MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

[dat swag]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

I'm really most concerned about online play...Last year online play was extremely frustrating...If it were not for the spotty to terrible online play I would probably vote this game as best sports sim of all time...But in this day and age with Hi Def and online being so vital Sony and all companies need to do alot more to ensure that the online portion of the game is robust, playable and offering more reasons to play this game.

I'm not a dude thats gonna sit around and play a franchise by myself and stare at stats...Online and Head 2 head is what I play games for and with a buddy list of 70-80 people I know who don't act idiotic I need this game to be on point with online play

[Heisman316]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

This game is going to be Crack for me on so many different levels.

[ARMORALLL]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Sorry I didn't read through this whole thread. A little overwhelming. With the addition of fans wearing weather related clothing, that must mean that weather was added.

Any body know of heard if there will be retractable roofs?

I have my heart set on rain and retractable roofs atleast in the future!

[green94]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

With the addition of fans wearing weather related clothing, that must mean that weather was added.

I wouldn't necessarily correlate the two.

[slyfox]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

The fact sheet states an unrivaled player creator, does this mean the roster-makers won't have to jump through hoops anymore to create a new roster set? I'm sure Knight and Jim would appreciate this, as well as the rest of us.

[Crash Davis]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

One thing I hope they expanded, or will eventually expand is the scouting and coaching area of the game.
Major league managers and GM's rely heavily on scouts and coaches to help them sort out just what kind of players they have(this is much more true for GM's.....but if you are the MLB manager.....you really don't have a great feel for the players in the minors you might eventually get on your squad)
One important aspect is the scouting reports...they are very generic and repetitive.
I would really like to see your scout put a more precise opinion of that players abilities in regards to not only your system but league wide.
For instance....in a scouting report you might get the lowdown on his hitting and fielding....but I would also like to know...does my scout think he's the best fielding SS in the league?.....does he consider him the 30th best?
It should go something like what OOTP has now....I would request a status report on a player....if I want to see something more specific than his generic scouting report(which would always be available)...and a couple of days later I would receive the report. Obviously this would take a certain amount of time and I would be limited in just how many I could ask for at one time.

Another thing I think would flesh out players is what I think of as modifiers.
Player A is a above average hitter...and excellent fielder and an average baserunner. At age 24 he gets a hidden modifier of +10 to his hitting for a random amount of years which boosts him to an excellent hitter. But his viewable rating remains the same(for that year...it might increase in subsequent seasons...and the modifier would still add to that number...if it decreased..the modifier would be gone)....It would be up to you and your coaches/scouts to see that he is playing at an elevated level. Other managers/GM's/coaches would notice his elevated play at the plate and they may or may not take a chance to trade for this player, hoping to get him while he remains hot. You won't know when this modifier "expires" and the modifiers can go in both directions.....(in other words...a guy could be in a funk for a year or two and a team may look to trade him....and then he "snaps out of it" and goes back to his rating.
I would limit the amount of players this would happen to in order to try and replicate that "lightning in a bottle" player you see every year.
I say this....because as it stands now.....you get a player like Fernando Tatis...who kind of came out of nowhere to have a pretty plus game for the Mets.....but you would have to give him inordinate ratings to replicate this in the game.
With my system...I could make Tatis a 45 power....55 contact and then give him a +15 to power and a +10 to contact as a modifier and he would play at a 60 power and 65 contact for a year...a year and a half or two years...then drop back down to his real ratings.(I'm just making up the ratings.....as an example...before someone says "Tatis should have nowhere near a 60 power)
My scout might say something like "He's an average hitter, who seems to be playing above his level right now".....or something to that effect.
On the scouts....we definitely need more variety in what they say about the players regardless.....

M.K.
Knight165

Although I can respect this request I dont agree, keep that stuff in OOTP/Front Office Manager/Baseball Mogul.
Some aspects could be a little more detailed in the show towards scouting, but it shouldnt be a main focus. Personally I'd like it alot but think about the people who just want to "play the game" this would turn them off by being overwhelmed.
Plus personally I'd rather them focus and work on other things first such as the new player models theyre working on.

However all in all its a great idea, for 09 at least i hope they made it a little easier to see players potential ratings as opposed to only having it on the back of there player cards...

[jim416]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

The fact sheet states an unrivaled player creator, does this mean the roster-makers won't have to jump through hoops anymore to create a new roster set? I'm sure Knight and Jim would appreciate this, as well as the rest of us.

Man, other than the throws from SS to 2nd, this would be so great. You have no idea how much not being able to edit all the fake guys slowed us down. Unrivaled....says a lot, doesn't it?

[SoxFan01605]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Although I can respect this request I dont agree, keep that stuff in OOTP/Front Office Manager/Baseball Mogul.
Some aspects could be a little more detailed in the show towards scouting, but it shouldnt be a main focus. Personally I'd like it alot but think about the people who just want to "play the game" this would turn them off by being overwhelmed.
Plus personally I'd rather them focus and work on other things first such as the new player models theyre working on.

However all in all its a great idea, for 09 at least i hope they made it a little easier to see players potential ratings as opposed to only having it on the back of there player cards...

See, I don't agree with some of your reasoning here. I don't think people who "just want to play the game" are going to be negatively impacted by a feature like that at all. In fact, it's something that could be automated if a more casual player wanted to jump into a franchise anyway. Baseball fans (generally speaking) are a bit more detail oriented with their sport in a lot of ways. Anyone even wanting to dive into a franchise is likely doing so with the more detailed stuff in mind. I think the more detailed the franchise the better. Again, most stuff can realistically be automated so the peopel can avoid the micro management if they so desire.

As far as focus, I do mostly agree with that. I don't think that kind of detail would detract too much from things like the player models you mentioned, but I do think there are probably more pressing things. It doesn't hurt to have dialog about it though as it keeps the devs abreast of what some of the more hardcore features we like are.

If it wasn't already addressed in some fashion I don't think, especially at this point (09 isn't even out yet...lol), that we need to concern ourselves with how they prioritize for the next interations. I think they've shown a pretty good feel for how to balance the features and the subtleties.

In any case, I'm pumped for the franchise depth they seemed to have added already, so anything else they snuck in to 09 would be icing, IMO. I do hope things like AI logic, fatigue/injuries, and ratings adjustments were toyed around with a bit too though. The best part of all this is, the game looks like something still very much on the rise and not just trying standing pat, which is a big part of my own excitement

[atlbravesws05]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

All these little features are nice, but they just don't make the game. All this audio recordings are gimmicks and people will grow tired of using them. I just hope the core gameplay is different (pitching, hitting, fielding) because i need some new refreshment. I dont want to play MLB 08.5 The Show.

[Scottdau]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

All these little features are nice, but they just don't make the game. All this audio recordings are gimmicks and people will grow tired of using them. I just hope the core gameplay is different (pitching, hitting, fielding) because i need some new refreshment. I dont want to play MLB 08.5 The Show.

Then this is not the game for you. Why correct perfect. I hope they keep it the same. To me changing the core is like "Gimmicks". You add more animations and more little things and this is game will be even better. So I disagree with you, but I respect your opinion.

[JBoo2911]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

All these little features are nice, but they just don't make the game. All this audio recordings are gimmicks and people will grow tired of using them. I just hope the core gameplay is different (pitching, hitting, fielding) because i need some new refreshment. I dont want to play MLB 08.5 The Show.

Gameplay wise, I would expect nothing, "Refreshed"... just the gameplay will be highly tweaked and I expect to see a lot of new, nice realistic animations during the game for our eyes. Don't fix something thats not broke, just make it better!!! The gameplay is very solid is The Show '08.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Then this is not the game for you. Why correct perfect. I hope they keep it the same. To me changing the core is like "Gimmicks". You add more animations and more little things and this is game will be even better. So I disagree with you, but I respect your opinion.

I tend to agree with Scott here, but will say this. I'm ok with them implementing new pitching techniques or hitting mechanics so long as they allow me to use the "classic" versions of these things.

I don't like changing things just for the sake of change. The one reason I love sports games and tend to stick with games I know is due to the familarity of the controls. I don't want to have to learn new controls and such each year I pick up the game. Stick with what works, and as Scott said, add in new animations, fix what needs fixin', and tweak what needs tweakin' to bring about a "freshness" to the game.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Although I can respect this request I dont agree, keep that stuff in OOTP/Front Office Manager/Baseball Mogul.
Some aspects could be a little more detailed in the show towards scouting, but it shouldnt be a main focus. Personally I'd like it alot but think about the people who just want to "play the game" this would turn them off by being overwhelmed.
Plus personally I'd rather them focus and work on other things first such as the new player models theyre working on.

However all in all its a great idea, for 09 at least i hope they made it a little easier to see players potential ratings as opposed to only having it on the back of there player cards...

I have to agree with Knight, though I understand where you're coming from. To me, if they want to make the game more "casual friendly" for those who may not want to get that detailed into the franchise mode, then have the option to turn it off. They already allow you to let the cpu handle all your "non field" duties, so why not just add this to the list so to speak.

[Scottdau]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

I tend to agree with Scott here, but will say this. I'm ok with them implementing new pitching techniques or hitting mechanics so long as they allow me to use the "classic" versions of these things.

I don't like changing things just for the sake of change. The one reason I love sports games and tend to stick with games I know is due to the familarity of the controls. I don't want to have to learn new controls and such each year I pick up the game. Stick with what works, and as Scott said, add in new animations, fix what needs fixin', and tweak what needs tweakin' to bring about a "freshness" to the game.

The thing is that is all I really want from this game. I just want some key things fixed and some more animation and this game will be perfect for me. I would like to find a game that at the in of the season my stud hitters are still stud hitters. But with baseball you never know. They say you can lose your skill at any time and when it goes some times it goes fast. Plus you have always have that one hit wonders or duds that turn it to studs.

[atlbravesws05]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Its not for the sake of changing. Everything gets old evenually no matter how good or popular it was before. The one song you loved as a child no longer interests you because it got old, the food you eat, evenually you grow tired of eating pizza no matter how much you loved it, etcc.. My point is i want to experience something new from the same awesome developers. The core gameplay hasn't changed at all and no matter the countless features they keep adding on every year, the core gameplay feels exactly the same. It feels like you are playing the same game except with add ons. I think its time for them to try out something more innovative.