i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

[Jeffery 09]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Okay, I own a PS3 and I have both 2k and The Show. As for the person who said that the graphics are better in 2k than the Show, I don't see how you can say this, (field wear, player models, animations, framerate, smoothness)....

anyway, The thing that the Show does right is the gameplay, pitches do what they are supposed to do, ball physics are right on, you dont go around a low and outside pitch to pull it 385 feet into the seats. For the hardcore sim player, the show is the best baseball game to hit the shelves.

HOWEVER, the control scheme is boring and not at all original, this is where 2k has the show beaten, 2k has a lot of potential, pitching is really fun, fielding is fun, hitting is fun, but they just arent implemented very well...on The Show, the button mashing is getting old, but I own both titles because 2k is just a fun game to play, but you have to doctor the game via sliders in order for it to play a decent game of baseball.

[Artman22]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Since my PS3 is broken in that I can't eject my one disc that's in there (The Uninvited Blu-ray), I've been doing nothing but downloading a bunch of demos and playing them. Well I went back to downloading and playing 2K9, and honestly, I think it's just so unfortunate that MLB 09 The Show is so damn good, because this new outlook VC has began on the 2K franchise is actually just so damn fun. It has so many glaring issues particularly involving bat/ball physics, defense, and real-time integration, but I would really like to see these things worked on and enhanced and find out exactly how this game could look.

One thing I love about 2K games in general is how customizable the presentation can be. I remember when I was playing ESPN MLB 2K5 I moved somebody back to the game by making it appear much more like a real life television broadcast (for the most part, at least). I removed all visual aids including the ball landing spot cursor, I adjusted the audio settings to sound more appropriate, I removed all organ music and added in crowd chants and stadium music over the PA system, etc. Well, what I'm saying is that the more that they can up the presentation ante, the more deceivingly good a game appears. The demo lacks any such options to adjust anything so I'm stuck with the far back camera angle while batting and pitching behind the pitcher's left shoulder (plus we get the damn organ music), but give me the right tools and I can make this game appear much better overall without touching a single graphical polygon.

It's only unfortunate that they don't have developers running around here asking for things that we would like to have improved, because my first things would definitely be involving the things I mentioned above (defense, bat/ball physics, audio, and real-time integration), plus working on transition animations. What I really think VC had time for this past year to make 2K9 was to redo the logic of the game, changing the loading times and cut scenes to real time; alongside that, they also seem to have worked to ease the default things for the user. But under the hood, it still appears to be the same game that 2K8 was. I think that 2K10 can be the year where VC really tries to make it its own, like Rob Jones did going into NBA 2K6 or like how ESPN NFL 2K4 breathed new life. They just need to know where to look.

First things first, fix the damn bat sounds. I guarantee you it's a blessing in disguise, but the day the bat sounds are fixed, the day everything appears a little more like baseball when you're playing. The same can also be said for the organ music and crowd liveliness. There are 40,000 people in a stadium, make it sound like it! Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips already have a lot of lines; how awesome would it be if not only could they double that amount, but implement an "MLB Today" feature alongside it so lines of dialogue are dynamic in a sense? I really love the zero-stitch commentary, keep it up. Also, I don't know how in-depth custom soundtracks are, but hopefully in 2K10 they are available anywhere, ranging from using them in the menus to using them for a strikeout.

The other thing I want to find out is exactly how this whole real-time system works. Unfortunately, it didn't really work out how I explained because it seems that objects aren't yet exactly multi-threaded and they still run on the same processor. In other words, a batter won't walk into the box and do his own thing until the pitcher finishes his routine to get on the mound (the necessary camera shots and commentary follow this same concept). Like we can't get camera shots and analysis on the pitcher while a batter is stepping in off-screen, and then we'll finally get to him (even maybe a pitch after). The same thing goes for replays... a replay can't be running while the rest of the game continues its course to load up what it needs to load up. Both of these things combine with home runs, and this is my biggest issue because this is where they forgot to finish running around the bases in real time. Here's a post kind of explaining what I was expecting out of real-time:

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...3-post143.html

I don't know if something like this is possible based on their own code, but I'm looking forward to see how they've enhanced it overall. It's something that really makes 2K9 different as a baseball game and is something that SCEA Sports should be looking into instead of piling on cut scenes year in and year out.

In short, MLB 2K8 was garbage and a headache to look at with its color hues and frame rate problems. VC stepped in and really made a playable game out of 2K9, but did it with 2K8 still poking its ugly head out under the hood. Hopefully this year, VC can completely rid anything that 2K8 was doing holding them back, really up the animation department (especially with transitions), and perhaps add a few niches of its own including something like "MLB Today," and if it's set at a $39.99 price I would highly consider looking at the game. The thing about 2K9 is it actually is a fun game to play, even though it's not that good. MLB The Show is just so far ahead of the game pleasing OS users though that it's almost impossible to pass up, especially if they get player models fixed and work on other presentation things. But 2K9 has real-time going for them, something I'm a huge fan of. I honestly can't say that I have any reason to buy MLB 2K10 over or alongside The Show at the moment, but if something surprises me, you never know. Likewise, I'd like to see where this series is headed. 2K10 could be a pretty good indication of how we can expect 2K11 to turn out, and I'm always looking toward the future.

I only hope VC chooses to do the right thing(s) and address what is a nuisance for this franchise. Visual Concepts has always been a pretty faithful franchise, and I think the heat is finally on them, especially when the license expires and EA is back into the game. So even though it may not rival The Show in most aspects, I think and hope that 360 owners will finally have a game to look forward to. To reiterate what the OP said, I think 2K baseball is going to be a pretty good game this year.

Plus the 360 versions has no jaggies like the ps3 version, and the graphics look better on the 360. There was also a patch that fixed some issues.

[HawkNestMonster]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

I am 95 percent sure that I will not be buying 2K10 this year. It will be the first time in probably 10 years that I have not bought a baseball game.

That 5 percent is reserved for at least a month of research; videos, reviews, message boards, and if the game piques my interest and the response from other consumers is good, I will probably rent it. If I love it after renting it, I'll buy it.

But I'm not holding my breath. 2K has vomited out their baseball game the past three years.

[baa7]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

It has so many glaring issues particularly involving bat/ball physics

Play using zone hitting. The bat/ball physics are second-to-none, and it blows away The Show's PS2-ported coding in that department.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Play using zone hitting. The bat/ball physics are second-to-none, and it blows away The Show's PS2-ported coding in that department.

I hope the "zone" hitting is tweaked this year, to respond like PowerPros. The cursor needs to move more quickly and "snap" back to the center when the analog stick is let go.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

I hope the "zone" hitting is tweaked this year, to respond like PowerPros. The cursor needs to move more quickly and "snap" back to the center when the analog stick is let go.

Yeah, the system definitely needs some tweaking, but kind of like anything, once you get used to it, it becomes second nature. I never played PowerPro's, so I have no basis to compare it to, but once I played 2-3 games with it last year, I never looked back and refuse to unless they decide to remove it, which wouldn't suprise me...because they are 2K.

As Baa said, the physics were right on about 99% of the time. On a very rare occasion, something would be off, but for the most part they were money. You know when you squared up on the ball and the results showed it.

IMO, it is the most satisfying hitting system I've used in a long time. I felt that I earned my hits and at times I felt over matched when facing a stud pitcher.

I also like that it was challenging from the get go with a pitch speed in the 60's and as I got better I could bump that up to keep it challenging and some what realistic.

You are right though, it needs to be a bit quicker. For me, it was impossible to catch up with a high fastball, even when I felt I reacted in time. I think if they speed it up a bit, it would do wonders for the system.

IMO, the biggest flaw that needs to be adressed with this system is the size of the cursor (contact area) of the hitters. IMO, It should change based on the hitter's contact rating so that you differentiate the guys who never strike out with the guys who strike out 180 times a season...I also think they should vary the size of the sweet spot for players as well so that some guys hit the ball harder more often, while other guys may make weaker contact.

The only other thing they need to do is tone down the graphic so that it is much more subtle and blends in as much as possible without losing its functionality. They should seriously add an option to adjust the transparancy and color of the cursor.

[Knight165]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

The Show's PS2-ported coding in that department.

Once again....incorrect.
However, carry on with your self anointed claims...since you never want to listen to the truth.

M.K.
Knight165

[Blzer]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Play using zone hitting. The bat/ball physics are second-to-none, and it blows away The Show's PS2-ported coding in that department.

Only problem is I played the demo, which had literally zero options.

But isn't it analog zone hitting? I can't play the kind that redirects itself back to the center of the zone... at least, not with a visual cursor. With normal "invisible" zone hitting, I can do it more appropriately because I'm not trying to match up a visual with the ball, I'm just trying to point to where the ball is at. It sounds weird that I differentiate the two that way, but that's just how it is.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Only problem is I played the demo, which had literally zero options.

But isn't it analog zone hitting? I can't play the kind that redirects itself back to the center of the zone... at least, not with a visual cursor. With normal "invisible" zone hitting, I can do it more appropriately because I'm not trying to match up a visual with the ball, I'm just trying to point to where the ball is at. It sounds weird that I differentiate the two that way, but that's just how it is.

It's a cursor hitting system that they inappropriately named zone hitting. The cursor does not snap back to the center if you let go.

I'd prefer some kind of hybrid...I think most of us would.

But, when your choice is between a timing only system in which simply by pressing a direction you can influence the outcome of the hit vs. one where the results are almost completely physics based, in which you do have to line up the icon with the ball, I'll choose the latter.

For better or worse, the one thing this system does is let you basically 100% dictate the outcome of the hit. Get on top of the ball and hit it on the ground, get under it and hit it in the air and everything in between is...well....something in between, but your skill and abilty to react take over, not a random outcome generator.

With an invisable system, I think you lose a bit of that because you truely never know exactly where you are in relation to the ball. In a game of inches this is the difference between a groundball to the right side to advance a runner from second to third vs. a pop up to the second baseman.

But in reality, that's probably better. No hitter can get the job done every time. But in the above situation in an "invisable zone" system, when you are just trying to hit a grounder to advance a runner and you guess the right zone, what determines the point of contact along the bat? What determines if you get slightly on top of the ball or under the ball? Randomness?

[humaca80]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Play using zone hitting. The bat/ball physics are second-to-none, and it blows away The Show's PS2-ported coding in that department.

LOL, baa thats a funny joke man

[Jamin23]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

SCEA took ideas from 2k with adding the real time presentation so why can't 2k take ideas from them and implement them into mlb 2k?

[EnigmaNemesis]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

SCEA took ideas from 2k with adding the real time presentation so why can't 2k take ideas from them and implement them into mlb 2k?

Presentation is an easy thing to do compared to instilling sim gameplay. It took SCEA years to perfect. Don't expect miracles overnight.

Lack of info once again from 2K, shows no excitement to share "things borrowed". So I am not holding my breath.

[Jamin23]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

Presentation is an easy thing to do compared to instilling sim gameplay. It took SCEA years to perfect. Don't expect miracles overnight.

Lack of info once again from 2K, shows no excitement to share "things borrowed". So I am not holding my breath.

I know they can't turn this into a sim game overnight, but they could take some features from scea or at least look at what they are doing and try to make their game somewhat like the show. It worked for Madden, so I think it could work for 2K if they looked at what SCEA does right and make mlb 2k as realistic as possible. 2k's PR department is terrible. They need to start interacting with the community and start releasing bits of info early on to get people interested in the game and it's not just MLB 2k. It extends to NHL and NBA 2K.

[kcxiv]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

We are getting info real soon. I am not saying tomorrow or the next day, but real soon. I know pretty much exactly when and what, but i cant give a date as if something gets held back a little and the date is off then i will get crucified. lol

I can say that its soon and it should be plenty. At least from what i have been told.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: i think 2k baseball is gonna be a pretty good game this year

We are getting info real soon. I am not saying tomorrow or the next day, but real soon. I know pretty much exactly when and what, but i cant give a date as if something gets held back a little and the date is off then i will get crucified. lol

I can say that its soon and it should be plenty. At least from what i have been told.

Cool, thx. Even when the info comes it won't be enough for some until someone reputable gets hands-on so I'm sure this will continue regardless when the info comes out. Really curious to see what they've done with the title this year myself