MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

[ProStylez]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Okay, I know I am going to get slammed for saying this. I am not impressed by the demo. I have played about 10 games. While at its core, it does a fine job representing the sport of baseball, I just find the game lacking in many areas. I feel the graphics are good, but benefit substantially from the lighting. I feel the lighting sugarcoats the lackluster player models. I find fielding to be tremendously boring. I don't like guiding my player to the general area, then watching while the animation takes over. Once again, the game feels scripted. I feel like I have been doing the same thing over and over for years. One button to do everything. Swing, throw, etc. I feel like the game is playing me sometimes. I would be nice to have better control over the type of throws my fielder uses.

This lack of innovation has me sour on this game. I feel like its all been done before. I know this is not going to be a popular opinion, but I felt like I had to say how I feel, and that is disappointed.

You must be a soccer fan?

[Defel]

Re: @ Defel

Really? Wow....

I would love to be wrong. If someone has a video of a grounder down the line getting to the wall in the demo or 08, I would be interested in seeing it.

[Mark IV]

Re: @ pjv31

well to try to head off any heavy onslaughts coming your way...LOL

We were told by those who were out at Sony's Labs last week, that the downloaded demo is a build of at LEAST 4-6 weeks old...and is NOT the build the guys played with last week out in Cali

Uhh, all the things he described won't be magically different in the final build. You push a button to throw/swing/etc

If he found the mechanics of the demo boring, then he probably won't be happy with the full version either.

[bcruise]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Okay, I know I am going to get slammed for saying this. I am not impressed by the demo. I have played about 10 games. While at its core, it does a fine job representing the sport of baseball, I just find the game lacking in many areas. I feel the graphics are good, but benefit substantially from the lighting. I feel the lighting sugarcoats the lackluster player models. I find fielding to be tremendously boring. I don't like guiding my player to the general area, then watching while the animation takes over. Once again, the game feels scripted. I feel like I have been doing the same thing over and over for years. One button to do everything. Swing, throw, etc. I feel like the game is playing me sometimes. I would be nice to have better control over the type of throws my fielder uses.

This lack of innovation has me sour on this game. I feel like its all been done before. I know this is not going to be a popular opinion, but I felt like I had to say how I feel, and that is disappointed.

As someone who's played this series 4 years now once '09 hits (not sure how long you've played it), I think it's a fair criticism to make. It's not one I agree with, because I don't believe in changing something just for the sake of changing it. But that's my opinion, just like yours.

I had a feeling that there were going to be people who weren't fans of the new fielding anims - said as much in my impressions. But I just like it because it makes the gameplay look smoother and cleaner. And as long as the CPU plays by the same rules (and it appears that it does), I've got no problem with that. I don't mind giving up that bit of control for a cleaner looking game.

[PVarck31]

Re: @ pjv31

well to try to head off any heavy onslaughts coming your way...LOL

We were told by those who were out at Sony's Labs last week, that the downloaded demo is a build of at LEAST 4-6 weeks old...and is NOT the build the guys played with last week out in Cali

I really don't see the game changing that much in the retail copy. Although I may be wrong. I will at least rent it, if not just buy it. I love baseball, and I have to have a baseball game to play. I will def give the final version a shot.

[Knight165]

Re: @ pjv31

well to try to head off any heavy onslaughts coming your way...LOL

We were told by those who were out at Sony's Labs last week, that the downloaded demo is a build of at LEAST 4-6 weeks old...and is NOT the build the guys played with last week out in Cali

Yeah...
But it sounds like he wants a totally different experience.
That's not gonna change to the final release.The Show is very animation driven......he doesn't seem to dig that.
I think pjv although he likes(loves?) the Show really preferred 2K anyway.
Nothing wrong with that.

M.K.
Knight165

[Knight165]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

As someone who's played this series 4 years now once '09 hits (not sure how long you've played it), I think it's a fair criticism to make. It's not one I agree with, because I don't believe in changing something just for the sake of changing it. But that's my opinion, just like yours.

I had a feeling that there were going to be people who weren't fans of the new fielding anims - said as much in my impressions. But I just like it because it makes the gameplay look smoother and cleaner. And as long as the CPU plays by the same rules (and it appears that it does), I've got no problem with that. I don't mind giving up that bit of control for a cleaner looking game.

I agree.
...and with the Show being animation driven...there is one thing I don't understand about guys who "need total control"(and I'm not knocking...I truly don't understand)...
Like fielding(since this is where it's most apparently animation driven)....you get to the spot...and then the animation takes over......but let's say there wasn't...you had total control...what are you going to do...***n away?....forcibly make an error? I just don't relate to guys who need total control over the entire segment, when the animation makes it look much better IMO.

M.K.
Knight165

[dmrich28]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I'm 50 games in CPU vs CPU..noticed a couple of things minor, which I don't care about and forget in a minute.
But..
I have yet to see an outfielder miss a routine fly ball..yes it's rare in real life, but is it coded?

Loving it so far..Pitchers are better than the hitters (default sliders so far) but they are 2 of the better hurlers as well, so can't wait to see how the 4th/5th starters are..

Average score Philly 2.5 TB 2.2

only 22 hrs seen, but 8 triples, a stolen home attempt and lots of other unique plays.

Great job!!

Dave

[Knight165]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I'm 50 games in CPU vs CPU..noticed a couple of things minor, which I don't care about and forget in a minute.
But..
I have yet to see an outfielder miss a routine fly all..yes it's rare in real life, but is it coded?

yes....just had it happen in a game.
I was in control of the RF.....and lost sight of the ball a second. I couldn't make it to the ball but the CF did...and it bounced right off his glove!

M.K.
Knight165

[phillyfan23]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Okay, I know I am going to get slammed for saying this. I am not impressed by the demo. I have played about 10 games. While at its core, it does a fine job representing the sport of baseball, I just find the game lacking in many areas. I feel the graphics are good, but benefit substantially from the lighting. I feel the lighting sugarcoats the lackluster player models. I find fielding to be tremendously boring. I don't like guiding my player to the general area, then watching while the animation takes over. Once again, the game feels scripted. I feel like I have been doing the same thing over and over for years. One button to do everything. Swing, throw, etc. I feel like the game is playing me sometimes. I would be nice to have better control over the type of throws my fielder uses.

This lack of innovation has me sour on this game. I feel like its all been done before. I know this is not going to be a popular opinion, but I felt like I had to say how I feel, and that is disappointed.

you know....I don't blame you for thinking this way. Because the show this year is more of a refinement rather than an innovation. My biggest gripe last year was hitting, hitting, hitting. It was too easy. Pitching was also too easy ...this on HOF level. The hitting wasn't a pure zone system and the pitching wasn't challenging in the least...led me to edit all of the pitchers on my team. Also, extra base hits were not dynamic ...another gripe

If the dev team did NOT fix these issues this year....I would be EXACTLY in your shoes right now and I wouldn't appreciate it one bit the progressive lighting, the new animations, the plentiful sig style.

Can you imagine, I was rooting against myself so that i could get true to life batting averages. Instead of celebrating a hit , I grimaced....and MANY people in this board felt like that ...

You were probably mostly satisfied with the gameplay last year so the gameplay improvements this year to you were probably marginal. Again , If that were the case for me, I would feel totally underwhelmed by this year's effort.... and I too would be looking for a new innovative feature in the game.

But for many, the gameplay improvements make this a whole new ballgame and we can overlook the slightly monotonous fielding controls like you mentioned....

anyways, hope you try out the game when it releases, because I suspect fielding will be more adventurous this year anyways due to the heavy effects of player ratings. I can't wait to play the marlins and see Hanley Ramirez boot some balls.

happy gaming ....

edit: I first tried this series way back with mlb 05...so thats 5-6 years with this series....

[Rod_Carew29]

@ pjv31

ok....fair enough

I really don't see the game changing that much in the retail copy. Although I may be wrong. I will at least rent it, if not just buy it. I love baseball, and I have to have a baseball game to play. I will def give the final version a shot.

[dmrich28]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

for Knight..

but have you ever seen it in manage only mode where you have no control?
not to make a deal of it at all, was just curious..
I've played ball my whole life and it's just something I thought of since Ive done it a "few" times

keep up the great work Knight...itching to see what you can do with this new "toy"

Dave

[phillyfan23]

Re: @ Defel

I would love to be wrong. If someone has a video of a grounder down the line getting to the wall in the demo or 08, I would be interested in seeing it.

no video of this...but I can tell you this can happen....I hit a hot shot grounder past Howard just now using Pena.....all the way to the wall and the ball still had plenty of steam when it collided with the wall. Just play the game....you will see it sooner or later.

[Rod_Carew29]

Re: Outfielders Missing or Botching Fly Balls

In about 400 games + played for The Show '08, I MAY have seen an outfielder drop a routine (standing under to make the catch) fly ball maybe twice.

The other (off the top of my head) 15-20 times were when either the outfielder was running in, running to the gap or like what happened to the Nats' Elijah Dukes last week when my Mets won a walk off, Dukes ran towards right-center (he was playing center)--the ball was over his head...and he lunged and the ball ticked off of his glove.

In The Show '08, I played with CPU outfielder errors maxed out literally from day one.

I'm 50 games in CPU vs CPU..noticed a couple of things minor, which I don't care about and forget in a minute.
But..
I have yet to see an outfielder miss a routine fly ball..yes it's rare in real life, but is it coded?

Loving it so far..Pitchers are better than the hitters (default sliders so far) but they are 2 of the better hurlers as well, so can't wait to see how the 4th/5th starters are..

Average score Philly 2.5 TB 2.2

only 22 hrs seen, but 8 triples, a stolen home attempt and lots of other unique plays.

Great job!!

Dave

[dmrich28]

Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

thanks for the reply..love your sliders for 08!!
keep up the great work!

Dave