MLB '08: The Show Review

[DJ]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Nice, detailed review. Will the PSP version get a review?

[Tomba]

I'm clapping....

A 9!

Most deserved

[Skyboxer]

Very good review. I'd give it a 8.5 myself just due to someof the mention issues but overall I totally agree with the review. Good job.

[mattyg]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Nice, detailed review. Will the PSP version get a review?

Chase should have the PSP review (And PS2 I think) up before the end of the week...

[ChaseB]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Chase should have the PSP review (And PS2 I think) up before the end of the week...

NEXT week.

[mattyg]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

NEXT week.

Slacker...

[PSU_DW2]

I just started playing the PS2 version having never played any prior game in the series. Let me just say this is a great game. On the PS2, the frame rate is top notch. I don't think I've ever seen such a smooth frame rate in a sports game. The stadium sounds are incredible...they even do roll call at Yankee Stadium. The commentary is solid. The interface is user friendly and the controls are very response. One thing I like about the Show 2.0 is how easy it is to check swing with the pressure control of the PS2 Dual Shock. I also like how, similarly to PYS4, there is vibration as the pitcher aims outside the strike zone. This is a nice subtle feature and allows you to turn off the strike zone. I assume they don't have this feature on the PS3 as there is no vibration feature on the PS3.

The animations are second to none. Hitting a ball down the right field line never felt so good. The stadiums look pretty solid, even on the PS2. The pitching meter is simple, but works very well. There are some jaggies and some font cut-off from certain camera angles, but overall the game holds its own graphically on the PS2. This game goes toe to toe with Pro Yakuu Spirits 4 on PS2 (and will go toe to toe with Pro Yakuu Spirits 5 when that comes out next month) in many ways.

This game is a great way to get ready for fantasy baseball season. Can't wait for the operation sports PS2 review.

I also would like to read the PSP review as apparently the frame rate is much improved in the portable game. And apparently the PSP has in-game saves, which the PS2 version doesn't have...

[ChaseB]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Slacker...

Yea I never have to beg you to do anything for the site...Nope never.

[Oldschool17]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Online

If playing by yourself bores you, there's a robust online feature set with The Show. Online leagues - oddly enough you need to have a name for two weeks to be the commissioner of one, so leagues are on hold for now, SportsConnect Online User Tracking (Think of it as a match-making feature), user-shared sliders, up-to-date rosters and in-game MLB box scores are all at the top of the list, but unfortunately the lag issues seen in '07 are still somewhat prevalent in '08.

Sometimes you'll be able to get through a game without any problems but other times the game will stutter to a standstill and freeze. The smallest thing like having pitchers warm-up might slow the game down and it makes hitting and pitching nearly impossible. If you're lucky enough to find an opponent with a good connection the game is quite smooth and a blast to play, but it's really hit or miss at this point. Last year SCE Studios San Diego had to issue a patch to fix the online portion of the game and if things don't improve there might be a need for another one this year.

How in the world do you give a game a 9 that has unreliable, inconsistent and problematic online play?

Its reviews like this that encourage gaming producers to continually not put the work into the online portion of the game. Online play for the SHOW is not good. There is no way in hell after last years online debacle that MLB The Show 08 should still be experiencing even the slightest online difficulties.

But hey when reviewers continually overlook these issues its easy for these companies to assume the community doesn't care and its acceptable to have unreliable, inconsistent online play.

This game w/reliable online play is a 9...maybe a 10..But w/o its closer to a 6.5 - 7.0...Laugh if you want but until the voices in the community ring loud and clear in a producers ear about the overall dissatisfaction gamers have with next gen online play there will be no changes for the foreseeable near future.

A frickin 9?!

[SoxChamp]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

This game w/reliable online play is a 9...maybe a 10..But w/o its closer to a 6.5 - 7.0...Laugh if you want but until the voices in the community ring loud and clear in a producers ear about the overall dissatisfaction gamers have with next gen online play there will be no changes for the foreseeable near future.

A frickin 9?!

No disrespect, but I don't give a rat's patooty about online play (on any game). I'll never touch it. I'll never understand the draw of playing against a bunch of cheating gamer geeks and preteens on the internet. The majority of people care more about their "status" on the online ranking system than they do playing a fair and fun game. So playing against these people is useless and unpleasant to me. I'll take my Franchise any day of the week.

So does that mean that I should still rate the game a 6.5? Or should I stick with a 9? The point is....a rating is a matter of opinion. What I might like in the game, you might not..and vice versa. So your rant was a tad misguided, as you assume that everyone cares about online play.

[Skyboxer]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

No disrespect, but I don't give a rat's patooty about online play (on any game). I'll never touch it. I'll never understand the draw of playing against a bunch of cheating gamer geeks and preteens on the internet. The majority of people care more about their "status" on the online ranking system than they do playing a fair and fun game. So playing against these people is useless and unpleasant to me. I'll take my Franchise any day of the week.

So does that mean that I should still rate the game a 6.5? Or should I stick with a 9? The point is....a rating is a matter of opinion. What I might like in the game, you might not..and vice versa. So your rant was a tad misguided, as you assume that everyone cares about online play.

I agree that no way, even with bad online right now, that I' rate it a 6.5. However playing online is great with the group of OS'ers. I don't play random ever. So in this day of online being a big part of gaming I would say the unreliable online is an area that should hurt the score somewhat but not to a 6.5.

[Oldschool17]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

No disrespect, but I don't give a rat's patooty about online play (on any game). I'll never touch it. I'll never understand the draw of playing against a bunch of cheating gamer geeks and preteens on the internet. The majority of people care more about their "status" on the online ranking system than they do playing a fair and fun game. So playing against these people is useless and unpleasant to me. I'll take my Franchise any day of the week.

So does that mean that I should still rate the game a 6.5? Or should I stick with a 9? The point is....a rating is a matter of opinion. What I might like in the game, you might not..and vice versa. So your rant was a tad misguided, as you assume that everyone cares about online play.

Here's a tip..I have at least 60 online friends who I know personally that play straight up..Thus I never play a random game...Not to mention the 4-5 guys I play and communicate with daily...Ignorant rants such as yours indicating..I don't care about (insert area of game here) are part of the larger problem.

Maybe I don't care about franchise...That doesn't mean I don't want it to work for the thousands of gamers who buy a game solely based on franchise play. I don't assume anyone places Online, franchise or whatever over any part of the game..I assume that all gamers, you and me alike want every facet of the game to work...Saying I don't give a rats pitooty about anything is simply ignorant at its most ignorant level...I never once placed any portion of the game over the other...They are all equal.

But lets be real...This is the era of HD and High Speed internet..These are the two factors that next gen console manufacturers sold to every consumer who decided to drop major cash on a next gen console and or a service like Xbox Live...Whether you care about online or not you still should care about game producers not making a quality game in every facet of the product...Imagine if what you cared about most in a game wasn't functional???...Then imagine some fool saying "I don't give a crap about (insert area of game here) because I don't play it"

Its time gamers have more understanding about the whole picture as opposed to a selfish view of what suits them best. I don't care what the score is on a game but game producers need to know that if any aspect of the game is neglected or subpar they will receive a score reflective of that negligence...And yes I mean negligence...MLB THE SHOW had similar online problems last year...Those producer guys were on this very forum posting pics, dialogging and guaranteeing improved online play. Now where are they???...Bin Laden is easier to find now...Sony IMO is negligent to allow sub par online play to plague the game for now a second consecutive year.

Reviewers are not doing whats in the best interest of gamers by pumping out reviews that blatantly neglect areas of the game...In fact..I don't even like scores because its all based on one man's opinion...Your 8.5 could be a 5.5 to me...Who's to say either of us are right or wrong??? All this being said..I still love THE SHOW but lets all support the fact that Online Play among other aspects of next gen sports games must be addressed.

[Oldschool17]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

I agree that no way, even with bad online right now, that I' rate it a 6.5. However playing online is great with the group of OS'ers. I don't play random ever. So in this day of online being a big part of gaming I would say the unreliable online is an area that should hurt the score somewhat but not to a 6.5.

Agreed...and I submit that the proverbial "HURT" should be enough that game producers take NOTICE and are forced to make the appropriate changes..So if its a 6.5, 5.5 or 7.0 or whatever..Thats what is needed..But 8's and 9's for a game that is great but terrible in one area is misleading

[mattyg]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Reviewers are not doing whats in the best interest of gamers by pumping out reviews that blatantly neglect areas of the game...In fact..I don't even like scores because its all based on one man's opinion...Your 8.5 could be a 5.5 to me...Who's to say either of us are right or wrong??? All this being said..I still love THE SHOW but lets all support the fact that Online Play among other aspects of next gen sports games must be addressed.

Shoddy online was brought up 3 times; Once in the body, once in the conclusion and finally in the "Negatives". Every time it was mentioned, it got hit for being laggy. So online play was not "neglected" and the review is not "misleading."

If someone out there loves online play and their only intention was to play online, then I'd hope they would've read the portion about online play, saw that it wasn't refined, and passed on the game until it was fixed.

[Oldschool17]

Re: MLB '08: The Show Review

Shoddy online was brought up 3 times; Once in the body, once in the conclusion and finally in the "Negatives". Every time it was mentioned, it got hit for being laggy. So online play was not "neglected" and the review is not "misleading."

If someone out there loves online play and their only intention was to play online, then I'd hope they would've read the portion about online play, saw that it wasn't refined, and passed on the game until it was fixed.

IMO you can't score...or should I say...you shouldn't score a game as high as THE SHOW when a major portion of the game is unreliable and poorly constructed...Now please try to tell me ONLINE play is not important...Whether someone plays online or not the IMPORTANCE of online play for all games CANNOT be denied.

So just like the reviewer has an opinion...So do I...I simply don't agree with the score...he mentions poor online play but where is the accountability for it in the score???

This review is a prime example of why gaming companies will not make any changes for the better regarding online play for the forseeable near future...Grading out as a strong B while neglecting a major portion of the game will not promote any changes. If I'm a producer I'm thinking...Our reviews are great despite our subpar online play...No need to change it, right???

A review...any review...should be constructed from the standpoint that the reviewer values every aspect of the game equally or at least sets a criteria where even areas that may not be of great interest to the reviewer are still judged with the same level of importance as those areas that are important to the reviewer.

For example I would never play Franchise so I wouldn't even attempt to review it...I'm not qualified..I don't like or have an interest in Franchise...But what I would do is find my most reliable franchise player and have him play the hell outta franchise and allow me to interview him to get his feedback...Now I'm not saying the OS reviewer doesn't like online or whatever...I'm simply saying that here should be a higher standard of quality that is equal on all levels of the game. If I don't play Franchise I'm not gonna be a donkey and say "screw it"...Thats about as ignorant and nearsighted as it gets. I want it all to flow nicely for every gamer who enjoys every part or even small parts of a game.

I think PastaPadre clearly understands my point..THis is a decent read:

MLB ONLINE GAMEPLAY UPDATE