Saying Goodbye: A Personal Message from Markus

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by robc

Wow, that is impressive! Do you play any other games or is OOTP the only one?

I do play others too, but OOTP is my main focus. I've played many management games over the years.. FOF, FM, DDSPB, DDSCB. A little Madden, The Show, and NBA2k(Magic-Bird Years in 2k23). Picked up College Football 25 for ps5 and it is getting quite a few hours of my gaming time. The off field part of the game is almost nonexistent (no life or feeling of a football world) but I love the on field game so am currently starting my 4th season. I really enjoy Combat Mission but only the WWII versions. They are a time sink and I play them on and off.

OOTP is the ultimate game for me hitting about everything I could want in a game. Without the import feature I'm not sure how many hours I would have put into it. I have to manage the games, simulating is not my thing. No import would mean 2 to 3 seasons per version and then starting over again next year. Fun for sure, but nothing compared to building a baseball world over 20+ real time years. Brilliant design by Markus and I will always be thankful for this game he created.

[OS Red]

Gone but not forgotten. Thanks for creating such an amazing game! And good luck in all your future endeavors!

[swoboda]

Originally Posted by Bobfather

Markus number needs to be retired in the game

I play the way you play.


How about a brand new sound when you click on the first pitch or the strategy for the first batter and what you hear is Markus saying "Play Ball !!"

[Socali]

Originally Posted by BaseballMan

That and maybe the ootp team could put a permanent award in the game for Markus.

Perhaps a tribute on the Perfect Team mode would be to name the Perfect Team trophy after Markus.

[Déjà Bru]

I have been stopping by periodically to see if I have the latest, and last, version 25. Naturally, this thread caught my eye but I refrained from commenting until now.

Despite my decision that OOTP 25 will be it for me (and how eerie it was for me to see after the fact that my departure and that of Markus coincided after all these years), I could not leave without adding my appreciation for what this fellow accomplished, and my thanks.

Socali's suggestion is what got me to dig out my OOTPD logon credentials. Indeed, in future versions of this game, let there be some tribute to the legacy of Markus Heinsohn.

[asaintsfan]

WOW - I am deeply saddened by this news. Ive been with this game from the start also and it has given me so much joy and anger........ but every year I purchased it NO MATTER WHAT!!

In a world full of madness - I deeply appreciate everything you did for baseball fans to let us escape the nonsense and immerse ourselves in such an amazing baseball simulation game.

THANK YOU and good luck in the future

this sucks...................

[Charlie Hough]

Thanks, Markus, for 25 years of entertainment and for creating the greatest baseball simulation of all time.

It would be virtually impossible for anyone to ever create and build anything with the same level of quality, dedication, and tireless work that you've performed over the years.

You developed an incredible game, but you also helped establish a fantastic community and allowed many members of this community to contribute their expertise, insights, and labor to help make Out of the Park Baseball even better. That openness and willingness to work together with your community and your customers should be a model for all other businesses and game developers to follow.

You endured a lot of constructive criticism and feedback from many people, and there were some tough times along the way. But you listened to suggestions, made smart decisions, and you did well to manage your business and keep developing an amazing game.

As someone who started with OOTP 3 and has played many of the top baseball simulations over the past few decades, I can say that there is no comparison between OOTP and anything else. This is the world champion of baseball sims, and you deserve an opportunity to enjoy your success and pursue new opportunities.

Thanks again for such a phenomenal achievement!

[bosunmate]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

Thanks for all the kind words and good wishes guys. I really appreciate it! It still feels a bit unreal, 27 years is a really long time.

I hope Markus you made some money from your game because in my book you deserve every penny and then some. It took a kid from Germany to make the best simulation game ever, again Thank you..

[omg_pwnasaurus]

I discovered this game during 2020 and what began as simply a way to distract myself, became an obsession and soon my favorite game. Thank you so much Markus for all your hard work and dedication which has provided me countless hours of enjoyment.

I wish you all the best in your next chapter and am sure the game is in great hands as well both with these great developers and community.

Cheers and enjoy

[ChuckkieB]

I've been a baseball stat geek and baseball game simmer my entire life. When I first started keeping stats for the Stratomatic league my friends and I started in 1980, I couldn't in my wildest dreams have imagined a basbeall sim game like OOTP coming into existence. OOTP has allowed me to revel in baseball sim nirvana and stat bliss for 1000's of hours. Your dedication to OOTP has been an obvious labor of love and has provided us all with a fantastic product that continues to innovate and expand the boundries of what is possible in the world of simulation sports programming.

Thank you Markus! Good luck to you in your future endeavors. Cheers!

[scarter95]

I came across this game in 2020 in search of a hobby to pass during those horrible days of shutdowns and social distancing. What a discovery for someone who played the Statis-Pro Baseball board game as a teenager in the 1980s. And what a creation by Markus and his team! I have enjoyed many hours of fun in the five years since. Best to you as you move on to the next chapter!

[Markus Heinsohn]

Thank you all so much for the kind and heartfelt messages, I truly appreciate them. It is still a bit surreal not having another OOTP launch ahead, but my passion for baseball has not gone anywhere. I will definitely stay connected to the sport and, who knows, I might still have a few tricks up my sleeve!

Thanks again for your overwhelming support, it means the world to me!

[OmahaBaseball]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

I will definitely stay connected to the sport and, who knows, I might still have a few tricks up my sleeve!

Please let this be ITP — fingers crossed!

[Kobeck]

Merry Christmas Markus

[david limbaugh]

Originally Posted by CBLCardinals

Markus I’ve been with you and OOTP family since OOTP2. Your vision for the best baseball simulation in the world has impacted many of us for two and a half decades. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us these past 25 years! Your creation and vision has kept us all busy creating our own special baseball universe. Congratulations on all your success and I wish you the best of luck in future endeavors.

DITTO! Markus has always been available and open to ideas and suggestions. Markus, have fun in whatever you do! Don't be a stranger, log on here and let us know how you are doing from time to time!

[Hrbek14]

Thanks for everything Markus! My first OOTP was 7 or 8. It's just what I wanted in a baseball game. I played Strat-O-Matic when I was young (and still play in a couple of leagues today) and it's great for in-person action, but neither it nor its digital versions were what I wanted for computer/solo play. I actually started writing a couple of baseball simulators of my own back in the 80's and early 90's because I wanted the management aspect but I was never very good at GUI (I'm not in the least bit artistic), so I ended up just leaving them unfinished. OOTP is pretty much what I would have wanted my own to become, although it's far beyond what I had imagined possible back then!

[david limbaugh]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

Dear OOTP Community,

"While I plan to pursue new opportunities sometime next year, I certainly won't disappear. I'll be available to the entire team as a mentor and will happily provide feedback on feature designs if needed. Of course, I'll also continue to play the game and lurk around on the forums."

We go back to 1999. We exchanged a lot of private messages over the years. I sent Matt a Change Request:

Can we create the Almanac after the last post-season game? December 31 of each year is too late. Players retire. Coaches get fired. Draft changes the rosters. Almanac for a season should be the snapshot of that season, before teams move to a new place or ....

See what I mean?

Thank you for 25 years of fun times playing OOTP! I always buy early as a Thank You!

[BaseballMan]

Originally Posted by david limbaugh

We go back to 1999. We exchanged a lot of private messages over the years. I sent Matt a Change Request:

Can we create the Almanac after the last post-season game? December 31 of each year is too late. Players retire. Coaches get fired. Draft changes the rosters. Almanac for a season should be the snapshot of that season, before teams move to a new place or ....

See what I mean?

Thank you for 25 years of fun times playing OOTP! I always buy early as a Thank You!

I prefer dec 31st as you have the awards but an option to choose a date would not be bad

[david limbaugh]

Originally Posted by BaseballMan

I prefer dec 31st as you have the awards but an option to choose a date would not be bad

Problem is on Dec 31 it isn't a true almanac of the season - rosters change, teams move, etc...

Perhaps it would be nice to have this option:

1) Create Almanac on Last Day of Post-Season
2) Update Almanac With the Awards when they are announced
3) Add Draft Log to Almanac

What do you think?

[Haiku]

Originally Posted by OmahaBaseball

Please let this be ITP — fingers crossed!

What does ITP stands for?