Backyard Baseball ‘97 is back, with releases of the classic computer game on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 systems available Thursday. All it took was an Illinois schoolteacher hiring a private investigator, an independent development studio re-engineering the game’s source code and a generation of fans keeping their interest in the franchise alive over a dormant decade.
Humongous Entertainment launched Backyard Baseball in October 1997 on Windows and Mac devices, earning a legion of fans with its cartoon art and set of diverse kid characters. By 2000, the series landed the top-selling PC sports game, with football and soccer versions finishing second and sixth on the charts. But by then, consoles were already taking over gaming, and the Backyard series failed to keep up, doomed in part by the dot-com bubble bursting.
Fast forward 20 years. As schools transitioned to virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic, second grade teacher Lindsay Barnett surveyed the entertainment options available to her students at home. “They were playing a lot more violent and mature games,” she said. “I was like, where are the best games ever? Where is the Backyard Sports franchise?”
The IP had changed hands multiple times in the intervening years. Barnett hired an investigator to help her track down the actual owners and then went through an extended negotiation process to buy the rights. The previous rightsholders retained a piece of the venture in an agreement signed last year.
But the original Backyard Baseball code remained unattainable. Instead, developers reverse-engineered the game, including using CD-ROM hacking. The initial plan was to put the game back out on PC. Partners at Mega Cat Studios then suggested they could also deliver mobile and console versions. The game maintains a 97% approval rating on Steam and a 3.9-star rating on Apple’s iOS app store.
“We just really want as many people to be able to—whether it’s reconnect with their childhood again or introduce it to the next generation of fans—that’s what it’s all about,” Barnett said.
The new company, Playground Productions, is also developing a built-from-scratch update of the franchise, retaining some of its identity while adding in modern gaming elements. In the meantime, it has plans to re-release additional games, including Backyard Football ‘99, featuring legends such as Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice and Steve Young. A Backyard Soccer game is already available on computers.
Backyard Sports’ rebirth comes amid a broader retro wave in gaming, including Tony Hawk Pro Skater remakes, driven in part by the ability to emulate old games and play them on mobile devices.
Playground Productions is also expanding the Backyard crew’s reach beyond video games. The company has already released apparel and collectibles. It’s eyeing scripted entertainment too. A pro sports altcast hosted by Backyard characters is even a possibility. Barnett pointed to Peanuts and Mario Kart as two brands the new Backyard Sports overseers hope to emulate.
“This is like a relay race, and we’ve been handed the baton, and like, we’re just stewards of these amazing characters,” Playground Productions chief product officer Christopher Waters said. “Everything we’re doing is like, ‘How does this benefit the brand for the next five, 10, 15 years?’—not ‘What’s the fastest way for us to exploit the rights right now?’”
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