Making the Jump to a PS3 and The Show

[RaychelSnr]

Caley Roark has penned an article discussing his experiences with MLB '08: The Show and his new PS3 which were both bought thanks to the government's free stimulus handouts. Be sure to check out his article, Making the Jump to a PS3 and The Show.

"Sometimes things just go your way: the planets align, fate smiles, and the ball takes a lucky bounce. Such was the case for me last week. The combination of a government stimulus check, a sweet deal from Walmart , approval for a Sony credit card, and catching my wife on a good day allowed me to purchase a PS3. I wasn't looking for a new system: I've owned the Xbox 360 since launch, and we got a Wii for Christmas. Mainly, since the format war ended, I've been itching for a BlueRay player. My wife mocks my self-given title of "early adopter."

[dodgerblue]

"i think many would agree that 2k8 is the worst game of 2k's baseball line up"

2k6 is much worse imo. But there is no question 2k8 is a disappointment after it looked like 2k7 was so close. Because of what is going on with 2k now, it looks like the show is the only logical choice for next year.

[RaychelSnr]

2k6 was atrocious for sure....I'd say at this point, 2k8 was the most disappointing game this year thus far (especially since I named it as such). Really, the hype surrounding the game had most expecting it to be able to compete with The Show, instead it wasn't even close. I think, if anything, it shows just how bad exclusive licenses suck

[dodgerblue]

Re: Making the Jump to a PS3 and The Show

Yep. Couldn't agree more about the exclusive license comment. Instead of improving their games to compete, EA (football) and 2k (baseball) bought the rights. So in the end, the company that was weakest in making the games became the only choice. Thankfully sony gives everyone with a ps3 an option and madden seems to be improving.


on another note, crazy weather in the plains, amazing avatar.

[RaychelSnr]

Yeah, I don't know if you can really equate 2k's failure to just the exclusive license though. I think a lot of it really has to do with just poor design all around and poor development cycle management which includes QA. That is the same thing that I believe has hampered Madden the past few years. Madden last year would have been a pretty good game sans the bugs that were shipped with it. It just amazes me how some games can ship with certain bugs, the bugs in MLB 2k8 are of no exception.

[Hammerhunker]

Re: Making the Jump to a PS3 and The Show

I need to emphasize the comment on 2k7 showing promise...it sure did, post patch. What in the heck happened? Ben Brinkman should be ashamed of himself for putting his name front and center with this game's current state. Listening to his interviews he made this game sound as if it had truly arrived. I feel it is no better than one of the old unlicensed hack games that came out on the old PS1.

The thesis of this article has been well documented throughout these boards. Most people that have purchased a PS3 with only the Show in mind have definitely not been disappointed with the purchase.

Good article.

[CPRoark]

"i think many would agree that 2k8 is the worst game of 2k's baseball line up"

2k6 is much worse imo. But there is no question 2k8 is a disappointment after it looked like 2k7 was so close. Because of what is going on with 2k now, it looks like the show is the only logical choice for next year.

Dodgerblue,

You are right, 2k6 was probably worse. I meant 2k8 is the worst game in 2k's current lineup, including The Bigs and PowerPros.

However, I agree that 2k8 was probably the most disappointing.

[bigwill33]

Good article, I too wish I could have got this game, but could not justify purchasing a whole other system just yet.

Funny how I took so much heat for disliking 2k and now it is pretty widely disliked.

[ndeezlo]

Proofreading is fun...

[dodgerblue]

No sweat CPR. Discussing which version of 2k baseball is best for next gen is a little like discussing which iteration of nba live is best... or debating which LA Clippers team is the best over the years- pretty pointless. Good article, the show is the way to go for sure.

[PaperLantern]

The thing is, I don't want to pay around $650 just so I can get solid baseball game. I;d gladly pay $70 or even $80 to play this game on Xbox 360, but I don't think one game would persuade me to purchase a brand new console.

I'll just wait until Xbox gets a good baseball series or 2k makes a better baseball game.

[CPRoark]

The thing is, I don't want to pay around $650 just so I can get solid baseball game. I;d gladly pay $70 or even $80 to play this game on Xbox 360, but I don't think one game would persuade me to purchase a brand new console.

I'll just wait until Xbox gets a good baseball series or 2k makes a better baseball game.

PaperLantern, I hear you. If it weren't for all of the things I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I'd never have gotten the Ps3 or MLB. Actually, I'm still a little surprised that it worked out.

Check out the 5/30 links for the Walmart deal. Basically, you get a $100 gift card back. That works for me--we do a lot of grocery shopping there. I also used a Sony card that gives you another $100 back on your first purchase, as long as it's over $299. So I paid a total of $199 (399-200) for the system and another 30 for the game (used copy minus the trade in). If you could get a BlueRay player and a great baseball game for $230, does that sound better?

Don't worry...I don't make money from Sony or Walmart. But if it does help someone enjoy a baseball game, it's worth my time spreading the word.

[frbc]

The PS3 has become more of an option with games like The Show. On the whole, however, sports games have lagged significantly behind the XBOX 360 in terms of graphics. This year's "Show" was an exception. The graphics were crisp and next gen--I would argue better than MLB 2K8 on the 360. However, to date, EA Sports games look more like a PS2 and a half than a PS3, with a lot of lag, tear lines, etc. Hopefully, the next wave of PS3 games from EA will finally take advantage of the fabled PS3 capabilities.

[bighurt27]

I also took the plunge a couple of months back and got a PS3 mainly for The Show (kept my 360 too). Post patch 2k8 plays a decent game of baseball but The Show pretty much blows it away in every aspect. It was worth the $$ and games like Uncharted, Resistance, and Heavenly Sword keep me playing it.

[EnigmaNemesis]

All I know is ... I loved MVP 05 on the PC ... I have not played a game close to that since MLB 06: The Show ... I had it for the PSP, and the darn PSP version looked better and had far better animations than 2K6 for the 360.

I ran out and re-bought a slim PS2 just to get the PS2 version. Then came 2K7 on the 360, which showed a LOT of promise, and it held me over well last year.

But now came this little gem called MLB 08: The Show for the PS3. And I was so jonesin' for a baseball game, after not enjoying the 2K8 Demo on the 360, I promptly ran to the store, shelled out the cash for the PS3 and The Show. And I am glad I did. Never looking back now. These guys just know baseball. And to think, it will only get better next year.

Love the game... it is all I play EVERY day, on the PS3 and PSP... they need to shorten the load times on the PSP version, but other than that... the best out there.