MLB '14: The Show

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Info released, but there's a big announcement within it. The Show will now allow you to import saves from the previous year's version so you can continue your franchise or RTTS saves on the new version of the game. Fantastic news and hopefully this is something we'll see more of in sports games moving forward.

Also has a video detailing some things you'll see in the next-gen version of the game.

PS4 dev diaries tour Vita features, DualShock 4 and launch games | Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/ps4-dev-diaries-tour-vita-features-dualshock-4-and-launch-games/)

[Eaglesfan27]

That is an awesome feature!

[cody8200]

Finally went the way of OOTP. I would love to see NBA 2k series this. My buddy and I are 2 seasons into our co-op career on NBA 2k13 - I would love to upgrade to 14' but no way I'm enjoying the career.

[chadritt]

I really love this feature and honestly the game. if I wind up getting a PS4, I'm going to wait a while, then I'll almost certainly pick up the show to go with it.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Finally got some gameplay videos, though they are of the PS3 version. Can't wait to see what the PS4 version has in store.

First News on MLB 14 The Show Comes From Taiwan, Not Sony (http://kotaku.com/first-news-on-mlb-14-the-show-comes-from-taiwan-not-so-1510127498)

[Mike Lowe]

It's been confirmed too that MLB Show 14 will have online franchise mode (different than the usual season mode). I wonder if those leagues can be rolled over to the next version too? If so, that'd be pretty sweet.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Embargo on information/images/video is dropped starting tomorrow. Should see a flood of information on the game on a bunch of sites. Lots of excited chatter coming out about how much better this game is on the PS4.

[Sun Tzu]

The Show for years has been, without question, the best sports video game on the market. Nothing comes close. I'm very excited to get my hands on the PS4 version.

[DaddyTorgo]

The Show for years has been, without question, the best sports video game on the market. Nothing comes close. I'm very excited to get my hands on the PS4 version.

I've been so back and forth on this game.

Graphically yes, it's pretty. But I've never been able to get the difficulty level to the "sweet spot" for me, and the games take so long to play out that as a result I get irritated very quickly trying to get it there and never manage to progress far.

With the news that starting this year saves will be able to transfer forward though maybe I ought to give it another look. Or maybe I'll cave. Haha.

[Sun Tzu]

Heh. I only play RTTS, which cuts down on the length of time it takes to play each game by a significant amount.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Heh. I only play RTTS, which cuts down on the length of time it takes to play each game by a significant amount.

Ditto. I'm a RTTS only guy. Going to be even better now that I don't have to restart my career every year. May create two RTTS saves (one pitching, one position player) just to keep things fresh so I can switch back and forth in case I get bored with one or the other.

[TroyF]

Ditto. I'm a RTTS only guy. Going to be even better now that I don't have to restart my career every year. May create two RTTS saves (one pitching, one position player) just to keep things fresh so I can switch back and forth in case I get bored with one or the other.

When I traveled a ton, I used to buy both and have my pitcher be on the vita and my batter be on the PS3. Now that I'm not traveling, I think I'll do the same thing, only with remote play. Pitcher when I'm by the fire pit relaxing, hitter when I'm on the tv. I'm glad I just play RTTS, because my understanding of the franchise mode the last few years is not positive.

[FBPro]

Really looking forward to this one, I've got my PS4 ready....

[Terps]

There's an option for generated pitch counts this year for those looking to cut down on playing time (should help with drawing walks also.)

[DaddyTorgo]

Nifty. Then again - I play franchise usually, so if franchise mode continues to be janky then idk how much use I'd get out of the game...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

MLB 14 The Show comes home in May for PS4, April for PS3 and Vita | Polygon (http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/13/5406804/mlb-14-the-show-release-date-ps4-ps3-playstation-vita)

MLB 14 The Show's PS4 graphics and new lighting engine are stunning -- PlayStation Universe (http://www.psu.com/a022491/MLB-14-The-Shows-PS4-graphics-and-new-lighting-engine-are-stunning)

- Over 50 new features and improvements
- All of these will enhance, deepen, streamline, and better your overall experience
- Quick Counts will cut game completion times in half
- New UI built from the ground up for PS4, carried across all versions
- Year-to-year saves
- Cross-platform saves across all SKUs
- Road to the Show will continue its evolution
- Community Challenges put the power of creation in the hands of gamers
- Baseball scenarios can be easily generated, customized, and shared online
- Smarter Universal Profile now tracks player tendency
- Train your Profile and sub it into Diamond Dynasty games to give your human opponent a better matchup than just the CPU
- Online Franchise expands upon Online Leagues of seasons past, introducing multi-season play with Scouting, the Amateur Draft, Free Agency, and CPU Trades
- Add-on purchases simplified, rolled everything into a Universal Currency known as Stubs
- Don’t need to spend anything on Subs to enjoy a full experience
- Stubs are earned through general gameplay and tied to your Universal Profile
- The rate at which Stubs are earned is intentionally generous
- Brett Lawrie will be on the Canadian cover for MLB 14

[TRO]

System seller for me.

[Mike Lowe]

There's an option for generated pitch counts this year for those looking to cut down on playing time (should help with drawing walks also.)

What I don't like about this, and something I feel the SD team overlooked, is why would they have EVERY AB sim to a 3-pitch count?

What happens when you want (puke) to bunt? What about guys who don't work the count, like Ichiro?

I won't be using it regardless, but it just seems implemented oddly.

[Mike Lowe]

Also (dola?), what do these mean:

- Train your Profile and sub it into Diamond Dynasty games to give your human opponent a better matchup than just the CPU

- Don’t need to spend anything on Subs to enjoy a full experience

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The third screen shot in the PS Universe article really shows what we have to look forward to in the PS4 version. You normally can see the same character several times in each section of the crowd. It's pretty clear from that screenshot that there's very little repetition in character models.

Also shocked to see the developer come out today and confidently say that it will be 1080p with 60 fps. Given that the game is still a couple of months from release, that speaks volumes.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Also (dola?), what do these mean:

- Train your Profile and sub it into Diamond Dynasty games to give your human opponent a better matchup than just the CPU

- Don’t need to spend anything on Subs to enjoy a full experience

On the first one, you can train a profile that creates an AI based on what you want the difficulty to be. It's somewhat like some racing games where you race against AI based on other actual players rather than just the CPU AI.

The second comment is just reassurance that you can play the full game without any microtransactions. They have some options where you can expedite progression with microtransactions should you choose to do so, but you won't be penalized in any way if you want to enjoy the full experience. There's a lot of developers making these kinds of assurances after the NBA 2K14 situation where players felt that the game progression was somewhat crippled unless you bought into microtransactions.

[jbergey22]

What I don't like about this, and something I feel the SD team overlooked, is why would they have EVERY AB sim to a 3-pitch count?

What happens when you want (puke) to bunt? What about guys who don't work the count, like Ichiro?

I won't be using it regardless, but it just seems implemented oddly.

Where do you see anything about EVERY AB sim to a 3-pitch count?

I was under the assumption it accounts for aggressive and patient hitters with this comment.

Using a new feature, Quick Counts, the developer says players will be able to play a full nine innings in less than 30 minutes. With Quick Counts, the game automatically generates pitch counts, the number of balls and strikes, based on two years of historical MLB data. Players are put into a batting situation and may have one or two pitches to play. In a demonstration, Russell played through a couple of innings in under a minute using Quick Counts.

[Mike Lowe]

I forget where, but somewhere on OS it was mentioned that it ALWAYS sims 3 pitches...I'll be 3-0, 2-1, or 1-2.

Hopefully that report was wrong! It was when the first announced the feature. Sorry, I don't have the link handy, and HOPE I am wrong!

[Mota]

They mentioned it would be based on a number of factors, so I'm guessing guys with patience will start with a deeper count. Which is good for me since I pretty much swing at everything. I might actually get a walk or two now.

[Terps]

Here are all the counts you will see using quick counts Every ball 3 count: 3-0, 3-1, 3-2. Every strike 2 count: 0-2, 1-2, 2-2 (3-2 already counted). Every strike 1 count: 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, (3-1 already counted). 9 counts, out of a possible 12.

So, the only counts that don't get generated are 0-0, 1-0, and 2-0.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Which are impossible to get to using three pitches. Isn't that the point of the 3 pitch count?

[markprior22]

Which are impossible to get to using three pitches. Isn't that the point of the 3 pitch count?

Sounds more like a minimum of a 3-pitch count

[TRO]

Sounds more like a minimum of a 3-pitch count

Umm, no it doesn't.

They specifically list: 0-2, 0-1 and 1-1 as possible counts. Neither of which are 3 pitches. (Though the argument could be made that 0-2 is possible on 3 pitches if the 3rd is fouled.)

[Sun Tzu]

Hmm, so it's basically saying this: If you enable this feature, you'll be playing as Joe Mauer at every at-bat. No matter what happens, that bat isn't coming off your shoulder until you've seen at least one strike.

I ultimately wind up playing this way, anyway. It helps me keep calm at the plate, whereas if I'm looking for something to hit right away, I have a much stronger tendency to wave wildly at pitches nowhere near the strike zone.

[markprior22]

Umm, no it doesn't.

They specifically list: 0-2, 0-1 and 1-1 as possible counts. Neither of which are 3 pitches. (Though the argument could be made that 0-2 is possible on 3 pitches if the 3rd is fouled.)

Sorry don't know what the hell I was thinking.

[Mike Lowe]

Hmm, so it's basically saying this: If you enable this feature, you'll be playing as Joe Mauer at every at-bat. No matter what happens, that bat isn't coming off your shoulder until you've seen at least one strike.

That's why I wont use it, but I have a pretty good eye in this game having played it for so long. I personally try and get a BB every 10 ABs, but the game does a nice job already about some guys getting more than others.

[jbergey22]

Sounds like an odd feature. I like where it is going but I dont like a pitcher cant have some 1 or 2 pitch ABs. Pitch counts would seem like they will get high in a real hurry with few short ABs.

I cant understand why 1 or 2 pitch ABs to hitters like Ichiro or JP Arencibia cant be included.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Video on Quick Counts and Player Lock features......

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J1hRn-jBic8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[markprior22]

I'm pretty pumped for both of these additions. I've generally just played RTTS in the past so I could get through more games. Now I could see actually getting into the franchise/career mode long term while still being able to play out portions of the games. Looking forward to May.

[Mike Lowe]

Glad I was wrong about the generated pitch count. Maybe it'll be used more than I thought...I dunno though, there's something beautiful about the entire MLB at-bat.

[TroyF]

I'm pretty pumped for both of these additions. I've generally just played RTTS in the past so I could get through more games. Now I could see actually getting into the franchise/career mode long term while still being able to play out portions of the games. Looking forward to May.

I agree. I always had two frustrations with the Show.

1) I want to be who I want to be. If I want to start off as a flipping superstar, let me. If I want to be a speedster who can't hit, let me.

2) I always wanted to play with franchise mode with FA and drafts and all of the other crap, but I didn't want to play an entire game.

Now? Hell, hold a starting draft, make sure I get the #1 pick and I can be Mike Trout on my favorite team. That will be fun.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Glad I was wrong about the generated pitch count. Maybe it'll be used more than I thought...I dunno though, there's something beautiful about the entire MLB at-bat.

I'm of the same opinion about the at-bat. When you're thrown in mid-count, you don't have the gamesmanship of knowing where the previous pitches were located and what type of pitches were thrown. The AI generally has done a great job of mixing up their pitches and location. You won't have any of that with generated counts.

I do think the developers have somewhat taken care of those of us who like to do careers at a slower pace by allowing saves to transfer over to next year's version. You can go at a slower pace and still get the full experience and go deep into a career.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

About a week old, but a good read about online franchises.

Some Details On How Online Franchise Will Work in MLB 14: The Show | pastapadre.com (http://www.pastapadre.com/2014/03/05/some-details-on-how-online-franchise-will-work-in-mlb-14-the-show#more-86921)

[Mike Lowe]

I'm going to be setting up an online franchise. It may sound weird, but I'd PREFER to NOT have a full league, as I'd like to run one for at least a season, if not more, before Show 15 is released next year.

I would want to keep it small, say maybe we take one division or so, so that we could keep the REAL schedule in-tact, without needing a flex schedule.

I have one guy who's interested from my OOTP league I'm in, but could add 1-3 more guys, at least.

I'd say we'd set up things where we'd have to have 80% of the votes for trades with the AI, etc. Other than that, just keep up with getting your 6-7 games in each week, or maybe even over a 10 day span.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

***drool***

http://www.baseballisbetter.com/post/80022971985/mlb-14-on-ps4-the-ps4-is-the-most-powerful-gaming

[Jon]

I'm interested in the league (PS4?)

[Mike Lowe]

Jon, that's great! When the time comes, I'll post the details in this thread, so stay tuned!

[Julio Riddols]

This game is going to sell me a PS4. I don't know when, but it is going to.

[Sun Tzu]

Fuck. Those pictures are amazing.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Fuck. Those pictures are amazing.

Does anyone else remember the days when you'd watch the opening of a game and comment, "Yeah, but the game doesn't look like that!".

It's amazing to me that we've now reached the point where they can use the in-game engine for everything. There's literally no difference.

[Sun Tzu]

Does anyone else remember the days when you'd watch the opening of a game and comment, "Yeah, but the game doesn't look like that!".

It's amazing to me that we've now reached the point where they can use the in-game engine for everything. There's literally no difference.

I don't know how they could possibly improve the visuals. From what my friend at Ubisoft says, they're just barely scratching the surface. He's been saying for months now that the first gen of games on the PS4 are nothing compared to the stuff they're working on for gen 2 and 3.

Very exciting.

[CraigSca]

It's why my PS4 is sitting here idling. Hurray for May 6!

[TroyF]

This is seriously jaw dropping stuff. I had been debating getting teh VITA version to hold me off for a month, but as I don't travel as much I'm not sure I'll do it. (I still might, even with remote play, sitting out by the fire pit with a baseball game sounds really nice)

May cannot get here soon enough. By then the Rockies will be out of contention and I can focus on the game. :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This is seriously jaw dropping stuff. I had been debating getting teh VITA version to hold me off for a month, but as I don't travel as much I'm not sure I'll do it. (I still might, even with remote play, sitting out by the fire pit with a baseball game sounds really nice)

May cannot get here soon enough. By then the Rockies will be out of contention and I can focus on the game. :)

I'm the same way. Will probably forget about buying the vita version and just play the PS4 version remotely around the house.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Funny. MLB players playing the new game........

http://instagram.com/p/ltENcDLMtM/#

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New screenshot really shows off the depth of field in the PS4 version. PS4 on top, PS3 on bottom.

http://i.imgur.com/t1YTZ4e.jpg

[markprior22]

Can't hardly wait until May 6!

[TroyF]

I saw a confirmation last night someplace that Vita saves would move over to PS4 the same way it worked with the PS3 last year. With some traveling coming up, that made my decision easy. I'll be purchasing the Vita version next week and will start a career as a pitcher in it. Then I'll move that one over to the PS4 and continue it via remote play along with any other career I start with. Looking forward to next week and next month.

[FBPro]

Oh yeah, can't wait. I've reserved vita version for 4/1 and then the PS 4 version for 5/6.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Trade in option available through Gamestop. $19.99 if you want to pick up the PS3 version now and get the PS4 version when it comes out. Think I'll probably just follow Troy's lead and pick up the Vita version today since I'll want to use it for cross saves.

GameStop announces MLB 14: The Show trade-up program | Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/02/gamestop-announces-mlb-14-the-show-trade-up-program/)

[TroyF]

Grabbed the Vita version last night and put in about an hour.

I started off an RTTS career with a starting pitcher. I opted to start with the attributes of a real player and chose Strausberg. He was an 18 year old rated at 60 with massive velocity, an above average fastball, good curve ball and mediocre changup.

I used pure analog pitching and went through my 3 game TOPPS Showcase twice. I was the starting pitcher in each game and threw three innings each time.

My first go around was mediocre: 9 IP, 7 hits, 5 runs, 4 ER, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts

I was listed as a second round pick.The draft started off in the second round and I waited awhile until the DBacks picked my in the middle of the second round.



My second go around went much better: 9 IP, 4 hits, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts.

I was listed as an early first rounder and was taken with the White Sox with the 3rd or 4th pick in the draft.

After the draft, you have an option to sign, go to a 1 or 2 year JUCO or a 3 or 4 year College. If you opt to go the college route, you get some training points and then get to do the Showcase over.

I didn't start my career after that. Will have some more thoughts later tonight.

[Sun Tzu]

Sounds pretty rad. Keep us in the loop.

[BillJasper]

Trade in option available through Gamestop. $19.99 if you want to pick up the PS3 version now and get the PS4 version when it comes out. Think I'll probably just follow Troy's lead and pick up the Vita version today since I'll want to use it for cross saves.

GameStop announces MLB 14: The Show trade-up program | Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/02/gamestop-announces-mlb-14-the-show-trade-up-program/)

Pay $80 for a $60 game! What a deal!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pay $80 for a $60 game! What a deal!

Obviously not for everyone, but there's plenty of eager beavers who simply can't wait that month to get a console version of the game. They wouldn't be doing it if there wasn't a market. But I agree with you. :)

[TroyF]

Went through the TOPPS showcase again and got picked by the Blue Jays. Started my first game and had a line of: 7IP 8 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 8K. (I'll need to ramp up the difficulty on control) Didn't have time to really delve into how the points are awarded this year, but I'm sure it's the same as last year or similar.

There were zero times in the game where the coach gave me some stupid command or some smart command. The grading system is done for each batter. For the most part I agreed, though the picky will find problems. For example, back to back hitters gave me this: 2 outs in the inning, their leadoff hitter and speed demon hits a high chopper off the plate to third and beats it out by a step. The game grades that as "poor pitching" and gives me a -3 points or something. The following hitter I really make a mistake with. My 1-2 fastball is thrown center cut and the slap hitter with little power crushes it. My left field makes a jumping catch against the wall to get me out of the inning. "good pitching" +7 points.

Nitpicks aside, it was a fun game. Prices for the stubs are as follows:

1,000 - 99 cents
6,000 - 5 bucks
13,000 - 10 bucks
30,000 - 20 bucks
80,000 - 50 bucks.


Not sure what you would need to complete a superstar player or what prices in franchise are for things. Rosters will not have Tanaka until he pitches later this week. The Rockies top two pitching prospects are not in the game. (I'm sure roster makers have already figured this out, I'm not bothered as I'm only screwing around right now)

Will give more info as I dig deeper.

[TroyF]

Pay $80 for a $60 game! What a deal!

They offer, people either buy or don't. I actually think it's pretty cool for them to offer anything at all. It could cost 120 bucks. If it's worth less than a buck a day to play your favorite game early, good for you. For some people, this is the only game they'll buy all summer. If they want to buy this game and sacrifice some cd's or a couple cases of beer, good for them.

For me the Vita was the perfect choice. I'll be doing a little bit of traveling this summer and will be able to play the game on the road. The career saves transfer over to the PS4 and back, so I can have a couple of careers to play through. So for me the 60 dollar game is actually going to cost me 100. Some thing that's probably too much as well, but tis my life, right?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

They offer, people either buy or don't. I actually think it's pretty cool for them to offer anything at all. It could cost 120 bucks. If it's worth less than a buck a day to play your favorite game early, good for you. For some people, this is the only game they'll buy all summer. If they want to buy this game and sacrifice some cd's or a couple cases of beer, good for them.

For me the Vita was the perfect choice. I'll be doing a little bit of traveling this summer and will be able to play the game on the road. The career saves transfer over to the PS4 and back, so I can have a couple of careers to play through. So for me the 60 dollar game is actually going to cost me 100. Some thing that's probably too much as well, but tis my life, right?

Other nice thing is that the save does transfer between all versions, so the upgrade is even more appealing when you factor in that option.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

Fun video from the developers about new things in the game. My favorite out of the list is that the computer will attempt the hidden ball trick on occasion.

MLB 14: The Show Video Rolls Through Many New Features and Improvements | pastapadre.com (http://www.pastapadre.com/2014/03/31/mlb-14-the-show-video-rolls-through-many-new-features-and-improvements)

[dave731]

Any word on whether online co-op franchise made it in this year? The offline co-op has gotten a lot of love in recent years...will probably be a reason to buy for me if online co-op franchise is in.

[SirFozzie]

Online franchise is in, as is a Madden-Cards lie dnasty mode.

For those of you who've played it, how do you add a pitch during the season? I was looking for the option in the training menus and I don't see it.

[TroyF]

Online franchise is in, as is a Madden-Cards lie dnasty mode.

For those of you who've played it, how do you add a pitch during the season? I was looking for the option in the training menus and I don't see it.

Go into training and then hit the triangle button.

[dave731]

What about co-op franchise online? I saw they added online franchise but I always had the most fun playing with a friend on the same team back in the All Star Baseball days.

[TroyF]

I decide to create the reincarnation of Walter Johnson in the game. Sadly, I can only pick train rather than big train for a nickname. Anyway, I create the fastball throwing Johnson and go through the showcase. My projection is middle of round one and I go to. . . the Washington Nationals. WOO HOO. Can't make this stuff up.

On another note, if you've never seen Walter's delivery, it's well worth checking this link out. Can you imagine what major league coaching staffs would do if they saw this motion?


http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/22315054/just-because-the-incredible-throwing-motion-of-walter-johnson

[BYU 14]

I decide to create the reincarnation of Walter Johnson in the game. Sadly, I can only pick train rather than big train for a nickname. Anyway, I create the fastball throwing Johnson and go through the showcase. My projection is middle of round one and I go to. . . the Washington Nationals. WOO HOO. Can't make this stuff up.

On another note, if you've never seen Walter's delivery, it's well worth checking this link out. Can you imagine what major league coaching staffs would do if they saw this motion?


http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/22315054/just-because-the-incredible-throwing-motion-of-walter-johnson

We need a dynasty :)

I have watched multiple videos and have no clue how he got the velocity he did on his fastball. It is compact and effortless, but he has extremely long arms and it is almost like the whip like motion translated into the ability to throw, what was likely a mid 90's fastball.

[Icy]

I have the PS$ preordered already, trying to contain myself from buying the Vita version too while i wait.

[FBPro]

I have the PS$ preordered already, trying to contain myself from buying the Vita version too while i wait.

I didn't resist, I figured even when I get the PS4 version I can still play the vita version on the go.

[Icy]

I didn't resist, I figured even when I get the PS4 version I can still play the vita version on the go.

I didn't either, bought mine yesterday :D

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Whoooo. PS4 footage is up. Even in Youtube format, you can tell some big differences in the lighting model. Someone created a gif of the batter. It's about as good as it gets. I would suspect that some would mistake this for a TV telecast.

http://i.minus.com/imaoPdsPXgKhp.gif

Full video below. Only a month to go.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Bm_qKkdHTYw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Sun Tzu]

Yeah. I thought that was a gif of a telecast when it first started loading.

I don't think I've been more excited about a sports game for quite some time.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah. I thought that was a gif of a telecast when it first started loading.

I don't think I've been more excited about a sports game for quite some time.

The timing of the PS4 supply couldn't be better to take advantage of it. Stock is good at all major retailers, so most people will be able to pick up a console on release day.

One thing I did hear in the video was that online franchises are the only game mode where saves will not transfer to next year's version of the game. Not a big deal to me because I'm a single player of the game, but might be a bit frustrating to some.

[Mike Lowe]

My league is going to do a manual roster next year, based on OSFM '14 and our transactions throughout the 2014 season. We're also going to create some international FA's to add in.

All we should have to do is update player ratings for existing players, delete retired players, and create our rookies. It's obviously more in depth than that, but that's our plan!

[Julio Riddols]

Holy fucking shit that is beautiful. I've decided my next gen system will be a PS4. That is just flat out preposterous.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

My league is going to do a manual roster next year, based on OSFM '14 and our transactions throughout the 2014 season. We're also going to create some international FA's to add in.

All we should have to do is update player ratings for existing players, delete retired players, and create our rookies. It's obviously more in depth than that, but that's our plan!

Just curious as I've never gone into this part of the game. How long does it take to set something like that up?

[HomerSimpson98]

Holy fucking shit that is beautiful. I've decided my next gen system will be a PS4. That is just flat out preposterous.

+1. As soon as the prices get into Homer's broke ass pay scale of course or I win the lottery.

[DaddyTorgo]

Yeah. I thought that was a gif of a telecast when it first started loading.



Yeah - I totally mistook it. I'm not even a baseball game fan, but whoa.

[TroyF]

Some more thoughts on teh game and on Walter Johnson's new career:

1) I'm playing on variable difficulty. In starts 1-4 I moved up the ladder pretty quickly. Starts 5-11 have seen me go up/down/up/down. I'm guessing it'll stabalize when it finds the sweet spot.

2) If you select a current starting pitcher, you get 3 of his pitches. (you don't get to pick either) Just a word of warning if you decide to pick a Darvish or something like that.

3) I have purchased zero upgrades for Walter Johnson. He started out incredibly hot in AA. The third game was the best game I've ever pitched in The Show on any difficulty. 9IP, 1 hit, 2 walks, 16 K. The hit was a clean shot to the gap that went for a double.

He threw 5 games in AA. 38 IP, 22 Hits, 4 runs, 3 earned runs, 7 walks, 50 srikeouts.

After that came a promotion to AAA. 6 games thus far in the AAA career. 46 IP, 34 hits, 8 runs, 6 earned runs, 8 walks, 58 K.

The Nationals are stacked in their starting rotation, so I think I'm down in AAA until an injury happens. I have three pitches, Fastball, Curve Ball, Change Up. I use my fastball over 50% of the time. Placing it inside, outside, up and down. I'll usually only throw one change up an at bat. If I guy has a 5 pitch at bat against me, he might see 3 fastballs, 1 changeup follow by another fastball. The curve is thrown as a first pitch quite often, especially to poor hitters. Hitters WILL swing out of the zone on first pitches more this year.

I have not added any pitches at this point. I have my fastball control at 75+ now and the break/control of my other pitches at 50 or better. I'm debating between a 2 seam fastball or a slider for my 4th pitch. Not sure I'll ever go to five as I really want the fastball to be the star of the show.

Overall, very fun game and i'm glad I picked up the Vita version.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Put in a pretty good chunk of play on the Vita version over the last week or so. I'm playing my RTTS as a SS.

-I really like the point awarding system thus far. There's still the occasional time where I feel like I should have got more points for an out early in the count where I made good contact, but overall, I think the system is very good.

-Really good pace on the games. I've got through a lot of games at a quick pace.

-I've had difficulty turning a double play too often when I'm the one covering the bag. May get better as I increase my stats.

-I literally had the 'one more game' thing going on yesterday. Put in about 5 hours of gameplay yesterday. Lots of fun.

[Julio Riddols]

+1. As soon as the prices get into Homer's broke ass pay scale of course or I win the lottery.

We're shipmates.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New trailer that was released last week. Just f'n unbelievable. May can't come soon enough because this is why I bought a PS4.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GVatXSGOWPE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Love the dynamic camera on offense. Probably will stick with the old camera options on defense.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Fqr7l5WrJiA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hunter Pence takes on Yasiel Puig in a full game on the PS4 with quick counts. Puig plays the game a lot and he's definitely into the game. Pence is obviously new to the game.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5ze5PqY-Ap8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Icy]

Enjoying it a lot in the VITA, can't wait for the PS4 version.

I'm mainly a RTTS player, but the Quick Counts feature has made it possible for me to start a dynasty (with the Marlins) as a full game now takes around 40 minutes instead of an hour and a half.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Video of the Pence/Puig HR Derby.......

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Cqt5KxDl0Gw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BillJasper]

Some long load times...

Why is it so choppy?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some long load times...

Why is it so choppy?

Will be interesting to see final load times on the retail copy.

The video is a copy of the original off IGN. Likely the choppy nature is from that. This is the original stream, but it's nearly 6 1/2 hours long, which is the reason a lot of people are grabbing bits and pieces and posting them instead.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/M6-bXiyqi7k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Logan]

Gameplay looks good.

Also doesn't look anywhere near as good as a lot of pics, just like always.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Features and enhancements for PS4 version. 4 more days.......

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hdxLqjLptZ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Only a couple more days. Really excited to get the PS4 version now that my RTTS player from the Vita version has just been promoted to the majors. Want to see the big ballparks on the PS4 version.

[FBPro]

Can't wait!!! Taking the second half of Tuesday off and all day Wednesday....Whoo Hoo!!

[MizzouRah]

way to go with quick counts.. awesome feature

[Terps]

Ugh, I have to wait until Saturday before I can play it.

[Eaglesfan27]

Ugh, I have to wait until Saturday before I can play it.

I have to wait until Monday before I have any significant time to play it.

[FBPro]

Played a little today, alot more tomorrow and then a marathon session this weekend as my wife is working through monday!!

[BYU 14]

Got a little time in as well. No spring Football tomorrow, so I will play more then.

Haven't played for a couple of versions, but easy getting back into the controls and it is absolutely gorgeous on PS4. Quick count is probably the best idea ever for this series..

[jbergey22]

Doesnt appear the online functions are even working or certainly not working like they should be. I cant even challenge a friend to a game nor can I even get into one of the lobbies and challenge him there because they have a max of 32???

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Doesnt appear the online functions are even working or certainly not working like they should be. I cant even challenge a friend to a game nor can I even get into one of the lobbies and challenge him there because they have a max of 32???

To be honest, I'm not even sure why they attempt online play with this franchise. The core players are single player mode and it's clearly the part of the game that receives the accolateds. Anyone who attempts to use the online play option usually is disappointed. I've personally never played the online gameplay and probably won't anytime soon barring playing with some of my friends who are also going to have Google Fiber in my area later this year.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Finally taking it for a spin. Forgive me if some of this stuff is in the PS3 version as I've only played the Vita version thus far.

-Visuals are obviously a huge difference even from the previous PS3 versions I've played. Just fantastic stuff.

-Like on the console version how it gives you +/- feedback on why you received a certain point score for everything in RTTS. Didn't have that on Vita.

-MUCH better load times than the Vita version. My load times and frame rate were a bit slow when I was playing exhibition games while waiting for data to load. Once data was loaded, have had very little if any frame rate issues and the load times are really good.

-Presentation is a big step up as well. Things like your series stats when you come up to bat are a really nice touch. I'm sure I'll run into more as I play it more.

[WSR]

Got a little time in as well. No spring Football tomorrow, so I will play more then.

Haven't played for a couple of versions, but easy getting back into the controls and it is absolutely gorgeous on PS4. Quick count is probably the best idea ever for this series..

I'm glad to hear your take on this. I thought this would be a great feature but some of the reviews slammed it. For me, I don't have 60 minutes for a game, so this is of great interest.

I fondly remember getting through a game of High Heat baseball in about 20 minutes, and that played a great game of baseball as well. So, it can be done properly.

[CraigSca]

Have only played one game so far, and it was, by far, the best experience I've had with the game.

Playing as the O's, beat the Red Sox, 9-7. Played with the accelerated pitch (or one-pitch, or whatever they call it) and knocked out Bucholz in the 4th inning, took a 9-1 lead and watched it slowly slink away until I was able to hold on with the tying runs on base.

The best part, for me, was with the accelerated pitch counts, I was able to draw walks (drew 9 on the day) and my pitching would walk batters as well. Also, I'm not facing starting pitchers who have thrown 45 pitches (42 for strikes) through 7 innings (never seeing the opponents bullpen).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Couple other things I noticed that are relatively small, but really add to the immersion.

-The crowd is amazing just to watch. People leaning over talking to each other. People getting out of their seat and walking out the tunnels. Haven't seen two fans alike in the same shot yet, though I'm sure it will happen at some point.

-Crowd sound is so much better in this version of the game. In my RTTS career, I was up with two outs in the 9th on the road. Crowd would increase in volume dramatically after each strike and you could actually hear the overall sound build as the count went by. Best part was the finish. 3-2 count and I nailed a single bringing home the tying run. Crowd went nearly silent as I deflated any hopes of an imminent win. It was awesome!

[BYU 14]

I'm glad to hear your take on this. I thought this would be a great feature but some of the reviews slammed it. For me, I don't have 60 minutes for a game, so this is of great interest.

I fondly remember getting through a game of High Heat baseball in about 20 minutes, and that played a great game of baseball as well. So, it can be done properly.

Well, there is a negative to it :) I fired it up at 8:30 last night after practice to start my Yankees franchise. Got my sliders and preferences set up in about 15 minutes and played the first 2 games of season opening series against Houston.

In the opener with Sabathia set down the first 9 Astros I faced and led 1-0, then as happens with CC the wheels came off in the 4th and I gave up a 5 spot. Another disaster in the 8th as an error opened the flood gates for 7 more and I lose 13-1.

Second game Soriano strokes a 2 run homer in the 6th to pace a 5-3 win.

So it is not quite 10 o'clock and I figure I can finish the series and be in bed by 10:30. I fall behind 4-1 after 6 innings, get one back in the 7th and tie it at 4 in the 9th when Beltran singles home Jeter. So to extra innings we go and go, and go. In the bottom of the 14th Houston gets a leadoff double, I then strike out the next two and get a fly out to RF to get out of it. I finally manage to scratch out 2 runs in the top of the 15th and take the rubber match 6-4. Only problem is it is now after 11 :)

Great game

[BYU 14]

Dola, Houston has this sidearmed sinkerball pitcher (forget the name) that just chewed me up in extra innings. 8 straight at bats I pounded the ball into the ground, as I was looking more at how well his delivery was done instead of focusing on the pitch.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI for the board members in Europe. The Show for PS4 will be released as a digital download tomorrow (May 14th).

[SackAttack]

So I got this with my PS4 as a grad gift this past weekend. Started a Road to the Show player, and discovered (to my giddy delight) that the "goals" system got eliminated.

I feel like the reward/penalty system still needs a little bit of tweaking, but I think this might be the best iteration of RttS I've seen yet.

One minor nitpick: the draft re-entry. You can earn more points playing one game of RttS than you get for going back to school for an entire year. That seems low (although I would guess the bonus points vary based on 2-year/4-year as well; if you play D1, you get more of a boost than if you just go to a juco).

One thing I can't figure out - does going back to school age your player commensurately, or if you create an 18 year old player, is he going to be 18 no matter what when he finally signs? I ask because I got drafted #3 by the White Sox, went back to a juco for a year, got drafted #1 by the Astros, and the season was still 2014. Does that mean my player is still 18? I can't find that info anywhere, but it would be weird if he artificially aged a year despite it still being the 2014 season.

[SackAttack]

-MUCH better load times than the Vita version. My load times and frame rate were a bit slow when I was playing exhibition games while waiting for data to load. Once data was loaded, have had very little if any frame rate issues and the load times are really good.

I couldn't do shit as far as 'actual' play while data was loading. Couldn't even do a HR derby. It was so lulztastic. I could create a franchise and do some of the back-end stuff, but RttS gameplay? No. HR derby? No. exhibition? Nope. Kept getting a message about the necessary data not finished installing yet.

I finally left it alone for an hour and a half and when I came back I was able to play. By comparison, inFamous, with half the data requirement, was ready to go in like 5 or 10 minutes. It was so bizarre and I have no idea why one loaded so much faster than the other. The only point of difference is that I set up MLB 14 in my parents' hotel room after getting the PS4, and I set up inFamous on my own home network. I wonder if the internet connectivity part of it - difference in speed of network, etc - might have come into play.

[Eaglesfan27]

I couldn't do shit as far as 'actual' play while data was loading. Couldn't even do a HR derby. It was so lulztastic. I could create a franchise and do some of the back-end stuff, but RttS gameplay? No. HR derby? No. exhibition? Nope. Kept getting a message about the necessary data not finished installing yet.

I finally left it alone for an hour and a half and when I came back I was able to play. By comparison, inFamous, with half the data requirement, was ready to go in like 5 or 10 minutes. It was so bizarre and I have no idea why one loaded so much faster than the other. The only point of difference is that I set up MLB 14 in my parents' hotel room after getting the PS4, and I set up inFamous on my own home network. I wonder if the internet connectivity part of it - difference in speed of network, etc - might have come into play.

Agreed. The initial install time was insane. Took me over an hour of waiting before I could play anything on the game.

[Terps]

So I got this with my PS4 as a grad gift this past weekend. Started a Road to the Show player, and discovered (to my giddy delight) that the "goals" system got eliminated.

I feel like the reward/penalty system still needs a little bit of tweaking, but I think this might be the best iteration of RttS I've seen yet.

One minor nitpick: the draft re-entry. You can earn more points playing one game of RttS than you get for going back to school for an entire year. That seems low (although I would guess the bonus points vary based on 2-year/4-year as well; if you play D1, you get more of a boost than if you just go to a juco).

One thing I can't figure out - does going back to school age your player commensurately, or if you create an 18 year old player, is he going to be 18 no matter what when he finally signs? I ask because I got drafted #3 by the White Sox, went back to a juco for a year, got drafted #1 by the Astros, and the season was still 2014. Does that mean my player is still 18? I can't find that info anywhere, but it would be weird if he artificially aged a year despite it still being the 2014 season.

They age, but the year stays the same.

[SackAttack]

They age, but the year stays the same.

That's goofy. Between that and the low point total for going back to school, I'm thinking I'd be better off starting over and just accepting where I'm drafted.

The year staying the same means that the organizational depth chart for whoever drafts me doesn't change, but I have less time in my career to make up the difference.

[Izulde]

The goals going away is fantastic yeah and it's just a phenomenal playing game. The one thing that irritates me is the commentary being so repetitive after only a few games.

[Sun Tzu]

I've been playing with the commentary off completely dating back to the 2007 version. IMO it makes for a more immersive "on-field" experience anyway, especially if you're playing RTTS.

[korme]

What is a more fun experience for RTTS? Pitcher or Hitter?

[korme]

Also if you're a hitter, you're going to always end up being a Miguel Cabrera triple crown threat, right? Like, I couldn't try to have a career being Rickey Henderson esque or anything without handicapping myself.

[SackAttack]

Also if you're a hitter, you're going to always end up being a Miguel Cabrera triple crown threat, right? Like, I couldn't try to have a career being Rickey Henderson esque or anything without handicapping myself.

You probably could in this year's game, since the "goals" system got eliminated. I like hitting homers, though.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

What is a more fun experience for RTTS? Pitcher or Hitter?

I personally enjoy pitching better just because I struggle at times with the hitting once I reach the major leagues. If I do hitter, I tend to try to do base stealer just because it's a bit easier to rack up a lot of points on baserunning to aid your other categories.

[SackAttack]

Running into an issue today where the game refuses to recognize my input when I try to turn the double play in RttS. Just eats the ball after the force. I know it's not an issue with the controller because the power swing works fine.

Between that, the occasional "yeah, you don't get to position your fielder before the pitch" freeze, and the ground rule double where I got sent back to first, I'm a little grumpy at this game today.

[SackAttack]

The double play issue is solved. Don't multitask when starting up MLB. If it goes into demo mode, it will change your settings for both hitting and fielding even if you cancel straight out of that.

Oops.

[APC]

Dumb question from someone who has never played RttS mode: If you're a hitter, do you play an entire game in the field? Or does the game skip every play that doesn't end up with a defensive play in or near your zone?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Dumb question from someone who has never played RttS mode: If you're a hitter, do you play an entire game in the field? Or does the game skip every play that doesn't end up with a defensive play in or near your zone?

You can do every play you're involved in or you can also skip the routine plays and only do the 'key plays'. Either way, it skips the plays you aren't involved in.

[SackAttack]

Aw, that was cute. RttS, I'm on first after a single. Wild pitch by the opposing pitcher, I try to take second. Everything goes well until I'm two steps away, still pushing right on the analog stick, and the game decides a little Texas two-step is in order. My runner goes full-stop, takes a step towards first, back towards second, back towards first, and does that long enough for the catcher to run out with the ball and tag me.

[korme]

You can do every play you're involved in or you can also skip the routine plays and only do the 'key plays'. Either way, it skips the plays you aren't involved in.

Or you can skip defensive plays entirely, which I do. I also skip if I'm not a lead runner on base.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Or you can skip defensive plays entirely, which I do. I also skip if I'm not a lead runner on base.

If you can, you want to do as much as possible. The more things you do, the quicker you get more points and the quicker you can build up your player. When you have a slump, those 4-5 opportunities in the field can get you 30-40 points a game.

[korme]

I'm aware. I just don't have the patience for it. Hell, I spent $10 just to get my guy decent in the very beginning.

[SackAttack]

My guy is hanging out at a "B" potential. I'm curious if that will ever go up after the rookie showcase, when I went from a "C" to a "B." He is just now crossing into the 70s overall though. He blew through AA and AAA and made it to the Show a few weeks before the All-Star Game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

My guy is hanging out at a "B" potential. I'm curious if that will ever go up after the rookie showcase, when I went from a "C" to a "B." He is just now crossing into the 70s overall though. He blew through AA and AAA and made it to the Show a few weeks before the All-Star Game.

I had this same thing happen and then I ran into a brick wall in the majors. Was frustrating, but it happens. If I had to do it again, I'd add to fielding early on since I was on a AL team. Really hurt when I got to the majors and was put in as a DH. When you struggle at the plate, no way to get into the field and get some points.

[SackAttack]

I'm raking at the plate, so I'm not worried about defense (edit: I'm not worried about having my defensive opportunities taken away because another 2B is hitting better). My worry is what's going to happen when I hit a point where all the points I'm earning are going into maintenance rather than growth. I'm getting close to that point on contact, for example. I'm in the mid-60s, but going up a point in contact vs R is going to cost me probably a week's worth of points.

[APC]

What settings does everyone use to hit? I've always been a timing-only guy, but this year timing-only seems a bit...off. Too many 87 mph fastballs down the middle that I time right, but pop up because my hitting circle was way low.

I know that's a good way to ensure ratings play a role in how you hit, but it's getting frustrating.

I've always gotten frustrated using zone hitting, but might give it a try to see if I like it better in this version.

[BYU 14]

What settings does everyone use to hit? I've always been a timing-only guy, but this year timing-only seems a bit...off. Too many 87 mph fastballs down the middle that I time right, but pop up because my hitting circle was way low.

I know that's a good way to ensure ratings play a role in how you hit, but it's getting frustrating.

I've always gotten frustrated using zone hitting, but might give it a try to see if I like it better in this version.

I am still using timing, just can't play any other way, what settings and sliders are you using?

I am playing on All-Star and bumped contact and timing up, put foul frequency at 2 and solid contact and power at 4 and am getting a pretty good experience.

[Mike Lowe]

The game does a much better job now when using zone hitting as it takes into account the player vs player ratings to determine how "ballish" a pitch outside of the zone will be, and so on.

Zone hitting gives me the best mix of simulation, but also allowing me to have my own personal influence.

I see the argument for timing, but why bother playing then? All you're doing is hitting a button...

[APC]

I gave zone hitting a try and I'm definitely making better contact. However, it seems like 90 percent of my hits go to right field. And if I'm not hitting it hard to right, I'm bouncing out to the third baseman.

[Galaril]

I may go with 2014 MLB for PS 4 instead of mlb 2015 since it can be had for $20 and am not sure 2015 has enough improvements to warrant the upgrade to 2015 for another $40. Does 2014 have any deal breaker issues. I would likely use the quick counts alot in franchise play of games so so some mention this may have issues with too many 1-1 counts? I don't do online play so online issues I read about are no concern for me.