Rediscovering Baseball's Forgotten Past: MLB The Show's Negro Leagues

The latest edition of Sony's MLB: The Show marks a historic milestone as it introduces the Negro Leagues to the game for the first time. Born out of racial segregation in the MLB and the United States, the Negro Leagues provided a platform for Black and Latin American professionals to compete from 1920 to 1950. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Ramone Russell, San Diego Studio's product development communications and brand strategist for MLB: The Show, shares the journey of incorporating this pivotal piece of baseball history into the game. Russell reveals that the question of when the Negro Leagues would be featured in the game was frequently asked during press events, with the response being that it was a matter of finding the right approach. The technological limitations of previous console generations made it challenging to present the historical context and information accurately, as well as authentically recreating players, stadiums, and crowds. Russell notes that telling the stories of these players presented multiple challenges, particularly when dealing with sensitive topics such as the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow laws. The example of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in 1947, is cited as a case where the team had to balance historical accuracy with the need to maintain a family-friendly rating. The introduction of the Negro Leagues in the game began with collaboration with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its president, Bob Kendrick. Russell worked closely with the museum to ensure the accurate representation of the players and their stories. The team experimented with various ideas, including in-game podcasts and visual clips, before settling on a format that worked. Russell took it upon himself to create a vertical slice to convey the concept to the team, which involved a 12-hour collaboration with the trailer team at PlayStation Creative. The vertical slice featured a Marvin Gaye track, 'Inner City Blues,' which set the tone for the project. By January 2021, the team had a clearer vision of the concept, selecting eight players to form the initial roster. However, due to the time constraints of a yearly development cycle, the team decided to include eight to ten players per year, with the intention of adding more content in future releases. The inaugural roster was carefully curated with the guidance of Bob Kendrick, featuring a mix of well-known and lesser-known players, such as Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson. The team worked to ensure historical accuracy, using a combination of research and consultation with the players' families to recreate their likenesses and stories. The development process also involved creating new stadiums and crowds that reflected the era, including the unique aspect of non-segregated crowds. The soundtrack for the feature was also carefully curated, with Russell taking on the task of creating the track list himself. The team doubled their music licensing budget to ensure the right soundtrack for the project. Russell acknowledges the pressure of getting the project right, not just for the team but also for the representation of Black history and culture. The team's motto for the project was 'educate, enlighten, and inspire,' with the goal of creating a celebration of the Negro Leagues and their players that would be both fun and inspirational.