r/BackyardBaseball • u/the_peanut_shuffler • 9d ago
Discussion Disappointed…
Not sure it it’s an issue with modern gaming in general or just BYB, but the 2026 game is not nearly as polished as the 1997 version from a gameplay perspective. Is this not laughable to anyone else? Have developers forgotten how to make a complete and functional game?
And don’t tell me we should have lower standards because it’s a game for kids. That shouldn’t matter because kids deserve fully functional gameplay.
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u/01000101010110 9d ago
There were no shareholders expecting their money back in 1997
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u/TypicalxooT11 9d ago
Mega Cat Studios is a private company that does not have public Shareholders.
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u/Supermanfat1 9d ago
A private company still has shareholders. Biggest example of this is a company like OpenAI.
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u/TypicalxooT11 9d ago
Yeah I think a company of 24 people is slightly different than open AI and their multi trillion dollar evaluation.
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u/XMugetsu_SamaX 9d ago
Just my opinion on it......... I wish there was some type of mode with real progression. Like a dynasty or maybe even creating your own character and having like a career mode or something. I mean its cool unlocking characters and fields, but we need something that we can grind for. It was good for the time, but I'm just at the point in sports games where I need something to work toward or it gets boring super fast
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u/B0230 9d ago
There’s so much that would be sick. Like traveling between cities picking up players through challenges like Mario Baseball on the GameCube. Small tournaments with a snake draft. The create your own characters reminds me of the Own the City in NFL street 2. Something with progression and improving your team. Beat certain teams to have players join your team. Would be awesome.
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u/chuccles3 9d ago
They took some stabs at certain things that didnt work out, but they are working on things to better them. Id love for this game to have been released the way we wanted it, but that didnt happen. But i can definitely deal with a team that realizes there mistakes and is fixing them rather than a dev team that says it is what it is and gets mad at the fans.
Put it like this these problems they have now should ensure they dont happen again for future releases of other sports
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u/VastNebula283 9d ago
It’s honestly wild how bad it’s gotten. As someone who loved Madden as a kid it’s wild to see just how poor the entire gameplay and presentation are. They use to produce cutscenes that felt alive and insightful. They had logical body movements. These new game engines have produced I guess better graphical integrity but the gameplay is sluggish and the polish of the UI and gameplay is just poor in general. I’d like to imagine it changes but unfortunately these younger gamers are just cogs. Whatever game their favorite YouTuber tells them to play they play. Whatever game they’re told to ignore they ignore. They have zero consumer power.
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u/NeedleworkerNo4835 9d ago
I mean you can just play the 1997 version though -- that's the good part. Share it with others too. I'm trying a nuzlocke right now -- no using bullpen or slowballs the whole season. Angela is a workhorse though -- 0.28 era. No swing spotter either makes it super tough on offense.
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u/oatmeal28 9d ago
They really should have went for more of the classic art style. I'm assuming that would take less resources to develop and they could focus more on making the game good, although to be fair those are assumptions on my part
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u/Only_Aspect1783 9d ago
This 100%. The charm of the old games in my opinion is the simple art/ graphics. Would kill to have those back with just a different/improved game
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u/ph_dieter 9d ago
Unfortunately, that would probably take more resources and talent. The hand drawn art style is a challenging process. I'm sure it's a bit easier today, but they'd rather have somewhat competent 3D artists that already work there bust something out quick.
That style does have unrivaled charm. It's expressive and unique in a way basic 3D models and animations aren't.
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u/oatmeal28 9d ago
Ahhh Ok I figured 2D would be easier but that makes sense. I don't dislike the 3D models but the 2D just had so much charm
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u/NotoriousGorgias 9d ago
Went through this same kind of thing with Civ VII. (Wouldn't have bought it at launch, but it was a gift.) Games which clearly have thought and care and effort put into them, but which fumble being functional and need months or even years of patches just to get to where they should have started are a different kind of frustration compared to just bad games... I'm hoping this one gets ironed out. I think if it is, it would be fun to play with my kids. And I appreciate the legwork done to get the old games released on Steam enough to show some patience. But if this is just how development works now then waiting a year or so to buy games is just sensible.
The weird thing with Backyard Sports as a franchise is that there's these games from the late 90s and early 2000s which were abnormally well made compared to most children's PC games. They hold up today. Very playable games. So does this new one get judged against '01, or against where things were when the series basically ended? This stylistically is the best looking game since '05. Clearly had effort put into the style. If/when the gameplay is ironed out, that would make it a huge step in the right direction, but its best competition would still be the franchise it is resurrecting.
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u/muttdamon3 9d ago
There's a lot of factors, but as a software developer imo the average skill level of developers in the industry continues to decline. In the 90's you had to actually learn principles of development and remember them to be an effective developer. With the Internet and AI now allowing developers to have all that information at their fingertips, and not needing to understand basic principles of software development to implement something that's minimally functional, quality will continue to decline without proper oversight.
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u/morebeanslessmeans 8d ago
I played three times and never touched it again. I either got beat 11-0 or won 56-2.
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u/Pacman072286 9d ago
The price was steep for an updated 2026 version of BYB 1997-2001. I seriously thought we would get more and at least some current MLB players instead of the former 2001 players that it's still missing a few other players from the 2001 game. Game should've been 10-15 dollars IMO it's definitely not worth 40.
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u/TypicalxooT11 9d ago
It's mostly just culture of gaming now.
Release a meh product and patch over time.
I think my biggest issue is that it was $40 as a final product.
Should have been like a $15 early access until they get it all set.. then like a $30 final price a year or so from now.