MLB 08: The Show.........

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Oh yeah, it's back. Filthy baseball goodness. My personal wish list need is finally in: Online leagues. ***drool***

Here's the feature listing.......

Road to The Show 2.0 – To deliver the closest experience possible, next to actually trying to make it in the Majors, MLB 08 THE SHOW introduces a more immersive Road to The Show mode. As gamers attempt to make a starting line-up in the Big Leagues, playing on both offense and defense from a custom-created player's perspective, a more robust dynamic goal system and a new career advancement system will determine when a player is eligible for a promotion. Now, advancement goals related to the player's attribute target level will be provided to get the player to that next level and those goals are based on the player's attribute level and statistical performance. Also, Road to The Show 2.0 adds a new statistics screen that will display a player's current seasons' statistics. Additionally, custom-created players are more interactive. As a position player, gamers will be able to further adjust that players positioning, catchers will occur more defense situations, and pitcher's will now experience mound visits with user interaction – all making Road to The Show mode even more realistic.

Progressive Batting Performance – Progressive Batting Performance is a feature designed to both reward players for superior performance and penalizes them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, the players will be rewarded with slight contact bonuses for each batter that performs beyond his "natural ability" while under user control. Conversely, the user will be punished with slight decreases in contact for each batter that performs below his "natural ability".

Replay Vault – With the new Replay Vault, gamers can now go back to that spectacular diving, behind the back double play from the first inning and show their friends. Replays are available from any part of the game from any inning within that game.

Post Game/In Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis – Stats and match-up analysis' are a baseball fan's dream! The Pitch Analysis is a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played. Gamers will be able sort by pitcher, LHB or RHB, Pitch type and result. This feature is also available for Batters, and the batter analysis allows for a breakdown of how a batter has performed based on LHP or RHP, Pitch Type and the result.

Pitch Grips – Adding ore authenticity, MLB 08 THE SHOW details the different pitch grips and arm angles that a pitcher has when throwing each pitch. Showing these details in Replay Mode will further enhance the look of the game. 18 different pitch types total! (Four-Seam Fastball, Two-Seam Fastball, Cut Fastball, Split-Fingered Fastball, Curveball, Slider, Sinker, Slurve, Change-Up, Circle Change, Knuckleball, Palmball, Forkball, Knuckle-Curve, Screwball, 10-4 Curve, 12-6 Curve & Gyro).

Crowd Interaction – With the power of the PS3, the MLB franchise is set introduce subtle elements of baseball that, quite simply, couldn't be done on another platform. A big part of baseball is in the ambiance of the game – having realistic stadiums is mandatory, but the crowd also plays a big part in the overall atmosphere. Gamers will see a vast array of new ambient elements including: fans coming, going and reaching for foul balls, vendors, 7th inning stretch, the wave, standing ovations, dynamic crown actions like hanging K's, and much, much more. These new subtleties make MLB 08 THE SHOW truly feel like a day at the ballpark.

MLB My Music – Ever wanted to make your own video game soundtrack? With MLB 08 THE SHOW for the PS3 and PSP® gamers will be able to take the music that they have stored on their PS3 HDD and add to the list of music played in the Juke Box.

SCOUT [SportsConnect Online User Tracking] – If you've ever had a difficult time finding an opponent that wants to play online with the same gameplay setting as you, this is your feature. SCOUT allows gamers to set their game preferences, stores them on the server, and then allows the system to look for a Quick Match with an opponent that fits their criteria.

In-Game MLB Live Scores – Using our new top of the screen Score Bar display, gamers will get updates on what is going on in the Majors. Along with scores and inning, gamers will also see notables, such as HR's, complete games, etc.

Online League Play – MLB 08 THE SHOW provides today's sports fanatics with the ability to set up leagues with anywhere from 6-30 teams with full stat tracking, point benefits and rewards. Gamers can customize the league including choosing players, teams, length of schedule and much more. (Note: There are no cross platform leagues available.)

Online News Service / MLB.com Headline News – Sports fanatics can receive all the current happenings in sports today. Information will be updated a few times each hour with news, trades and events from 31 different feeds, each containing 25 unique items. Users can select general MLB® headlines or updates from all 30 teams instantly. New for 07, MLB 08 THE SHOW offers an enhanced Live MLB Ticker, which shows live status of all MLB games going on around the league – with updates several times a minute. This new view will be complete with who is on base, pitching, batting, on-deck and full inning-by-inning box scores.

Rivalry Mode – For those with a competitive nature, Rivalry Mode allows baseball fans to set up and maintain multi-game rivalries between multiple gamers or versus the Artificial Intelligence (AI), and keeps track of the stats throughout the rivalry.

Franchise Mode – Extending the experience of running a team, performance and player morale are tracked on virtually every level – salary, playing time, batting slot, team performance, and much more.

Career Mode – The Career Spotlight underscores all of the accomplishments and failures during a career and showcases them in the limelight. Gamers still need to call the shots, but now the ramifications of actions are documented.

Season Mode – Grind out the162 game season and deal with day-to-day match-ups, refining the lineup and play for the championship just like the pros.

All-Star Game – Lets gamers take the virtual road trip to San Francisco early to see who prevails for home field advantage in the 2007 Fall Classic.

Multi-Branch Fielding – Branch Point Technology goes to a new level as gamers you can now take full control of fielders and break out of any animation in the process. Change a fielding decision and branch out of any animation after the first branch point. With Branch Point Technology, MLB 08 THE SHOW provides unbelievably smooth, fluid transitions for seamless double plays and relays.

PlayMaker Fielding – The fielding interface brings the player attributes together with the user's skill level. With the Fielding Zone Marker, the fielder's fielding attribute rating will determine the size of the zone that surrounds the ball and its eventual landing location. With highly ranked fielders, the ball marker will be displayed sooner and smaller, making it easier to judge fly balls.

Adaptive Pitching Intelligence (API) – Catchers will call the game based on individual strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher and analyze tendencies of batters. Gamers will have the ability to trust the pitches called by the catcher or shake them off. (The catcher's recommendations are based off of thousands of actual MLB® stats.)

Pitch Command System (PCS) – Delivering unsurpassed authenticity and strategy to pitch selection, a pitcher's "pitch comfort" will be predetermined based on a best to worst pitch scenario. It's up the gamer to decide if they should try to "work on a pitch" or just go with what's working. The more a player works on a pitch, the better it becomes, and the more a gamer neglects a pitch, the harder it becomes to work the zone.

Release Point Pitching – Taking video game pitching to a whole new level, gamers must utilize a timing mechanism to learn and realize each pitchers pace and release point, which varies from pitcher to pitcher.

Pitching Confidence Meter – The ultimate pitcher/batter interface returns. Additionally, Pitcher Confidence plays a role in a gamer's ability to hit release points in the all-new pitch meter, while frequency of mistakes will impact the confidence level of a gamer's hurler, making it more difficult to paint the corners of the strike zone.

Guess Pitch – Baseball fans can attempt to master the ability to knock one out or hit the grounder to advance the runner by checking the pitch history and correctly guessing which pitch and the location that the pitcher will throw next. If the correct pitch is selected, the power attribute is increased in attempts to leave the yard in a hurry.

40-Man Roster – Provides the ability to take full control of a team's roster and manage all 40 players for each and every game.

My Sliders (Up/Downloadable) – The My Sliders option gives users the ability to create their perfect game settings offline by adjusting game sliders. Gamers can then save these adjustments to memory and, when online, upload to them to the MLB 08 THE SHOW server for other users to try and let the online community be the judge on finding the perfect game.

MLB® Player Motion Captures – MLB 08 THE SHOW features dozens of professional athletes including David Wright, David Ortiz, Eric Chavez, Roger Clemens, Shawn Green, Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Hudson, Darryl Hamilton, Troy Percival, Brett Tomko, Mo Vaughn and more.

Thousands of Personalized Animations – Authenticity: featuring personalized player animations for everything from walk-ups, rituals, stances and swings and even emotions.

New Umpire Personalities – Providing even more realism to the diamond, MLB 08 THE SHOW features umpires with unique tendencies and animations. Each umpire will have his own definition of the strike zone, and it's up to the gamer to figure out if the umpire is calling the zone high, low, or giving the corners.

Managers / Coaches – MLB® managers and coaches will be on the field calling the shots.

MLB Authenticity, Subtleties & Nuances – MLB 08 THE SHOW features drag bunts, wild pitches, broken bats, check swings, off-line throws and much more.

Wind Effects – MLB 08 THE SHOW features a wind display showing wind speed and direction. Depending upon the severity of the wind, the ball will drift according to the speed and direction. Wind effects will force the player to take the proper route to the ball and make adjustments on the fly.

3-Man Booth & Progressive Commentary – Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell provide the most comprehensive commentary heard in any baseball videogame. MLB 08 THE SHOW sets the bar high with the Progressive Commentary that changes as the user progresses throughout the game by adapting to current actions and situations.

[TroyF]

The progressive batting thing is something that'll have to be "just" right or it could be a horrible feature.

Everything else looks good to me.

[astrosfan64]

I picked up 07 for my PSP. I love it and this version sounds even better.

[korme]

Nice, 40 man rosters.

[Logan]

I stopped playing the 07 version (and sold my PSP and the game) when my dominant 20 year old closer kept getting sent down to the minors despite not struggling at all, where I would end up not getting used. When you have a game that forces you to do things (i.e. not like Madden where if the computer doesn't think I should be starting my rookie RB, I still can), that's a killer to me. Hopefully that's fixed.

[Logan]

MLB® Player Motion Captures – MLB 08 THE SHOW features dozens of professional athletes including David Wright, David Ortiz, Eric Chavez, Roger Clemens, Shawn Green, Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Hudson, Darryl Hamilton, Troy Percival, Brett Tomko, Mo Vaughn and more.


Interesting selection of names. Ok, Vaughn was a star for awhile, but Darryl Hamilton and Tomko?

[korme]

Brett Tomko is about to be 2008 Cy Young winner when he signs with the Reds again

(and if we set our ootp universe to dead ball era for games he pitches)

[TroyF]

I stopped playing the 07 version (and sold my PSP and the game) when my dominant 20 year old closer kept getting sent down to the minors despite not struggling at all, where I would end up not getting used. When you have a game that forces you to do things (i.e. not like Madden where if the computer doesn't think I should be starting my rookie RB, I still can), that's a killer to me. Hopefully that's fixed.

I had the problem last year. I think I wrote about it in the MLB: 07 thread. My problem was even worse than yours. I was a hot shot power hitter tearing up the league. I was destroying AAA pitching and got called up to The Show. I was called up in the middle of June. I got three at bats my first game. Then I sat. And sat. And sat. And sat.

I was went back down to the minors in the middle of August. My MLB totals were 3 at bats and two pinch running appearences. Essentially, most of my year was wasted.

I spent a lot of time to get to that level and the experience really sapped my enjoyment of the game as a whole. I tried to get back into it, but i had a tough time.

I realize this just may be me nitpicking and I didn't bash the game, but it really took away from my enjoyement factor of it.

[Logan]

Yep, I remember your posts Troy and remember your slugger...I discussed my frustration in there as well. It didn't make any sense at all. If I had the occassional bad appearance, and my team was in the playoff hunt and wanted to go with a more "seasoned" closer, I could understand that (even though a fireballer with a sub-2.00 ERA is still nice to have in a set-up role). But that wasn't the case as I was playing with the Marlins.

I agree in that it killed my interest in the game, since there is literally nothing you could do to correct that problem. What added to the frustration is that I had such a good time getting to the point of where I was dominating in the bigs at such an early age.

[TroyF]

Yup, I agree. I'd rather hit bug after bug after bug after bug within the first 20 minutes of playing the game.

I think it took me 3 "game years" and probably 10-12 hours of play to get to the point where my player wasn't allowed to develop because the game decided to sit a 21 year old superstar prospect for 3+ months.

Why the heck would I want to spend another 10-12 to watch it happen again?

It really was enjoyable getting to that point though. I actually thought the previous years game was better in a lot of areas, but it was solid. NBA2K and College Hoops2K are the sports games I consistently play at this point. I hope a football or baseball game crack into the fold next year.

[astrosfan64]

Are there any 2kgames for PSP?

[MizzouRah]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/2103736774_7f39cfd546.jpg?v=0


They have REALLY ramped up the graphical side of things. The ONLY game I wish I had a ps3 for. :)

C'mon MLB 2k8!

[astrosfan64]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/2103736774_7f39cfd546.jpg?v=0


They have REALLY ramped up the graphical side of things. The ONLY game I wish I had a ps3 for. :)

C'mon MLB 2k8!

I almost bought a PS3 for this very game. I took the cheap way out and got a PSP instead. Well I should say my wife and daughter bought it for me for xmas.

[Logan]

You could show that to 100 people and 99 would think it's a picture snapped by a photographer.

[CraigSca]

I'll probably get a PS3 for this after this game comes out -- if it continues to get great reviews. Nothing like justifying a $450 baseball game :)

[TroyF]

That's a sweet pic.

Hope it plays as well as the pic looks.

[MizzouRah]

I almost bought a PS3 for this very game. I took the cheap way out and got a PSP instead. Well I should say my wife and daughter bought it for me for xmas.

I've had 2 psp's for this very game. ;)

[MizzouRah]

I'm glad my neighbor has a ps3, I might pick this one up if MLB 2k8 doesn't deliver. :)

[MizzouRah]

I just read over at OS that there will be real working out of town scoreboards as well. :eek:

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That's a sweet pic.

Hope it plays as well as the pic looks.

Yeah, I've never been one to get excited about screenshots that are released early on. They often are cleaned up quite a bit.

[MizzouRah]

Yeah, I've never been one to get excited about screenshots that are released early on. They often are cleaned up quite a bit.

Me either, but it's nice to see they've made some major graphical improvements.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Me either, but it's nice to see they've made some major graphical improvements.

Graphically, MLB '07 wasn't all that strong, especially when compared to MLB 2K7. I think a year of development should help them clean it up quite a bit. The RTTS mode also needed some tweaking as some other posters have mentioned. If they take care of both of those situations, it will be a great game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Hands-on preview from Sony Gamer's Day (12-11-07):

http://loot-ninja.com/2007/12/12/hands-on-preview-mlb-08-the-show-ps3/#more-4348

MLB 08 follows up on last year’s critically acclaimed title, MLB 07. This year’s title looks a good deal better than the 07 iteration. The development team put a great deal of enhancement into the textures, lighting engine, and facial details. The game is looking very close to a real baseball broadcast. Sony had MLB 08 side by side with MLB 07 running on identical Bravia XBR LCD’s and the difference was night and day.

The Road to the Show mode has also been enhanced this year to give you better control over your progression to the big leagues. You will have the opportunity to see what tasks will give you how much clout in moving up in your career. This carries over into the franchise mode, where playing above or below a player’s expectations will result in an increase or decrease in compensation. Have a great year with your center fielder and get a contract extension. Play like crap with your star third basemen and you might get traded. It’s little things like this that brings the game closer to reality.

The crowd has been improved since MLB 07. Not only does the lighting engine and texture improvements make the crowd look better than ever, but Sony meticulously detailed how the crowds interact with the game in each stadium. This year you’ll see “K” signs appear exactly where they would in real life in each stadium. You’ll see beach balls bouncing around the crowd and you might catch The Wave a time or two. The coolest feature, in my opinion, is real time scoreboard updates in the stadiums. The Green Monster will have scores in real time from around the league (real baseball, not what’s happening in the game). There is also a ticker running across the screen from time to time with news, stats, and updates from the internet.

MLB 08 will feature custom soundtracks on both the PS3 and PSP. If you don’t like the in-game soundtrack, you can substitute any tracks from your hard drive or memory card to play during the menus and parts of the game. There’s also a good shot at DualShock 3 support making it into the game at release on March 4, 2008. With all the improvements, I can imagine that this will easily take the title of best baseball game on the market.

[Icy]

Nice news!

As troy said, the main problem of the RTTS mode was the CPU manager decisions about you, but it sounds like that they fixed it setting up tasks both related to ratings and stats to decide your progress. In 07, the main problem is that the CPU only took on mind the ratings and not the stats, so even if you were a monster in AAA stats wise, if your ratings were not high enough for the MLB, you wouldn't be promoted, or even worse, to be promoted and demoted every other day or even sitting in the bench a full season.

If they fixed that, it could be game of the year for me as it was already my fav game both in the PSP and PS3 (tied with college hoops in the Ps3).

[MizzouRah]

The coolest feature, in my opinion, is real time scoreboard updates in the stadiums. The Green Monster will have scores in real time from around the league (real baseball, not what’s happening in the game).

I thought it was scores from YOUR franchise. /disappointed

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I thought it was scores from YOUR franchise. /disappointed

They had both last year, but the real scores weren't displayed in the stadium. My guess is that they'll give you an option, but that's only a guess until we see more info.

[darkenigma510]

Yup, I agree. I'd rather hit bug after bug after bug after bug within the first 20 minutes of playing the game.

I think it took me 3 "game years" and probably 10-12 hours of play to get to the point where my player wasn't allowed to develop because the game decided to sit a 21 year old superstar prospect for 3+ months.

Why the heck would I want to spend another 10-12 to watch it happen again?

It really was enjoyable getting to that point though. I actually thought the previous years game was better in a lot of areas, but it was solid. NBA2K and College Hoops2K are the sports games I consistently play at this point. I hope a football or baseball game crack into the fold next year.

I agree with this. Getting to the Show is fun but unfortunately unless you are prepared to play every game of your guy's career (which I have no time for, so I need to sim), I am afraid your player will never be a big star which takes a lot of the fun out of it. I had one character rip up the minors only to have his career pretty much come to a halt when I started simming, even dropping all the way back to AA.

I think the AI needs to take into account your player's stats more and less reliance on the player's ratings.

[MizzouRah]

They had both last year, but the real scores weren't displayed in the stadium. My guess is that they'll give you an option, but that's only a guess until we see more info.

I *think* I read over at OS that it didn't make the cut. I could care less about REAL scores, I want to be immersed into MY franchise.

If they didn't have them in the stadium, where did you see them?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I *think* I read over at OS that it didn't make the cut. I could care less about REAL scores, I want to be immersed into MY franchise.

If they didn't have them in the stadium, where did you see them?

They had a live ticker that would give scores on the real MLB games. I believe it was only in the pause screen, but I'd have to check at home to verify that. They also had a ticker in the menu screens. It's obvious the real MLB info was being fed into the game, but they didn't incorporate it into the actual game while you played. The scores around the 'fake' league could be checked in the pause menu.

[MizzouRah]

They had a live ticker that would give scores on the real MLB games. I believe it was only in the pause screen, but I'd have to check at home to verify that. They also had a ticker in the menu screens. It's obvious the real MLB info was being fed into the game, but they didn't incorporate it into the actual game while you played. The scores around the 'fake' league could be checked in the pause menu.

They need to incorporate the "fake" scores into the stadiums.

I've also read there is no dynamic lighting.. another bummer.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Finally some video trailers for the game..........

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/29326.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/29325.html

[Icy]

Developers interview and video. The video is incredible, sometimes i think i was watching a real game in HD.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/844/844321p1.html

Now i'm dying to get this game (i did before anyway, MLB07 was the best console game for me in 2007, both in PSP and PS3). This game alone is what makes me happy about owning a PS3, specially after the EA games 30fps garbage.

This made me to reload the show 07 in the Ps3 that i have not played for like 3 months (ncaa08, nba2k8 and college hoops 08 took over) and I got amazed again with the gameplay experience. The game plays so fluid compared with the crap that madden and ncaa are in the Ps3. I'm starting a new RTTS that will keep me bussy until 08 release day.

Btw, i'm starting to get the baseball excitement in my veins, and it's a bit weird as i like way more playing baseball games (both mlb and ootp) and reading stats daily at MLB.com than actually watching a full game in TV that i find a bit boring. I love the sport stats deep, but gameplay is too slow for my taste to watch for 3 hours.

[Qrusher14242]

this is coming out for the ps2 right?

[Icy]

this is coming out for the ps2 right?

Yes, PSP, PS2 and PS3.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Developers interview and video. The video is incredible, sometimes i think i was watching a real game in HD.

Now i'm dying to get this game (i did before anyway, MLB07 was the best console game for me in 2007, both in PSP and PS3). This game alone is what makes me happy about owning a PS3, specially after the EA games 30fps garbage.

I might only buy one or two games on release day each year. This game is always one of those release day purchases.

[Mike Lowe]

I might only buy one or two games on release day each year. This game is always one of those release day purchases.

Yeah I agree. I've learned through EA that a first day purchase is something that is earned (or should be) from a consumer. This one has earned it at least until MLB 2009.

With all of the "theories" and "petitions" for better gaming, smart consumer purchases are truly the only way to improve this. But then again, how will I know if a game is good if no one buys it right away!!?!?!

Good day everyone!

[CraigSca]

Well, it's official. I "officially" asked for a PS3 for my birthday, and this is the only game I'll buy. (damn lack of BC)

[terpkristin]

nifty
I skipped the 07 version, sounds like I'll be getting the 08 version, maybe even for both systems (PS3 and PSP).

/tk

[Icy]

RTTS trailer, i love it!

http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/142/14223575/vids_1.html

I also asked the developer (who speaks a lot in OPS forums) if fielding does matter this year for your personal performance and he said yes, having errors or bad fielding performances will make your manager and team mates angry at you. That is great as past year fielding meant nothing.

[Tasan]

I'm just happy to see this coming to PSP again. Even with its flaws, I'm enjoying '07.

[CraigSca]

I'm hoping that a lot of this fielding stuff and sign-reading can be turned off. To have to play in AA-ball and sit there and read the 3rd base coach's signs before every pitch would probably get a bit boring.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm just happy to see this coming to PSP again. Even with its flaws, I'm enjoying '07.

Last I saw, they were still planning on including the option to transfer your saved game between the PS3 and PSP. I'm loving that feature if it comes through.

[Icy]

Last I saw, they were still planning on including the option to transfer your saved game between the PS3 and PSP. I'm loving that feature if it comes through.

The developer said recently that it can't included for this year release as the PS3 version has more stats and stuff that can't fit in the PSP.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The developer said recently that it can't included for this year release as the PS3 version has more stats and stuff that can't fit in the PSP.

Sucks. Thanks for the update.

[Terps]

They need to incorporate the "fake" scores into the stadiums.

I've also read there is no dynamic lighting.. another bummer.

I thought I read that the scores from your franchise will show up on the out of town scoreboards. They said that there wouldn't be a franchise score ticker though.

[CraigSca]

Saw the first videos of MLB2K8 on ign.com and they look "ok". As to why they kept the "jello in a wind tunnel" effect for the uniforms is beyond me. It's like the developers fell in love with their new algorithm and will remove it over their dead body because they worked so hard on it. Who cares if it's realistic or not?!

Overall, the gameplay looks slow, like I felt it was last year.

[MizzouRah]

Saw the first videos of MLB2K8 on ign.com and they look "ok". As to why they kept the "jello in a wind tunnel" effect for the uniforms is beyond me. It's like the developers fell in love with their new algorithm and will remove it over their dead body because they worked so hard on it. Who cares if it's realistic or not?!

Overall, the gameplay looks slow, like I felt it was last year.

I think they look great, but I loved last year's game. The jersey's moving in the wind are over the top at times, but I like it.

The new hitting, pitching, fielding, and running interfaces sound great as well as some of the other new additions to the game. I'm pumped and will pick this one up on release day.

This game has always been beautiful and I love the dynamic lighting, they focused on gameplay and I can't wait to see what they've been able to do.

[CraigSca]

I hope you like it, Todd, it just wasn't for me last year.

[MizzouRah]

I hope you like it, Todd, it just wasn't for me last year.

It wasn't for me until the patch came out, but I do envy you ps3 owners for The Show!

Cool thing is, you ps3 owners have a choice between two games... bastards! :mad: :D

[CraigSca]

Yeah, I'm hoping the game is worth it, as I have no interest (thus far) in any other PS3 software.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New weekly update available. This one centers on the batter/pitcher interface. Looks AWFULLY mouth-watering.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/01/29/mlb-08-the-show-weekly-update-pitcherbatter-analysis/

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New weekly update for The Show. This one covers the 'Replay Vault'...........

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/02/05/mlb-08-the-show-weekly-update-replay-vault/

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Preview article for the game............

http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/previews/article.jsp?releaseId=20071213142019963076&articleId=20080201113041506042&sectionId=1001&pageId=200802011131269067

[korme]

I want this now

[Icy]

I want this now

Me too, but only 1 month remaining. I'm playing a lot 07 again while waiting for the 08 version.

[darkenigma510]

Just bought a PS3 along with an 1080p HDTV and man, is it sweet playing MLB07 The Show!
and MLB08 looks over the top good :)

[korme]

Comes out on my birthday. Wonderful.

[Sweed]

Somebody is on vacation that week. Let me see now who could that possibly be? ;)

[FBPro]

Already pre-ordered this for my PSP.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony has announced that a demo for MLB '08: The Show will be available for download for the PSP and PS3 tomorrow (February 14th).

Time to tell your significant other that the Valentine's Day dinner plans will have to wait. :)

[Icy]

Sony has announced that a demo for MLB '08: The Show will be available for download for the PSP and PS3 tomorrow (February 14th).

Time to tell your significant other that the Valentine's Day dinner plans will have to wait. :)

Awesome!

I hate demos as arejust teasing that make the waiting even worse, but at same time, can't resist to download them :D

[korme]

How do you download them to the PS3? Go online through it I'm assuming?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

How do you download them to the PS3? Go online through it I'm assuming?

Just go out to the Playstation Store. There will be a link that you can select to download the demo.

[Icy]

How do you download them to the PS3? Go online through it I'm assuming?

Yes, in the PS3 dashboard you go to the Playstation store and it will be there in the demos section (also in the latest stuff section).

[SackAttack]

Sony has announced that a demo for MLB '08: The Show will be available for download for the PSP and PS3 tomorrow (February 14th).

Time to tell your significant other that the Valentine's Day dinner plans will have to wait. :)

Oh sweet baby Jesus.

So glad I only work until 2:30 tomorrow. Now the question is, will the demo download as quickly now that the PS3 is upstairs as it would have downstairs? I'd hate to plug in the ethernet cable, just because in order to go wireless again I would have to re-input the settings.

[korme]

Wait, forgive me for being an idiot. You can be wireless with your PS3? I have wireless at home, so I figured I'd have to drag the PS3 into the room with the cables.

[Eaglesfan27]

Wait, forgive me for being an idiot. You can be wireless with your PS3? I have wireless at home, so I figured I'd have to drag the PS3 into the room with the cables.

Yes, all 3 of the next gen consoles can go wireless, but you need a wireless adapter for the PS3 or the 360.

[Travis]

Wait, forgive me for being an idiot. You can be wireless with your PS3? I have wireless at home, so I figured I'd have to drag the PS3 into the room with the cables.

So long as you don't have the 20 gig version you should be good to go for wireless (assuming that isn't going to be the issue if you bought recently).

[Travis]

Yes, all 3 of the next gen consoles can go wireless, but you need a wireless adapter for the PS3 or the 360.

?

Are you talking about more than having a wireless router hooked up? I'm not familiar enough with the 360's to know how they work, but I didn't need anything for my PS3 (60 gig version) to connect. So far as I've read, that should go for any PS3 other than the 20 gig.

[Icy]

The 60gb PS3 model has wireless built in, you don't need anything else besides a wireless network already setup in your home.

[Travis]

The 60gb PS3 model has wireless built in, you don't need anything else.

The 40 and 80 do as well do they not?

[Eaglesfan27]

?

Are you talking about more than having a wireless router hooked up? I'm not familiar enough with the 360's to know how they work, but I didn't need anything for my PS3 (60 gig version) to connect. So far as I've read, that should go for any PS3 other than the 20 gig.

I thought the PS3 required a wireless adapter to connect without a CAT cable. I stand corrected as it is only the 20 GB model that doesn't have built in wireless connectivity.

[Icy]

The 40 and 80 do as well do they not?

No idea i have the 60gb one.

[CraigSca]

I have the 40gb and it comes with wireless - I would assume the 80gb does as well.

[SackAttack]

Wait, forgive me for being an idiot. You can be wireless with your PS3? I have wireless at home, so I figured I'd have to drag the PS3 into the room with the cables.

If you have a 40 GB, 60 GB or 80 GB model, wireless capabilities are built into the system. You simply have to have an available wireless network to connect to.

If you have the 20 GB model, then like the Xbox 360, you must have a wireless adapter of some kind to connect to the system in order to be wireless.

My 60 GB PS3 is natively connected to my wireless network, but I could also plug in my ethernet cable for a hardwired connection.

[zums]

My brother has the 80 gig and I have the 40 gig and both come w/ wireless out of the box.

[korme]

I've the 40 gb I think... and I just tried to connect to the PS3 store and it said "No ethernet cable connected". So I guess mine doesn't have wireless built in, that blows.

[korme]

Unless there is something I have to do to "activate" wireless?

[zums]

yeah you have to change the default setting from wired connection to wireless. i'm not by my ps3 at the moment or i'd walk you through it, but i did both of ours and it was extremely simple.

[SackAttack]

Unless there is something I have to do to "activate" wireless?

You have to go into network setup and tell it to look for a wireless network, yes.

[korme]

Thanks Sack I'm on!!

[INDalltheway]

Thanks Sack I'm on!!
How old are you Shorty? You seem like an old man trying to figure out new technology. ;)

[JS19]

Ok, I'm with, or was with, Shorty on this one. I have no clue what version I have, all I know is that it's not the 80. Where do I need to go to do this "activate to wireless deal"? I get the ethernet is not connected message.

[JS19]

Not trying to take away from the thread here, just don't feel like starting a new one. I found that go wireless deal, now i'm getting a message on my computer saying an IP address is in conflict with my server, or something like that, and I can't do the system update on my PS3. Any suggestions?

[korme]

Haha, I just don't have the time or patience to figure these kinds of things out on my own

[FBPro]

Sweet!!!!

[SackAttack]

Not trying to take away from the thread here, just don't feel like starting a new one. I found that go wireless deal, now i'm getting a message on my computer saying an IP address is in conflict with my server, or something like that, and I can't do the system update on my PS3. Any suggestions?

I'm not a tech expert, but I would guess one of two things are to blame here.

1) You don't have a router, and your computer is online when you try to connect with the PS3. The two of them are fighting for the IP address assigned by your ISP, rather than each getting their own IP address within the subnet, and then having the router mask those addresses.

2) You don't have the PS3 set to automatically get its IP address, but rather have somehow assigned it an address manually that's in conflict with another device on the network.

Those'd be my guesses.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I thought the PS3 required a wireless adapter to connect without a CAT cable. I stand corrected as it is only the 20 GB model that doesn't have built in wireless connectivity.

**Insert smug comment stating that EF27 will likely say he made a 'mistake'**

;)

[Eaglesfan27]

**Insert smug comment stating that EF27 will likely say he made a 'mistake'**

;)

I made an honest mistake as I thought the PS3 required a wireless adapter like the 360 does. Unlike you who has a constant pattern of making calculated posts with snippets of info that paint your position of Pro PS3 in the best light while occasionally posting a pro Wii or Pro 360 article just in a clumsy attempt to appear unbiased.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I made an honest mistake as I thought the PS3 required a wireless adapter like the 360 does. Unlike you who has a constant pattern of making calculated posts with snippets of info that paint your position of Pro PS3 in the best light while occasionally posting a pro Wii or Pro 360 article just in a clumsy attempt to appear unbiased.

LOL.......OK, EF27.

Just foolin' with you. Joking not allowed when the shoe is on the other foot? Goodness.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More footage. I'm still floored that the game engine replays look this good.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30519.html

[Icy]

EDITED: Oops, it was the same video but from another source :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI......it looks like the demo will be posted around 6:00 PM EST.

[Icy]

The PSP demo is up, downloading it!

http://store.playstation.com/store/index.vm

[Icy]

Dola, the PS3 demo is up too, but the playstation store front page is not updated, so you need to go to game demos, then select the letter M and there you can see MLB the show 08 demo.

Perfect time to download it as most of people won't start until it appears in the store front page!

[Icy]

Double dola (am i the only playing this?)

The PSP demo is awesome, only played 2 innings so far while i wait for the PS3 demo to download, but i'm impressed, it's way smother than 07 and the presentation is top notch. The players models look even better than past year, and it's incredible how good this looks knowing the PSP hardware limitations.

[Icy]

Triple dola, OMFG the PS3 version is increeeedible!

Graphics are a huuuuuge upgrade from 07, and the batter and pitcher analysis screens are awesome, for example, for pitchers you can see where they have thrown every ball, if it was a ball, strike or hit, etc. (this is in both the PSP and PS3 versions).

Can't wait for the release day.

[SackAttack]

Just got home, and I'm about to fire up the PS3 to download this. I've been excited for it all day.

[Icy]

Blitzkrieg Bop from the Ramones is part of the included songs, the game couldn't be bad with that song included, Hey ho, lets go :)

[SackAttack]

Pretty awesome that the AI can engage in player substitutions in the demo, but the human player can't. No access to the bench or the bullpen.

The pitching interface is a little different, too. You pick your pitch with X, O, triangle, square or R1, but after you've done that, you THEN get to pick your location and use the X button to throw the pitch. A little backwards from how it's been done in the past.

Not a fan of the implementation of Sixaxis on the fielding controls just yet. I had guys run right over the tops of balls they should have been able to field, and I'm wondering if it's because I didn't do the dive shake on the controller.

[Icy]

I disabled the sysaxsis fielding controls as i'm not a big fan of them. What is a nice touch is that if you own a dual shock 3 pad, the game has vibration. I recently imported a dual schock 3 pad (only for sale in Japan right now) and it's great to have vibration again in the Ps3 as the Xbox 360 and Ps2 have.

About pitching, if was exactly the same way past year, you must be confussed with another game. Past year you also selected first the pitch, then location and then X to pitch. A good feature this year is that for breaking pitches, you can can see where the ball is going to end after the break before you throw, so you can adjust properly the location (you can turn this off if you want).

[SackAttack]

I disabled the sysaxsis fielding controls as i'm not a big fan of them. What is a nice touch is that if you own a dual shock 3 pad, the game has vibration. I recently imported a dual schock 3 pad (only for sale in Japan right now) and it's great to have vibration again in the Ps3 as the Xbox 360 and Ps2 have.

About pitching, if was exactly the same way past year, you must be confussed with another game. Past year you also selected first the pitch, then location and then X to pitch. A good feature this year is that for breaking pitches, you can can see where the ball is going to end after the break before you throw, so you can adjust properly the location (you can turn this off if you want).

I didn't play last year's game. Couldn't find it at a price I was willing to pay by the time I got my PS3.

I have played previous MLB XX games, though, and I don't remember any of the more recent ones making me throw the pitch with X instead of holding down the specific pitch's button to start the meter.

[Icy]

Demo impressions and long gameplay videos in pastapadre, the first video is great as it starts from the game presenation and covers the whole 1st inning.

http://www.pastapadre.com/2336/initial-impressions-and-videos-from-the-shows-demo

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Man, this is just filthy goodness from my initial impressions. Can't wait to get the full game and feel out all of the modes of play.

[CraigSca]

I played a 7-inning game last night due to extra innings. The only thing I saw that was lame was the beach ball being bounced around in the stands. It looked like a hyper pong game running amock in the stands.

Other than that, the gameplay, presentation and the graphics were all outstanding. I can't wait until the 4th. THIS is what sports games are supposed to be like.

[MizzouRah]

Finally played this demo.. I'm VERY impressed with the gameplay, which is what matters - the pitcher/batter interface is quite impressive. LOVE the battle fouling off pitches.

Graphics are great, but I still give the nod to MLB 2k. That game is absolutely beautiful, but I'm not sure it will come close to The Show's gameplay

[Mike Lowe]

Not sure if this has been posted but in just about 4 games (3 innings) I actually got hit by a pitch!!!!!!!!! I checked my swing but the pitch came in and got me on the elbow or back (can't remember).

I've also hit a ton of doubles which is a HUGE change! Can't wait for this to come out!

[SackAttack]

I played a 7-inning game last night due to extra innings. The only thing I saw that was lame was the beach ball being bounced around in the stands. It looked like a hyper pong game running amock in the stands.

Other than that, the gameplay, presentation and the graphics were all outstanding. I can't wait until the 4th. THIS is what sports games are supposed to be like.

Honestly, the beach ball didn't bother me as much as the "eight carbon copies of the same guy standing up and doing the same thing every couple of minutes."

I thought we got past that with the 16-bit era. If you're going to go all out to make the game look gorgeous, try to minimize the ugly stick factor with your crowds, huh?

[Icy]

Finally played this demo.. I'm VERY impressed with the gameplay, which is what matters - the pitcher/batter interface is quite impressive. LOVE the battle fouling off pitches.

Graphics are great, but I still give the nod to MLB 2k. That game is absolutely beautiful, but I'm not sure it will come close to The Show's gameplay

Did you finally buy a Ps3?

[korme]

I've actually held off playing the demo... I'm afraid I'll be too emotionally depressed that I can only get 3 innings in... who am I kidding every time I read this thread I get closer to downloading it.

[SackAttack]

Shorty - if the game is tied at 3, it'll let you go until somebody wins.

My first game went 8 innings. Can't substitute players, though...although the AI can. Grr.

As an aside, I snagged a copy of 07 for $10 on eBay this morning. Should tide me over for a few weeks.

[korme]

My first thought is that I like the presentation and hope it's much like that in franchise mode.

For instance, when Youk came up to the plate, it showed his regular statline- but on the bottom it said "0 Errors in 1,087 chances", I think that's pretty cool. You usually don't see an errorless stat or something close get listed in a game, so maybe they will have interesting wrinkles like that on display from time to time. That's what baseball is all about.

[MizzouRah]

Did you finally buy a Ps3?

No, but my neighbor has one.

I'm waiting on MLB 2k8 before deciding if I want a ps3 or not. More than likely I'm going to wait for awhile as I want an HD DVR first.

[Big Fo]

How hard is it to draw walks in this game?

[darkenigma510]

How hard is it to draw walks in this game?

Depends on your patience but if you are skilled or use the guess pitch feature, you should be able to draw some walks.

[Calis]

No, but my neighbor has one.

I'm waiting on MLB 2k8 before deciding if I want a ps3 or not. More than likely I'm going to wait for awhile as I want an HD DVR first.

This game is really pushing me towards getting a PS3, but I still can't justify the $400 or whatever it'd be total for one game. I love the series, but not THAT much.

I'm still thinking about it though, as sad as that is. If The Show portion has been tweaked a bit I'd be in heaven, mostly with the roster management which it sounds like it has, and also if there's more bonus in making a defensive player, I'd like to be able to get points for that.

I'm holding out hope that MLB 2k8 will be fantastic and I'll be happy with that. :) It wasn't close last year for me though.

[Eaglesfan27]

This game is really pushing me towards getting a PS3, but I still can't justify the $400 or whatever it'd be total for one game. I love the series, but not THAT much.

I'm still thinking about it though, as sad as that is. If The Show portion has been tweaked a bit I'd be in heaven, mostly with the roster management which it sounds like it has, and also if there's more bonus in making a defensive player, I'd like to be able to get points for that.

I'm holding out hope that MLB 2k8 will be fantastic and I'll be happy with that. :) It wasn't close last year for me though.

I'm in the same boat. MLB2k8 does look promising in previews, but this game looks amazing.

[darkenigma510]

I think MLB2k8 should be decent enough to buy if you are a baseball fan...its graphics are slighty better than the Show's graphic...but I doubt it will surpass the Show in 2008. That being said, I think the PS3 is a decent purchase, if you can afford it, considering the 80G version is backwards compatible with PS2 games, and its a decent Blu Ray player also.

[CraigSca]

I know this is a canned video, but check out "The Stolen Base" here: http://www.us.playstation.com/MLB08/media_ps3.asp?q=video

[darkenigma510]

Slightly off topic...but did they ever patch the Franchise mode in MLB07?
I bought the game a month or so right after I bought my PS3 but noted that there are no CPU trades at all in Franchise. Doesn't really matter too much, I guess since the new game is coming out but just curious...

[SackAttack]

Gonna be on a conference call with 2K about MLB2k8 on Friday. They asked for 3-5 questions, and I think mine were all over the place because of some of the stuff they're doing with that game.

One of the pitfalls of platform agnostic development versus platform exclusive, I guess.

[MizzouRah]

Don't get me wrong, The Show is quite beautiful and plays a great game of baseball per this demo, but the pitching and hitting are the same from 06 and I'm already bored with the demo. My neighbor is happy!

I know 2k8 won't be the end all of baseball games, but I'm excited to try the new pitching, fielding, and hitting mechanics.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The Show schmoe.

Graphics are great, but I still give the nod to MLB 2k. That game is absolutely beautiful, but I'm not sure it will come close to The Show's gameplay

I know 2k8 won't be the end all of baseball games, but I'm excited to try the new pitching, fielding, and hitting mechanics.

I think you've made it pretty clear where your preference lies. :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Gonna be on a conference call with 2K about MLB2k8 on Friday. They asked for 3-5 questions, and I think mine were all over the place because of some of the stuff they're doing with that game.

One of the pitfalls of platform agnostic development versus platform exclusive, I guess.

Did you ask Brinkman what year of the rebuilding phase they were in now?

[SackAttack]

Did you ask Brinkman what year of the rebuilding phase they were in now?

No, because I can do basic math. The first game he worked on for 2K was Major League Baseball 2k7. They're getting set to release Major League Baseball 2k8.

What year of the rebuilding phase does that sound like to you, sir? :p

[TroyF]

No, because I can do basic math. The first game he worked on for 2K was Major League Baseball 2k7. They're getting set to release Major League Baseball 2k8.

What year of the rebuilding phase does that sound like to you, sir? :p

That and I thought I remembered him saying it'd be a three year rebuilding plan. So this would make them 2/3 of the way through.

[SackAttack]

That and I thought I remembered him saying it'd be a three year rebuilding plan. So this would make them 2/3 of the way through.

Yes sir.

Incidentally, assuming we receive The Show this year, would you prefer to cover that or MLB 2k8 (I've requested the PS3 version there)?

[MizzouRah]

I think you've made it pretty clear where your preference lies. :)

Last year for sure since I only have a 360.

I might get a ps3 someday, so I played the demo this year and I do like a lot about it. I just think the pitching is getting a bit stale. Who knows though, it still might push me to get a ps3 if MLB 2k8 doesn't deliver.

..and as far as your comments on Brinkman and 2k, he's done a hell of a job so far with the series and it seems to me he's done a lot this year.. and while you're bitching, it's on the ps3 as well so maybe you can keep your sarcastic comments to your self until you play it.. or do you only play ps3 exclusive games? :rolleyes:

[CraigSca]

Well, the game itself may again suck, but thank goodness 2K studios was able to implement Big-Head mode in MLB 2K8!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

..and as far as your comments on Brinkman and 2k, he's done a hell of a job so far with the series and it seems to me he's done a lot this year.. and while you're bitching, it's on the ps3 as well so maybe you can keep your sarcastic comments to your self until you play it.. or do you only play ps3 exclusive games? :rolleyes:

Brinkman is probably second only to EA Sports developers in the lack of responsiveness to customer needs. This has nothing to do with the consoles. I played MLB 2K7 last year on the PS3 and it was just as bad as its 360 counterpart. When a developer states that a game is in a 'rebuilding mode' that won't be complete until next year's version, that's very concerning.

With that said, comments on how bad that franchise is belong in the MLB 2K8 post. People in this thread want to talk about The Show.

[Icy]

New RTTS mode video, i'm salivating about it:

<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="225" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=713428&amp;server=www.vimeo.com&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color="> <param name="quality" value="best" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="scale" value="showAll" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=713428&amp;server=www.vimeo.com&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=" /></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/713428/l:embed_713428">MLB 08: The Show RTTS 2</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user307976/l:embed_713428">pastapadre</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_713428">Vimeo</a>.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New RTTS mode video, i'm salivating about it:

VERY nice. I really like the improved box score. The point totals next to each successful play also are nice as I never could figure out what went into the scoring totals at the end of each RTTS game in the 07 version.

I'm not sure whether or not I'm crazy about the base coach signaling. As long as it's not used too often, it probably is OK. I just like to steal a lot and don't want the coach telling me what to do. :)

The single most important improvement that is needed in the game over last year's version is proper promotion of players based on both stats and ratings, rather than just ratings. If they can do that properly, there will be a lot of happy gamers.

[MizzouRah]

Brinkman is probably second only to EA Sports developers in the lack of responsiveness to customer needs. This has nothing to do with the consoles. I played MLB 2K7 last year on the PS3 and it was just as bad as its 360 counterpart. When a developer states that a game is in a 'rebuilding mode' that won't be complete until next year's version, that's very concerning.

With that said, comments on how bad that franchise is belong in the MLB 2K8 post. People in this thread want to talk about The Show.

:rolleyes:

[Icy]

MLB 08 THE SHOW Weekly Update: Road to the Show 2.0

+ Posted by Eddie Cramm //

Hi everyone. Eddy Cramm (Sr. Designer) and Aaron Luke (Designer) here to bring you the next installment of our MLB 08: The Show blog posts. This time around we are going to talk about some of the details behind Road to the Show. Coming into this development cycle, we knew we were dealing with a feature that was very well received by the public in its first go-around. That being said, we still saw a lot of room for improvement. We decided to focus on three main areas, but honestly, we ended up changing a lot more than that. We wanted to add depth to the game play experience to better reflect what a player has to do as he develops in a professional system. We wanted to give the gamer more information up front so that he had a better understanding of how his decisions are affecting his career player. And we also wanted to really improve the management system so that goals and movement happened as realistically as possible.

This year’s edition boasts enhancements to nearly every aspect of the mode, so much so that we’ve dubbed it Road To The Show 2.0. Starting with the front-end aspects, the PS3 Create Player system has received a major overhaul to include modifiable geometry of nearly every aspect of the head and face. If that weren’t enough, we’ve also added several new batting stance and pitching style animations, along with a handful of new player accessories to aide in the customization of your created player.

RTTS 2.0 features an all-new Advancement System that acts as a road map for the player’s career progression, featuring advancement goals given by the team’s manager. The RTTS player is evaluated based on the player’s current skill set (attribute levels) and the player’s statistical performance; to decide what role within the organization the player will be given, as well as what skills are lacking and need attention. Advancement goals are then given, which encompass both attribute improvements and statistical goals, for the sole purpose of improving the player’s skill set to reach the next level. The goal durations will range based on the type of player you are. Starters will have longer durations, with higher expectations, whereas bench/bullpen players might have shorter durations and slightly lower expectations. Once you have achieved enough goals, or your player is simply too good statistically to be ignored, you will then become qualified for the next step in your career.

We spent a lot of time dealing with the balance of this mode. In order for a mode like this to feel right, there has to be a sense of realism as to how you progress. If we push you through too quickly, you don’t feel rewarded and if we hold you back you will feel helpless. So when we started balancing things the first question we asked was, “When does a player hit their peak?” With some research we found that most Major Leaguers start hitting their prime around 28 years old. So using that as a point of reference we started looking at how many years does a ballplayer play to get to this point. We determined that it is 9 years into a professional career on average for a player to work their way up from the minors to that peak level. So using that information, and knowing how many attribute points the player has available to him before he maxes out, we adjusted the criteria so that you will progress and regress at a very realistic pace. Knowing that you can relate your performance directly to how it happens in the pros is totally satisfying and makes the mode that much more enjoyable.

The manager messaging system has been revamped as well to provide the user with career progression specific messages including: organizational changes, advancement goal progress and results, and promotion/demotion related messages. The previous “good game” style messages are a thing of the past, so you’ll need to pay more attention to your messages in order to keep up with the organization. Statistically speaking, we’ve gone and added a new Game Stats tab within the RTTS Locker Room screen that displays all of your player’s stats for every game within the current season. This new screen will display every game the RTTS player participated in – whether you actually played the game or simulated through it – for the entire current season. For position players, you’ll have an at-bat-by-at-bat display of your stats including how you reached base and where you ended up, or how you recorded an out. Pitchers will have inning-by-inning stats that show your pitch count based on the strikes vs. balls totals along with the hits allowed, earned runs allowed, walks allowed, and strike outs recorded within each inning.

The in game situational goals have received several improvements including broadening the goal result types, the addition of training points to the varied results, and an on-screen display of the result and the points earned/deducted. This year you will be rewarded for positively performing towards your goal, so even though you may not have achieved the goal entirely, if you aided the club in your efforts, you’ll still be rewarded. Achieving and failing goals will net training points that will vary based on the goal type and the current game situation. A simple goal of reaching base safely will reward fewer points in the beginning of the game, than it would in a leadoff slot in the 9th inning. Upon completion of the game and returning to the front-end, you’ll be presented with the Career Update screen where you’ll notice we’ve added an entire breakdown of every training point your earned (or lost) based on the type of stat or goal they apply to.

Within the gameplay, we wanted to add goals and situations that really detail what it is like to play the game. Last year we focused on the basic events: hitting, baserunning, and fielding the ball; but there is a lot more that a ballplayer needs to know to be successful. So this year we added fielding situations where you may have to position yourself correctly for a double play or be in the right spot for a cutoff. You will have to make sure that you cover the base on a steal, or on the back end of a double play. Personally, my favorite feature is an element in baseball that has existed forever, but is never utilized in games - 3rd base coaching signs. This year, one of your goals might be “Check your 3rd base coach for a sign.” If you get that, your goal is to know what that sign means and act accordingly in game. Your base coach may also ask you to sacrifice, hit and run, steal, or just swing away. As you progress through RTTS, you will have different levels of help to learn the signs. In AA, we will pretty much spoon-feed you the correct answer, but once you get to the majors, you will be expected to know what the signs mean. This is by far my favorite addition to RTTS because it adds a level of authenticity that baseball video games have lacked.

Overall, RTTS 2.0 has a lot more depth, balance and logic than the inaugural version and will really give you the sense of what it’s like to work your way up the professional ladder like no career mode ever before. If you liked Road to the Show last year, you will love it this year. And if you didn’t like it last year… you will probably STILL love it this year! And if for some reason, you still don’t like it this year? We have a lot more in the works for next year.

Thanks for your time and we will see you in The Show!

[Icy]

Dola, it seems that RTTS is finally going to be more realistic, can't wait!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Dola, it seems that RTTS is finally going to be more realistic, can't wait!

WOW! :eek: :eek:

Thanks for posting that, Icy. That info alone seemed to cover almost every complaint I had with last year's RTTS mode. REALLY excited that they're going to address the promotion issues that plagued last year's version of the game.

[CraigSca]

While I know they are "just" developers, the fact that they had to research when ballplayers hit their peak is a bit disconcerting to me. It's a well-known fact that you hit your peak at 27 - I thought these guys would know baseball enough to "know" that going in. Still, from the gameplay this game rocks, so I'll assume it won't matter that much in the long run.

[markprior22]

I have a 360 so I will be playing The Show on my PS2. Hope it is decent also. Most of the info out there is (understandably) for the PS3.

[Balldog]

While I know they are "just" developers, the fact that they had to research when ballplayers hit their peak is a bit disconcerting to me. It's a well-known fact that you hit your peak at 27 - I thought these guys would know baseball enough to "know" that going in.


I'm guessing it is just marketing speech, I highly doubt SCEA just lets these guys say what they want.

With some research we found that most Major Leaguers start hitting their prime around 28 years old.

Sounds better than...

It's a well-known fact that you hit your peak at 27

And I'd guess the actual age is 28 due to their wording rather than yours.

I'm just speculating though.

[Eaglesfan27]

I have a 360 so I will be playing The Show on my PS2. Hope it is decent also. Most of the info out there is (understandably) for the PS3.

I think this is the route I'm going as well, as I think MLB 2k8 is probably a year away from being a great franchise and I'm a year away (at least) from getting a PS3.

[Balldog]

..and as far as your comments on Brinkman and 2k, he's done a hell of a job so far with the series and it seems to me he's done a lot this year.. and while you're bitching, it's on the ps3 as well so maybe you can keep your sarcastic comments to your self until you play it.. or do you only play ps3 exclusive games? :rolleyes:

I rarely agree with MBBF but Brinkman is still riding on his fame from MVP 2005.

MLB 2K7 was nothing great. Almost unplayable if you want a realistic yet fun game of baseball. God forbid I miss time the pitching mechanic and the ball is out of the strike zone instead of right down the middle. Even then the CPU would swing and miss, ground out, or hit a homerun.

Don't get me started on the fielding. How about the jerseys blowing in the wind like a flag, WTF! I could go on but I don't care to.

I generally buy anything 2K puts out, but this year I won't be buying MLB 2K8. I'll be buying a PS3 and getting The Show.

[MizzouRah]

I rarely agree with MBBF but Brinkman is still riding on his fame from MVP 2005.

MLB 2K7 was nothing great. Almost unplayable if you want a realistic yet fun game of baseball. God forbid I miss time the pitching mechanic and the ball is out of the strike zone instead of right down the middle. Even then the CPU would swing and miss, ground out, or hit a homerun.

Don't get me started on the fielding. How about the jerseys blowing in the wind like a flag, WTF! I could go on but I don't care to.

I generally buy anything 2K puts out, but this year I won't be buying MLB 2K8. I'll be buying a PS3 and getting The Show.

Now I can finally get away from this depression I've had waiting to see which game you were going to buy. THANK YOU!

[dime]

Now I can finally get away from this depression I've had waiting to see which game you were going to buy. THANK YOU!


CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!

[Balldog]

Now I can finally get away from this depression I've had waiting to see which game you were going to buy. THANK YOU!

Interesting considering you said earlier you were going to buy 2k8. Sorry I'm not swinging from Brinkman's nuts. :rolleyes:

[MizzouRah]

Interesting considering you said earlier you were going to buy 2k8. Sorry I'm not swinging from Brinkman's nuts. :rolleyes:

At least Brinkman didn't sit on his ass and keep the same ol same ol pitching, hitting, and fielding control schemes. Quit swinging from The Show's nuts, will ya?

[dervack]

With that said, comments on how bad that franchise is belong in the MLB 2K8 post. People in this thread want to talk about The Show.

Seriously? Uh, weren't you the one to bring up Brinkman's name? Or is that your selective memory working overtime again?

[Balldog]

At least Brinkman didn't sit on his ass and keep the same ol same ol pitching, hitting, and fielding control schemes. Quit swinging from The Show's nuts, will ya?

The vast majority love the control schemes, why change them? I see your point, but if what they are using works there is no need to change it.

You prefer graphics and gimmicky control schemes. I prefer gameplay.

I'm done with the topic, I'm not sure why you got all defensive but sorry for you dissing Brinkman and MLB2k#.

Like I said, I almost always buy everything 2K puts out but baseball is my favorite sport and MLB2K series just doesn't cut it for me. Shit, I gave my opinion again.

[Big Fo]

Video games. Serious business.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Seriously? Uh, weren't you the one to bring up Brinkman's name? Or is that your selective memory working overtime again?

I didn't bring up 2K8 in this thread. MizzouRah did that. I only comment after it was brought into the thread.

[CraigSca]

At least Brinkman didn't sit on his ass and keep the same ol same ol pitching, hitting, and fielding control schemes. Quit swinging from The Show's nuts, will ya?

Todd, I'm not sure why you're doing this, but you're coming across as incredibly defensive here. Personally, I'm from the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school. I've loved The Show's simple controls since 06 (?). Each year they've added more realism but have kept the great gameplay and intuitive controls and I'm thanking my lucky stars.

Last year I think the graphics were much better on the next-gen version of 2k7 vs. The Show (again, if you can get past the Jello-effect uniforms blowing in the wind). This year, I don't really think so. They may "possibly" look better in screenshots, but the animations, like last year, seem to have hitches in them. I know you really took to 2k7, and I gave it a shot but was never able to (hence the reason I went back to the Show).

Here's hoping we both find enjoyment with our chosen games.

[MizzouRah]

Todd, I'm not sure why you're doing this, but you're coming across as incredibly defensive here. Personally, I'm from the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school. I've loved The Show's simple controls since 06 (?). Each year they've added more realism but have kept the great gameplay and intuitive controls and I'm thanking my lucky stars.

Last year I think the graphics were much better on the next-gen version of 2k7 vs. The Show (again, if you can get past the Jello-effect uniforms blowing in the wind). This year, I don't really think so. They may "possibly" look better in screenshots, but the animations, like last year, seem to have hitches in them. I know you really took to 2k7, and I gave it a shot but was never able to (hence the reason I went back to the Show).

Here's hoping we both find enjoyment with our chosen games.

There hasn't been much to really check out this year, but just watching those videos I posted a link to in the 2k8 thread really gets me excited.

I know I'm in the minority on how much I liked 2k7 last year.

I'm just tired of people bashing Brinkman when he stated that he couldn't make this the end all of baseball games in just one year. He's done a hell of a job in year 1 and I expect the same this year. The Show is further along in it's cycle, but I'm sorry, it feels the same as '06 to me. Which, btw.. isn't a bad thing. Trust me, I love the demo.. but I'm very excited to see how the new pitching and throwing works in 2k8, not to mention the improvement in hitting which is apparent in the videos.

:) Sorry Balldog......................

[CraigSca]

PastaPadre is reporting that The Show's release date may have been moved up - Amazon is saying 2/28 (which makes no sense as it's a Thursday) and Gamefly has it at 3/1.

Oh baby!

[Icy]

Some guys in operationsports got the game already (official release day is 4th).

Here is the first review at IGN:

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/856/856121p1.html

They praise the game and give it an 8.7 rating, that is prety good knowing how low did they value the game past year when i think it was one of the games of the year.

Too bad i need to wait an extra week or so for the game to come to Spain from Canada where i'm importing it from.

[Icy]

Here is a full game video (CUBS at RED) recorded by an OPS forum member, good for those who want to see how is the final game. In the first inning, 3rd bat, there is a nice stolen HR.

http://www.vimeo.com/747654

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Game comes out tomorrow. I am VERY excited to pick this baby up. Tried to find it last week, but no success. Guess I'm stuck waiting until release day. :)

[Icy]

I must admit the wait was killing me and i have "sinned" today and got the PSP version already (you can imagine how) while i wait for my PS3 and PSP preorders to come to Spain from Canada.

For those asking, the PSP version looks more or less like past year's, just a few animations added and some stadiums upgraded (I guess not much can be improved from past year using the PSP power). A nice touch is that load times are like half from past year, and playing it from the memory stick are so small. The major upgrade, and exactly what i was looking for, is the RTTS mode.

For what i saw in the few games i have played today, this year you get training points earned or lost for a lot of things related to your performance, including defensive performances (like 5 points per putout, 5 per assisted, 10 per double play, etc) so you are not only valued by your offense like past year. Also you get punished for defensive errors, strikeouts, etc. Playing 2B is so fun, as besides catching balls batted in your direction, this year you are also required to run to 2b to go for the double play, or to avoid a base steal etc.

My biggest complain in 07 RTTS was the lack of defensive goals, and they are in this year, so i'm so happy. Btw, another addition is when playing as C, past year, you did almost nothing in defense, just catch an high popup or fault from time to time, in 08 i have already threw a few times to 2nd base to avoid a base steal so it looks that C will be a fun position to play this year in RTTS.

Can't wait for the PS3 version to arrive with it's greatly improved graphics, but the PSP version is the perfect game for this little machine.

[korme]

I'm torn on which I will do first - RttS or Dynasty.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm torn on which I will do first - RttS or Dynasty.

If there was a RTTS game in every sports game, I'd likely never do a dynasty. RTTS is just the right mix of addictive gameplay and game time.

I did see that The Show has added mid-game saves this year. That makes it a little easier to do a Dynasty when you can't control when you might be pulled away from the game.

[korme]

Sometimes I do want to play a full game however and I want to use a lot of players who will be in the league this year - the only downfall to RttS is that you feel very isolated (which isn't always bad as games go very quickly)

[Butter]

Holy crap that game looks awesome. Too bad I was responsible with my tax refund this year.

[Big Fo]

Review embargoes FTL (even if mainstream gaming journalists have a mixed record at best when it comes to sports games)

Can't wait to hear more about the game from people, especially if you can focus your comments on the gameplay, sim stats, franchise mode, etc. and not the differences in frame rate between 720/1080, if they put the new Jumbotron in Kauffman Stadium, or if the 'K' signs are hung in the right spot in Anaheim's stadium like the threads I've lurked on OS.

[MizzouRah]

Review embargoes FTL (even if mainstream gaming journalists have a mixed record at best when it comes to sports games)

Can't wait to hear more about the game from people, especially if you can focus your comments on the gameplay, sim stats, franchise mode, etc. and not the differences in frame rate between 720/1080, if they put the new Jumbotron in Kauffman Stadium, or if the 'K' signs are hung in the right spot in Anaheim's stadium like the threads I've lurked on OS.

In the video I saw, Pujols had only 643 whiskers in his goatee.. everyone knows it's closer to 757.

[FBPro]

Icy,

With the PSP version are you required to play DEF/run bases or is it an option as in the past?

I must admit the wait was killing me and i have "sinned" today and got the PSP version already (you can imagine how) while i wait for my PS3 and PSP preorders to come to Spain from Canada.

For those asking, the PSP version looks more or less like past year's, just a few animations added and some stadiums upgraded (I guess not much can be improved from past year using the PSP power). A nice touch is that load times are like half from past year, and playing it from the memory stick are so small. The major upgrade, and exactly what i was looking for, is the RTTS mode.

For what i saw in the few games i have played today, this year you get training points earned or lost for a lot of things related to your performance, including defensive performances (like 5 points per putout, 5 per assisted, 10 per double play, etc) so you are not only valued by your offense like past year. Also you get punished for defensive errors, strikeouts, etc. Playing 2B is so fun, as besides catching balls batted in your direction, this year you are also required to run to 2b to go for the double play, or to avoid a base steal etc.

My biggest complain in 07 RTTS was the lack of defensive goals, and they are in this year, so i'm so happy. Btw, another addition is when playing as C, past year, you did almost nothing in defense, just catch an high popup or fault from time to time, in 08 i have already threw a few times to 2nd base to avoid a base steal so it looks that C will be a fun position to play this year in RTTS.

Can't wait for the PS3 version to arrive with it's greatly improved graphics, but the PSP version is the perfect game for this little machine.

[Icy]

Icy,

With the PSP version are you required to play DEF/run bases or is it an option as in the past?

If you mean the rtts mode, you are forced to this year, the classic mode is gone.

[FBPro]

Bummer, that sucks. I'll give it a shot but may just stick w/ '07 since I'm not normally a fan of being forced to play those roles.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

............if they put the new Jumbotron in Kauffman Stadium............

Ummm, that's likely the key to my purchasing decision. :)

[TroyF]

Bummer, that sucks. I'll give it a shot but may just stick w/ '07 since I'm not normally a fan of being forced to play those roles.


Agreed. If there is no way to at least fast forward through them, that's going to be frustrating to me. I like the ability of just being able to get my 4 or 5 at bats a game and move on. I can get through a season quickly that way. Not cool.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Bummer, that sucks. I'll give it a shot but may just stick w/ '07 since I'm not normally a fan of being forced to play those roles.

Interesting. I didn't even know that skipping the defense stuff was an option last year. Where is the option to only do the at-bats?

[TroyF]

Interesting. I didn't even know that skipping the defense stuff was an option last year. Where is the option to only do the at-bats?

There was a classic mode.

There was also a sim option for simming until your next at bat. That's the thing I hope is still in there. As long as I can sim to the next at bat, I'm ok. I doubt they took that out, at least I hope not.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Two more trailers just posted on GameTrailers...........

http://www.operationsports.com/newspost.php?id=240849
http://www.operationsports.com/newspost.php?id=240848

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More info from the Operation Sports forums:

1. HDD install time is 2-3 minutes when you start up the game for the first time.
2. No option to just skip to at-bats in the game according to the RTTS thread. You have to play in the field and bat as well. My guess behind that reasoning is that development points are also awarded for fielding.

[CraigSca]

Got the game this morning. Just got shut out by Greg Maddux (a 3-hitter). THIS was worth getting a PS3 for.

[TroyF]

More info from the Operation Sports forums:

1. HDD install time is 2-3 minutes when you start up the game for the first time.
2. No option to just skip to at-bats in the game according to the RTTS thread. You have to play in the field and bat as well. My guess behind that reasoning is that development points are also awarded for fielding.

Well, if that's the case, they destroyed the greatest single part of the game.

What a ridiculous decision. When will developers learn that the more ways they give a player to play a game, the better?

My only RTTS mode will be as a pitcher now. What a moronic decision.

[Mike Lowe]

I was lucky enough to get my copy on Saturday (Wal-Mart baby). I've played it a few times but the fiance moved in this weekend too and we're still getting things unpacked etc. Who am I kidding, I'll never get to play this game now ha. Luckily, I get home from work a good 2 hours before she does.

I've started a franchise with the Nationals. Their new stadium looks sharp and they are a fun team to build with (no real identity, big market).

I'm still in the process of putting my lineups together and so on. Should get through that tonight perhaps if not later this week!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Well, if that's the case, they destroyed the greatest single part of the game.

What a ridiculous decision. When will developers learn that the more ways they give a player to play a game, the better?

My only RTTS mode will be as a pitcher now. What a moronic decision.

Agreed that more options are better, but 'destroyed' and 'ridiculous decision' are a bit overdramatic. I played in the field and batted in RTTS in the 2007 version as a CF and as a 2B player and I was finishing games in 5 minutes, if not less. They allow for a lot of fast-forwards during play that shorten up gameplay quite a bit.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Got the game this morning. Just got shut out by Greg Maddux (a 3-hitter). THIS was worth getting a PS3 for.

You're a damn tease! :)

Toss a few more tidbits. I won't be able to get it until later this afternoon.

[MizzouRah]

Agreed that more options are better, but 'destroyed' and 'ridiculous decision' are a bit overdramatic. I played in the field and batted in RTTS in the 2007 version as a CF and as a 2B player and I was finishing games in 5 minutes, if not less. They allow for a lot of fast-forwards during play that shorten up gameplay quite a bit.

lmao

[korme]

In the season opener vs the D-Backs, I give up 3 dingers and lose 5-0 as Brandon Webb 3 hits me!

[Sweed]

Just got back from Wally-world with mine and have the rest of the week off:) Are we keeping all impressions in this thread?

I did read one thing last night that pissed me off. Damn MLBPA, no Fukudome in the game until he plays in a MLB regular season game, like DiceK last year. This really sucks for a guy that is obviously going to be there. Oh, well looks like a month messing around with the game before I start a serious Cub game.

Or I guess I could try the RTTS. My son really liked playing that though it never really peaked my interest. But with about a month to kill it's something to think about.

[TroyF]

Agreed that more options are better, but 'destroyed' and 'ridiculous decision' are a bit overdramatic. I played in the field and batted in RTTS in the 2007 version as a CF and as a 2B player and I was finishing games in 5 minutes, if not less. They allow for a lot of fast-forwards during play that shorten up gameplay quite a bit.

For me, they destroyed it. For you, they didn't.

That's why OPTIONS that allow a player to play the game the way they want are the way to go. I have very little patience for games which actually TAKE OUT EXISTING OPTIONS.

In short, they piss me off.

That's ok. I'll still buy and play this game. In fact, buy two versions of it. But they did damage a really enjoyable part of the game for me.

[Calis]

I actually had no idea you could even skip defense and only do at bats in the last version.

Not sure how I missed that, but no biggie. The fact that they added points for defensive stops is a much bigger deal to me, I hated the fact it was pointless last season.

[Icy]

If you don't want to play a lot of defense, choose to be a C and you will be in way less defensive plays than a SS (mainly avoiding steal attempts and picking popups), as RF you are not in a lot of defensive plays either. As for baserunning, i always create myself as a fast guy, so instead of just waiting for others to hit while doing nothing, i can try to steal bases.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If you don't want to play a lot of defense, choose to be a C and you will be in way less defensive plays than a SS (mainly avoiding steal attempts and picking popups), as RF you are not in a lot of defensive plays either. As for baserunning, i always create myself as a fast guy, so instead of just waiting for others to hit while doing nothing, i can try to steal bases.

FYI.....the Catcher actually has quite a few more plays this year. They let you try to throw out baserunners and pick off runners. We'll have to wait for more impressions, but it sounds like the Catcher has changed quite a bit from last year's version.

[korme]

Started a RttS career and simmed until I got to the majors (took 7 years, geez! Last year I could get there at age 21)

Anyways, struggling mightily through a couple games batting 1-for-17

[Icy]

Started a RttS career and simmed until I got to the majors (took 7 years, geez! Last year I could get there at age 21)

Anyways, struggling mightily through a couple games batting 1-for-17

Wow 7 years look a lot, but for that SCSA developers said, they wanted it to be like real life, when players expend a few years in the minors and do not jump from AA to MLB in their first year as you could in 07.

While i enjoy playing in the minors, i think SCSA should add another mode for next year, where you could choose any player in the roster set and "be that player" until the end of his career. Let's say you want to be Brandon Webb, you would manage only his character as you do in RTTS, signing contracts etc. I think it would be really nice for those who don't want to expend any time in the minors developing their young players.

[Sweed]

First thoughts after completing my first game.
All-star level
Default sliders


Cubs (me) vs Royals (hey, I at least wanted a chance to win my first game;) ) at Wrigley. Zambrano vs Meche Lost the game 7-1 but it was a lot of fun.

I think the thing that stuck out most to me was the realistic pitch counts combined with fatigue. Z went 6 full innings throwing 106 pitches and getting tagged for two HR's (wind out at 24mph) and 5 earned runs. Meche went the full 9 needing IIRC 110 pitches.

No BB for either team but not too concerned as some of that was my impatience and, if like last year, a slider tweak will make the user more likely to walk a batter. And FWIW I didn't nibble at corners like I would in a franchise game.

As both pitchers went into the 90's pitch count mark you could see them start to lose some command and pitches, at least seemed, to become more hittable. I scored my run on a DeRosa HR at this time off of Meche as he seemed to be challenging hitters more with a 7-0 lead. Seemed like he was throwing more fastballs and trying to get hitters to put the ball in play.

Another nice thing with fatigue. Last year when fatigue hit guys became very wild. Throw a slider and you were very likely to have it go way wide of the plate to the backstop or a high fastball would sail over the C's head. In the game I played today while the control did start to fail the result wasn't extreme wildness. Yes, the C had to reach for balls that were sweeping or sailing but was able to at least get a glove on them. It was more of a subtle transition instead of the instant "every thing going to hell at once" I experienced last year. I did go to the pen so did not test to see if I had let them keep going if they would eventually get extremely wild.

Very impressed with the pitching after one game. Be interesting to see how it
goes over several games.

The hitting mechanics were just like last year. This is a good thing you don't fix what isn't broke. I thought I could see the pitches better and that they also had more realistic movement but that could just be a combination of imagination and adrenalin because of excitement over the new game;) I did hit two doubles in the game. Ramirez found the gap in right-center and rolled on to the ivy and Murton smashed a line-drive off the RF wall. So, while this looked good with relation to fielder's speed I'll be anxious to see how it does over several games.

Lot's of variety in batted balls. 3 bounce dribblers in front of the plate, hard grounders down the lines, bloops over third and first falling in, liners off the wall, etc all looking very good. Turned a DP with Theriot diving towards 2b, flipping the ball to DeRosa from his stomach, and DeRosa plucking it out of the air with his bare hand and making the throw to 1b.

Presentation is of course top notch. Live bullpen is cool to have again. When the RP gets up he first short throws from in front of the bullpen mound and then moves back once he starts to get loose. I don't know if the cpu uses live warm-ups though as Meche went the full nine. I'm hoping they do but last year I don't think there was any way to see if the cpu was warming someone up or not so this is wait and see.

Back now to the ballpark, I think I'll have a look at the baggie in Minnesota next. Maybe I can win one there.

[Calis]

What's the word on the PS2 version of the game? Is it a minor update or are some of the changes, mostly I'm looking at the RTTS stuff present there as well?

Might save me $500 bucks if it's a decent upgrade. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

What's the word on the PS2 version of the game? Is it a minor update or are some of the changes, mostly I'm looking at the RTTS stuff present there as well?

Might save me $500 bucks if it's a decent upgrade. :)

IGN gave it a 8 out of 10 and says that the RTTS is somewhat improved but not as good as the PS3 version with not as many goals as one of the issues. However, they do say it is improved from last year's RTTS. Also, they say the control issues from last year are still present. Here is the link:

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/856/856478p2.html

[CraigSca]

I played 3 games today, all with the Orioles and scored a single run. Man, do I stink. However, I really had an absolute great time and can;t wait for everyone to go to bed tonight :).

About walks - they are available, especially when you fluster the other pitcher. I only scored a run, but I flustered Padilla of the Rangers for an inning plus and was able to draw 4 walks. Lucky, too, as he 3-hit me.

Trachsel gave up a homerun on his first pitch, and a 2-run shot a few batters later, but then he calmed down and gave up only 2 more hits in his 6 innings. The game is SO baseball...I really wish the guys at Madden and NCAA sat down, studied this thing and figured out how this game seems to do everything right.

P.S. I've heard online play is essentially broken. Fortunately, I haven't played a sports game online since some 11 year old decimated me at College Hoops 2K7. Not going back there as there are too many cheesers.

[korme]

I think this is the first game I own where you can make your own playlists from songs you've burned to your PS3 (setting it up now so i'll see if i'm right)

[hukarez]

P.S. I've heard online play is essentially broken. Fortunately, I haven't played a sports game online since some 11 year old decimated me at College Hoops 2K7. Not going back there as there are too many cheesers.

I don't suppose you could elaborate a bit more on this for me?..

[Icy]

I don't suppose you could elaborate a bit more on this for me?..

Huge lag is being reported, making online playing almost impossible as it's hard to time batting, etc. No answers by Sony yet (official release date is today anyway), but i guess they will try to upgrade their servers or whatever is needed. Not an issue for me at all as i didn't play 07 online even once, but i underesand it's a big issue for some.

I guess this is the main difference between the free online service from Sony vs the paid Microsoft one, you get what you paid for as it's usually said.

[SackAttack]

Just got home to find the PS3, PS2 and PSP versions of the game waiting for me. Can't wait until after dinner when I can crack into the PS3 version.

[STK]

I keep getting stuck on "Retrieving License Agreement". I'm guessing the server may be busy.

No joy...

[JS19]

I keep getting stuck on "Retrieving License Agreement". I'm guessing the server may be busy.

No joy...

This just happened to me.....Anyone having a little difficulty hitting the longball, or hitting in general? Not complaining, I like it bc it's more realistic and I will probably improve the more I play. The HR, however, has been difficult. 3 games in and haven't hit 1 (I'm the Mets). I noticed while hitting you can't lock onto a pitch dead on like last yr. I can still guess the pitch and location, but that red circle doesn't appear anymore. Sometimes I guess outside fastball and the thing blinks or whatever, for both location and pitch, but the pitch is 3 feet off the plate.

[SackAttack]

I was getting plenty of red circles in the demo.

[JS19]

I was getting plenty of red circles in the demo.

Hmm. That's odd. I find it hard to believe I haven't been able to lock on to a single pitch 4 games in. I wonder if it has something to do with the difficulty level or maybe there is an option to turn on/off.

[Travis]

I've only played a few games so far, but while I'm not getting the circle like last year, if I guess the pitch and location I'm getting the strike zone box flash and also the zone I selected lighting up along with my batting zone automatically relocating to that spot. I'm still on default difficulty if that does affect how it reacts.

[SackAttack]

I might be getting the circle confused with the zone flash Travis is talking about.

I got a bunch of something in the demo, and then bought MLB 07 which obviously has the circles.

[korme]

08 no circle, it just lets you know you guessed the loc. and pitch, however the location may be outside of the zone - no more guaranteed big hits (good, i think)

[Travis]

You know, at this point, the game is worth every penny due to four simple words.

Johnny sweep the leg.

[JS19]

08 no circle, it just lets you know you guessed the loc. and pitch, however the location may be outside of the zone - no more guaranteed big hits (good, i think)

That actually is a nice feature, bc with the circle it was pretty much a guaranteed hit, most likely a HR/2B. Although, 5 games in and still no longball, I am starting to miss it.

[korme]

You know, at this point, the game is worth every penny due to four simple words.

Johnny sweep the leg.

Yes! Great song, I think.. heh

Anyways JS, I have actually hit a few homers with just the contact swing, using the power swing my teams are probably seriously batting half the Mendoza (.200) line

[Icy]

About the guess pitch feature, by default you are using the new one, that as you have seen, doesn't show the location even if you guess it correctly. In the options you can switch back to the old mode and it will be like 07, showing the red circle location.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

P.S. I've heard online play is essentially broken. Fortunately, I haven't played a sports game online since some 11 year old decimated me at College Hoops 2K7. Not going back there as there are too many cheesers.

FYI.....they took down the servers for a couple of hours last night to address some of the issues. Haven't seen anything this morning on if there was improvement.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Got in a couple of hours on a RTTS game last night.

-Outfielder animations appear to be a lot better. I had some really quirky stuff in the 07 version that came up pretty often. The animations I've seen thus far seem to make a bit more sense.

-The display of situational info in the RTTS (i.e. baserunners, count, outs, etc) is much better than last year. Last year, I'd sometimes have issues trying to figure out how many outs there were. Easy to find this year.

-The addition of the points being displayed when you pass or fail a task on RTTS adds a lot as well. I often wondered in the last version why I was getting low or high point totals based on my performance. The display of the point awards in this year's version makes it a lot more easier to understand.

-Like how there's no 'lock-on cursor' anymore. Makes the game a lot more fair.

-Walks are still present in the game. I think this franchise over the past two years is the first game to really perform well in that aspect. I love the fact that I can be patient at the plate and pick up a free pass here and there.

-The addition of the goals for promotion is a welcome addition. I often wondered why my player wasn't being promoted. Now, you have a screen to check to see what you need to do as a player to move towards promotion.

-Outfield defensive positioning before the pitch is nice. You can do it on your own or the coach sometimes tells you to move in one direction or the other.

On the negative side:

-There still are some collision detection issues, though they are much reduced over last year. The most noticable one is usually when a fielder fields the ball and it just doesn't quite look right in that the ball doesn't hit the glove.

-I really don't like that you have to agree to the user agreement every time you log in online. There should be a way to do that once and be done with it. However, I've seen similar things in games like Warhawk, so there may be a reason behind it.

-Load times before the game are still pretty long. It could be a bit annoying for those lacking patience in regards to load times.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI......current Metacritic average is 87 after 3 reviews.

[Big Fo]

It's nice that you can draw walks, that was the main in-game thing I didn't like about MLB Power Pros. How long does it take you guys to complete your typical nine-inning game?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

It's nice that you can draw walks, that was the main in-game thing I didn't like about MLB Power Pros. How long does it take you guys to complete your typical nine-inning game?

I played a regular game and got done in 40-45 minutes. Honestly, I pretty much strictly stick to the RTTS mode. Moves faster for my taste, though the in-game save option is a great addition for those who get interrupted by things like kids.

[General Mike]

Is it worth getting a PS3 for this game?

I'm going to get a PS3 eventually, probably end of April when GTA4 comes out, but is it worth pushing up my purchase?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If you're going to buy one soon and already have the money, you might as well jump in now. The Show is a lot of fun and the RTTS mode is the best sports game mode out there IMO.

[Butter]

Is it worth getting a PS3 for this game?

I'm going to get a PS3 eventually, probably end of April when GTA4 comes out, but is it worth pushing up my purchase?

It's like asking Lee Iacocca whether or not you should buy a Chrysler.

[General Mike]

I have to beat the money out of my older brother, because he owes me it, but I guess the possibility of a price cut worries me. With my luck, I buy the console, and a week later they cut the price. :(

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I have to beat the money out of my older brother, because he owes me it, but I guess the possibility of a price cut worries me. With my luck, I buy the console, and a week later they cut the price. :(

Most of the major retailers (Best Buy, Amazon, Circuit City, Wal-Mart) have 30 day price guarantees. So if a price cut were suddenly to pop up, you could get the difference refunded to you.

[General Mike]

Thanks MizzouBBFan

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Good comparison review of 2K8 and The Show.........

http://derekpeter.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/mlb-2k8-vs-mlb-08-the-showthe-review/

MLB 2K8 vs. MLB 08 The Show…the review.

Every year, it is a tradition of mine to purchase the new baseball games on the day they come out, and play them until my eyes hurt.

It used to be quite overwhelming when there would be 3-4 games. This year, however, there are only two: MLB 08 The Show for PS3, and MLB 2K8 for 360 (also available for ps3).

MLB 08 The Show

The first game I popped in was The Show. The first thing I noticed was that you couldn’t edit the minor league rosters without going through a tricky process. You must enter franchise mode, back out, and then you can edit the rosters. This means you can only edit the minor leaguers names with the default rosters. That’s fine for now, but they should patch this.

It should be noted that the player editor/create-a-player is simply insane. It’s almost TOO detailed. You can edit everything about a players face, from the shape of his head, to the droop of his bottom eyelid, to the markings on his mouth, to where his zits are.

Next, I set up my jukebox, and got rid of all of the dumb songs that Sony put on the disk, and selected my 8o-song rock/rap/baseball music play list to play while I navigate the menus. Then I began my first game. Yankees vs. Mets, in Yankee Stadium.

Phil Hughes pitching for the Yankees, Johan Santana for the Mets. The commentators went REALLY in-depth in describing both pitchers, and their work in the previous season. Awesome. Adds realism.

The game started as a real nail-biter. The gameplay is incredibly smooth at 60 frames per second with great animations. The score was 0-0 into the 5th inning. Finally, in the bottom of the 5th, Santana left a fastball over the plate and Jorge Posada hit a pop fly into the short Right Field corner in Yankee stadium and just over the leap of the right-fielder for a solo homerun. The fans went nuts fighting over the ball as a beachball was batted around in the background. The famous Yankee Stadium siren and bells played as Posada crossed home plate and slapped hands with the other players. I was pumped. It was exhilarating…but the fun was just beginning. 1-0 Yankees after 5innings.

In the 6th, Phil Hughes struck out the side, giving him 6 shutout innings, 2 hits allowed and 9 strikeouts. In the bottom half of the 6th, I decided to warm-up Joba Chamberlain, and Matt Vascurgan, play-by-play man, says “the Big Guy, Joba Chamberlain has begun warming in the bullpen” Ut oh!

In the top of the 7th, I struck out batter number 10 with Phil Hughes, and a cut scene played that showed fans hanging up 10 K’s on the stadium upper deck, just like in real life! The play-by-play guys mentioned that it was 10 strikeouts, then showed a graphic with his pitch count. I was at 103 pitches! Wow….i’ve never seen a player get to 100 pitches in a video game before….best of all, the game was moving along quickly, still.

I decided it was time for the big-fella….and summoned Joba from the bullpen, who promptly retired the side.

In the bottom of the 7th, i picked up a few base-hits in a row, and Santana was relieved by Pedro Feleciano. Jorge Posada was the first batter he faced and he promptly deposited his first pitch into the 2nd/3rd row down the left-field line for his second homerun of the game, a 3-run shot making it 4-0. Cano doubled down the left field line on the next pitch, and then Melky Cabrera ripped one into the left field gap. I was all over Pedro Feliciano. 5-0 Yankees.

In the top of the 8th, I walked 2 guys with Joba but got out of the inning unscathed. In MLB 08 the show, sometimes you walk people. The umpire will screw you out of some calls and sometimes the ball will sail and you will miss by a few inches.

In the bottom of the 8th, Alex Rodriguez led off with a monstrous homerun into the left field bullpen area. 6-0 Yankees.

That was the final score. What an exhilarating game! Since then, I have played 4 or 5 more games and my scores have all been reasonable. I lost a game to the Royals, proving that in 08 the Show, anything can happen.

MLB 2K8

I really want to love MLB 2K8. I loved 2K7, especially after they released a patch mid-summer.

The good:

The stadiums are like cathedrals. They are spacious and look fantastic. Every nook and cranny is there. The lighting is awesome and dynamic…they sky of a game starting at 7pm will be fairly dusky in the first inning, and very dark in the 9th inning.

Custom music is there, and it’s awesome. I play the standard Yankee stadium songs for in-between innings at the ballpark in the bronx. Other stadiums get city-specific music. I set up Boston to have only Boston songs play in-between innings.

The Dodgers will have old-school West Side rap between innings. Washington gets “Born in the USA” or “America: Fuck Yea!” in between innings, and so on and so forth…ads a lot to presentation.

Custom player walk-up music is there, too….and it is awesome, too, except that it applies to all stadiums. So players will have their custom music in road games, which isnt true in real life.

The signature styles are AMAZING. Almost every player has one, and the generic ones are improved so much that they look signature.

The new controls are…well…different. The pitching mechanic you will either love or hate. I hate it. It’s hard but I havnt taken the tutorial yet. Perhaps I will grow to love it.

In the field I love throwing with the analog stick, and the fielders are very responsive…almost too responsive, as I have run by a couple of balls in the outfield.

The bat sounds are better, but dont match the bat sounds from the trailer.

My main gripe, however, is the framerate. The game stutters on almost every play. It will look UNBELIEVABLY smooth and beautiful for 3/4 of the play, and then like utter shit for the next 1/4 of the play and the transition….it is almost a game killer, but I am getting used to it.

Gone are fans trying to catch homeruns….in its place is a new homerun camera. It’s not for everyone. I like it on signature-style homeruns, like when A-Rod does his “stand at the plate and watch the ball I just hit the fuck out of with my bat up in the air” or David Ortiz does his thing, or Vladamir Guererro does his. On those, the cam looks cool. So do the replays…

but when Derek Jeter his a galactic homerun and throws the bat like a jackass, it doesnt look right.

I have played some close games but it still seems like 2k8 is plagued by too many homeruns. I am going to mess with the settings when I get home and see how it plays out. I’ll be back tonight with screenshots.

Here is the overall verdict by catagory:

Graphics:
Stadiums: MLB 2K8
Crowd visually: MLB 08 The show
Player Models: MLB 2K8
Cloth Physics: MLB 08 The Show
Player faces: MLB 08 The Show
Lighting: MLB 08 The Show (Even though 2K8 has dynamic lighting, the show looks better)

Gameplay:
Score realism: MLB 08 The Show
Pitchcounts/fouls: MLB 08 The Show
controls: MLB 2k8
Computer AI: Draw–both seem to be pretty good, so far.

Audio:
Commentary: MLB 08 The Show
Crowd : MLB 08 The Show
Stadium noise: Draw —custom music is the only thing saving 2k8 here.

Franchise:
Depth: MLB 2K8 —GM goals, the ability to get fired, hired, etc.
Replay Value: MLB 08 The Show …you can sim games quickly and advance deeper, faster.

Minor Leagues: MLB 2K8 — All 90 teams, a lot of fake names for real players (look for initials…almost entire AAA and AA teams are there), and a bunch of stadiums…though the downloadable content hasnt arrived yet, as was promised.

OVERALL:

MLB the Show 08 wins because it is simply a more finished product, and plays a much better game of baseball. The commentary is insane. The little cut scenes and things like that are awesome.

MLB 2K8 has a ton of potential, but having to mess with sliders 800 times before I can get the game to play a non-homerun-derby 9 innings of baseball is just too much of a pain in the ass for me.

[JS19]

Anyone else notice somewhat of an issue with the 1B/P exchange on slowly hit grounders or bunts? Nothing major, I hope, but I've noticed a few instances so far, whether it be me or the computer.

[SackAttack]

My main gripe right now is that I hit the fuck out of the ball about six times last night, and the outfielder was always in position to make the play. They, on the other hand, got two triples and a double and scored on a foul pop out.

Seems like, at least so far, that the only way I can get a hit is a ground ball up the middle. Haven't had any gappers or dinky balls that just find holes.

[Travis]

My main gripe right now is that I hit the fuck out of the ball about six times last night, and the outfielder was always in position to make the play. They, on the other hand, got two triples and a double and scored on a foul pop out.

Seems like, at least so far, that the only way I can get a hit is a ground ball up the middle. Haven't had any gappers or dinky balls that just find holes.

Are you noticing this in RTTS or in "normal" games? I was having this issue with the 2B I created to get familiar with the game, then made a 3B to play seriously and with the increased power I've been able to drive the gap for a few doubles so far in spring training. Haven't played a regular control everybody sort of game yet though so can't comment on that much.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

My main gripe right now is that I hit the fuck out of the ball about six times last night, and the outfielder was always in position to make the play. They, on the other hand, got two triples and a double and scored on a foul pop out.

Seems like, at least so far, that the only way I can get a hit is a ground ball up the middle. Haven't had any gappers or dinky balls that just find holes.

Yeah, it definitely takes some practice to get the hitting down. My outfielder in RTTS had several long outs, but I also banged a couple of doubles into the gap and ripped one down the line past the third baseman on another occasion. I timed all of those hits well and had guessed the pitch and location. I also only use 'Contact' hitting when my player is at the start of his career. Hitting with power swing is only a good idea when you know exactly what the pitch/location is. Otherwise, it's a good way to pile up outs on weak grounders and pop-ups.

[SackAttack]

Are you noticing this in RTTS or in "normal" games? I was having this issue with the 2B I created to get familiar with the game, then made a 3B to play seriously and with the increased power I've been able to drive the gap for a few doubles so far in spring training. Haven't played a regular control everybody sort of game yet though so can't comment on that much.

Normal games. I haven't dived into RttS yet. Just started a franchise with the Dodgers, and managed an infield single by Furcal a grounder up the middle by Penny, and a grounder up the middle by Ethier. That's been it.

[SackAttack]

Yeah, it definitely takes some practice to get the hitting down. My outfielder in RTTS had several long outs, but I also banged a couple of doubles into the gap and ripped one down the line past the third baseman on another occasion. I timed all of those hits well and had guessed the pitch and location. I also only use 'Contact' hitting when my player is at the start of his career. Hitting with power swing is only a good idea when you know exactly what the pitch/location is. Otherwise, it's a good way to pile up outs on weak grounders and pop-ups.

That's just it, I haven't used the power swing except for once, when I guessed the pitch, guessed the location, and managed to foul out with Andruw Jones.

[korme]

I think I'm leaning more toward franchise than RttS at this point. Maybe because my guy sucks, I don't know.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That's just it, I haven't used the power swing except for once, when I guessed the pitch, guessed the location, and managed to foul out with Andruw Jones.

Interesting. I played around 10 games with my new RTTS player (who is obviously relatively weak on ratings). I had three doubles (two that hit the wall on the fly and one down the line) and had a .330 average. Didn't use the power button at all.

I do think it's a bit tougher to bat now without the 'lock-on' cursor. I may turn that back on in the options.

[Sweed]

My main gripe right now is that I hit the fuck out of the ball about six times last night, and the outfielder was always in position to make the play. They, on the other hand, got two triples and a double and scored on a foul pop out.

Seems like, at least so far, that the only way I can get a hit is a ground ball up the middle. Haven't had any gappers or dinky balls that just find holes.

What level are you playing on? I am playing on all-star with the Cubs (6 games-default sliders) and have had a variety of things happen from 1-0 games to beating Baltimore 12-2. I've had some gappers roll to the wall for doubles. Both Ramirez and DeRosa hit line drives off the wall in the gaps for doubles in the Baltimore game.

I hit two HR's in the Balt game and two in the game I played this afternoon. A 2-1 13 inning game vs Mil. where Soriano led off the game with a blast and then Hart hit one for Mil in the second. Game was then scoreless with Sheets facing Z until Ward hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 13th.

I've also had a few flairs over third or first fall in. Against Mil. this afternoon I did guess inside fastball with Murton batting and got the flashes telling me I got it right on both pitch and location. Trouble I was still late on the swing and the ball hit the bat on the handle. The result was a "seeing eye" single as the ball fell into no-man's land in between the CF-RF-and 2bman, very cool thing to see.

[JS19]

Hitting, in my opinion (maybe I just suck), takes some getting used to. First few games I was in the same boat, striking out a lot, weak grounders, no HRs or hits in the gap. The more I play, I def. see a difference with my ability to hit. I like it bc, when you guess location and pitch, you actually have to watch the pitch and see if it will be in the strike zone or not. I've also noticed that timing is much more important than last yr. For what it's worth, I'm playing on the default settings.

[SackAttack]

What level are you playing on? I am playing on all-star with the Cubs (6 games-default sliders) and have had a variety of things happen from 1-0 games to beating Baltimore 12-2. I've had some gappers roll to the wall for doubles. Both Ramirez and DeRosa hit line drives off the wall in the gaps for doubles in the Baltimore game.

I hit two HR's in the Balt game and two in the game I played this afternoon. A 2-1 13 inning game vs Mil. where Soriano led off the game with a blast and then Hart hit one for Mil in the second. Game was then scoreless with Sheets facing Z until Ward hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 13th.

I've also had a few flairs over third or first fall in. Against Mil. this afternoon I did guess inside fastball with Murton batting and got the flashes telling me I got it right on both pitch and location. Trouble I was still late on the swing and the ball hit the bat on the handle. The result was a "seeing eye" single as the ball fell into no-man's land in between the CF-RF-and 2bman, very cool thing to see.

The default. Veteran, I guess it is.

I'm also disappointed that Sandy Koufax is neither in the Hall nor on the Golden or Silver Era teams. What's up with that?

[Eaglesfan27]

Lots of little criticisms of this game popping up on Operation Sports which I'll admit I'm grateful for as it is killing my desire to rush out and buy a PS3 just for this game. It sounds like it is the better baseball game between this and MLB 2k8, but it certainly has some significant issues still. Here is a link for those who want to read about some of the issues:

http://www.operationsports.com/feature.php?id=364

http://www.operationsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240247

[SackAttack]

Just lost to the Giants 2-0. Still have yet to see a hard-hit ball result in a base hit for me unless it's on the ground. Haven't gotten anything past any of the outfielders yet - even the flare liners I've gotten to fall have fallen right in front of the outfielders, or else they've quickly been able to get behind the ball.

I like that the AI (at least on default settings), will periodically try to pick the pitcher's pocket on stolen bases, but I'm a little disturbed that it will take that initiative and then hang tight on second base on fly balls to right.

With Jones, I managed four times, in four at-bats, to guess correctly that a fastball was coming and where it was coming. Two line drive outs, a foul out, and a pop fly. Only used the power swing once, and that resulted in the line drive out.

Had the Bluetooth spaz out on a grounder to second base. The fielder didn't run nuts as usually happens, but he also didn't throw the ball despite me pressing the button three or four times. Once the runner reached safely, he turned and threw. Before you ask, yes, the first baseman was in position to receive the throw in plenty of time.

On the other hand, that led to one of the weirder plays I've seen - a groundball up the middle by the next batter. Kent fields it, steps on second, tosses it to Furcal about five steps away, who throws it to first to complete the double play. See, apparently pressing the triangle button led him to run to second base, and then it ALSO led him to...throw the ball to Furcal, thinking he'd be covering.

Finally, the game's second and final run came with the bases loaded and one out. Ground ball right to Kent, who makes a short toss to Furcal, who gets rid of the ball quickly, and it's still apparently too late to get the runner at first base. I'd like to know how Bengie Molina got down the line that fast.

At least I knocked Zito out of the game so he didn't get credit for the shutout.

[MizzouRah]

Lots of little criticisms of this game popping up on Operation Sports which I'll admit I'm grateful for as it is killing my desire to rush out and buy a PS3 just for this game. It sounds like it is the better baseball game between this and MLB 2k8, but it certainly has some significant issues still. Here is a link for those who want to read about some of the issues:

http://www.operationsports.com/feature.php?id=364

http://www.operationsports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240247

Don't anger MBBF! :D

[terpkristin]

Dang it, I'm picking this up on Friday or Saturday for both PSP and PS3. I can't wait!!! This will definitely enter the rotation of games, which right now is mostly Disgaea on PSP. :)

Edit to add: I never played any of the PS2 versions, and didn't play 07 on the PS3, last version I had was 06 for the PSP, I'm really looking forward to the many improvements they've made since that one... :)

/tk

[CraigSca]

Just lost to the Giants 2-0. Still have yet to see a hard-hit ball result in a base hit for me unless it's on the ground. Haven't gotten anything past any of the outfielders yet - even the flare liners I've gotten to fall have fallen right in front of the outfielders, or else they've quickly been able to get behind the ball.

I like that the AI (at least on default settings), will periodically try to pick the pitcher's pocket on stolen bases, but I'm a little disturbed that it will take that initiative and then hang tight on second base on fly balls to right.

With Jones, I managed four times, in four at-bats, to guess correctly that a fastball was coming and where it was coming. Two line drive outs, a foul out, and a pop fly. Only used the power swing once, and that resulted in the line drive out.

Had the Bluetooth spaz out on a grounder to second base. The fielder didn't run nuts as usually happens, but he also didn't throw the ball despite me pressing the button three or four times. Once the runner reached safely, he turned and threw. Before you ask, yes, the first baseman was in position to receive the throw in plenty of time.

On the other hand, that led to one of the weirder plays I've seen - a groundball up the middle by the next batter. Kent fields it, steps on second, tosses it to Furcal about five steps away, who throws it to first to complete the double play. See, apparently pressing the triangle button led him to run to second base, and then it ALSO led him to...throw the ball to Furcal, thinking he'd be covering.

Finally, the game's second and final run came with the bases loaded and one out. Ground ball right to Kent, who makes a short toss to Furcal, who gets rid of the ball quickly, and it's still apparently too late to get the runner at first base. I'd like to know how Bengie Molina got down the line that fast.

At least I knocked Zito out of the game so he didn't get credit for the shutout.

I suck so bad at veteran that I've upped power for both teams, reduced fielding reaction time for both (more singles through 3rd/short and 2nd/first and doubles) and reduced command for my pitchers (I'm too good pitching on veteran). Oh, I also reduced the speed of CPU pitching - my 39 year old eyes couldn't keep up at all. My next game I faced the Yankees and Wang - had no problem judging balls and strikes and the Orioles relievers got shelled (as they ought to).

The game plays well out of the box but it's not perfect. I think with the help of minor tweaking you'll be able to cater the game to your particular skill level.

[SackAttack]

Dang it, I'm picking this up on Friday or Saturday for both PSP and PS3. I can't wait!!! This will definitely enter the rotation of games, which right now is mostly Disgaea on PSP. :)

Edit to add: I never played any of the PS2 versions, and didn't play 07 on the PS3, last version I had was 06 for the PSP, I'm really looking forward to the many improvements they've made since that one... :)

/tk

I have a PSP copy sitting here, but between Disgaea and God of War, I have no idea where I'll find the time to play it. :)

[SackAttack]

I suck so bad at veteran that I've upped power for both teams, reduced fielding reaction time for both (more singles through 3rd/short and 2nd/first and doubles) and reduced command for my pitchers (I'm too good pitching on veteran). Oh, I also reduced the speed of CPU pitching - my 39 year old eyes couldn't keep up at all. My next game I faced the Yankees and Wang - had no problem judging balls and strikes and the Orioles relievers got shelled (as they ought to).

The game plays well out of the box but it's not perfect. I think with the help of minor tweaking you'll be able to cater the game to your particular skill level.

I hope so. I'm not real fond of having to tweak, especially since I don't have the time to playtest oodles of changes, but I may try a game on other difficulty levels and see if there are any stock settings that can mirror what I'm looking for.

Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, I like that the catcher will go down to first or third for check swing appeals; I wonder if there's a way to do that manually or if it's just a random automatic thing.

[CraigSca]

Played a game last night with my new settings (that I spoke of earlier) and beat the Tigers, 8-3. Huff had two dingers and R. Hernandez had one, all without using the power swing. I had 15 hits (which is my best to date) and I gave up 10. I also walked 4 batters and drew 4 walks. Had a really good time pitching with Daniel Cabrera as he was constantly in trouble (typical), giving up 6 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs in 5 innings pitched (he was gassed after 5 because he was constantly getting full counts).

I still strike out too much, but I'm sure that will improve.

[CraigSca]

Oh, I also had my first beach ball thrown onto the field. Nick Markakis had to run over it hit it back into the stands. Yeah, the beach ball is overdone in the game, but it was still a cool moment.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More impressions. Here's the feedback from Bill Harris.........

http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2008/03/mlb-08-show-ps3-impressions.html

MLB 08: The Show (PS3) Impressions

I've spent about five hours playing The Show since I picked it up yesterday, and here are some initial impressions. I say "initial" because five hours is really only scratching the surface, and given that I've only played in Road To The Show (career) mode, it's a very limited look.

What I consider a very good sign: I'm compulsively playing. I'm a Closer and I'm in the AA organization of the Cubs. I've finished one season and should be starting my second later tonight.

First off, I don't think there's any question that this game sets a new standard for animation and realism in a baseball game. The animations are truly superb (they motion-captured TWENTY different players), and even more importantly, the transition between animations is superb as well.

It's not just the animations, though--it's also what the development team has chosen to animate, and how. For instance, the catcher is just brilliant--his movements to catch the ball look absolutely authentic. No "magic transfer" of the ball to the glove when he can't quite reach. Umpires are outstanding as well, and those two pieces of detail combine to make pitching a real pleasure.

Here's another detail: once baseball games actually got runners to run through the bag at first, they still seemed to be able to magically slow down as soon as they hit the bag. So they'd be running at full speed, then stop in three steps.

Not here.

In The Show, momentum keeps a player moving through the bag and beyond, and it looks fantastic. That may seem like a little thing, but that's what outstanding sports games are--a collection of little things done correctly. Like when people in the crowd reach for a foul ball, which is a moment so immersive and real-looking that I started laughing the first time I saw it happen.

The batting animations, in particular, are just brilliant. There is a huge variety (300+) of stances and swings, and the way that batters adjust to reaching for the ball or getting jammed is terrific to see.

Framerates are very, very smooth, which really lets the animation system shine.

Like I said, I'm a Closer, and having the variable umpires turned on is a real treat, because when I come into a game (usually in the 9th inning), I have to figure out the strike zone quickly. The variances between umpires are not enormous, but even a difference of a few inches affects how you pitch.

One of things that makes pitching so much fun is that there are actually a reasonable number of foul balls. I've gotten into a few epic, ten pitch at-bats where a guy just keeps fouling pitches off. And if a batter fouls off six pitches, he will probably foul them off with six different animations, which is amazing.

Ball physics are outstanding, and another thing this game gets right is how long fly balls stay in the air. There's an actual sense of how powerful some of these hitters are when they hit long foul balls, because they stay in the air for the (subjectively) right amount of time. Again, that's a little detail, but when it feels wrong, it breaks the sense of immersion.

Things I don't like so far? Boy, it's a short list. I'd really like to be able to remove the little circle cursor around my player. I know who he is, I can't control anyone else in Road To The Show mode, and that little cursor is the only thing that reminds me I'm not watching a real baseball game.

I'd also really like to have the option to make all games be day games. Day games look so spectacular, so amazing, that it's a shame to have to play any night games at all. It would be an easy option to add, and it would let players experience the best graphical environment for every game. It's not that night games look bad--they look quite good, actually--but even in real life, a night game is never going to look as good as a sunny afternoon.

One last thing. I was traded in my first year from the Pirates farm system to the Cubs. The AA team for Pittsburgh had a terrific third baseman, and he bailed me out many times with great plays. When I got to the Cubs AA team, their third baseman was a much poorer fielder, and I immediately noticed that balls were getting through for hits that would have been fielded with my original team. So ratings matter, and it's nice to see that players aren't cookie-cutters in the minor leagues.

Well, that's it for now. Like I said, I'll have more impressions after another 5-10 hours, but so far, I would highly recommend The Show.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Just lost to the Giants 2-0. Still have yet to see a hard-hit ball result in a base hit for me unless it's on the ground. Haven't gotten anything past any of the outfielders yet - even the flare liners I've gotten to fall have fallen right in front of the outfielders, or else they've quickly been able to get behind the ball.

Wow. Sounds like you're having some problems adjusting to the hitting. I played 7 more games last night. Hit two homeruns in consecutive games when I guessed right on high fastballs. The great part about my young player is that he has to pull the ball to get it over the wall. Both of my homers only went about 10 feet over the fence down the foul line. There's almost no way he could put one out in center field unless the stars lined up just right. It's awful rewarding when that occurs.

My 18 year old OF is currently hitting .273 with 2 homers, 4 doubles, and 5 stolen bases in spring training. I'm hoping that he'll get to start the year in AAA. Would be awfully nice to be just a step away from the majors in case he caught lightning in a bottle.

[TroyF]

I'm not having the problems hitting sack is. I have all sorts of hits and am getting them in a ton of ways. (though my timing is a bit slow and I'm getting many of them to the opposite field, I think I need to slow it down just a hair) Liners, hard hit grounders, gappers to the wall, monsterous shots off the wall. . . I just don't have any problems there.

Here are my early impressions:

The Good

Presentation, commentary. Top notch on both.
variety of hits is terrific.
BB and K's are pretty good with the default settings. (all star)
It does suck you in and makes you want to play more and more.

The Bad

Load times are ridiculous for both the PSP and PS3 version. On the PSP in RTTS, it majorly sucks when you end up getting one pinch hit at bat in a game. It'll take you three minutes to get to the game. Thirty seconds to hit and then another 3 minutes to exit the game. Then another 3 to get to your next game. I'm sorry, when you wait 9 minutes for a single at bat, that's frustration.

the not being able to sim to your nxt at bat is just an asinine decision. Fielding is giving me hardly any points at al and baserunning is about as fun to me as a root canal. I'm sorry, it turns a really fun part of the game for me into an average part of the game. That's horrible game design.

Where in the hell is a batting practice mode? I don't get it. How hard is it to design a batting practice/pitching practice mode in a baseball game? Even EA gets that with football games. Again, horrible game design that I just don't understand.

[MizzouRah]

More impressions. Here's the feedback from Bill Harris.........

http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2008/03/mlb-08-show-ps3-impressions.html

Never saw this one coming. :rolleyes:

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The Bad

Load times are ridiculous for both the PSP and PS3 version. On the PSP in RTTS, it majorly sucks when you end up getting one pinch hit at bat in a game. It'll take you three minutes to get to the game. Thirty seconds to hit and then another 3 minutes to exit the game. Then another 3 to get to your next game. I'm sorry, when you wait 9 minutes for a single at bat, that's frustration.

Yeah, this is the one carryover from last year that could have used some tweaking. Pretty sure that you're load times are inflated (I timed it at roughly 2 minutes starting a game and 75 seconds leaving a game), but your point is taken. It's still longer than it should be. My guess is that they could drop this load time by installing a few more things on the HDD. They should give that as an option for those with the larger HDD.

the not being able to sim to your nxt at bat is just an asinine decision. Fielding is giving me hardly any points at al and baserunning is about as fun to me as a root canal. I'm sorry, it turns a really fun part of the game for me into an average part of the game. That's horrible game design.

Baserunning and fielding 'fun' levels depend on what kind of player you have. I prefer to play with a speedy outfielder, so the baserunning and fielding is enjoyable in that case. Love to stack up the stolen bases. But I could see how a slow 1B or OF slugger could be a bit boring on base and in the field.

[TroyF]

1) the load times are for the PSP. The PS3 is faster, but it still sucks ass.

2) That's why it's about letting the player decide what type of guy he wants to play with. I didn't see in the Sony RTTS publicity material that they reccomend you use a speedy CF so you can have fun with fielding and the basepaths. If I want to play with a David Ortiz clone, I should be able to do that and have as much fun as someone who wants to become the next Ricky Henderson.

What gets me is them taking an option that already existed away from the player to make the game more constrictive. I'm not going to harp on this forever, but it's just a really bad design decision that I hope they fix for next year.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

1) the load times are for the PSP. The PS3 is faster, but it still sucks ass.

2) That's why it's about letting the player decide what type of guy he wants to play with. I didn't see in the Sony RTTS publicity material that they reccomend you use a speedy CF so you can have fun with fielding and the basepaths. If I want to play with a David Ortiz clone, I should be able to do that and have as much fun as someone who wants to become the next Ricky Henderson.

What gets me is them taking an option that already existed away from the player to make the game more constrictive. I'm not going to harp on this forever, but it's just a really bad design decision that I hope they fix for next year.

Definitely agree that they need to adjust it to allow the slugger role to be a bit better on the basepaths. Perhaps, as you mentioned, they need to put back in that option to skip the fielding and baserunning for that type of player. My guess on why that was removed is because points can now be earned in the field and it would restrict development if the player couldn't earn those points. That certainly doesn't mean it was the best decision, but I'm guessing that's why they did it.

[TroyF]

Definitely agree that they need to adjust it to allow the slugger role to be a bit better on the basepaths. Perhaps, as you mentioned, they need to put back in that option to skip the fielding and baserunning for that type of player. My guess on why that was removed is because points can now be earned in the field and it would restrict development if the player couldn't earn those points. That certainly doesn't mean it was the best decision, but I'm guessing that's why they did it.

but you aren't earning a lot of points in the field or on the basepaths unless you are stealilng bases. The gains there are minimal. Again, it's just poor design.

[JS19]

Quick question about hitting. My friend told me you need to use the left stick while hitting. For example, if you guess fastball outside (for a RH batter), you guess correctly and the thing flashes, then you push the stick the opposite way to hit (in this case it would be to the left). Not gonna lie, this blew my mind, I always just swing. Either he's crazy or i'm a moron, or a combination, which is quite likely.

[korme]

JS- for me I mix it up. If I know where the ball is coming from guessing the location, I aim the stick that way as your friend says.

However, if I just get the type of pitch right, I generally just swing. If I try to guess the timing and the location with the stick, I'm usually too slow to react and miss, so I just worry about timing.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Quick question about hitting. My friend told me you need to use the left stick while hitting. For example, if you guess fastball outside (for a RH batter), you guess correctly and the thing flashes, then you push the stick the opposite way to hit (in this case it would be to the left). Not gonna lie, this blew my mind, I always just swing. Either he's crazy or i'm a moron, or a combination, which is quite likely.

Pretty sure it's just the opposite. You should move your stick towards the point in the zone that you think the ball will be at when you swing. For example, if the ball is heading for the right edge of the zone (looking at the screen), you should move your stick to the right. If the ball is low, move the stick down. There's actually an invisible cursor of sorts (which you can actually turn 'visible' in the option menu. You want that cursor to be where the ball crosses the plate when you swing.

Think that was a bit confusing, but I hope it makes some sense.

[Icy]

Mizzou is right, you need to move the left stick to where the ball will land in the zone.

What your friend could be misunderstanding is the right stick hit influence usage. BEFORE the pitch is thrown, you can move the RIGHT stick up for a fly ball, down for a ground ball, or right or left to send the ball in that direction. Just move it and then release. Then once the pitch is comming, just move the left stick to the direction where the ball is landing in the strike zone as i said before.

[korme]

I didn't even realize that portion of his questioning, but Mizz bball got it right about the direction

[JS19]

Mizzou, I understood what both you and Shorty said. Pretty much said the opposite of eachother, so i'll try it both ways and see which I have more success with.