A couple things you need to know up front:
1). This is my first "Next Gen" baseball game
2). My last baseball game was MVP05 for the Xbox
3. I am using a hybrid of all-star and legend sliders to be able to unlock cards.
Over the weekend, for no particular reason, I starting to think back to MVP 05 and the experience I had playing that game. It has been a long time since I sold my xbox (kept the game) but xbox360 wont back it back-compatible...so it was like putting the pieces together of an old jigsaw puzzle. I want to do a little comparison, but not so much about the game play, but more-so the emotions and the excitement of the old game.
Pitching
In MVP 05, as I recall, the pitching was top notch in that as the game went along and your pitcher fatigued, the little red release bar would get smaller and smaller, thus creating a higher probability that you would release poorly and pay the cost of a bad pitch. Some pitchers red bar would last longer than others, and this created a true sense of pressure that would mount as the game progressed. Not only that, but there would be some days where I would be tired, or my timing would simply be just a little off, and even my best pitchers could have a terrible game because of me. On the other hand, some days my timing would be immaculate, and I could take that pitcher deep and hit that red sliver for the knockout pitch. But man, the adrenaline knowing the chances that I was taking by pushing that pitcher to the edge.
In 2K9, I love the pitching gesture concept. I think pitching is far more enjoyable than hitting in this game by far. I love how you choose the location of the pitch by compensating for the break of the ball. However, I feel once you get that motion down (and yes I know about the motion gesture slider and pitcher fatigue sliders) that is becomes far too routine to make great pitches and ring up those K's. I feel that if I really wanted, I could take my pitcher all the way through the 9th (and have done so every game with Santana). Unlike 2K9, I never feel the increased pressure as the game goes by.
Hitting
MVP 05 had some of the toughest, most rewarding hitting ever. Every season I would pull up my PDF that explained the hit stick and the effects it would have on the ball if you used that stick when the ball was pitched into the 9 distinct zones. I remember struggling to catch the little flash off of the pitchers hand, and trying not to get murdered by the change up or sinker. Like the pitching timing, I would find myself going "Tin Cup" and getting the shanks that I would sometimes play all afternoon in order to work the kinks out (have to do the same thing playing COD). So, like pitching, I could have off-days...or several off days in regards to hits. But when I would get that big hit, I would admire the variety of ball physics and would feel truly rewarded by my concentration and effort. I remember how terrible I was with a full count and two outs, when my runner at first would take off and I would see him out of the corner of my eye and it would ruin my timing for the big whiff!
In MLB 2K9 the hitting too basic. Rarely does a bat go by that I dont make contact. I can easily hit up the middle, or aim left or right, or upper-left or right for the big bomb. As the game progresses, I never feel the increased pressure to rally because I know that at the very least, I will make contact with every batter and at least get some base runners.
Now how the game accumulates your stats is probably my greatest concern. I can look at my team and I have some mid .200 hitters, some .300 hitters, and some mid .350 hitters. The stats look reasonably "simmed" and I imagine that by the end of the season they will be about where they should. But my issue is with HOW they get there. If I am making contact 80-90% of the time, then the only thing keeping me from being a .800 hitter is that the computer either generates fly balls, ground outs, or amazing infield catchers to keep my stats in the realistic range. I never feel as if my timing or my stick direction are the cause of my hitting woes, but more that the computer knows that it is time to balance out my stats a bit.
I guess my main summary, is that when I play the game I just don't feel like there is at much as stake my game in the past. I feel that I could probably be half-comotose, and still do enough to win some games just going through the motions.
Do these issues prevent me from playing this game? No. I love baseball and any game is better than no game. This is also not a post about the "good ol days" but more about the emotions, timing, pressure, and excitement that this games seems to lack.
Am I off base in my thinking? Dont get me wrong, I will still play and finish out my season, get my achievements and move on.
Are there some of you out there that swear by some of the sliders sets available that would bring the feeling back that I talk about, or is it basically the same stuff with a bit more variety?
Thoughts? Opinions? Please post. It is going to be a long workday!
Oh yeah, one last small though about this game....stealing...WTF? Nuff said.
1). This is my first "Next Gen" baseball game
2). My last baseball game was MVP05 for the Xbox
3. I am using a hybrid of all-star and legend sliders to be able to unlock cards.
Over the weekend, for no particular reason, I starting to think back to MVP 05 and the experience I had playing that game. It has been a long time since I sold my xbox (kept the game) but xbox360 wont back it back-compatible...so it was like putting the pieces together of an old jigsaw puzzle. I want to do a little comparison, but not so much about the game play, but more-so the emotions and the excitement of the old game.
Pitching
In MVP 05, as I recall, the pitching was top notch in that as the game went along and your pitcher fatigued, the little red release bar would get smaller and smaller, thus creating a higher probability that you would release poorly and pay the cost of a bad pitch. Some pitchers red bar would last longer than others, and this created a true sense of pressure that would mount as the game progressed. Not only that, but there would be some days where I would be tired, or my timing would simply be just a little off, and even my best pitchers could have a terrible game because of me. On the other hand, some days my timing would be immaculate, and I could take that pitcher deep and hit that red sliver for the knockout pitch. But man, the adrenaline knowing the chances that I was taking by pushing that pitcher to the edge.
In 2K9, I love the pitching gesture concept. I think pitching is far more enjoyable than hitting in this game by far. I love how you choose the location of the pitch by compensating for the break of the ball. However, I feel once you get that motion down (and yes I know about the motion gesture slider and pitcher fatigue sliders) that is becomes far too routine to make great pitches and ring up those K's. I feel that if I really wanted, I could take my pitcher all the way through the 9th (and have done so every game with Santana). Unlike 2K9, I never feel the increased pressure as the game goes by.
Hitting
MVP 05 had some of the toughest, most rewarding hitting ever. Every season I would pull up my PDF that explained the hit stick and the effects it would have on the ball if you used that stick when the ball was pitched into the 9 distinct zones. I remember struggling to catch the little flash off of the pitchers hand, and trying not to get murdered by the change up or sinker. Like the pitching timing, I would find myself going "Tin Cup" and getting the shanks that I would sometimes play all afternoon in order to work the kinks out (have to do the same thing playing COD). So, like pitching, I could have off-days...or several off days in regards to hits. But when I would get that big hit, I would admire the variety of ball physics and would feel truly rewarded by my concentration and effort. I remember how terrible I was with a full count and two outs, when my runner at first would take off and I would see him out of the corner of my eye and it would ruin my timing for the big whiff!
In MLB 2K9 the hitting too basic. Rarely does a bat go by that I dont make contact. I can easily hit up the middle, or aim left or right, or upper-left or right for the big bomb. As the game progresses, I never feel the increased pressure to rally because I know that at the very least, I will make contact with every batter and at least get some base runners.
Now how the game accumulates your stats is probably my greatest concern. I can look at my team and I have some mid .200 hitters, some .300 hitters, and some mid .350 hitters. The stats look reasonably "simmed" and I imagine that by the end of the season they will be about where they should. But my issue is with HOW they get there. If I am making contact 80-90% of the time, then the only thing keeping me from being a .800 hitter is that the computer either generates fly balls, ground outs, or amazing infield catchers to keep my stats in the realistic range. I never feel as if my timing or my stick direction are the cause of my hitting woes, but more that the computer knows that it is time to balance out my stats a bit.
I guess my main summary, is that when I play the game I just don't feel like there is at much as stake my game in the past. I feel that I could probably be half-comotose, and still do enough to win some games just going through the motions.
Do these issues prevent me from playing this game? No. I love baseball and any game is better than no game. This is also not a post about the "good ol days" but more about the emotions, timing, pressure, and excitement that this games seems to lack.
Am I off base in my thinking? Dont get me wrong, I will still play and finish out my season, get my achievements and move on.
Are there some of you out there that swear by some of the sliders sets available that would bring the feeling back that I talk about, or is it basically the same stuff with a bit more variety?
Thoughts? Opinions? Please post. It is going to be a long workday!
Oh yeah, one last small though about this game....stealing...WTF? Nuff said.
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