Player Poll: Off the field, it's Call of Duty
This season, we surveyed hundreds of Minor Leaguers on a variety of questions, from favorite players and post-game snacks to video games and dream teammates. Check back as we reveal what players really think.
The baseball season can be a grind, and while players spend hours in hitting cages and throwing bullpens, they also spend a few fighting boredom on bus trips and unwinding back home. And with a lot of Minor Leaguers being fresh out of high school and college, it's a good bet there is a lot of quality time spent playing video games during and after the season.
So, we surveyed 382 players with the question, "What is your favorite video game?"
The overwhelming winner? Call of Duty.
Among games mentioned, 41 percent of Minor Leaguers gave the realistic first-person shooter/warfare game the thumbs up. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, popular for its online multi-player scenarios, debuted just before players reported to Spring Training this past season and sold 6.5 million copies within 24 hours of being launched. (It's worth noting that Call of Duty is a long-running series of games, and some votes may not have specifically referred to the newest "MW3" edition.)
Sports games fared pretty well, too, of course. FIFA 12, a soccer game, received 11 percent of the vote from players. FIFA 12 became the fastest selling sports game ever, according to publisher Electronic Arts, when it sold 3.2 million copies in its first week.
MLB 12: The Show ranked third in the poll. The baseball game includes both Major League and Minor League teams and players, making the game a popular option for players who can't quite get enough of their day jobs.
The only other non-sports games to receive at least three votes were Halo and Battlefield 3, both first-person shooters similar to the Call of Duty franchise.
The full results of the poll are below:
Get in the game
Game | Votes | Percent |
---|---|---|
Call of Duty | 157 | 41% |
FIFA | 41 | 11% |
MLB 12: The Show | 21 | 6% |
Tiger Woods | 17 | 4% |
NBA 2K12 | 15 | 4% |
NHL 12 | 14 | 4% |
Madden | 9 | 2% |
NCAA Football | 7 | 2% |
Halo | 6 | 2% |
Battlefield 3 | 3 | 1% |
Other | Fewer than 3 | 13% |