One of the greatest players of all-time will be featured on the cover of "MLB The Show 17" when it releases March 28 on PlayStation 4.
Ken Griffey Jr. not only will grace the cover of the game, but for the first time will be one of the playable legends in the series as well. It's the only time a retired player has been selected for the cover of "The Show" and will be the first time in almost 20 years that Griffey has appeared as the face of a video game.
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"Destined for greatness, no player entered the Big League with more hype than the first pick of the 1987 MLB draft, and no player entered baseball’s Hall of Fame with a higher percentage of the vote than 'The Natural,'" the annoucement reads. "A legend both on and off the field, 'The Kid' inspired a generation of baseball fans with electric play, a contagious smile, enviable flair, and a swing that’s been imitated but never duplicated for almost three decades."
Between 1994 and 1999, Griffey was the face of four different Nintendo games: "Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball" (1994), "Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run" (1996), "Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr." (1998), and "Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest" (1999). The first game did not have the MLBPA license which meant Griffey was the only real player included.
There will be three editions of the game released, with the standard being sold for $60, and pricier Special Editions. The MVP Edition is $70 and the Hall of Fame Edition $100, and include varying levels of currency, packs of cards for use in the game's Diamond Dynasty team-building mode, and limited edition steel book cases. Amazon Prime members will be able to get 20 percent off any edition of the game on physical purchases, but not digital.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the Press Row Podcast, and be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre .