Game Gallery Amusements

'Playball' among hundreds of online games available
By Mark Newman / MLB.com

• MLB.com ArcadePeople have been coming to MLB.com for a long time now and in ever-increasing numbers, and most everyone who has passed virtually through these walls has done so with one common pursuit in mind:
Enjoyment.
Whether your favorite Major League Baseball team is in first place or last place, let's face it: You probably are here because of the game. It's all about the game. It's all about play. Even if you are at work, you are probably here because of play.
Now there is something that takes the notion of playing another step further. The MLB.com Arcade has just opened. Online gamers now have a home on Major League Baseball's official site, too. It's time to play even more.
The appropriate name of the first baseball offering is MLB.com Playball. You can download the free trial version and get a feel for it, and then you can buy the full version for just $19.99 and suddenly realize what's most important in life: fun. And the first thing you will notice is that it is a lot of fun.
The kind of very addictive fun that makes you want to go out and play a simple game of pitch and catch, or go to your nearest ballpark and watch your favorite team take your emotions for a thrill ride. MLB.com Playball fits right in.
"MLB.com Playball is highly addictive," said Jamie Leece of Play at Joe's, the gaming company that has teamed up with MLB Advanced Media to create the game. "It combines all of the great elements of baseball in a fast-paced and exciting product."
MLB.com Playball is an objective-based Match 3 game with a twist. You can play at least 81 challenging game boards, all within a baseball theme in which you can choose your favorite team and reveal different player photos as you progress.
In this unique take on the classic-style matching game, you must rearrange baseball icons into sets, all the while scoring singles, doubles, triples, and home runs. Enjoy the sounds along the way, including the crack of the bat, the whiff of a strike and the roar of the crowd.
Each inning you complete leads you to a more challenging inning, with later levels having special "throwback" and "target" tiles. Play in either regular or time-attack game mode. Replay unlocked innings and games to improve your score.
Save your high scores by inning, game and season, and then compare them to other players online. You can even replay innings, games and seasons to improve your score.
If you are fast enough, Frenzy Mode will help you get lots of bonus points. Who in an arcade doesn't love bonus points?
Have you ever wondered why kids are always better than their parents at video games? If you are a parent who still can't maneuver your kid's hovercraft in Halo2, then you probably know more baseball than they do and here is a chance to even the score and get some payback at home.
And if you are a kid, here's another chance to deal on your parents, not to mention all of your friends. There are no prizes, but leaderboards will show users how they are doing compared to other users.
MLB.com Playball is one of hundreds of popular Internet gaming titles that can be found at the MLB.com Arcade, and most of them are try-and-buy like this one. There are literally thousands of hours of free gameplay availabe across more than 750 products, with new titles being added daily. All the online favorites are available, such as Scrabble, Zuma, Civilization and more.
Have fun. After all, it's why people come to MLB.com.