Major League Baseball 2K10 Preview (Gamepro)

There's perhaps no other phrase that resonates more with baseball fans than "there's always next year." With pitchers and catchers less than three weeks away, one can't help but get excited at the clean slate their team gets - in real life and on their favorite console.

It's no secret that MLB 2K9 was a disappointment. Its score on Metacritic topped out at an underwhelming 64, with most of the major gaming outlets, including GamePro, giving it a below average score. So you could understand how shocked I was when I first sat down to play MLB 2K10 and realized that it might actually have a shot at being a worthwhile effort.

In talking with Visual Concepts producer Ben Bishop, it was obvious the development team was humbled by last year's game. But like a resilient team with playoff aspirations, the devs are using the adversity as inspiration to reboot the franchise and get back to good fundamental gameplay. "2K9 was really a challenging year for us," said Bishop who spoke at length about last year's consolidation of the Kush Games and Visual Concepts studios. The change came during the development of MLB 2K9, setting the team back two to three months and making it difficult for them to accomplish their goals. "We never want to make excuses no matter what the situation [but] it was pretty clear going into 2K10 that we had a lot of work to do to improve the game and get the series back on track."

During my time with the game (which was roughly 85% complete) I noticed how much smoother and more natural the game felt on both sides of the ball. Pitches are now selected prior to moving the right analog stick, which ensures that no matter how badly you mess up the gesture, your guy will still throw the pitch you want. At the plate, the developers have re-envisioned the way players interpret incoming pitches. A batter's eye rating, combined with how well the pitcher makes the throwing motion, will determine whether the batter can see which pitch is coming. What's even better is that in addition to contact and power swings, players can now press left or right on the right analog stick to swing defensively. Despite some bugs in the build I played, it was clear that improving the defensive gameplay has been a priority. My fielders responded appropriately and made all the easy plays. Bishop is confident there will be no need for major patches just weeks after release, like last year's game.

One advantage players will notice by having Visual Concepts at the helm for the entire development cycle is the luxury of learning from their successful experiences with NBA 2K10. "Now that we have NHL, NBA and MLB all in house here at Visual Concepts, we have the ability to share resources a lot more," said Bishop. "You can see similarities in navigation and presentation and we want you to have a sense of familiarity with whatever 2K Sports title you pick up. When you play MLB 2K10's My Player mode you'll see a lot of elements that are in common with NBA 2K10's My Player mode. We took a lot of what they did to set the bar and we tried to add elements that made more sense for baseball."

Fans of Franchise Mode have much to be excited about as well. Between the addition of a 40-man roster, rehab assignments, compensation draft picks and a revamped trade block, players should experience the most in depth mode the series has ever offered. And like NBA 2K10, players will now have the ability to announce their accolades to the world via their own 2K hosted blog. Write your own posts, upload highlight clips or scores, and broadcast it on your Facebook or Twitter account.

From the few hours I spent playing MLB 2K10 and talking to Bishop, there's much for fans of the series to feel optimistic about. Look for GamePro's review when the game hits shelves on March 2, and head to 2ksports.com to find out how you can win one million dollars for throwing a perfect game!