Video Game Vintage Title: MLB Front Office Manager

MLB Front Office Manager

MLB Front Office Manager is a Major League Baseball-licensed sports management game developed by Blue Castle Games and published by 2K Sports for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was released on January 26, 2009.

MLB Front Office Manager Gameplay

MLB Front Office Manager allows a player to take the role of a baseball general manager over the course of a thirty-year career; the goal is to perform well enough to become inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The player's GM is rated on eight disciplines including North American scouting, international scouting, pro-league scouting, player development, trades, contract negotiation, owner confidence and leadership. GMs also have former career backgrounds (i.e. ex-manager, lawyer, business person, former player, or talent scout) that affect the GM's disciplines. A GM's ratings improve or regress over his career depending on their performance and will have seasonal goals depending on the club they're hired by. The player will be faced with decisions such as spring training evaluation, initiate and respond to trades, develop rookies, and even bid for Japanese baseball players. The game also promises advanced AI-controlled GMs who have unique motivations.

During the game, the player may opt to manage, and can issue instructions such as intentionally walk batters, make a bullpen changes, call for steals and bunts, and pitch; the user cannot call individual pitches.

The game features a full 3D engine for single game gameplay. Full nine inning games take roughly 10�15 minutes to play.

Reception
MLB Front Office Manager received scathing reviews, most citing its clunky interface, bad artificial intelligence, and baffling simulation and statistical results. Game Informer in its 3 of 10 review blasted, "The nuts and bolts of gameplay are apocalyptic failures, but the awfulness doesn't stop there. Managing games is utterly pointless." GameSpot noted "the decisions made by computer GMs are beyond bizarre" and player trades "are nondescript affairs shuffling minor leaguers around, the game hits you with a Bizarro World blockbuster on a regular basis", giving it a 4.5 of 10. Hilary Goldstein's IGN 6.6 of 10 review was more charitable, but still complained, "Lack of three-team deals, a mediocre interface, and questionable AI logic are unacceptable even from a new IP."