SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

[Jolly Roger]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

It's still the most realistic simulation style sports game in my opinion. Almost every other sports game is EA, and they lean hard into the "gamey" stuff like superstar power-ups, unrealistic graphics on screen (NHL pressure indicator, goal celebrations), etc. Meanwhile, NBA 2K's motion looks so lackadaisical and animation-based. I'm just glad to still have one sports game that plays pretty realistically.

Also, you can blame the Sony execs for the multiple system releases potentially holdings things back, but that's not really in the dev's hands. Same with them prioritizing DD over Franchise. I just make the best of what they give us. I find that making the best what The Show gives us is way more than what we get from other sports games.

[KnightTemplar]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

‘Last gen, last gen”……take a gander at the wealth of games offered in the PS Store for the PS5 games. Many of them look like kids cartoon games. This game holds up pretty well, IMO.

[TheBrew101]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I read these threads and wonder what I'm missing. I play almost all the sports games. I never came away feeling The Show looks significantly worse than Madden, NBA 2K, NHL. The only thing lacking to me is the grass in the stadiums....I think that is weak graphically but not huge issue.

To me where The Show has been lacking is features.

NBA2k is the gold standard with Eras mode, franchise customization, variety of online modes. That game is amazing in depth.

But even Madden has seemed to improve franchise, now have cross-platform online franchise, have different tech they try to introduce, etc. Overall I think Madden also is way behind I'm innovation but there seems to be small attempts.

Even NHL has added things like custom franchise, player roles, momentum meter, etc. Maybe not everybody likes the additions buy there is attempt at innovation.

To me this is where The Show needs to step up. Gameplay is very good. But where is any innovation?

How about managers that each have their own tendencies, strengths, weaknesses? MLB Eras mode would be fantastic. Customization franchise options (we could better use the roster creators rosters for our own Era mode). Online franchise option. Expanded rosters? Expanded draft? GM personalities and traits to make dealing with different GMs feel unique.

There are a ton of things that could be done. This is my gripe. Not graphics (I mean if they can improve them that is great). What has The Show really added for features? The biggest was probably The Negro League stuff but I feel that is somewhat a niche mode (I gave it a shot and found the presentation phenomenal with the story telling but had no interest in the mode because I didn't like doing the tasks. It just wasn't for me)....I'm not sure I would call this innovative item since it was so limited.

Overall I still really enjoy The Show. I look forward to it. I just don't care as much about graphic improvements as I do with more feature being added.

[jcar0725]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I read these threads and wonder what I'm missing. I play almost all the sports games. I never came away feeling The Show looks significantly worse than Madden, NBA 2K, NHL. The only thing lacking to me is the grass in the stadiums....I think that is weak graphically but not huge issue.

To me where The Show has been lacking is features.

NBA2k is the gold standard with Eras mode, franchise customization, variety of online modes. That game is amazing in depth.

But even Madden has seemed to improve franchise, now have cross-platform online franchise, have different tech they try to introduce, etc. Overall I think Madden also is way behind I'm innovation but there seems to be small attempts.

Even NHL has added things like custom franchise, player roles, momentum meter, etc. Maybe not everybody likes the additions buy there is attempt at innovation.

To me this is where The Show needs to step up. Gameplay is very good. But where is any innovation?

How about managers that each have their own tendencies, strengths, weaknesses? MLB Eras mode would be fantastic. Customization franchise options (we could better use the roster creators rosters for our own Era mode). Online franchise option. Expanded rosters? Expanded draft? GM personalities and traits to make dealing with different GMs feel unique.

There are a ton of things that could be done. This is my gripe. Not graphics (I mean if they can improve them that is great). What has The Show really added for features? The biggest was probably The Negro League stuff but I feel that is somewhat a niche mode (I gave it a shot and found the presentation phenomenal with the story telling but had no interest in the mode because I didn't like doing the tasks. It just wasn't for me)....I'm not sure I would call this innovative item since it was so limited.

Overall I still really enjoy The Show. I look forward to it. I just don't care as much about graphic improvements as I do with more feature being added.

Constructive critique. Nicely worded.

I'll piggy back on this and say I've always wanted more player personality differences. Like guys who are high energy and guys that show little emotion. Also, it's a bit too easy to pay free agents to get them to come to your team. I'd love it where a player just has no interest in playing for your team at all.

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[Therebelyell626]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I love you guys, but you guys are the most forgiving fanbase out of possibly any video game ever lol.

For some of you as long the game runs and somewhat emulates baseball you are happier than a pig in you know what.

It’s 2024 and we are in year 3 of the PS5/xbox s/x generation. It’s time to start making substantial improvements.

I will say I did have a blast with stadium creator last year (my first on PS5). And I was actually surprised how good and deep the feature was. And the stadiums don’t look wonky, they look like in game stadiums.

But I really need to see some franchise improvements this year. The new scouting was okay but I really want to see some solid steps forward this year

[ltw0303cavs]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

Well thanks for stopping by, we'll enjoy The Show for you!

Keep on waiting for that, EACFB still doesn't have official release date.

Sooo bullpen logic has changed , player models have changed in last 5 years ? Besides being upscaled to 4k and live content what has significantly changed? I'm not saying to not like the game, not saying stop being a fan and buying it. I'm just asking what has significantly changed?

[JoshC1977]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

Man, this forum is becoming less of a fun place to visit, and more tedious and whiny.

I feel that, I'm seriously close to being done here....

It's not just the petulant whining, but even with those offering constructive feedback, I just don't fundamentally agree with 99% of the user base here these days in terms of what matters in sports gaming. The things that matter to me in terms of gaming have changed over time and frankly, when you find yourself strongly disagreeing with nearly everything you read, it's a pretty strong sign that it's time to move on.

[ltw0303cavs]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I could say that probably about every sports game in some capacity in terms of innovation and features.

But gameplay? Come on man. The Show plays a better “game” of baseball now than it ever had before. They hit a stumbling block on 21/22 with gameplay IMO (highly open to debate and subjective but that’s my opinion). I can confidently say MLB 23 on the PS5 is the best playing console baseball game I ever played.

The pitcher/batter showdown is as realistic as ever before (that is the heart and soul of baseball).



I don’t disagree innovation has not taken a lot of leaps since leaving the PS3 era but then again how much more can we expect in that regard. Baseball is baseball.

I totally get the frustration with no graphical leaps, better customization tools for roster creators and dated AI inside franchise mode and on field CPU managerial strategy.....that needs an overhaul. And I think once they leave behind the PS4 generation that can happen.

But until then this is it. So if you love the gameplay your gonna get the game regardless at some point (look how long it took me to grab 23).

For some it is a day one purchase every year.....for some it’s not anymore.

But this game is not a PS3 game......not even close. I went back and played MLB 11/12 on the PS3.

Hitting and pitching has come a long way. Ball physics, defensive animations and ball spins, it’s all been a slow and steady ascent to 23 and we will see what 24 has to offer at some point.

IMO Franchise Mode is great. They have every single CBA rule in there and the fact of the matter is we have 30 team control to really make it whatever we want. At least that’s what I have always done.

Does it need TLC....yeah we all agree on that. Expanded Rosters are sorely needed but won’t happen until they break free of the PS4 IMO.

The trade engine needs work, budgets need to reflect more and more today’s payrolls, contracts, international free agency etc etc etc.

But this franchise mode is my favorite on the sports market in terms of stability and playability long term. I played 7 full seasons every pitch and every inning and had a total blast. It was easily the best franchise mode sports game experience I ever had. Playing the actual games is a huge part of my franchise experience and the storylines that dawn from actually playing the game.....that’s the heart and soul for me.

Hopefully SDS looks at 2K’s franchise model for customization and flexibility (My Era mode and My league) for future iterations and innovation for their baseball game.

I just don’t buy the whole "mailing it in” comment. Sports games are tough. It’s a yearly cycle. It’s brutal.

They produce a quality product year in year out (despite my disappointment from 21 and 22) and the game sells a ton.

The landscape of sports gaming has changed drastically from solo offline franchise heads like myself and many around here to online E sports.

Hell my own son who is playing college baseball is majoring in E-Sports Management and Marketing.

It is a multi billion dollar industry and one of the fastest growing industries in the world......not the country.....THE WORLD.

It is what it is.


As someone who stuck with MLB 20 for 4 straight cycles........MLB 23 was not a dated game.....god no. I don’t understand how that can be said with a straight face.

Your points are fair but as good as the gameplay is ? for bullpen logic to have the SAME issues year after year. They are charging a next gen price ..i should get a next gen game. For a game that centers on the actual field of play more than any sports game to be the most dated ? Look at a stadium or Arena you create in other games and look at The Show stadium creator? it looks dated. To jot a HR ? The curved hats with the distorted logo ? how old is that ? I am in no way saying it's a bad game. I'm just saying if you don't expect more? you won't get more

[bronxbombers21325]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

Can I just reiterate that we know NOTHING about the game this year outside of the cover athlete and the release date. If you’re unhappy with the game then don’t buy it. That’s really the only solution I can give.

[Sayheykid01]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I love you guys, but you guys are the most forgiving fanbase out of possibly any video game ever lol.

For some of you as long the game runs and somewhat emulates baseball you are happier than a pig in you know what.

It’s 2024 and we are in year 3 of the PS5/xbox s/x generation. It’s time to start making substantial improvements.

I will say I did have a blast with stadium creator last year (my first on PS5). And I was actually surprised how good and deep the feature was. And the stadiums don’t look wonky, they look like in game stadiums.

But I really need to see some franchise improvements this year. The new scouting was okay but I really want to see some solid steps forward this year

I completely agree. This fanbase is very forgiving and valid criticism of the game isn’t taken well on this forum for whatever reason.

This is coming from someone who convinced three of his friends to switch over to PlayStation strictly for the show. It’s becoming stale and outdated for me. You don’t have to like the X factor abilities in madden, or all the different layup packages in 2k to at least appreciate some innovation. That’s not to mention My Eras which did wonders for playability of 2k.

I’m gameplay over graphics, and definitely agree the show plays a solid game of baseball on the field. It has for majority of the last 5 years, but it just doesn’t look next gen. The textures and colors of the grass and dirt look extremely dated, and the jerseys just don’t look connected to the body. My wife saw a commercial and asked why this game still looks like a video game compared to the other sports games lol.

I still play the show, and I will most likely buy the next game again because I love baseball, but it is no longer the game I used to brag to other people on different consoles about. It hasn’t been for years now.

[jcar0725]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I completely agree. This fanbase is very forgiving and valid criticism of the game isn’t taken well on this forum for whatever reason.

This is coming from someone who convinced three of his friends to switch over to PlayStation strictly for the show. It’s becoming stale and outdated for me. You don’t have to like the X factor abilities in madden, or all the different layup packages in 2k to at least appreciate some innovation. That’s not to mention My Eras which did wonders for playability of 2k.

I’m gameplay over graphics, and definitely agree the show plays a solid game of baseball on the field. It has for majority of the last 5 years, but it just doesn’t look next gen. The textures and colors of the grass and dirt look extremely dated, and the jerseys just don’t look connected to the body. My wife saw a commercial and asked why this game still looks like a video game compared to the other sports games lol.

I still play the show, and I will most likely buy the next game again because I love baseball, but it is no longer the game I used to brag to other people on different consoles about. It hasn’t been for years now.

I think some of you are confusing those who are constructively critiquing the game (which isnt even out yet) with those are just saying everything sucks, the game is awful and a joke and I don't even play the game anymore its so bad. There is a difference.

[canes21]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

Mailing it in is a strong way to put it and I don't know if I can necessarily agree with that, especially without seeing the changes this year. I have been disappointed with this series for quite a few years not because I do feel the progress in the areas of the game I focus on the most has been just about non-existent.

As I say every year, the gameplay on the field is very good. It's up there with NBA 2k in terms of emulating the sport it is trying to imitate so well. One of the bigger issues holding the gameplay back on the field is the CPU bullpen logic which is one of my biggest issues with the game altogether. It's flat out bad and doesn't replicate how real life bullpens are used.

Lineup logic is also not in a great spot, but is not nearly as bad as the bullpen logic. If both were to be improved on, then the gameplay itself on the field would have very few flaws.

What I have been begging for for years is for them to really increase the depth in franchise mode. The gameplay on the field is solid despite the pen and lineup logics, but the gameplay off the field is beyond stale. Where are the manager personalities and tendencies that influence how players play and lead to teams feeling truly different from one another over the course of a franchise?

Where are the expanded rosters? Those are long overdue. The small organization rosters are the root of so many other issues with things like progression, regression, overall player development, scouting, etc.

Scouting itself needs to be a game within a game. Developing players does as well. Both of those aspects are the heart and soul of a real organization, yet both are implemented in this game as if they were simply afterthoughts.

I don't ask for SDS to reinvent the wheel at all. All I ask for each year is for the bullpen and lineup logics to be redone, for expanded rosters to finally become a reality, managers/coaches having personalities and tendencies that have an impact on and off the field, and for scouting/development becoming a much deeper experience.

For the last decade I would have taken any 1 of those in a single year and that would have made me happy. Instead, it's been 10 years since I bought my PS4 and none of the areas have barely even been touched. Franchise mode as a whole has hardly been touched in 10 years time.

I give the developers some leeway with the small amount of dev time they get each cycle between releases, but it doesn't excuse them for doing as little as they have with franchise mode. The short cycle doesn't mean it is impossible to build franchise mode up even more. It just means you likely cannot get in multiple large and good quality features/overhauls into the mode annually. These are things you build up over time, but SDS simply has not done that. It's clear that their priorities with the game do not align with mine like they used to. That's been clear for 7 or 8 years now at least.

It used to not be as big an issue because the quality of the play on the field and the overall polish of the game. Now so many areas of the game are dated and need attention and that quality on the field cannot carry the weight like it used to. Not for someone like myself who is as interested in the multiple aspects of teambuilding on and off the field. For those who want to have a simpler GM experience and value their time on the field the most, I am sure this game is still in a great place for them and I am truly happy for them. Unfortunately, that's not who I have become the older I've gotten. I've become more fascinated with the decision-making side of the game, the dealing with problems side of it all, and less about the stick skills side of it all.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

Yeah. There is clearly valid constructive criticism to be discussed and it has been.

I certainly was not very forgiving with MLB 21 (utter disaster of a transition to the PS5 IMO with the removal of beloved features and design decisions that felt and played terribly on the field).

22 at first felt good but then got stale real quickly for me gameplay wise with a flawed hitting engine.

23 felt like for the first time a complete upgrade gameplay wise from the PS4. I had gotten over the sting of losing Y2Y and SOTS and was able to simply focus on the clear upgrade in gameplay.

So strides were made in earnest this past cycle.

AI logic is a biggie.

Graphical upgrades are a biggie

Expanded rosters are a biggie

Customization in terms of player/roster creation and league/franchise customization is a biggie.

And I 100% agree not enough has happened in that regard.

But until they break free of last generation consoles it seems it won't.

I honestly can't claim I know even if that will do the trick.

All I do know is I still enjoy the heck out of this game.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Feros Ferio 7]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

I could say that probably about every sports game in some capacity in terms of innovation and features.

But gameplay? Come on man. The Show plays a better “game” of baseball now than it ever had before. They hit a stumbling block on 21/22 with gameplay IMO (highly open to debate and subjective but that’s my opinion). I can confidently say MLB 23 on the PS5 is the best playing console baseball game I ever played.

The pitcher/batter showdown is as realistic as ever before (that is the heart and soul of baseball).

I don’t disagree innovation has not taken a lot of leaps since leaving the PS3 era but then again how much more can we expect in that regard. Baseball is baseball.

I totally get the frustration with no graphical leaps, better customization tools for roster creators and dated AI inside franchise mode and on field CPU managerial strategy.....that needs an overhaul. And I think once they leave behind the PS4 generation that can happen.

But until then this is it. So if you love the gameplay your gonna get the game regardless at some point (look how long it took me to grab 23).

For some it is a day one purchase every year.....for some it’s not anymore.

But this game is not a PS3 game......not even close. I went back and played MLB 11/12 on the PS3.

Hitting and pitching has come a long way. Ball physics, defensive animations and ball spins, it’s all been a slow and steady ascent to 23 and we will see what 24 has to offer at some point.

IMO Franchise Mode is great. They have every single CBA rule in there and the fact of the matter is we have 30 team control to really make it whatever we want. At least that’s what I have always done.

Does it need TLC....yeah we all agree on that. Expanded Rosters are sorely needed but won’t happen until they break free of the PS4 IMO.

The trade engine needs work, budgets need to reflect more and more today’s payrolls, contracts, international free agency etc etc etc.

But this franchise mode is my favorite on the sports market in terms of stability and playability long term. I played 7 full seasons every pitch and every inning and had a total blast. It was easily the best franchise mode sports game experience I ever had. Playing the actual games is a huge part of my franchise experience and the storylines that dawn from actually playing the game.....that’s the heart and soul for me.

Hopefully SDS looks at 2K’s franchise model for customization and flexibility (My Era mode and My league) for future iterations and innovation for their baseball game.

I just don’t buy the whole "mailing it in” comment. Sports games are tough. It’s a yearly cycle. It’s brutal.

They produce a quality product year in year out (despite my disappointment from 21 and 22) and the game sells a ton.

The landscape of sports gaming has changed drastically from solo offline franchise heads like myself and many around here to online E sports.

Hell my own son who is playing college baseball is majoring in E-Sports Management and Marketing.

It is a multi billion dollar industry and one of the fastest growing industries in the world......not the country.....THE WORLD.

It is what it is.


As someone who stuck with MLB 20 for 4 straight cycles........MLB 23 was not a dated game.....god no. I don’t understand how that can be said with a straight face.

They are not even close to having every CBA rule in the game.


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[Armor and Sword]

Re: SDS Mailing in another year of The Show

They are not even close to having every CBA rule in the game.


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I should have worded that better....a majority of the pertinent ones to run a franchise.

It does not have to be (nor will ever be) OOTPB level depth to be a fun, functional franchise mode.


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