Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

[MakePlaysOrDie]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

This culture of app games and quickie play money grab simple stuff doesn't help.

Nice to know there are still gamers who like a longer/more methodical game.

I think app games took over because you can play them on the go, while waiting in the doc office, dentist, etc.

The Show also takes longer to play a game than other sports games. For example you can play a game of NBA 2K online in 20 minutes, while I'm playing a franchise game with my Braves right now which has taken me 30 minutes and I'm still in the 6th inning.

I have a job and also go to school so I'm a pretty busy guy, but playing The Show on days off and at night is my way to unwind. I also rarely ever go to parties unlike most people my age so that could have a lot to do with it too, instead of spending my time going out drinking and what not, I get a game in my franchise played.

[Radja]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

It takes maturity to accept a challenge. You play this on anything above beginner and its difficult.

I get frustrated as hell when some junk ball pitcher is making me look silly as he paints the corners and never gets me something good. But my god does it feel great to wait and wait and wait and finally he makes a mistake and hangs a curve.

Madden=Final Fantasy
The Show=Dark Souls

i really agree with this. i dont know if it is just in general an older player thing. i am 48 myself. but i do think it is a maturity thing. some younger players like a challenge. many of those people frequent this site. BUT the vaaaaaaast majority just want to cheat their way to victory.

i also think baseball video gamers are more particular of their experience. they want more from their game. they want realism, immersion and sim style play. i really believe that is true for most show and 2k guys.

in contrast, i cannot believe that fifa has almost no penalties at any level of the game and it is the best selling game of all sports games. its a sport that penalties are a huge aspect of the game, but no one seems to care it is not part of fifa.

baseball guys would not put up with anything like that. we will play a game where we strike out 14 times, are one hit or give up 10 runs and come away wanting more.

[armymule]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

This show and baseball in general does attract a more mature audience. I just turned 74 and have been watching baseball since the 1940s. There have been a lot of great moments through the years, but IMO baseball's best period was from the end of WW2 to the early 60s. Some of the older sports games I have played were Parker Bros Baseball, All Star Baseball, Tony LaRussa and Oldtime Baseball. The older football games were fun too. I remember Pigskin (which first came out in the early 1930s). Then there was Radio Football (early version of Varsity Football), and Foto-Electric Football. There were a lot others but those are the early games that stand out in my memory. I still love baseball and am retired in Central Florida. right in the middle of 15 spring training sites.

[RogueHominid]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

i really agree with this. i dont know if it is just in general an older player thing. i am 48 myself. but i do think it is a maturity thing. some younger players like a challenge. many of those people frequent this site. BUT the vaaaaaaast majority just want to cheat their way to victory.

i also think baseball video gamers are more particular of their experience. they want more from their game. they want realism, immersion and sim style play. i really believe that is true for most show and 2k guys.

in contrast, i cannot believe that fifa has almost no penalties at any level of the game and it is the best selling game of all sports games. its a sport that penalties are a huge aspect of the game, but no one seems to care it is not part of fifa.

baseball guys would not put up with anything like that. we will play a game where we strike out 14 times, are one hit or give up 10 runs and come away wanting more.

I don't know if it's a function of parity in, say, the NFL, that conditions gamers to this "must-win" mentality, but baseball is beautiful because any outcome is both possible and reasonable.

In other words, a 2-1 game is an intelligible form of a baseball game. But a 15-12 game is also well within the world of real baseball. I think baseball fans appreciate the wild statistical variety of the game's outcomes, whether at the level of the individual player or that of the team or league.

BTW, KB, nice to see you over here!

[Spanky]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

I'm the only one out of my group of friends that owns the show so I guess everyone's point about the show gamers usually being "older" is somewhat correct. Most guys my age aren't patient enough to play 9+ innings of a baseball game but I just love it. The Show requires you to be patient and selective, just like baseball in real life.

This is an excellent point. Young people tend to not have as long an attention span, another reason why older gamers gravitate toward The Show.

The in-game save on The Show is a magnificent feature. Invaluable, really. I often play a few innings at a time whenever I have a half hour or 20 minutes to play. It's taken me several sittings to complete a nine-inning game during my busier times. And I love it.

When I played inferior baseball games in the past, I was forced to play 5- and 6-inning games because they didn't have the in-game save feature. That's just not real baseball.

[Cavicchi]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

Outstanding! Keep on gaming!

Yes, and even at 70, 71 August 2nd, I can still hit a baseball over 400 feet!

I'm not lifting weights for nothing. I've got quick wrists and a strong thumb

[MakePlaysOrDie]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

This show and baseball in general does attract a more mature audience. I just turned 74 and have been watching baseball since the 1940s. There have been a lot of great moments through the years, but IMO baseball's best period was from the end of WW2 to the early 60s.

I am very envious of you in that you got to watch the best players of all time. Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Maris, Williams, Musial, Spahn, Gibson.. I could go on all day. Growing up in the "steroid era" I've been able to see some great players, but no one like the guys I mentioned. I've watched countless documentaries and read plenty of books on the old time greats of baseball, but nothing would compare to being able to see them play live.

[bobtrain]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

I think the average age for this game is definitely higher. I believe it's because it takes a great baseball mind to play the game. You see all of the threads on "comeback code" and what not. The reason is because a younger gamer will not figure out that they have to switch up how they play, resulting in them getting bored and frustrated so they never come back. What fun would a game be if you could just throw the same pitch to get someone out? None. Maybe when I was age 7-15, but not anymore at the age of 23.

As we all know the biggest part of baseball is changing up your gameplan, strategy, and routine, and The Show forces you to. It's the reason the game is so fun and challenging, and why it seems to be one for the older crowd that can handle the ups and downs of the game. To me no other sports game has nailed the CPU AI down, the way The Show does. I have never had more satisfaction from winning and losing than I have in this game. I may want to throw my controller at times but I never feel cheated (unless it's an occasional fielding issue) and every loss I can go back and say this cost me the game. The same can be said when I win games.

I cannot wait to see how this game turns out on PS4. The beauty of it is, I no longer have to spend $400 plus games on a system I don't play any exclusives on. Now I can just get a PS4 for The Show and the other sports games I play. I'll be saving a lot more money this next gaming cycle.

This is an excellent point. My guess is that EA Sports started making Madden with the aim of outmost realism and soon found out through market research that their younger, less strategy based customer base was growing and then they started catering towards this audience instead of the ever older sim-style customers. Maybe I'm thinking too deep about it and EA Sports just sucks because their games are getting downright terrible.

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

I am 26. I understand this game having a more mature audience, but I don't think I've seen any other sports game that has gamers 40+ years of age. You'd think a game that requires fast and twitch reflexes for an hour straight would throw off older ages and a game like Madden/Tiger that requires almost no skill would appeal more to this demographic.

[Steven78]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

Im 34 and bought a PS3 just for The Show 2008 after seeing my younger bro play it. I was still in my third year playing MVP 05 with updated rosters. I LOVE this game. It captures MLB baseball almost perfectly. After a game, win or lose, I think about it all day at work until my next game. Especially with losses I think about what I could've done differently. It seriously consumes my life and I love it.

[Jimbo614]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

I'll tell you something else, The Show can be just as enjoyable CPU vs CPU as playing the game itself.
You don't have to have fast thumbs. The game still carries it's weight.
And that might be another reason the older players enjoy it.

It's funny how many of us led parallel childhoods to get to this place.

[TerryP]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

Love this thread! I'm on the wrong side of 40 as well. Been playing baseball/sports games since the 2600, and not stopping anytime soon. I'm already more than ready for the PS4 version coming next March.

[oldtimey]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

I'll tell you something else, The Show can be just as enjoyable CPU vs CPU as playing the game itself.
You don't have to have fast thumbs. The game still carries it's weight.
And that might be another reason the older players enjoy it.

It's funny how many of us led parallel childhoods to get to this place.

I, too, am a cpu v cpu guy. Early on, I got tired of my team leading the league in strikeouts and trailing the league in walks. What I have always wondered is there any interest for online play where each player acts solely as manager of their team, matching only managerial skills instead of joystick skills. Wouldn't that be the ultimate fantasy baseball league? Could it be done? I have never played online, so I'm asking those that have.

And I bet all of us leading these parallel lifestyles thought we were the only one with the kind of passion that would lead you to upgrade or even purchase a whole system to play baseball. I have done this more than once.

[NeptunePirate]

Re: Does The Show Attract more Mature players?

Madden=Final Fantasy
The Show=Dark Souls

This makes so much sense. Love it.

[cbrown119]

Im 34 and bought a PS3 just for The Show 2008 after seeing my younger bro play it. I was still in my third year playing MVP 05 with updated rosters. I LOVE this game. It captures MLB baseball almost perfectly. After a game, win or lose, I think about it all day at work until my next game. Especially with losses I think about what I could've done differently. It seriously consumes my life and I love it.

Haha.

I am 47 and thought only I thought about such things...

Sometimes, I even get reality mixed up with how well MY team did that day. What I mean with reality as in how the real Tribe is doing...not the color of the sky in my world...

But I do go through the up and downs wondering about that key play and how it affected the rest of the game.

I never experienced this sort emotional bond before...with a video game!

Anyhow, 47 years old. Bought the PS3 just for the show..but blamed the kids saying that they wanted a video game console Needless to say, The Show was a day one purchase along with the console.