What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

[TheBleedingRed21]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

Thanks for the reply.

Diamond Dynasty is tons of fun - I'd be all over it if I had ethernet instead of WiFi. And if I didn't have to re-create the exact same uniform and logos every year (super tiresome).

Maybe OOTP is the geeky sim experience I'm looking for -- it's purely numbers and words right? Sort of like D&D tabletop, baseball style?

If you’re wanting the deepest baseball franchise simulation there is, OOTP is a must. It leaves you wishing you had gameplay but that void is easily filled with The Show and other modes The Show offers.

[ShadyFan25]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

Hey all -

I read these forums daily and I've been reading early reviews and watching gameplay footage on Youtube.

I'm right at a 50-50 split about whether or not I want to purchase this game.

My more cynical side worries that the development crew has tried to cater to both the casual fan (Javy Baez as a cover athlete speaks to this imo) and the hardcore baseball romantics looking for a deep and authentic simulation. Will both parties be satisfied, or will the satisfaction of one be at the expense of another?

I'm desperate for reasons to buy this game. Here is a quick summation of what I've gathered as positive reactions from the Impressions thread:

1. "The sound of the ball off the bat!!! Orgasmic!!!"
2. Minor leaguers are in the game (this is probably the #1 appeal for me)
3. There are real advertisements! (personally, this is almost a non-factor)
4. Improved variety of hit types (don't we hear this every year?)
5. Star players stand out more? Fielding ability matters more.
6. Hitting feels a little more natural this year. (in my opinion, old generations of baseball video games more accurately captured what it actually feels like to hit than The Show - which feels more mechanical and pre-determined in comparison)

Here are the negatives I seem to be hearing:

1. Animations are still tired, bland, and mostly unchanged. (watching Youtube gameplay vids, my brain is hard-wired from years of repetition that I know exactly what the player's movements are about to look like the millisecond it begins -- for example, that awkward semi-cross-body throw from 3B to 1B, followed by the first basemen's 'casual' stride and throw across the diamond. That animation is so tired and overdone, it's about as interesting and fresh as me taking a leak. (sorry to be vulgar... just felt like an apt comparison). Additionally, hitting mechanics and animations, which should have been a TOP priority for years, still look mechanical and programmed. About as smooth as Chuck Hayes shooting a free throw.

2. The re-location is super limited, and not really worth the hassle. Where is the realism when you're playing home games in Old Miami ?? Or moving the Rays to Montreal, only to have them play at Industry Field. Weak sauce. NCAA Baseball for PS3 had an awesome create-a-stadium... yet we don't have the resources or capability to implement one in 2020? I don't buy it.

3. Minor league rosters are a.) incomplete and b.) lacking accurate player options - which is, frankly, a franchise-breaking flaw that needs to be fixed asap.

4. Commentary is dry and unchanged -- a similar feel to that generic voicemail message that you haven't changed in a decade.

_______________________

Did anyone ever play Baseball Pro '98 ? I think it had Mariners Randy Johnson on the cover. It's an unheralded, overlooked classic. And somehow, Sierra nailed the romantic, somewhat-nerdy, stat-oriented look and feel of the soul of baseball love. It's hard to explain, but they touched on something that aligned with the fabric of the game.

I find myself skeptical that these developers truly love baseball in that same way. In fact I'm a bit skeptical that the face of the team, Ramone Russell, even loves baseball that much. (if I'm off here, please tar and feather me). I'm tired of hearing about "slick" new features like Perfect-Perfect. I don't want an arcadey-modern menu and text overlay that appeals to modern 17-year-old fans. I want something timeless and elegant -- less Michelob Ultra and more aged petit sirah.

Instead of concocting new Diamond Dynasty modes and adding autographs to Pesky Pole, how about fine-tuning all the intricacies of Franchise mode, which deserves to be treated as the heart and soul of any sports video game - even if the numbers lean toward online.

For some reason, I find myself a bit disenfranchised. I want to be excited. I want to feel like the developers poured their hearts and souls into the facets of the game that actually matter. I am desperate to be convinced that this game is worth my hard-earned cash, and that it's a labor of love made by true die-hard baseball enthusiasts. Yet I find myself skeptical that it's become a mild cash-grab, with just enough improvements to pass it off as a new version. "Relocation" has been billed as a key new future. What exactly does this re-location consist of, aside from changing the text for Location and Team Name, the team logo, and the default stadium? It sounds like the template for DD create-a-team was simply transferred to franchise. "Huuge new feature!!" ... (Dr. Evil voice: "riight....")

Someone, please, convince me I'm not just a jaded, cynical a******. Tell me this game is a superb addition to the franchise, and I'm not seeing or thinking clearly.

I beg you.


Note: I haven't lost sight of the big picture. When you imagine a video game landscape where there is no baseball video game at all, it makes clear all the great things The Show brings to the table. Similar to how it's easy to get lost in all of planet earth's problems, and lose sight of the fact that it's a miracle that there is anything at all.. The Show does a lot of things right. But, like a really good movie that isn't quite great - and, assuming that, like a movie, we are considering video games to be works of art - I reserve the right to a critical viewpoint - one which dreams on what the work could be, while still appreciating what is.

I don't really understand what you want out of the game. You claim that you want a game the devs put care into but complain about the awesome detailed things like autographs on Pesky Pole, improved variety of hit types, and real advertisements in stadiums.

Also, how does Javier Báez on the cover cater to casual fans? If anything, I'd argue the last three covers (Griffey Jr, Judge, Harper) were much more appealing to casual fans. Curious who you would have wanted to see on the cover.

If you want an extremely deep franchise experience, buy OOTP 21... Or don't buy it because that game also includes "arcadey-modern menu's" and "tired animations."

[Roscosuper]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

My more cynical side worries that the development crew has tried to cater to both the casual fan (Javy Baez as a cover athlete speaks to this imo) and the hardcore baseball romantics looking for a deep and authentic simulation. Will both parties be satisfied, or will the satisfaction of one be at the expense of another?

Someone, please, convince me I'm not just a jaded, cynical a******. Tell me this game is a superb addition to the franchise, and I'm not seeing or thinking clearly.

The dev crew caters to their overlords who want to drain the player base of as much money as they can through micro transactions. The fools are abundant and the execs delegate most of the resources/budget to rigging a game to trick said fools into spending money on valueless items.

This is not a "superb addition to the franchise". Once again they made it seem like they really worked on franchise mode, but in reality they just added some sparkle to a mode that is incomplete and falling behind with every iteration.

I'm out. I'm done for a while or until there's a paradigm shift. I've fallen for this deceit too many cycles now. Luckily, I have something else that came along unexpectedly to fill my time as I detox from sports gaming. You, and many others, may not be so lucky. Trust me when I say I understand.

So, maybe you should buy it and go down the path once more of realizing the game is incomplete and/or broken and waiting for patch after patch and eventually saying "ah heck with it Madden/NHL/NBA is coming out in a month and they said it's gonna be awesome!". Maybe you need a few more cycles of this before you've had enough. I've been at for over a decade.

Good luck.

[OneTonneBaby]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I'm in a similar boat. I very almost pre-ordered the other day and certainly would have in most other years but seeing all the bugs and roster issues, there's literally no point for me, personally.

I'm just finishing out a season in '19 but have considered getting it on Tuesday. However, from some of the videos i've seen, and considering i'm almost exclusively franchise, there's really no point.

I may get it when the price drops in a few months, or if i'm sick and cant leave the house for 2 weeks.

[da_centa_fielda]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I bought '17, skipped '18, and bought '19. I knew I was going to be skipping '20 from the 1st gameplay video I saw. It has become the most stale sports game out when it comes to gameplay. But I feel like it's masked to most people's eyes because the presentation is well done and it's only MLB sim available. While presentation does adds to the overall atmosphere and authenticity of the game, it does nothing at all for gameplay itself. Presentation always gets old before anything else.

The implementation of 'Perfect Perfect' means that PCI placement in the past didn't mean what it should have. Baserunning has been trash and unexciting against the CPU for forever. Too many of the same old predictable animations. The commentary alone will make you feel like you're playing a 5+yr old game.

But im looking forward to what they can do next gen

[jcar0725]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I hate these posts and I probably shouldn't even comment but why do we have to convince you to spend or not spend money on a video game? Make your own decision.

[matthewk]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I was in the same position as the OP a number or years. I'd go through the back and forth on whether or not to spend $60 on MLB the Show, Madden, and WWE 2k each year.

I decided a few years ago that none of them are worth $60 if you have a prior version. What I do now is either wait until Back Friday (for WWE and Madden) to pay $25, or in the case of the Show I buy last years version for $15.

Once you break out of the "Must have the latest version" addiction it becomes easy to continue on that way. The changes are minimal each year. I budget only so much for video games, and $60 total for the three games leaves me an additional $120 for other games. In some cases, like WWE 2k20 I will pass completely and skip at least 1 year. I love baseball, so I end up with every version, just a year later. It's not a big deal.

[decga]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

@FindingTim, original post, you answered your own question. If you downloaded Ridin & team minor leaguers from last year. [emoji818] that off your list as done.

Now I feel like you somewhat, but I've gotten every yearly version of the Show. This year won't be different.

But this time, I'm doing a carryover. I'm enjoying being in 1st place over the Nats in June.

Sent from my LM-X210(G) using Operation Sports mobile app

[DaveMN]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

Give it a month or so and you can probably find it for $40.

[Wbcfan]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I was really excited about franchise relocation until I realized you can’t share your custom rosters and uniforms in the vault! It took 8!years after DD was put in for them to add create a team outside of DD and you’re not allowed to share it in the vault?!! People will surely put up created rosters and we will have to download them with Mlb uniforms. Come on!

[fsufan4423]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I hate these posts and I probably shouldn't even comment but why do we have to convince you to spend or not spend money on a video game? Make your own decision.

I think he's like most people on here. A game releases, deep down you wanna buy it, but you know the changes are minimal. So you come on here and hope for someone to convince you otherwise. You see the videos on youtube, but you trust the forum instead of your own eyes. Like me, he'll probably end up buying it just because that's what we do.

We'll play it hopefully for 3-4 months until the next game comes out, and this exact same conversation comes up. Buy it, regret it, then enjoy it.

[ped3328]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

Thanks for the help?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm getting a sense that I offended you three. A lick defensive, perhaps? Or maybe I'm imagining things. I actually do want to drop $60 on it... but I'm conflicted. In truth, I probably will solely because of the Minors face scans. And the option to turn the Rays into the Montreal Expos and (possibly) the Marlins into the Portland Otters.

I've bought every version of The Show since 09 (Pedroia cover)... so I've thrown down $600+ on this game. I'm just conflicted about throwing down another $60 and wanted to express that.

I'm not sure if the poetry comment was meant as a dig, or if you're just trying to be funny. If the former, I'll assume you're feeling hurt because I spoke negatively about the game. If the latter... well... yes I do like poetry.

Actually, it was meant as a joke. But I thought you wrote so well and that your choice of words was out of the ordinary. Poetry is not really my cup of tea. I much prefer fiction. So much so that I wrote and published a novel back in 2006. It's a baseball story that features the Montréal Expos whom I called the Montréal Olympians because of the restricted rights. I was a die-hard fan of the Expos (being from Montréal). I wanted to write a story in which our team gets even with Bud Selig, who shipped our team to D.C. In the end, the Olympians beat the Yankees in 4 straight to win the WS at Olympic Stadium. The hero of this novel throws a perfect game ! Of course, the crowd went nuts. This was the very last game in Montréal... but it was a memorable one ! The novel was written in French and is called 3 balles... 2 prises (3 balls... 2 strikes in English). But you are welcome to transfer your team in Montréal. LOL

[tanman05851]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

‘‘...we want to talk, right down to earth, in a language everybody here can easily understand.’’

look in my eyes, what do you see?


at $1.25 a week, a yearly purchase, if you enjoy baseball, getting the Show is no difficult decision.

I tell you one and one makes three

[sacbillsfan]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

I bought it. Fired it up to get started and use their "full minors" and immediately turned it off. It's not full minors. It's like 7 prospects per team the rest are their classic 18 year old in AAA with a duck dynasty beard. This officially kills the chanice of me ever buying this game again.

[SaundCo87]

Re: What makes The Show 2020 worth $60? (a somewhat cynical overview)

Much like the other sports games during the PS4/XBOX1 era, these games don't change much from year-to-year. I would hope by this point we have all figured that out. These are the same posts Madden players have been having for a decade, The Show has only been in this world for last couple of years.

Others have said OOTP for a deep franchise experience. I would agree 100% with that. However, I found that I still missed the pitch-by-pitch sequence that The Show offers and is what I love about baseball more than front office stuff. But that is my personal opinion, OOTP is a phenomenal game.

I got 2019 for free a few months ago so not sure if i'll upgrade. Had I not done that, I would be buying 2020 next week. I'm confident in telling you, it will be a fun game that will come with some warts. Don't put that much thought into this.