Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

[boomhauertjs]

Re: "PadreCast" talks MLB 2K9 Features..

You guys made a good point in saying that 2k really should be showing lots of videos, getting the demo out early, etc. to help regain the trust of their customer base. 2k's usually not very good at doing these things, so it will be interesting to see how they market 2k9.

I remember reading after 2k7 that MLB was contemplating getting out of their exclusive contract with 2k. If 2k9 bombs, I wonder if MLB will try to get out of the contract.

[CMH]

Re: "PadreCast" talks MLB 2K9 Features..

You guys made a good point in saying that 2k really should be showing lots of videos, getting the demo out early, etc. to help regain the trust of their customer base. 2k's usually not very good at doing these things, so it will be interesting to see how they market 2k9.

I remember reading after 2k7 that MLB was contemplating getting out of their exclusive contract with 2k. If 2k9 bombs, I wonder if MLB will try to get out of the contract.

2k did a good job of releasing the demo to 2k8 early, if I remember correctly.

2k is still terrible with releasing video, though.

[baa7]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

Meat pitches gone... Zone hitting back in... What's that? Could it be I'm actually getting a bit excited about this game?? Lord have mercy.

[boomhauertjs]

Re: "PadreCast" talks MLB 2K9 Features..

2k did a good job of releasing the demo to 2k8 early, if I remember correctly.

Actually, they promised that it would be out well in advance of the game and ended up not coming out until after the game was released.

[CMH]

Re: "PadreCast" talks MLB 2K9 Features..

Actually, they promised that it would be out well in advance of the game and ended up not coming out until after the game was released.

Oh, is that what it was? Then I didn't remember correctly.

[jeffy777]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

I rarely see or pitch any meatballs in 2K8 (probably because I'm using SFG's fantastic sliders), so I'm not really that concerned about whether they'll be in 2K9 or not. With that said, there should be wild pitches when a pitcher messes up, but they shouldn't be fastballs right down the heart of the plate.

[CMH]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

Wild pitches sometimes, but automatically would be too drastic. It should consider how much you messed up.

If you're out there just flicking the stick for no reason, then yea, you should be hitting the backstop.

But, 2k would do themselves some good if they let most of the pitches (since we can assume that most miss by little) miss the corners for balls or head into the zone.

Too early on the release, then pitches sail high and away. Too late and pitches go low and in (picture this as a righty facing a lefty and vice versa).

Again, not too drastic, though. If I'm trying to jam someone, I aim inside, and I release too late, then that pitch should end up more middle/in on the plate then in on the hands. Same goes if I'm trying to hit that inside corner, and I throw a bit too early, now that pitch should go in toward the hands for a ball.

That would make pitching more realistic and allow us to actually walk guys without trying to.

[jeffy777]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

That would make pitching more realistic and allow us to actually walk guys without trying to.

I totally agree. It's basically impossible to walk a guy accidentally in 2K8 or The Show, unless you just really suck with the controls. It needs to be more realistic and more of a challenge to throw the ball where you want it, especially with pitchers who are known to be a bit wild.

But it almost sounds like they are going to make it even easier for people who couldn't handle 2K8's controls, which I personally found to be really easy already.

[baa7]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

I totally agree. It's basically impossible to walk a guy accidentally in 2K8 or The Show, unless you just really suck with the controls.

Now hang on here. Any MLB pitcher can toss pitches across the plate at will. The problem is some pitchers have trouble painting the corners, and end up missing outside, inside, etc. So even in the Majors, it's basically impossible to walk a guy accidently -- meaning, if any pitcher wants to throw a pitch down the middle of the plate for strikes, he usually can.

The biggest difference between 2K and The Show, is 2K doesn't have wild pitches. Aim high and way outside in 2K8 and the C will catch it everytime. But aim high and way outside in The Show and the ball will hit the backstop.

The other, less-obvious difference is this: if you aim for the black in 2K, you're going to hit it every time, and with any pitcher -- the control ratings in that game mean absolutely nothing. But aim for the black with a low-control pitcher in The Show, and you'll see a variety of results. Some pitches will hit the black, and others will miss high, low, inside, or outside your spot by as much as several inches. Pitchers in The Show still have too much control, I agree, but there's a noticable difference between the two games when it comes to pitchers' control.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

Wild pitches sometimes, but automatically would be too drastic. It should consider how much you messed up.

If you're out there just flicking the stick for no reason, then yea, you should be hitting the backstop.

But, 2k would do themselves some good if they let most of the pitches (since we can assume that most miss by little) miss the corners for balls or head into the zone.

Too early on the release, then pitches sail high and away. Too late and pitches go low and in (picture this as a righty facing a lefty and vice versa).

Again, not too drastic, though. If I'm trying to jam someone, I aim inside, and I release too late, then that pitch should end up more middle/in on the plate then in on the hands. Same goes if I'm trying to hit that inside corner, and I throw a bit too early, now that pitch should go in toward the hands for a ball.

That would make pitching more realistic and allow us to actually walk guys without trying to.

Basically my thoughts exactly for the most part. Let the system work for itself.

With the old system, missing inside or outside could have been accomplished by missing the end point of the release to the left or right. Not sure about the new system, but it would be nice if a system let you independantly miss in all four directions.

A meter system, unless programmed for randomness, could really only let you miss in one or the other. If late was always down and away and early was always up and in. How could you ever miss down and in or up and away?

Without knowing what the new system will be like, it's hard to anticipate how this (if this) will be accomplished.

I still think:
A) Meatballs as an automatic should be eliminated and things should just naturally occure.
B) A system needs to be put in so locating a curveball isn't as easy as locating a fastball and pitching with Zito isn't as easy as pitching with Maddux.
C) Wild pitches occur only on extreme misses to pitches thrown to the middle of the plate and on slim misses on pitches thrown to the extreme edges of the zone (assuming the miss in the direction out of the zone).

[jeffy777]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

Now hang on here. Any MLB pitcher can toss pitches across the plate at will. The problem is some pitchers have trouble painting the corners, and end up missing outside, inside, etc. So even in the Majors, it's basically impossible to walk a guy accidently -- meaning, if any pitcher wants to throw a pitch down the middle of the plate for strikes, he usually can.

When I said "accidentally" walking a batter, essentially what I meant is that it's almost impossible to walk a guy in 2K7 and 2K8 even if you are trying to paint the corners with the most difficult pitches. It's just too easy to hit your spots, regardless of a pitcher's control rating.

The biggest difference between 2K and The Show, is 2K doesn't have wild pitches. Aim high and way outside in 2K8 and the C will catch it everytime. But aim high and way outside in The Show and the ball will hit the backstop.

There are wild pitches that will reach the backstop in current 2K games, but it's only if you really suck with the controls and totally screw up the release as badly as possible.

[Pared]

Re: Padrecast: MLB 2K9 Feature List (Pasta Padre)

I said 95% meatballs weren't in -- or if they are -- they certainly won't mean HRs on most occasions.

Yes.