MVP '06 Release Date

Whaddya do when someone buys up the gaming rights to Major League Baseball and you have the best product on the virtual field? You go the next available outlet and ship the game first, and then sell it for cheaper.

On January 17th, MVP 06 NCAA Baseball will ship with a price of $29.99 for the Xbox and PS2. To me (and many others), MVP Baseball was the stand alone best baseball game on the market in 2005, an after watching a hands-on preview at Gamespot I have no reason to believe that 06 will leave me hanging without an enjoyable experience in 2006.

A few changes in the gameplay this year is a hitting system and the ability to throw the ball all with the right analog stick, but for those wanting to play with the system used in previous MVP installments EA has included the ability to retrofit your tastes. The new "load-and-fire" batting system involves pulling the stick back on the pitch and going forward based on the location of the ball, and by holding the trigger buttons you dictate whether or not you're swinging for power or contact. I'm excited to see the new system implemented, but in the event I don't like it I'm glad I have the option to switch with what made it a great game to begin with.

EA Sports has published the website for the new game, check it out at http://www.easports.com/mvp06/index.jsp and be sure to stay tuned in on the forums for related news as the game approaches release. I plan to exhaust every contact I have to receive the game early, but in the event I don't I'll have it on the 18th and will be sure to post impressions in case you're on the fence about it (like Teebee).

Also worth a read, Maddenmania user Poo-Diddy made a trip up to EA Canada in Burnaby B.C. and wrote an outstanding detailed review of his early experience with the title. You can find his review here.