Customer Reviews (500)

Astros Martin • 2025-03-26T16:18:00-07:00

Add Marwin Gonzalez and Evan Gattis and Brian McCann

YankDeez5309 • 2025-03-26T05:32:48-07:00

The player development systems are very difficult to progress through, and the estimations or percentages given regarding the chances of a successful attempt are entirely inaccurate!!! Not to mention the number of materials required for these processes that are utterly wasted on failed attempts!! I should not have to burn through hundreds and thousands of materials cards/tickets to upgrade, train, boost, etc my players

Laisja👫 • 2025-03-26T04:33:49-07:00

I love it I play it so much

Summary of Key Insights

MLB Rivals receives mixed reviews, with many users praising its graphics and gameplay while criticizing aspects of player development, roster management, and the presence of bugs. The overall sentiment is moderately positive, evidenced by a higher number of 5-star reviews, but significant pain points exist. The app is appreciated for its realistic elements and engaging gameplay but is hampered by issues that detract from the overall user experience. There's a sense that the game has high potential, but needs further refinement.

Quantitative metrics:

  • Overall rating is not directly available from the provided data, but can be inferred to be around 4 stars based on the score distribution.
  • Score Distribution: {"1":75,"2":28,"3":68,"4":93,"5":236}
    • 5-star: 47.2%
    • 4-star: 18.6%
    • 3-star: 13.6%
    • 2-star: 5.6%
    • 1-star: 15%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but inferred to be recent based on mentions of the 2024 and 2025 seasons and recent updates.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Categorizing reviews as positive, negative, or neutral based on language used.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identifying frequently mentioned terms and phrases related to features, issues, and requests.
    • Topic Modeling: Grouping reviews based on common themes and subjects.

Key User Pain Points

  • Player Development System Complexity and Cost: Many users find the player development system (training, upgrading, limit breaking, special training, potential) complex, time-consuming, and expensive. They report burning through resources with low success rates, making it difficult to improve their team without spending money.
  • Rating and Progress Loss After Updates: A recurring complaint is that player ratings and team overall drop significantly after updates, negating progress and causing frustration. Live player stats often don't seem to match in-game performance.
  • Matchmaking Issues: Users frequently complain about unfair matchmaking in live matches and ranked battles, often facing opponents with significantly higher overall teams, leading to a frustrating and unbalanced experience.
  • Glitches and Bugs: Several users report glitches, including the game freezing, crashing, getting stuck on loading screens, or experiencing visual issues like flickering.
  • Inaccurate Gameplay/Unrealistic Outcomes: Many users cite issues with gameplay realism, including outfielders knowing where the ball will go before it's pitched, unrealistic pop-ups, and the AI's behavior (perfectly reacting to pitches if "meant" to get a hit). Swing timing doesn't seem to correlate with hit quality.
  • Roster Inaccuracies/Missing Players: Users express frustration with outdated rosters, missing key players (especially legends and current stars), and the inclusion of random players not on the team.
  • Limited Control: Users desire more control over fielding, base running, and throwing, instead of relying on automated systems.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Legends and Historical Players: A common request is to add more legendary players and historical teams.
  • Uniform Options/Customization: Users want the ability to choose alternate uniforms, city connect jerseys, and customize player gear.
  • Manual Fielding and Base Running: Many users want manual control over fielding and base running.
  • Trading System/Auction House: A trading system or auction house for players is a frequently requested feature.
  • Exhibition Mode with Full Game Play: Users want a full-fledged exhibition mode where they can play complete games with real rosters.
  • Create-a-Player/Career Mode: A create-a-player or career mode is a popular suggestion.
  • Improved Commentary: Users want more accurate and engaging commentary.
  • Controller Support: Some users request support for game controllers.
  • World Baseball Classic Mode: Add a World Baseball Classic mode.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Graphics: Users consistently praise the game's graphics, describing them as realistic and high-quality.
  • Gameplay: Many users find the gameplay engaging, fun, and addictive.
  • Realistic Player Motions: The realistic player motions and animations are appreciated.
  • Variety of Game Modes: The variety of game modes is seen as a positive.
  • Frequent Updates: Users acknowledge that updates have helped improve the game.
  • No Ads: Many users appreciate the lack of intrusive advertisements.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Game-Breaking Bugs and Glitches: Fix the freezing, crashing, and loading screen issues to ensure basic functionality.
  • Rebalance Player Development System: Simplify the player development system and reduce the grind to make it more accessible and rewarding. Increase the success rates for upgrades, especially at higher levels.
  • Fix Rating Drops After Updates: Investigate and resolve the issue of player ratings and team overall decreasing after updates.
  • Improve Matchmaking: Implement a fairer matchmaking system that considers team overall and player skill to avoid unbalanced matches.
  • Update Rosters and Add Missing Players: Ensure rosters are accurate and up-to-date, and add frequently requested legendary and current players.

Medium Priority:

  • Implement Manual Fielding and Base Running: Add options for manual fielding and base running to give players more control.
  • Enhance Gameplay Realism: Address issues with unrealistic pop-ups, AI behavior, and the correlation between swing timing and hit quality.
  • Improve Commentary: Fix inaccuracies in the commentary and make it more engaging.
  • Add More Uniform Options: Provide more uniform choices, including alternate and city connect jerseys.
  • Develop a More Comprehensive Tutorial System: Provide a place where all the features of the game are fully explained.

Low Priority:

  • Implement Controller Support: Add support for game controllers.
  • Add World Baseball Classic Mode: Consider adding a World Baseball Classic mode.
  • Add Replays: Give players the option to view instant replays.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Mobile Game Analytics and Optimization Service: A service that helps mobile game developers analyze user reviews and in-game data to identify pain points and optimize gameplay.
  • Baseball Game Community Platform: A platform where players can trade players, share strategies, and create custom leagues.
  • AI-Powered Sports Commentary Generator: A tool that generates realistic and engaging sports commentary in real-time, tailored to the specific game situation.

Trends and Observations

  • Comparison to MLB 9 Innings: Many users compare MLB Rivals to MLB 9 Innings, suggesting a strong overlap in the target audience. Rivals is generally seen as graphically superior, but some prefer the gameplay mechanics of 9 Innings.
  • Pay-to-Win Concerns: There's a recurring sentiment that the game is becoming increasingly "pay-to-win," with users feeling pressured to spend money to progress.
  • Desire for Nostalgia: The frequent requests for legendary players and historical teams indicate a strong interest in nostalgia and baseball history.
  • Language Preferences: While most reviews are in English, there are reviews in Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional), and Spanish, suggesting a global player base.

Conclusion

MLB Rivals has significant potential as a leading mobile baseball game, but needs improvements in player development, roster accuracy, and bug fixes. By addressing these pain points and incorporating requested features, the developers can enhance the user experience and attract a wider audience. Focusing on gameplay balance and minimizing "pay-to-win" aspects will be crucial for long-term success.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mlb-rivals/id1580691683?uo=2