Demographics of people playing OOTP 19

Flanders52 · 04-18-2018, 02:14 PM

Hello, I was thinking about this the other day. I am 52 and have been playing baseball games most of my life, and I've played them all with my friends growing up. I wonder if this game appeals more to the adults who were raised playing games or if there is still a strong base of younger folk who are just being introduced to computer baseball. I have 2 boys who sadly don't have the slightest interest in playing this game, I wonder if this is a common thread these days. My friends and I would combine our money and ride our bikes 10 miles to the store to purchase the latest versions every year, and the game quality was not even close to what it is now. We would form our leagues, make our schedules, write our own box scores, keep track of stats, etc. Separating the player cards was always a highlight! I can't imagine being a kid today and having this kind of game available, yet I wonder if the younger generation plays this. Thanks if you read all this, I do tend to ramble a bit! Maybe you have a story to share?

D-BacksJosh · 04-18-2018, 02:30 PM

I'm 41, I've been playing this game since 2011, absolutely love it. Brings back memories of exactly what you've described. I have a 13 year old that keeps her face buried in electronic devices. Seems every kid from the Millennials or Generation Z are so pre-occupied with smartphones and tablets that they don't even notice or enjoy the environment around them. Sad really...

mitchkenn · 04-18-2018, 02:42 PM

i'm an old baseball fan. 68 y.o. Saw my first major league game in 1962 SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers in beautiful windy Candlestick.) and been a fan of the game since. Played a tabletop game for a while when i was in my 40's (don't recall the name) and Tony LaRussa on the computer before i found OOTP v 14. Been hooked on creating weird approaches to the Grand Old Game since. But all this fancy new stuff??? - i still sim my games and am perfectly happy. Hope they keep adding juicy stuff for people and getting bigger and better, but as long as the core remains solid for simming, i'm content.

Shake Appeal · 04-18-2018, 02:46 PM

I'm 33 and from Europe, so didn't have the slightest interest in or knowledge about baseball until I started living in the U.S. (5-7 years ago, depending on how you count it). OOTP was one of the most helpful ways of learning the sport.

NoOne · 04-18-2018, 02:46 PM

40, grew up with atari and nintendo etc.. always prefered playing a game over pure management, but have always loved a "career" mode in any sports game.. even kept track of my own yearly stats with graphing paper from RBI Baseball on nintendo. (err was it "bases loaded?" names/labels never important to me - one of those names might be the c64 baseball game i played)

this game most definitely has an older crows than say MLB the Show or a console video game.

management with no "playing" of the game action... few kids like such a thing...

plus, even with adults probably a high % of "nerds" like myself LoL

tim kurkjian vs kruk type thing, lol. not being mean at all.. nerds are totally cool

i love tim kurkjian even though i don't agree with all that he says. i used to 'memorize' box scores at an early age too like he speaks about... total nerd and love it!

Reggie · 04-18-2018, 02:56 PM

48 and been playing baseball games since I was 14. Back then a group of us would spend summer vacation playing either Strato or APBA baseball. Had my dad print off stacks of scorecards at work. We would transfer the game stats to a season stat page after each game. Lots and lots of erasing was done back then.
We had a 12 team league. Would have a draft using strato cards and off we would go. When fall came around we would switch to APBA football.

When I first started playing OOTP many years ago the wife and kid just couldn't grasp it. They kept saying "you aren't doing anything" when they watched me play. Even after I explained that I'm actually "doing" everything...they didn't get it. I guess if I'm not controlling the little guy on the field it doesn't count. Even way back when I was looking for games it had to have a manage only mode or I wasn't interested.

Galeg · 04-18-2018, 02:56 PM

I'm 30 and started becoming more than a casual fan of baseball 6-7 years ago when a buddy talked me into playing in a fantasy baseball league. I'm not really a fan of action games because I like to have time to plan and consider my options. I've been buying OOTP since 16, but was too intimidated to figure out how to play. Last year I really got into another sports sim game Football Manager and took hundreds of hours learning how to play that and then enjoying playing it so I came into OOTP19 with the patience and mindset that I would finally figure the UI out and have some fun. Really enjoying it so far!

rink23 · 04-18-2018, 03:06 PM

Been playing baseball-related games most of my life. I am 53.
Never really was a Strat-O-Matic guy, which seemed to be the game of choice back in the 1970s, although I do play online now against friends.
Longball was my first, probably around 1977 when I was 12-13.
Then played a board game called Pursue the Pennant in my high school and early college years.
My parents found the game when they were cleaning up their basement, so I still have it around here someplace. It is the 1986 season
My first computer-based baseball game was also Pursue the Pennant played on a Commodore or computer that was nothing much more than a word processor. This was probably 1987.
After taking a number of years off, I got into the computer/console games where you picked when to swing the bat/throw the pitch.
High Heat was my game of choice. Gave it up when I realized my eyesight/reflexes were not what they used to be.
Switched to Baseball Mogul around 2004 and played that until picking up OOTP in 2015 or 2016.
Now retired, I spend way too much time playing OOTP. From the beginning, I've almost always played as the Cardinals, although I have occasionally ventured into fantasy draft teams.
I'd guess I play approximately four hours a day when I'm getting into a season. A game here, a game there looking to play a week's worth of games a day.
And that doesn't count the time when I am not playing , but still ruminating about upcoming games, games I have won or lost, moves I did make or should.
It's obssessive, but I love it.
My current 2018 Cardinals dynasty thread: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=288302

David Watts · 04-18-2018, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reggie

48 and been playing baseball games since I was 14. Back then a group of us would spend summer vacation playing either Strato or APBA baseball. Had my dad print off stacks of scorecards at work. We would transfer the game stats to a season stat page after each game. Lots and lots of erasing was done back then.
We had a 12 team league. Would have a draft using strato cards and off we would go. When fall came around we would switch to APBA football.

When I first started playing OOTP many years ago the wife and kid just couldn't grasp it. They kept saying "you aren't doing anything" when they watched me play. Even after I explained that I'm actually "doing" everything...they didn't get it. I guess if I'm not controlling the little guy on the field it doesn't count. Even way back when I was looking for games it had to have a manage only mode or I wasn't interested.

More and more I have to wonder just how many of our dads had to sit through company meetings hearing "the copy machine is for work purposes only" with a glazed look, knowing they had a hundred or more scoresheets sitting in the bottom of their middle desk drawer?

jeffw3000 · 04-18-2018, 03:17 PM

I'm 53. Started playing Table Top Baseball games in the 70s. A friend of mine had Sports Illustrated Baseball. we started a league and played constantly. In 1976 I discovered APBA baseball and that became my baseball game of choice until I discovered computer baseball games in the early 80s.

Played numerous computer games over the years. Graphics sims such as Earl Weaver I & II (loved ability to build your own stadium with almost any kind of field dimensions you wanted), Tony LaRussa, High Heat, Sierra's Baseball Pro98, to name a few as well as many replay games such as APBA Broadcast Blast (still the best game for the broadcast of the game with Ernie Harwell announcing. Sounded just like listening to the game on the radio), Diamond Mind, Baseball Mogul, Dynasty League and many more.

Discovered OOTP with OOTP 3 and has been my #1 baseball game of choice ever since.

mmarra82 · 04-18-2018, 03:21 PM

44 years old, been playing stat based games for as long as I can remember, going back to Pennant Race and Sports Illustrated Baseball. In the teen years played lots of console based games such as Madden, etc., but they could never provide the franchise type ability that I always seeked.

Started playing stat based games on the computer with games like, micro league baseball, hardball on the old apple IIc, that evolved later on to front office football, and baseball mogul. They were a change, but still would loose interest in a short time. Came across OOTP in 2012 and have played every version since. I have tried fictional and stat based, but find myself always coming back to the MLB style leagues.

Tried getting back into the board games by purchasing Strat-o-matic a few years ago but just could not get into it with OOTP right there on the computer.

Flanders52 · 04-18-2018, 03:23 PM

These are the stories I love to see, thanks, keep them coming! Once you get hooked on these games, it's hard to let go. I'm so busy I only do replays these days, maybe a couple games a night before bed, but I like to add different players from different seasons to teams to see how they perform. My league right now is from last season but I added 1 legend pitcher and batter to each team, for example Yount and Higuera to Milwaukee, yes I'm a Brewers fan. I also think of lineups, rotations, and standings during the day! This is a powerful yet very enjoyable addiction, no matter your age or level of immersion in the game.

jtnlange · 04-18-2018, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flanders52

These are the stories I love to see, thanks, keep them coming! Once you get hooked on these games, it's hard to let go. I'm so busy I only do replays these days, maybe a couple games a night before bed, but I like to add different players from different seasons to teams to see how they perform. My league right now is from last season but I added 1 legend pitcher and batter to each team, for example Yount and Higuera to Milwaukee, yes I'm a Brewers fan. I also think of lineups, rotations, and standings during the day! This is a powerful yet very enjoyable addiction, no matter your age or level of immersion in the game.

Yeah a fellow Brewers fan. 46 yr old. Starting playing baseball games young, first made my own game up, created a 6 team league and players for me and my friends. Much fun was had by all. Once we could use a computer it got so much better. then I found OOTP and the rest is History. Trevor L.

JaBurns · 04-18-2018, 04:00 PM

Born and living in Canada, started in the East but eventually will retire in BC. Semiretired at 60, began playing Strat-O-Matic in the mid 60’s and have enjoyed baseball as a game and games of baseball for the past 50+ years. My biggest regret in the games of baseball is that I did not discover this amazing game until 3 years ago. Have throughly enjoyed OOTP since setting up leagues with different ideas, some misguided, I have also learned more about computers since starting down this hopefully long path with OOTP.

Zorro · 04-18-2018, 04:01 PM

I am 80 years old and I remember getting a game in the 50s called Negamco. I was so excited when it finally did arrived. It took 6 weeks in the mail and every night I dreamt about it. I kept a league of 8 teams and I must have broke my parents budget with paper and index cards alone. Lol. Love you Mom............Z

ChromEagle · 04-18-2018, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-BacksJosh

I'm 41, I've been playing this game since 2011, absolutely love it. Brings back memories of exactly what you've described. I have a 13 year old that keeps her face buried in electronic devices. Seems every kid from the Millennials or Generation Z are so pre-occupied with smartphones and tablets that they don't even notice or enjoy the environment around them. Sad really...

Never mind

Zorro · 04-18-2018, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChromEagle

That's really ignorant to say but whatever...people said the same stuff about television and books and other things.

Somebody said that about books? Go figure. Lol...........Z

Zorro · 04-18-2018, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChromEagle

That's really ignorant to say but whatever...people said the same stuff about television and books and other things.

Actually my son said the same thing to me about playing career baseball games. He said “Dad, Did you waste your whole youth on that crap?”. I said “Yeah, Most of it.”

ChromEagle · 04-18-2018, 04:11 PM

I'm 20 years old and I love playing this game. This game is the best game in the history of the world and I can't wait to play more of this series. I remember when I saw my first baseball game...that was so amazing and I'm glad that I can go back to those times with historical mode on OOTP.

BirdWatcher · 04-18-2018, 04:12 PM

53. Longtime tabletop gamer. I think I was about 13 when I first purchased Extra Innings and not long after I started playing Strat-O-Matic, which I've continued to play, off and on, to this day. When Replay was revived back in the, what, late 90's was it? I became a pretty avid fan of that game also. But just never could quite get caught up in the computer versions of either SOM or Replay.
Then I discovered OOTP just this past Autumn (purchased during the World Series) and boy am I hooked now!
Love this game!

(Oh, and yes, I was one of those kids who was accused of having my nose too often in a book- or a tabletop sports game.)

04-18-2018, 02:42 PM	#3
mitchkenn Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Oregon, not by design Posts: 2,853	i'm an old baseball fan. 68 y.o. Saw my first major league game in 1962 SF Giants vs. LA Dodgers in beautiful windy Candlestick.) and been a fan of the game since. Played a tabletop game for a while when i was in my 40's (don't recall the name) and Tony LaRussa on the computer before i found OOTP v 14. Been hooked on creating weird approaches to the Grand Old Game since. But all this fancy new stuff??? - i still sim my games and am perfectly happy. Hope they keep adding juicy stuff for people and getting bigger and better, but as long as the core remains solid for simming, i'm content. __________________ "This is my opening farewell " - Jackson Browne “They make a desolation and call it peace.” ― Agha Shahid Ali "Maybe she just has to sing, for the sake of the song - And who do I think that I am to decide that she's wrong." - Townes Van Zandt "I saw a young man leaning on his wooden crutch - He called out to me, 'Don't ask for so much' And a young woman leaning in her darkened door She cried out to me, 'Why not ask for more?' " - Leonard Cohen "Hello darkness, my old Friend ...." - Paul Simon Before Mays, before DiMaggio, there was Oscar Charleston. "All the lies about Babe Ruth are true." - Waite Hoyt Avatar is the late great Townes Van Zandt. rip.

04-18-2018, 02:46 PM	#5
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,167	40, grew up with atari and nintendo etc.. always prefered playing a game over pure management, but have always loved a "career" mode in any sports game.. even kept track of my own yearly stats with graphing paper from RBI Baseball on nintendo. (err was it "bases loaded?" names/labels never important to me - one of those names might be the c64 baseball game i played) this game most definitely has an older crows than say MLB the Show or a console video game. management with no "playing" of the game action... few kids like such a thing... plus, even with adults probably a high % of "nerds" like myself LoL tim kurkjian vs kruk type thing, lol. not being mean at all.. nerds are totally cool i love tim kurkjian even though i don't agree with all that he says. i used to 'memorize' box scores at an early age too like he speaks about... total nerd and love it! Last edited by NoOne; 04-18-2018 at 02:49 PM.

04-18-2018, 03:06 PM	#8
rink23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 17,946	Been playing baseball-related games most of my life. I am 53. Never really was a Strat-O-Matic guy, which seemed to be the game of choice back in the 1970s, although I do play online now against friends. Longball was my first, probably around 1977 when I was 12-13. Then played a board game called Pursue the Pennant in my high school and early college years. My parents found the game when they were cleaning up their basement, so I still have it around here someplace. It is the 1986 season My first computer-based baseball game was also Pursue the Pennant played on a Commodore or computer that was nothing much more than a word processor. This was probably 1987. After taking a number of years off, I got into the computer/console games where you picked when to swing the bat/throw the pitch. High Heat was my game of choice. Gave it up when I realized my eyesight/reflexes were not what they used to be. Switched to Baseball Mogul around 2004 and played that until picking up OOTP in 2015 or 2016. Now retired, I spend way too much time playing OOTP. From the beginning, I've almost always played as the Cardinals, although I have occasionally ventured into fantasy draft teams. I'd guess I play approximately four hours a day when I'm getting into a season. A game here, a game there looking to play a week's worth of games a day. And that doesn't count the time when I am not playing , but still ruminating about upcoming games, games I have won or lost, moves I did make or should. It's obssessive, but I love it. My current 2018 Cardinals dynasty thread: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=288302 Last edited by rink23; 04-18-2018 at 05:17 PM.

04-18-2018, 03:21 PM	#11
mmarra82 Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 310	44 years old, been playing stat based games for as long as I can remember, going back to Pennant Race and Sports Illustrated Baseball. In the teen years played lots of console based games such as Madden, etc., but they could never provide the franchise type ability that I always seeked. Started playing stat based games on the computer with games like, micro league baseball, hardball on the old apple IIc, that evolved later on to front office football, and baseball mogul. They were a change, but still would loose interest in a short time. Came across OOTP in 2012 and have played every version since. I have tried fictional and stat based, but find myself always coming back to the MLB style leagues. Tried getting back into the board games by purchasing Strat-o-matic a few years ago but just could not get into it with OOTP right there on the computer. Last edited by mmarra82; 04-19-2018 at 01:20 PM.

04-18-2018, 04:11 PM	#19
ChromEagle Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 234	I'm 20 years old and I love playing this game. This game is the best game in the history of the world and I can't wait to play more of this series. I remember when I saw my first baseball game...that was so amazing and I'm glad that I can go back to those times with historical mode on OOTP. __________________ HEY HEY PITCH THAT BASE CATCH THAT BAT WHO CARES WE'RE NUMBER ONE Last edited by ChromEagle; 04-18-2018 at 04:17 PM.

04-18-2018, 02:14 PM	#1
Flanders52 Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 6	Demographics of people playing OOTP 19 Hello, I was thinking about this the other day. I am 52 and have been playing baseball games most of my life, and I've played them all with my friends growing up. I wonder if this game appeals more to the adults who were raised playing games or if there is still a strong base of younger folk who are just being introduced to computer baseball. I have 2 boys who sadly don't have the slightest interest in playing this game, I wonder if this is a common thread these days. My friends and I would combine our money and ride our bikes 10 miles to the store to purchase the latest versions every year, and the game quality was not even close to what it is now. We would form our leagues, make our schedules, write our own box scores, keep track of stats, etc. Separating the player cards was always a highlight! I can't imagine being a kid today and having this kind of game available, yet I wonder if the younger generation plays this. Thanks if you read all this, I do tend to ramble a bit! Maybe you have a story to share?

04-18-2018, 02:30 PM	#2
D-BacksJosh Banned Join Date: May 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 875	I'm 41, I've been playing this game since 2011, absolutely love it. Brings back memories of exactly what you've described. I have a 13 year old that keeps her face buried in electronic devices. Seems every kid from the Millennials or Generation Z are so pre-occupied with smartphones and tablets that they don't even notice or enjoy the environment around them. Sad really...

04-18-2018, 02:46 PM	#4
Shake Appeal Minors (Double A) Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 104	I'm 33 and from Europe, so didn't have the slightest interest in or knowledge about baseball until I started living in the U.S. (5-7 years ago, depending on how you count it). OOTP was one of the most helpful ways of learning the sport.

04-18-2018, 02:56 PM	#6
Reggie Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 442	48 and been playing baseball games since I was 14. Back then a group of us would spend summer vacation playing either Strato or APBA baseball. Had my dad print off stacks of scorecards at work. We would transfer the game stats to a season stat page after each game. Lots and lots of erasing was done back then. We had a 12 team league. Would have a draft using strato cards and off we would go. When fall came around we would switch to APBA football. When I first started playing OOTP many years ago the wife and kid just couldn't grasp it. They kept saying "you aren't doing anything" when they watched me play. Even after I explained that I'm actually "doing" everything...they didn't get it. I guess if I'm not controlling the little guy on the field it doesn't count. Even way back when I was looking for games it had to have a manage only mode or I wasn't interested.

04-18-2018, 02:56 PM	#7
Galeg Major Leagues Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 399	I'm 30 and started becoming more than a casual fan of baseball 6-7 years ago when a buddy talked me into playing in a fantasy baseball league. I'm not really a fan of action games because I like to have time to plan and consider my options. I've been buying OOTP since 16, but was too intimidated to figure out how to play. Last year I really got into another sports sim game Football Manager and took hundreds of hours learning how to play that and then enjoying playing it so I came into OOTP19 with the patience and mindset that I would finally figure the UI out and have some fun. Really enjoying it so far!

04-18-2018, 03:17 PM	#10
jeffw3000 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 296	I'm 53. Started playing Table Top Baseball games in the 70s. A friend of mine had Sports Illustrated Baseball. we started a league and played constantly. In 1976 I discovered APBA baseball and that became my baseball game of choice until I discovered computer baseball games in the early 80s. Played numerous computer games over the years. Graphics sims such as Earl Weaver I & II (loved ability to build your own stadium with almost any kind of field dimensions you wanted), Tony LaRussa, High Heat, Sierra's Baseball Pro98, to name a few as well as many replay games such as APBA Broadcast Blast (still the best game for the broadcast of the game with Ernie Harwell announcing. Sounded just like listening to the game on the radio), Diamond Mind, Baseball Mogul, Dynasty League and many more. Discovered OOTP with OOTP 3 and has been my #1 baseball game of choice ever since.

04-18-2018, 03:23 PM	#12
Flanders52 Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 6	These are the stories I love to see, thanks, keep them coming! Once you get hooked on these games, it's hard to let go. I'm so busy I only do replays these days, maybe a couple games a night before bed, but I like to add different players from different seasons to teams to see how they perform. My league right now is from last season but I added 1 legend pitcher and batter to each team, for example Yount and Higuera to Milwaukee, yes I'm a Brewers fan. I also think of lineups, rotations, and standings during the day! This is a powerful yet very enjoyable addiction, no matter your age or level of immersion in the game.

04-18-2018, 04:00 PM	#14
JaBurns All Star Starter Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Kelowna, British Columbia Posts: 1,266	Born and living in Canada, started in the East but eventually will retire in BC. Semiretired at 60, began playing Strat-O-Matic in the mid 60’s and have enjoyed baseball as a game and games of baseball for the past 50+ years. My biggest regret in the games of baseball is that I did not discover this amazing game until 3 years ago. Have throughly enjoyed OOTP since setting up leagues with different ideas, some misguided, I have also learned more about computers since starting down this hopefully long path with OOTP.

04-18-2018, 04:01 PM	#15
Zorro Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 2,944 Blog Entries: 3	I am 80 years old and I remember getting a game in the 50s called Negamco. I was so excited when it finally did arrived. It took 6 weeks in the mail and every night I dreamt about it. I kept a league of 8 teams and I must have broke my parents budget with paper and index cards alone. Lol. Love you Mom............Z

04-18-2018, 04:12 PM	#20
BirdWatcher Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 4,262	53. Longtime tabletop gamer. I think I was about 13 when I first purchased Extra Innings and not long after I started playing Strat-O-Matic, which I've continued to play, off and on, to this day. When Replay was revived back in the, what, late 90's was it? I became a pretty avid fan of that game also. But just never could quite get caught up in the computer versions of either SOM or Replay. Then I discovered OOTP just this past Autumn (purchased during the World Series) and boy am I hooked now! Love this game! (Oh, and yes, I was one of those kids who was accused of having my nose too often in a book- or a tabletop sports game.)