Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

[BigBlue]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

Jayhawker:

How frustrating is it to play online and not even know who's batting? Drives me nuts!

BigBlue

[bobbysco13]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

Jayhawker:

How frustrating is it to play online and not even know who's batting? Drives me nuts!

BigBlue

I also would like to have some statistical overlays during the online game......It is tough when you have to try and listen to the announcer for who is up to bat....terrible

[jerm21]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

-when's the patch supposed to come out?
-if you get the patch will you be able to continue your franchise or have to start from scratch?
-does it cost 60 bucks, or could i return my game for it say if ihave the receipt

[JayhawkerStL]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

Jayhawker:

How frustrating is it to play online and not even know who's batting? Drives me nuts!

BigBlue

At least online you can ask your opponent to show you the line-up. Offline, all you can do is bring up the box score, but that doesn't label a batter as a lefty or righty. When I am getting guys in my bullpen, I want to know these things well in advance. If the other team as a couple of lefties coming up, I will juggle my bullpen to get that match-up.

To me, this is the most broken system in the game, and it rarely gets mentioned.

[JayhawkerStL]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

I also would like to have some statistical overlays during the online game......It is tough when you have to try and listen to the announcer for who is up to bat....terrible

I would also like to see how my players have done so far. It's not a game breaker, but why the heck is there not an overlay that shows my batter as being 2-3 with 2 RBIs and such?

It feels like Q&A spent more time worrying about what is in the game that works (and they missed a bunch there , too!) than what might be missing from the game.

[BigBlue]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

What's most troubling to me is how a developer can justify removing the features/overlays/sliders that we as gamers did not list as having needed improvement.

It's like how EA stripped Madden of challenges and other features before porting the game over to the 360. The wishlists are there for developers to use for ideas to enhance/improve the game. Why the heck would we need to create a thread for developers that list the things WE DON'T WANT REMOVED OR TOUCHED?

If VC wanted us to have a cleaner presentation during the pitcher/batter confrontation, then they needed to give us the ability to pull up the game stats we're used to seeing with a simple button press. But removing the ability to do so as well as removing sliders that enhanced gameplay? Not cool.

EA got flack for removing CPU sliders in their Madden game. I thought VC was smarter than that!

What's bad too is that there is no VC rep to chime in here and explain some of the thinking that went on in developing MLB2K9. There has GOT to be a little give and take between us (the community) and VC during the collaberation process for MLB2K10 if they want to succeed.

I don't want MLB2K10 to be a simple pick up and play game. That's what THE BIGS is for!
Give me HIGH HEAT!

BigBlue

[StormJH1]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

I care only about the things that break the gameplay. To expect more than that is either unrealistic or impossible. Yes, it looks ugly when I throw to 3rd and my fielder is pointing towards home. Yes, it's dumb when the screen reads "Joe Mauer: Top Fielder in 216." Ultimately, though, these have no impact on the way the game plays, they just look bad.

If there is patch in the works, I hope that 95% of it is focused on finding every fielding glitch they can find. If nothing else, use the patch as a beta for the core mechanics you will NEED for 2k10 to be successful. Fix the fielding glitches that result in game-ruining innings full of unearned runs, and this will be a pretty enjoyable game.

[GrizzlyRed]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

made another thread but thought I would post it here

http://www.2ksports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211682

[mizzouj]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

Personally, I'm finding the fun factor with this game to be high. I'm enjoying it a lot more then last year's game. I have yet to see the 1st baseman pull of the bag or an outfielder strangely miss a fly ball.

The only annoying glitch I'm seeing is in stealing. When I take off to 2nd and the computer does a pick off move, the 1st baseman just holds the ball and lets me advance. This has happened multiple times.

I'm using SFGiantsPBA sliders with some of my own variations. I'm finding the game to be the right mix of challenging, but enjoyable.

[SoxFan01605]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

What's most troubling to me is how a developer can justify removing the features/overlays/sliders that we as gamers did not list as having needed improvement.

It's like how EA stripped Madden of challenges and other features before porting the game over to the 360. The wishlists are there for developers to use for ideas to enhance/improve the game. Why the heck would we need to create a thread for developers that list the things WE DON'T WANT REMOVED OR TOUCHED?

If VC wanted us to have a cleaner presentation during the pitcher/batter confrontation, then they needed to give us the ability to pull up the game stats we're used to seeing with a simple button press. But removing the ability to do so as well as removing sliders that enhanced gameplay? Not cool.

EA got flack for removing CPU sliders in their Madden game. I thought VC was smarter than that!

What's bad too is that there is no VC rep to chime in here and explain some of the thinking that went on in developing MLB2K9. There has GOT to be a little give and take between us (the community) and VC during the collaberation process for MLB2K10 if they want to succeed.

I don't want MLB2K10 to be a simple pick up and play game. That's what THE BIGS is for!
Give me HIGH HEAT!

BigBlue

Well, just for clarification...Madden was never ported from the 360. They completely rebuit the game for "next gen" and are still trying to get features back in that were in the "last gen" title...lol. It's a decision that they admit to regretting a bit now.

As for VC, I can forgive some of the stripped down features in that same vein. They supposedly rebuilt the graphics "engine" and the franchise mode. When you scrap what you have, sometimes older stuff doesn't make the cut.

I can also forgive some of the issues that go along with these changes. Graphical quirks with the real-time stuff (as it's so new and bound to have hiccups), franchise inconsistencies a bugs, etc. As long as they make effort to fix them, I'm okay. That much change WILL result in issue. It happened with the other game too, in this respect.

The editing options being removed make no sense to me, however, as they (I'm pretty sure) don't fall under that same blanket. I mean, you can see the pitch ratings in the menu...you just can't edit them. That's just simply locking down a feature.

THAT is where VC dropped the ball the biggest IMO. The locking/limiting of editing option coupled with removing key sliders was a major misstep. It's akin to (as you rightly mentioned) EA removing CPU sliders in Madden.

I think the trouble with all of that, and why it's really hard to reconsile the product is we've been looking at an unfinished product 3 years in a row.

2K7 was supposed to turn things around. It was heavily flawed, but showed promise for future titles. 2K8 was a mess on release and seemed like the took step backs with the only forward steps the added analog controls. 2K9 is much like 2K7, only not quite as pretty up close (though the stadiums look much better overall) and buggier on the field.

So the patch might touch of a couple of the bigger gripes people have, but there will still be plenty of things that will continue on (or possibly surface later) because they took more control from the user's hands.

It WILL save the game for some people. There are plenty who are mostly pleased with it now, so the patch should only make that better for them. Plus, there are those who only really have issue with the Aggression and the patch is supposedly addressing that. We'll see how it goes.

VC flat out released an unfinished product. This is maybe the most unpolished sports game I've played (at least in memory). Not the worst...just the most unpolished. It's like giving a face-lift to someone that needs a heart transplant...lol

[gambler1180]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

I own The Show but I am really hoping that the patch corrects some of the issues you are talking about with 2k9. After the patch is out I think I may pick this game up b/c I really like the game play in this game.


TO me The Show is to much of a sim and not enough of a game. I like the fact that in 2k9, when you pitch a ball then its b/c you did something wrong. Its ultimately your fault and not some computer algorithm making that decision where it ends up.

[capa]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

I own The Show but I am really hoping that the patch corrects some of the issues you are talking about with 2k9. After the patch is out I think I may pick this game up b/c I really like the game play in this game.


TO me The Show is to much of a sim and not enough of a game. I like the fact that in 2k9, when you pitch a ball then its b/c you did something wrong. Its ultimately your fault and not some computer algorithm making that decision where it ends up.

Whew...I thought I was 2-12 in the Show because I can't hit or field well. Glad it is really because of the math.

C

[BigBlue]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

Do you guys think that not having Ben Brinkman around to see the project all the way through hurt this game a bit? At least with Brinkman, or somebody at the helm who was front and center during the development of the game, we had someone who had an idea about which direction this game was headed.

My fear is that VC is still unsure about how they ultimately want to define this game. Is it a sim, is it a pick-up-and-play for the 8-year old? I think what all developers tend to do is try to find a happy middle ground. As a result, they wind up taking away alot of what we as sim-players require to play the game the way we really hope it would play.

I like the game, it's fun. I'll continue to play it and support it. But, man, this game could be SO much more!

BigBlue

[BadKermit]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

There are just TOO many issues that need to be addressed that cannot be fixed with a patch.

No offense meant, but how do you know what can be fixed by a patch? Rock Band added an entire music store interface with a patch. I bet there are a lot of things that can be fixed.

[Herky]

Re: Can the next patch realistically save MLB2K9?

Unless they lift the editing cap and the other editing issues I won't buy it.