine it'll seem quite strange for the first time when you play the game without having been as involved in it.

We're always happy to incorporate feedback from community members. I'm sure when Markus emails me and says "Hey Matt, can you fix this?" it might end up high on the priority list

[Hoiles]

Best wishes in everything Markus. Always appreciated the attention to your product and customers. There aren't many games out there which have a true "made with love" feel (I'm thinking maybe Witcher 3, Civ 6), and OOTP is definitely one of them. Thanks for providing hundreds of hours of enjoyment to me throughout the years, sometimes in tough times when I really needed it.

[Cobbiusto]

I don't post a lot, but have played many, many hours on this game for many years now. I hope you know how much joy you have brought to so many over the years turned decades. Not only have I enjoyed immersing myself into the many franchises I have created during that time, but I have learned so much about the inner workings of the sport I love as well. I know it must be exciting and a little scary to step away from something you have done for so long, but I know you will do well at whatever comes next. I wish you and your family all of the blessings that can possibly come your way in the future, and thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the pleasure your expertise and passion brought to me and the rest of the community for so many years.

[uruguru]

OOTP is the perfect example of how a passion project succeeds against larger, flashier, better-funded projects. Those are made purely for profit and, when they falter, they are often scuttled or succumb to crass monetization schemes.

But a passion project continues onward, rain or shine, slowly incrementing and improving until, if given enough time, becomes the titan in its genre.

That's what OOTP has become. It is truly a gem in the modern gaming world.

Thanks for your passion, Markus!

[Bagpipes5]

Bravo, Markus. If you're ever in these parts for some reason I owe you a beer!

[Insomniac]

Markus --

Thank you for everything you have brought to OOTP and my life. I started playing with OOTP4, sitting in my own dorm room. 20+ years later, I am still playing and still enjoying every minute of it. I have never found a game that captures my attention the way that you made OOTP capture it.

I thank you for everything, and wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to do moving forward.

Michael

[dim13]

I've had the pleasure of playing every single version of OOTP, since version 1. Thank you Markus for sticking with OOTP all of these years and developing the game into what it it is today. I've always considered OOTP the best baseball sim on the market since the very beginning.