World Series Baseball '98 is a 1997 baseball video game released by Sega for the Sega Saturn and Sega Genesis as a sequel to World Series Baseball II. The game was first released in Japan under the title Pro Yakyū Greatest Nine '97 which used the Nippon Professional Baseball license.

Gameplay

World Series Baseball '98 is a baseball simulation in which players control batting, pitching, fielding and baserunning. The Saturn version uses a four-part batting system based around the strike zone. Each batter has areas in which they are comparatively strong or weak, and before a pitch the player can select one of four quadrants corresponding to buttons on the controller. Correctly anticipating where the pitch will enter the strike zone increases the likelihood of solid contact, while selecting the wrong quadrant can result in weaker contact. Players can also decline to select a quadrant in order to concentrate on making contact rather than hitting for power.

Pitchers have individual pitch repertoires based on their real-life counterparts, with the player choosing pitch type and location while attempting to exploit a batter's weaker areas. Next Generation described the pitcher–batter contest as requiring the batter to anticipate pitch type and location while the pitcher varies speed and placement and avoids the hitter's stronger zones. Fielding ability also varies between players; stronger defensive players can make more accurate throws, while pitcher effectiveness declines with fatigue. The game additionally includes injuries, errors and rain delays. Both fielding and baserunning can be controlled manually or left to the computer.

The game contains four modes of play, including a full 162-game season, playoff play and a Home Run Derby. Its season mode follows the 1997 Major League Baseball schedule and incorporates interleague play, which had been introduced to Major League Baseball that season. Player statistics can be stored and tracked across more than 20 categories.

Development and release For the Saturn version, Sega introduced a new 3D polygon-based graphics engine and used motion capture to reproduce the movements of professional baseball players. Sega also implemented artificial intelligence intended to emphasize baseball strategy rather than purely arcade-style play.

All 30 major-league ballparks were represented, with the development team using photographs of the real stadiums as reference material. Newly built or developing venues represented in the game included Turner Field, Tropicana Field and Bank One Ballpark, while changes to the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum were also incorporated.

The North American version was licensed by both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association and included the 1997 MLB schedule, player rosters and statistics, as well as the newly introduced interleague play. More than 20 statistical categories could be recorded during a season.

Unlike the preceding Saturn games World Series Baseball and World Series Baseball II, both of which received European releases, World Series Baseball '98 was not released in Europe.

In September 1997, Kama Entertainment signed an official agreement with Sega to distribute Saturn hardware and software in South Korea. World Series Baseball '98 was selected as one of the first new Saturn titles to accompany Kama's renewed push for the console in the Korean market, with a release planned for early October. The South Korean edition was published by Kama Entertainment under the catalogue number MK-81127-08.

Reception

The Saturn version of World Series Baseball '98 received mostly positive reviews. The series' transition to polygonal graphics was generally approved of, particularly since the game still runs as fast as its predecessors, though multiple reviewers criticized that the bats are grossly out-of-proportion, saying they look like two-by-four lumber planks. Most also commented on the inability to trade players. However, the batting/pitching quadrant system was highly praised. Next Generation, in particular, argued that in conjunction with the deep fielding controls and management strategies, the quadrant system makes World Series Baseball '98 a genre-redefining game comparable to the likes of Doom and NFL GameDay 97. The reviewer stated, "Clearly, this is the new standard for baseball games, and there are no current games that even come close. Saturn may not have much, but it's got baseball." Other critics were more moderate, though still positive. GamePro concluded that the fast, fun nature of the game overrides its issues with graphics and sounds, and compared it favorably to contemporary baseball games on the Saturn such as Grand Slam. Kraig Kujawa and Dean Hager both said that it is inferior to MLB '98, but still very good, and Hager added, "I'll say for sure it's the best baseball game for the Saturn."

The Genesis version was released at the end of the console's lifespan and was largely ignored by the press. A brief review in GamePro criticized that the only improvements over World Series Baseball '96 are updated rosters and interleague play, making it only worth buying for those who do not yet have a baseball game for the Genesis.

During the inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated the Saturn version for "Console Sports Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to International Superstar Soccer 64.

Commercial performance The Genesis version of World Series Baseball '98 topped Blockbuster Video's rental chart for the platform in mid-1997. In GamePros July 1997 "Hot Rentals" chart, it ranked as the most-rented Genesis game at Blockbuster Video stores.

The Sega Saturn version debuted at number one on Sega Saturn Magazine's Sega Saturn software sales chart the week of March 25–31, 1997,Sega Saturn Magazine (JP). SoftBank. 25 April 1997. p. 19. and went over to sell more than 182,000 units in Japan.

In South Korea, the Sega Saturn version had sold fewer than 1,000 legitimate copies by late December, while publisher Kama Entertainment estimated that approximately 10,000 pirated copies had been sold. The company would go on to announce legal action against three retailers accused of selling unauthorized copies.

Legacy and Influence The game was later credited with influencing subsequent baseball titles. In a 2000 retrospective, GameSpot described many of the ideas introduced in World Series Baseball '98 as sufficiently innovative that competing games adopted them and spent approximately two years catching up.

World Series Baseball '98 influenced Sega's subsequent baseball games on the Dreamcast. During the development of World Series Baseball 2K1, Sega producer David Perkinson said that the team had learned from the World Series Baseball games on the Saturn and Genesis and intended to carry their strongest elements into the Dreamcast game, including their balance between simulation and arcade-style gameplay. Perkinson later described World Series Baseball '98s transition to polygonal characters and three-dimensional rendering as a major evolution for the Saturn series which helped set the direction for its subsequent development on Dreamcast.

In a 2021 retrospective of the greatest baseball games on each major console, Bleacher Report chose World Series Baseball 98 for the Sega Saturn and noted that "it represented a massive step forward relative to previous baseball games in terms of making the batter/pitcher matchup the focal point of the game."

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