MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

[The Management]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

08 The Show

[countryboy]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Sounds/looks incredible.

BUT... I do have one gripe.

Those player models still look the same (weird shoulders, etc). I thought they were redoing those?

I can live with it either way, but thought I shoudl bring it up.

the new player models were not put into the game this year due to complications.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

I find that hard to believe figuring the level of customization in the faces. Someone obviously thought the body proportions were fine in 06, no need to change them in 07, still looking good for 08.. one more year? Why not.

In my opinion it's inexcusable. Still my favorite game but it's rather annoying that the body types on Triple Play 98 are perfectly proportionate. And I'm pretty sure I had working collision detection in Mlb 2k3 as one of my favorite pastimes was running into the pitcher or first baseman.

'06 wasn't on the PS3, '07 they ran into some trouble and the game didn't release until May, '08 was a short dev cycle due to the complications of '07. They wanted to change the player models this year, but ran into trouble while doing so and decided to wait until next year to implement them.

My guess is that they had so much on the plate this year that they decided it wasn't worth the precious time trying to get the player models to work and decided to move on.

And I haven't seen it stated anywhere that collision detection is not in the game.

[Russell_SCEA]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

Again, they wanted to change the player models this year but ran into complications. Look for them next year. And I haven't seen it stated anywhere that collision detection is not in the game this year. It may not be, but I haven't seen one way or the other.

You are correct about the player models it's a time issue. It's not a plug-in-play type of deal if the player models change that means that every single animation in the game has to be re-mapped to the new models.

Can't comment one way or another on collision detection.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

You are correct about the player models it's a time issue. It's not a plug in play type of deal if the player models change that means that every single animation in the game has to be re-mapped to the new models.

Can't comment one way or another on collision detection.

I can't imagine having to re-map every single animation.

And for my opinion alone, I would prefer the player models be held off another year in favor of the few things that we know have been included this year(progressive lighting, updated franchise, crowd chants, etc..)

[The Management]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

the new player models were not put into the game this year due to complications.

What "complications"? Getting the right body proportions should be priority number 1. It's really the only game out with this problem.

If I can change my home character from short and stocky to tall and lanky in a matter of seconds (I'm using Home as a reference because it looks like they use a similar face builder), something doesn't seem right.

[SoxChamp]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

You are correct about the player models it's a time issue. It's not a plug in play type of deal if the player models change that means that every single animation in the game has to be re-mapped to the new models.

Can't comment one way or another on collision detection.

It must just be me, because I've never felt that the player models were all that bad. Rather than stare at screenshots, if you watch the game in motion, I think they look pretty darn close to real major leaguers. No, not perfect, but what is? I know this isn't a place to bash the other game, but watching 2K's players move and react makes me laugh. It's cartoony and just plain terrible, in my opinion. To each his own I guess. Not having new player models this year isn't the end of the world, nor will it distract me from playing an absolutely wonderful game of baseball.

[The Management]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

I can't imagine having to re-map every single animation.

And for my opinion alone, I would prefer the player models be held off another year in favor of the few things that we know have been included this year(progressive lighting, updated franchise, crowd chants, etc..)

A majority of the mo-cap is done from the body joints I would imagine (just guessing). A simple algorythm would remap them no? Again, using Home as an example.. I can stretch the body type any which way and all the gestures work the same. I think it's more a marketing choice rather than an implementation choice.

[The Management]

Re: MLB 09 Huge Preview and Screens - ESPN

It must just be me, because I've never felt that the player models were all that bad. Rather than stare at screenshots, if you watch the game in motion, I think they look pretty darn close to real major leaguers. No, not perfect, but what is? I know this isn't a place to bash the other game, but watching 2K's players move and react makes me laugh. It's cartoony and just plain terrible, in my opinion. To each his own I guess. Not having new player models this year isn't the end of the world, nor will it distract me from playing an absolutely wonderful game of baseball.

When I say player models, I'm not talking about changing everything all around, I like the way the models look more than other games. But for the limbs and torso to not be proportionate is a huge negative. I seriously can't think of one game with (unintentionally) disproportionate limbs in the last 10 years. It would have been my number one priority, the game is already awesome.

[duke776]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

If I can change my home character from short and stocky to tall and lanky in a matter of seconds (I'm using Home as a reference because it looks like they use a similar face builder), something doesn't seem right.

That is nothing even remotely close to what they have to do, that stuff is already programmed on there for you. SCEA has to re-work all the animations if they put in new player models. They can't just click a button and magically have the animations work perfectly with the new player models.

[DickDalewood]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

the new player models were not put into the game this year due to complications.

With the amount of quality work that is put into this game, that answer is just fine with me. I can wait until next year.

[The Management]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

That is nothing even remotely close to what they have to do, that stuff is already programmed on there for you. SCEA has to re-work all the animations if they put in new player models. They can't just click a button and magically have the animations work perfectly with the new player models.

They do it with players of different sizes in the game correct? What's the difference? The tall players have proportionate torso's but still have small arms. The shorter players have it all wrong. One hurdle I can think of would be maybe the original implementation of the hand/glove/arm is separately coordinate based, making it a more daunting task.

But with the motion capture on the face being so malleable, I don't see how making the arms a couple inches longer and the shoulders closer to the body would be so difficult (or not a priority). Guess that's why I don't get paid the big bucks though.

[ARMORALLL]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

Wow I like what I've seen so far and I might as well remind people that there is still alot we dont know about the game so its useless to draw early conclusions about what will and wont be in the final version. Heres hoping for rainouts!

[The Management]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

And I'm speaking from a coding background (not in gaming though I have coded some simple games). Not in a "man why can't they do this I want it wah wah"

I'm trying to understand what the complication was. I don't think there was a complication, just a marketing decision. Fix the player models or do something else. Something else won out. That's fine by me. I'm not even to concerned with the features because I already like the game just as it is. I really don't understand how a next generation sports sim can have small arms. My computer golf game from 1995 was proportionate!

[countryboy]

Re: MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

What "complications"? Getting the right body proportions should be priority number 1. It's really the only game out with this problem.

If I can change my home character from short and stocky to tall and lanky in a matter of seconds (I'm using Home as a reference because it looks like they use a similar face builder), something doesn't seem right.

because they have to re-map every single animation when re-doing the player models. Its not as simple as what you're thinking it should be.

And I disagree, the player models aren't at the top of my priority list, not when they aren't that bad to begin with. As I said, yes, I'd like to see them be redone, but I'd much rather have the improvements to the other aspects of the game that we've gotten this year vs updated player models.