MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to the Show Twitch Stream Highlights

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

As someone who has been an outspoken critic of what Sony has(n't) done with Franchise mode and also with them removing things (Season mode, Online Franchise)--and especially with how they've been a bit disingenuous about removing things--I have to give them credit here. Including full minors rosters at the jump (although there will certainly be a litany of things that will need fixing that make people restart anyway) is a pretty big deal. And, from where I'm sitting, ANY meaningful additional customization in Franchise mode is also a big deal. I think it's cool that I can use my imagination a bit more with re-branding, because I'm always one that likes to make an expansion team in OOTP and I've also liked doing fantasy draft franchises in the past. The devil will be in the details though. With no new/generic stadiums to live in and with the jury being out on just how much originality (colors, signage, history, commentary) there will be sprinkled into a re-brand, there is a real danger that this could feel like more of a hollow shell than a great new feature.

[OUSOONERS#1]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

Woof. You franchise cats are a tough crowd. I would say some of you have a fandom verging on (and some cases going full) toxic. Firstly, none of you have your hands on the actual game yet, so no sense getting butthurt a month ahead of time. And I get being irked over small stuff. The Harrisburg Senators are my hometown team and while nearly every other team in the Eastern League have undergone updates, mostly through rebranding, The Sens stay largely unchanged. The problem is, you're asking them to sink time, money and resources into a mode that does not not yield perpetual returns, Unlike DD and RTTS.*

Lol if it weren’t for franchise players buying this game all those years there would be no game plus RTTS is the most played mode in the game and they don’t make that much from that mode either so it doesn’t matter if the mode yields people buying extra stubs or whatever if you buy the game should be stuff added each year to every mode and Franchise mode hasn’t been touched much at all on the PS4 .. SDS has been very fortunate that MVP baseball went away and that no other competition has been around because they would have been left behind with way they have forgotten about what has kept them around as long as it has been ..

[burjeffton]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I’m an RTTS guy, but at this point it’s pretty hard to ignore the fact franchise has been left out in the cold during the PS4 era. It seems there is interest in working on similar modes (March to October), so I’m confused why SDS hasn’t improved franchise.

[ChaseB]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I’m an RTTS guy, but at this point it’s pretty hard to ignore the fact franchise has been left out in the cold during the PS4 era. It seems there is interest in working on similar modes (March to October), so I’m confused why SDS hasn’t improved franchise.

One factor to perhaps consider is how long do franchises last. The Show probably has better long-term numbers due to carryover saves, but I know for a fact in a lot of these sports games, it's just an insane number of people who never get past the first year in franchise -- and this goes back years and years with the data and analytics peeps have. If you know you're already making the mode for a small subset of your total community, and things are more data-driven now than ever, that also probably plays some part in this.

If their data says peeps only make it one year, then March to October makes more sense etc. This isn't to justify it or not, or even get into a chicken/egg thing, I'm just saying what other factors could be beyond the "the mode doesn't make money post-launch" angle, considering RttS doesn't really either (but we know it's the most played mode by far).

[VinnyVegas28]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

One factor to perhaps consider is how long do franchises last. The Show probably has better long-term numbers due to carryover saves, but I know for a fact in a lot of these sports games, it's just an insane number of people who never get past the first year in franchise -- and this goes back years and years with the data and analytics peeps have. If you know you're already making the mode for a small subset of your total community, and things are more data-driven now than ever, that also probably plays some part in this.



If their data says peeps only make it one year, then March to October makes more sense etc. This isn't to justify it or not, or even get into a chicken/egg thing, I'm just saying what other factors could be beyond the "the mode doesn't make money post-launch" angle, considering RttS doesn't really either (but we know it's the most played mode by far).

I always get frustrated with this argument because I feel that if franchise mode had more to offer and was refined more, then the number of people playing it longer would rise. But when it hardly gets touched for years, and there are flaws, then they shouldn't expect people to play it multiple years...don't get me wrong, all games have flaws but the metrics would be stronger if the model was improved vastly. Just my 2 cents

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[ninertravel]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

Well March to October mode is useless to play from November to March in the off-season because you can't carry custom rosters, I would be more bored of that then franchise mode.

[JoshC1977]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I always get frustrated with this argument because I feel that if franchise mode had more to offer and was refined more, then the number of people playing it longer would rise. But when it hardly gets touched for years, and there are flaws, then they shouldn't expect people to play it multiple years...don't get me wrong, all games have flaws but the metrics would be stronger if the model was improved vastly. Just my 2 cents

Sent from my E6833 using Tapatalk

I disagree. Someone else in a thread referred to franchise mode as "one of the most important modes in the game". I legitimately laughed out loud when I read it because of how off-base it is.

Franchise mode is about patience. Franchise mode is about being engrossed in the game. Franchise mode is about "the experience" of creating your own universe.

The masses of gamers today want to "get in, get out, get rewarded". They have very short attention spans and want that positive reinforcement, whether it be in-game currency, XP, or just progress in general. I think this is a huge reason why RTTS is so popular. They can finish off a game quickly and after every game, they get that positive reinforcement (as the player progresses). Heck....they even get little feedback indicators after every action. But they get to go right to the next game quickly...much like a game of Fortnite or Apex. Finish a franchise game (which takes maybe 5X longer) and there is no reward other than going to the next one. Progress is slow and takes patience. (my lord...guys complain about 6 inning games for events as being "too long"...that's the world we live in)

For us franchise die-hards who want to play for the experience, it's great. But that paradigm just doesn't work for the masses who play to get that virtual pat on the back for every little thing they do. SDS could add in enhanced scouting, player development, stadium creation, fix all the bugs, do everything we want them to do. But none of those things change the paradigm...you're still playing JUST for the experience, and not a reward.

What it comes down to...people are playing sports games to scratch a different itch..and Franchise doesn't scratch it any more...and nothing short of a complete paradigm shift that us "old guys" will loathe (cough...cough...March to October) will change that.

[jcar0725]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I disagree. Someone else in a thread referred to franchise mode as "one of the most important modes in the game". I legitimately laughed out loud when I read it because of how off-base it is.

Franchise mode is about patience. Franchise mode is about being engrossed in the game. Franchise mode is about "the experience" of creating your own universe.

The masses of gamers today want to "get in, get out, get rewarded". They have very short attention spans and want that positive reinforcement, whether it be in-game currency, XP, or just progress in general. I think this is a huge reason why RTTS is so popular. They can finish off a game quickly and after every game, they get that positive reinforcement (as the player progresses). Heck....they even get little feedback indicators after every action. But they get to go right to the next game quickly...much like a game of Fortnite or Apex. Finish a franchise game (which takes maybe 5X longer) and there is no reward other than going to the next one. Progress is slow and takes patience. (my lord...guys complain about 6 inning games for events as being "too long"...that's the world we live in)

For us franchise die-hards who want to play for the experience, it's great. But that paradigm just doesn't work for the masses who play to get that virtual pat on the back for every little thing they do. SDS could add in enhanced scouting, player development, stadium creation, fix all the bugs, do everything we want them to do. But none of those things change the paradigm...you're still playing JUST for the experience, and not a reward.

What it comes down to...people are playing sports games to scratch a different itch..and Franchise doesn't scratch it any more...and nothing short of a complete paradigm shift that us "old guys" will loathe (cough...cough...March to October) will change that.

This is pretty accurate. I'm ONLY interested in franchise modes of any sports game. Building a team from scratch and watching it grow over a series of "season" is the only thing that interests me. But we're definitely a dying breed.

[ChaseB]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I always get frustrated with this argument because I feel that if franchise mode had more to offer and was refined more, then the number of people playing it longer would rise. But when it hardly gets touched for years, and there are flaws, then they shouldn't expect people to play it multiple years...don't get me wrong, all games have flaws but the metrics would be stronger if the model was improved vastly. Just my 2 cents

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I understand the points you're raising, and I wasn't trying to justify any one position, rather just present it. I'm simply saying this goes back years for where franchise modes land in the "most played" area, and it takes in not just the recent stagnation. This is not a new trend, so I don't think it just ties into the recent lack of improvements. But, again, there is a chicken or the egg component to it to be sure, which is why I don't hard disagree with you either.

My other point (more in your favor) is this is also why online franchise modes dropped out of favor in a bunch of games around the same time as well. If you're taking a mode that's already not played much, it drops even more with online franchise. Now, my point there is the same it would be for franchise mode proper in that the people who do get into those modes are some of your strongest supporters and champions for the game, which I think regardless of every sale counting for the same in the bank account, those people matter more because they are the ones who spread the message more. If you make them happy, the broader discussion around your game also improves and gets better.

[lemarflacco]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I disagree. Someone else in a thread referred to franchise mode as "one of the most important modes in the game". I legitimately laughed out loud when I read it because of how off-base it is.

Franchise mode is about patience. Franchise mode is about being engrossed in the game. Franchise mode is about "the experience" of creating your own universe.

The masses of gamers today want to "get in, get out, get rewarded". They have very short attention spans and want that positive reinforcement, whether it be in-game currency, XP, or just progress in general. I think this is a huge reason why RTTS is so popular. They can finish off a game quickly and after every game, they get that positive reinforcement (as the player progresses). Heck....they even get little feedback indicators after every action. But they get to go right to the next game quickly...much like a game of Fortnite or Apex. Finish a franchise game (which takes maybe 5X longer) and there is no reward other than going to the next one. Progress is slow and takes patience. (my lord...guys complain about 6 inning games for events as being "too long"...that's the world we live in)

For us franchise die-hards who want to play for the experience, it's great. But that paradigm just doesn't work for the masses who play to get that virtual pat on the back for every little thing they do. SDS could add in enhanced scouting, player development, stadium creation, fix all the bugs, do everything we want them to do. But none of those things change the paradigm...you're still playing JUST for the experience, and not a reward.

What it comes down to...people are playing sports games to scratch a different itch..and Franchise doesn't scratch it any more...and nothing short of a complete paradigm shift that us "old guys" will loathe (cough...cough...March to October) will change that.

You nailed on it the head at one point. Its not that a large majority of people are playing franchise but how many people stop playing the game if you remove franchise. I see some people pining for extensive relocation and such but im sure Sony could satiate hardcore franchise players with something so simple as adding roster spots, fixing bullpen logic, fixing budgets, etc. Im not a video game developer but these seem like easy fixes or maybe just adding in sliders where ppl can control this and Sony wont have to worry too much about it.

[JoshC1977]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

Its not that a large majority of people are playing franchise but how many people stop playing the game if you remove franchise.

I don't think franchise is going away, I think a lot of sports game devs cut their teeth on franchise modes like we have and there is a nostalgia factor there. It just isn't a mainstream mode now. It's kinda like those limited release films that few people even heard of that wind up winning a ton of Oscars (vs the latest Action Film that is of "lesser quality" but makes the masses happy).

I see some people pining for extensive relocation and such but im sure Sony could satiate hardcore franchise players with something so simple as adding roster spots, fixing bullpen logic, fixing budgets, etc. Im not a video game developer but these seem like easy fixes....

Speaking for myself, I think a few simple things would satiate many of us. Here's the issue, we ALL have a "few simple things"...and the lists vary greatly.

....or maybe just adding in sliders where ppl can control this and Sony wont have to worry too much about it.

OK...I HATE this idea because it's been tried and continues to fail miserably. NBA 2k did that with MyLeague. It was a bland and drab mode to begin with, but then they added a bunch of mode-specific sliders for stuff. Now, they barely touch the mode and franchise users get to "immerse themselves" in fixing 2k's mistakes and frankly, that's not the kind of immersion I am interested in. I get it, it sounds awesome in theory....but I want companies to continue to be culpable for all modes they put out.

[VinnyVegas28]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I disagree. Someone else in a thread referred to franchise mode as "one of the most important modes in the game". I legitimately laughed out loud when I read it because of how off-base it is.



Franchise mode is about patience. Franchise mode is about being engrossed in the game. Franchise mode is about "the experience" of creating your own universe.



The masses of gamers today want to "get in, get out, get rewarded". They have very short attention spans and want that positive reinforcement, whether it be in-game currency, XP, or just progress in general. I think this is a huge reason why RTTS is so popular. They can finish off a game quickly and after every game, they get that positive reinforcement (as the player progresses). Heck....they even get little feedback indicators after every action. But they get to go right to the next game quickly...much like a game of Fortnite or Apex. Finish a franchise game (which takes maybe 5X longer) and there is no reward other than going to the next one. Progress is slow and takes patience. (my lord...guys complain about 6 inning games for events as being "too long"...that's the world we live in)



For us franchise die-hards who want to play for the experience, it's great. But that paradigm just doesn't work for the masses who play to get that virtual pat on the back for every little thing they do. SDS could add in enhanced scouting, player development, stadium creation, fix all the bugs, do everything we want them to do. But none of those things change the paradigm...you're still playing JUST for the experience, and not a reward.



What it comes down to...people are playing sports games to scratch a different itch..and Franchise doesn't scratch it any more...and nothing short of a complete paradigm shift that us "old guys" will loathe (cough...cough...March to October) will change that.

I see your point and It is a hard pill to swallow. I grew up playing franchise with all sports titles and to be honest, with everything going on in my life, I don't get through multiple seasons like I used to. Although I have seen a drop off of immersion and experience...for me, it comes down to the gameplay and presentation to keep me going. I would be curious to hear your opinion on what you want out of it moving forward.

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[VinnyVegas28]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I understand the points you're raising, and I wasn't trying to justify any one position, rather just present it. I'm simply saying this goes back years for where franchise modes land in the "most played" area, and it takes in not just the recent stagnation. This is not a new trend, so I don't think it just ties into the recent lack of improvements. But, again, there is a chicken or the egg component to it to be sure, which is why I don't hard disagree with you either.

My other point (more in your favor) is this is also why online franchise modes dropped out of favor in a bunch of games around the same time as well. If you're taking a mode that's already not played much, it drops even more with online franchise. Now, my point there is the same it would be for franchise mode proper in that the people who do get into those modes are some of your strongest supporters and champions for the game, which I think regardless of every sale counting for the same in the bank account, those people matter more because they are the ones who spread the message more. If you make them happy, the broader discussion around your game also improves and gets better.

Hard to admit but the times are changing and us old franchise heads are a dying breed. Im happy that the devs still add to it even if changes are minimal as the gameplay is what keeps me going. I do appreciate the option is there but very hard to see season mode and online franchise no longer present. Many of us die hards got these sports games to the profits of today and hopefully that will never be forgotten even if the focus has shifted

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[RogerDodger]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I always get frustrated with this argument because I feel that if franchise mode had more to offer and was refined more, then the number of people playing it longer would rise. But when it hardly gets touched for years, and there are flaws, then they shouldn't expect people to play it multiple years...don't get me wrong, all games have flaws but the metrics would be stronger if the model was improved vastly. Just my 2 cents

Sent from my E6833 using Tapatalk

Exactly, a better franchise mode with more options, flexibility and immersion has more people playing it for longer.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Preview: Franchise Mode, Real Minor League Rosters and Road to th

I understand the points you're raising, and I wasn't trying to justify any one position, rather just present it. I'm simply saying this goes back years for where franchise modes land in the "most played" area, and it takes in not just the recent stagnation. This is not a new trend, so I don't think it just ties into the recent lack of improvements. But, again, there is a chicken or the egg component to it to be sure, which is why I don't hard disagree with you either.

My other point (more in your favor) is this is also why online franchise modes dropped out of favor in a bunch of games around the same time as well. If you're taking a mode that's already not played much, it drops even more with online franchise. Now, my point there is the same it would be for franchise mode proper in that the people who do get into those modes are some of your strongest supporters and champions for the game, which I think regardless of every sale counting for the same in the bank account, those people matter more because they are the ones who spread the message more. If you make them happy, the broader discussion around your game also improves and gets better.

And these folks have historically been the ones that provide huge added value/content after release by working on rosters, sliders, and creating players. By not interesting these types of gamers, the out-of-the-box game has to stand on its own merits a bit more. This title would definitely not have been all it has been were it not for OSFM and so forth in past iterations.