I'm purchasing two baseball games this year, High Heat and whichever of the other three games seems best after they come out. Right now my money's on MVP. From the long movies I've seen it looks like it has the best graphics and animations, and although I know this is hotly debated, I really love the innovatinve ideas using the throwing/pitching meters. So the big question is: will MVP be a graphical, feature, and innovative overhaul that still plays similarly to the homerun and hitfest of Triple Play, or will all these great new graphics and innovations be the icing on the cake that is a realistic representation of baseball. If the game's not realistic (I don't expect it to be High Heat, but it should be in that direction) then the rest of the game will just get old after a while.
The Producer interview at Easports.com lends a little hope:
"EA SPORTS: Do individual players have their own strengths and weaknesses? "
"BRENT: Absolutely. This year we have taken the depth of our player ratings and attributes to a whole new level of authenticity and individuality. For MVP Baseball 2003 we employed the services of Inside Edge, which is the same company that provides the detailed player profiles and scouting reports to the Major League teams. Each individual player has 20 individual attribute categories covering batting, baserunning and fielding, and pitchers have an additional 10-24 pitcher-specific attribute categories (depending on how many types of pitches they throw)! Of course, each of the hitting attributes is broken down between left and right-handed pitching. In addition, each player has his hot and cold zones for batting, and again, these change based on pitcher-handedness. "
"Managing your bullpen and your bench has never been as realistic or important. Each decision you make as a manager could effect the outcome of the game because the AI and player attributes are so incredibly realistic. If you get a base hit to right field against the Expos, and you try stretch that single into a double, chances are you’ll be gunned down at second because Vladimir Guerrero has such a strong arm. Conversely, you might want to challenge the arm of Frank Catalanotto in that same situation. I won’t even go into what happens if you make a mistake pitch to Barry Bonds in the game. Let’s just say, if the game is in Pac Bell Park, those kayaks and boats are getting a workout in McCovey Cove. Individual player attributes and his strengths and weaknesses are really what drive gameplay in MVP Baseball 2003, and each player really feels like an individual and truly like their real-life counterpart."
If what this guy says is true, then I think we're in for a great game. Similar statements to what this guy said were made by the producers of NBA Live this year too - another game that had a big overhaul, some great new innovations (free-style control), but yet did not end up playing very well. So I'm wondering what MVP is gonna be like. Anyone else have some more info on MVP's realism or lack thereof (and no, I don't mean info such as "Triple play was a joke so MVP won't be real at all either - just actual information please)?? Add it to the thread. If MVP isn't real at all, I guess I'll go with WSB - nothing beats High Heat in terms of baseball realism though.
Comment