Saying Goodbye: A Personal Message from Markus

[Lucas718]

Been on this ride with Markus since OOTP3 so I wanted to say thanks for the thousands of hours of entertainment you provided through all the different versions of the game.

NGL, I'm concerned about the direction of the game going forward. It's hard to imagine the new owners having the same vision for the game that Markus had and could take it in another direction. Will have to wait and see.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Originally Posted by Lucas718

NGL, I'm concerned about the direction of the game going forward. It's hard to imagine the new owners having the same vision for the game that Markus had and could take it in another direction. Will have to wait and see.

Right or wrong, I always envisioned Markus fighting battles behind the scenes to preserve the core of OOTP as best as possible. There are many other great people on the team who will surely continue to fight for the best interests of the game, but will their voices hold the same weight with the corporate overlords?

Regardless, thanks Markus for what you created and polished over the years. Best of luck to you with whatever comes next. You are much too young to retire, so let us know when/if there is another project on the horizon!

[Vezna31]

I feel like Luke Skywalker in Empire Strikes Back when he hears Vader is his father...NOOOOOOO!!

My fascination with computer baseball started with Micro League Baseball on my Commodore 64 in 1983. I finally found OOTP 6 in 2004 after searching for a replacement for FPS Baseball '98 that was no longer compatible with Windows.

After starting my first fictional league in 1901 and playing out every game of my team, I can say that that league has gone through every OOTP version since then and now sits in 1984. You've contributed to 1000's of hours of enjoyment and even contributed to my first divorce where my wife would ask me if I was on my laptop playing "da foosball" (from The Waterboy) instead of spending time with her. I even still have version 6.5 loaded on my work laptop because the current game gets too big on the hard drive.

Thanks for everything and best of luck in your next adventures.

[Rep74]

Markus, thank you for all of yours and your teams many years of hard work and awesome games to play.

[gabeeg]

Thanks for the many years of enjoyment, relaxation, excitement and just plain honest to goodness fun with this amazing achievement of a Baseball simulation game. Really, thank you! When stressed at work I fire it up on my phone on break...when I get home, fed the kids, and they go to bed...watching a game on TV while tweaking my league or setting a PT roster...such a great escape for some "me time". I sincerely hope for your happiness and fulfillment in your next endeavor(s) Markus!

[BaseballMan]

Thanks for the hard work over the years.
Most of all thanks for sharing your creativity and giving us all the
the ootp game.
Only game i've bought every year since ootp 2 came out.
You can credit a lot of that to the game but a lot of it also to the support of
the whole ootp team and the community.
None of which we would have without your vision of what could be when you started ootp 1.

I will wish you success in a new adventure in your life as well as wishing
the game to have continued success.
Enjoy your journey and have a good time doing whatever you decide to do.

[Westheim]

Happy retirement (maybe) and/or best of luck in your new ventures, Markus, and I can't even begin to thank you enough for the thousands of hours of enjoyment of various versions of OOTP you and the team gave me.

[tem316]

My personal Thanks for the thousands of hours of enjoyment you have given me! You will be missed because we your customers knew that you were constantly tweeking your passion project, but you will NEVER be forgotten. I bet your next project will be even more memorable. Take care young man, and may both you and you family be filled with joy! Because that is truly what a game is supposed to do, be full of joy, and OOTP "knocked Joy out of the PARK!

[kev24fan]

Thank you for this game. It has been the most played game for me for close to 21 years.

[Bobbuttons]

After all these years, and despite being absent from these forums for many years now, let me say thanks Markus, for keeping up the good work for so long. Best wishes in what comes next for you, my good man.

[The Game]

Sad to see you go. Best of luck to you. 25 might be my last version (will look forward to 26, but still stuck on 24)

[Dave Hansen]

Thanks for the thousands of hours of enjoyment since v4!

[Boom Boom]

Thanks Markus for creating this game!

[STLKyle]

Been playing since at least 2007. What a game. Thanks for all you have done.

[LD84]

I am just now catching up to this news

Markus will for sure be missed in the day by day operations.

I cannot say I am surprised, he has been less visible the past several years.
He would really only come on the forum to post updates and then be offline for several weeks at a time.

When the company sold and he announced Andreas was planning retirement, I knew he would not be long behind him.

27 years at the same task is not a milestone many reach. And burnout is a real thing. I have experienced it in my professional life.

But at the same time, not many can claim to have started coding a sport they never saw in person and turn it into a globally recognized franchise and one of the best games in it's genre.

I would love one day to get a book length oral history of OOTP in those early days up through their merger with SI and then the sale to COM2US.
That would be an interesting read for someone like myself who is interested in the development of video games and the business behind it.

But for now, I will be interested to see what is next for Markus.
I have a feeling he is not that much older than myself. I turned 40 in June.
He could probably retire comfortably and maybe afford that Porsche that he has long dreamed of.

But I have a feeling that he will find a new project to throw his passion and considerable skill behind.

I am also interested to see where OOTP heads. I have a feeling not a lot will change for better and also for worse.

All I can say for sure is that Markus will be missed and his creation of OOTP has had a significant impact on my life.
It helped get me into baseball and sports management sims in general.

Now I have a job in the business of sport, and I do not think I would be here if it was not for OOTP along the way sparking that within me.

So Markus, you will be missed.
Enjoy your very well deserved time off, and best of luck on what is next for you.

[Thundercrack]

End of an era. Feels like the game and interest in it peaked a few years back. I still jump in occasionally. Regardless, one of the greatest games of all time.

Good luck and goodbye

[dannibalcorpse]

Been playing since 2011, cannot imagine how many hours I've sunk in at this point. It's amazing for me to think of how my life has evolved over that time, and Markus, I can only imagine how much more of a journey it is to look back to that 1997 dorm room and see where you are now.

Thanks for everything. Best of luck in whatever you put your mind and heart to next.

[discodude5]

Thank you for an unbelievable game I've enjoyed so much for decades.
Where has the time gone.

I remember years ago thinking that they can't really add much more to the game and every year you and the team would work hard and continue to amaze us with new additions.

[Brew_Fan66]

Peace and good fortunes to you. An incredible acheivement, every release. Thank you.

[progen]

Thanks Markus for providing me with countless hours of enjoyment since OOTP4. All the best in your future endeavors.