Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I grew tired of ASB for the same reasons I slowly grew tired of The Show.

Each year, there seemed to be a "sameness" to it. Both games do a tremendous job of replicating the baseball broadcast experience. But to be honest, that led to stretches of boredom. I love baseball more than any other sport, but some games during the season are just more boring than others.

Completing a game of The Show takes well over an hour, unless you skip all the cut scenes and broadcast style touches. Those are what makes that game what it is, however. Next to High Heat 2002, MVP '05 is my favorite baseball title. HH delivered great results, while MVP delivered a lot of excitement.

I'm still waiting for either The Show or MLB 2K to include a "one pitch" mode -- where every at-bat starts with a generated pitch count. It allows games to played in half the time without sacrificing an ounce of realism, results or presentation.

[baa7]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I'm still waiting for either The Show or MLB 2K to include a "one pitch" mode -- where every at-bat starts with a generated pitch count.

Another example of a simple, game-changing feature that was in baseball games over a decade ago. Why hasn't some of this found it's way into games like The Show?

[baa7]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

To continue my thoughts from earlier, I also don't think MLB 2K9 needs to be a better game than The Show. I'll settle for "good" or "very good,"

That's where I'm at. Maybe it's desperation?! But seriously, I'm not looking for The Show quality. I honestly just want something innovative and different this year. If it's innovative and good, I'm set.

[thaSLAB]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

LOL @ this thread... short answer to OP, No.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I'm still waiting for either The Show or MLB 2K to include a "one pitch" mode -- where every at-bat starts with a generated pitch count. It allows games to played in half the time without sacrificing an ounce of realism, results or presentation.

Not to high jack this thread, but how would this work? I've seen it mentioned before and it kind of intrigues me, but for it to be a "one pitch" mode wouldn't every count have to be a full count or would you just start kind of in the middle of an at-bat with maybe a 1-1 count or a 2-0 count (which then could still lead to multiple pitches)?

[Trevytrev11]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

That's where I'm at. Maybe it's desperation?! But seriously, I'm not looking for The Show quality. I honestly just want something innovative and different this year. If it's innovative and good, I'm set.

I'm just looking for something that is fun without any over the top game killers. All facets of the game need to be close without any glaring issues. While MVP isn't my favorite baseball game of all time, it is the last baseball game that I've had that I actually looked forward to playing more than a year after it's release. While it wasn't perfect, it didn't have any huge glaring issues that took away from one of the major parts of the game.

I'm not looking for perfection or for the re-invention of the wheel. Just a game that plays a solid game of baseball that is fun to play.

[JBH3]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I grew tired of ASB for the same reasons I slowly grew tired of The Show.

Each year, there seemed to be a "sameness" to it. Both games do a tremendous job of replicating the baseball broadcast experience. But to be honest, that led to stretches of boredom. I love baseball more than any other sport, but some games during the season are just more boring than others.

Completing a game of The Show takes well over an hour, unless you skip all the cut scenes and broadcast style touches. Those are what makes that game what it is, however. Next to High Heat 2002, MVP '05 is my favorite baseball title. HH delivered great results, while MVP delivered a lot of excitement.

I'm still waiting for either The Show or MLB 2K to include a "one pitch" mode -- where every at-bat starts with a generated pitch count. It allows games to played in half the time without sacrificing an ounce of realism, results or presentation.

For ASB the graphics and gameplay were not the greatest, but got the job done.

That game had the best franchise mode though of any game. You had A, B, C FAs, 40-man rosters, arbitration, Rule 5, EXPANSION, and your minor league players had the standard set-number of options/call-ups.

All this on a game that was on the PS2...which seems like ages ago.

I'd love to see a one-pitch mode, just like I'd love to see an accelrated clock in Madden.

At least we can save games mid-way through though...Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't we do that in 2K8 too?

That's where I'm at. Maybe it's desperation?! But seriously, I'm not looking for The Show quality. I honestly just want something innovative and different this year. If it's innovative and good, I'm set.

Last year was innovative enough for me. Going into 2K8 I was thinking if I can just get a take-out slide, and some real injuries I'd be happy. I got the take-out slides, but injuries still sucked. The pitching system, MB's aside, was awesome to me. Unlike that pointless pin-point system, I was actually throwing balls and walking batters more than I had ever done since I played baseball on last-gen games.

For gameplay...If I can see CPU Steals, CPU walks, and realistic pitch counts I'll be happy playing the game.

The franchise though needs so much work, IMO, that it probably will just be MLB 2K8 w/ better on-field gameplay.

Something I was thinking...

Why can't we get some sort scouting for college/highschool players?

That would be a nice addition to the franchise mode. Something reminiscent of NBA 2Ks scouting, and how you can work-out players pre-draft for even more insight on them.

[Artman22]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

Well Art, what's the point of buying what amounts to a roster update every year with improved graphics? If you look at some of the gameplay ideas that someone like Blzer comes up with, it starts to become a question as to why game developers aren't working just as hard re-designing hitting, pitching and fielding gameplay and controls. Or how about adjustable user cameras? Or first-person fielding? Or baserunner perspective for stealing, like 2K had a couple of years ago? Where's the player rating depth that games ten years ago had? Where are the real-life ball physics? Or collision detection? Why is so much of the gameplay still scripted: from hits, to foul ball counts, to players like first basemen who are incapable of making errors because it's hard-coded into the programming?

The Show is a great series, but IMO it stopped moving forward a long time ago. If people get excited at progressive lighting, a handful of new animations and having updated player faces, so be it. But that's not my idea of a game that's striving to take baseball gaming to a new level. And I'm not saying 2K has all of that, obviously. But I'm pretty much ready for something new. That or a whole new MLB The Show experience, and it's clear that's not happening this year again.

I agree with you but overall the show is a way better baseball game then mlb2k. The show has been using the same engine since ps2 and has tweaked that engine little by little each year and thats why it's a better game. MLB2k is always changing things and developers and thats why it's the way it is. Now if VC stays with this game for now on, i can see this game being great. I also feel Kush did more harm then anything else to this game. I understand what you mean when you say you want something new and thats why i'm giving mlb2k9 a shot just to have something that feels new. I'm still getting the show cause i enjoy that game a lot.

[baa7]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I agree with you but overall the show is a way better baseball game then mlb2k.

The last three years, I agree. And The Show 09 will be better that 2K9, no doubt. But I'm just hoping for an improved 2K9, that's all.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

Not to high jack this thread, but how would this work? I've seen it mentioned before and it kind of intrigues me, but for it to be a "one pitch" mode wouldn't every count have to be a full count or would you just start kind of in the middle of an at-bat with maybe a 1-1 count or a 2-0 count (which then could still lead to multiple pitches)?

Essentially, yes. High Heat would randomly generate pitch counts (based on hitter/pitching ratings) at the beginning of the at-bat. It lead to multiple pitches, certainly, but it allowed games full of walks and high pitch counts (the generated count was added to pitches thrown and affected stamina) to be played it half the time.

Nothing was more satisfying than starting the count 3-1. It was great!

Okay, I'll stop the hijack here. Feel free to PM me or start another thread if we want to keep chatting about it

[baa7]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I'm still getting the show cause i enjoy that game a lot.

If I had a PS3, I'd buy it as well because of the graphics upgrades. But I'm not sure I'll pick it up for the PS2 this year. I can't see how it's worth it at this point. Although I heard the contact window isn't as big this year -- that would be one reason to get it I suppose.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

If I had a PS3, I'd buy it as well because of the graphics upgrades. But I'm not sure I'll pick it up for the PS2 this year. I can't see how it's worth it at this point. Although I heard the contact window isn't as big this year -- that would be one reason to get it I suppose.

One of my biggest problems with the series has always been the ease it getting hits. The batting indicator is downright gargantuan.

[dorismary]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I look at it this way VC knows what didnt work in 2k8 so im sure they will at least try to address and fix those flaws They would be fools not too .
Im really looking foward to checking it out , man I used to love that MLB 2k series even when we couldnt manually field , but the graphics were awesome on my Dreamcast still my favorite system .

[Artman22]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

I look at it this way VC knows what didnt work in 2k8 so im sure they will at least try to address and fix those flaws They would be fools not too .
Im really looking foward to checking it out , man I used to love that MLB 2k series even when we couldnt manually field , but the graphics were awesome on my Dreamcast still my favorite system .

I forgot if it was mlb2k or world series baseball? I came home all excited and im pitching. I remember i was pitching with pedro martinez. The batter hit the ball and i went to field the ball but i had no control over fielding. I went crazy looking in the options menu for manuel fielding. After a while i realized the computer did all the fielding. I was tempted to snap the disc at first lol. wow i was angry. I've never felt more ripped off in my life.

[Artman22]

Re: Does anyone think 2k9 is going to be better than the show this year?

If I had a PS3, I'd buy it as well because of the graphics upgrades. But I'm not sure I'll pick it up for the PS2 this year. I can't see how it's worth it at this point. Although I heard the contact window isn't as big this year -- that would be one reason to get it I suppose.

If that's the only difference in the ps2 version then i'd only get MLB2k9 on the 360. A roster update does not deserve a purchase imo.