3DO Takes On Softball

It was bound to happen as game companies scurry to build games based on every sport imaginable. 3DO announced on Wednesday that it will be building the first softball sports game for the PC and PlayStation.

Due in late February 2000, Softball Slam is targeted at a larger mainstream gaming audience with a one-button interface and the option to let players play a full game in under an hour. The game will feature 24 teams (male, female and co-ed), and players will be able to create virtual personas of themselves in the game.

''Softball is one of the most popular sports in the US, with more than 50 million adults and children participating,'' said Trip Hawkins, chairman and CEO of The 3DO Company. ''We believe the Softball Slam game successfully captures the action of the sport but maintains accurate softball physics and rules so that kids and adults can practice their skills and become better players on the field.''

Unsurprisingly, the same team behind the company's High Heat Baseball 2000 title is developing the new Softball Slam game.