MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

[SoxFan01605]

Re: gamespot mlb 2k9 hands on

Good pictures, but they look nothing like the way his glove is up HERE:


Not saying it's anything to freak about right now. Just saying the guy had a point

[tyler289]

Re: gamespot mlb 2k9 hands on

Fair enough - I'm not a Red Sox fan so that explains it - but the 2k9 image has his glove a little too out there, but the attempt is realistic nonetheless. Thanks for the correction.

[King Gro23]

Re: gamespot mlb 2k9 hands on

lol aww Im not trying to rip or any thing actually I hate the Red Soxs, They ruined my Tribes chances of a world series in 07' me being a cleveland native in all

[bukktown]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

By the way, 2K7 had the same hitting system as MVP, it just wasn't as advanced.

Yeah. Thats kind of an understatement though as the 2k7 system was really bad. You could swing late on an outside pitch and still pull it 100% of the time if thats where you were aiming.

Hopefully timing will impact the direction of the hit in 2k9 also.

[mwjr]

Ugh. Somebody please tell me that I'm reading too far (or not far enough?) into their review of the batting mechanic. It sounds like it's just a more detailed influence system (meaning NOT zone) and they've taken away the step timing (one of the redeeming qualities of the swing stick. I've gone from extremely hopeful to disappointed in a short time...lol. I loved the step timing and thought the only thing missing was the "aiming." Now it will have neither?

On a more positive note, I like the sound of what they've done with franchise (especially 30 team control) and that they've apparently focused on addressing consumer issues with 2K8.

I'll wait for a more detailed (and, to be honest, trustworthy...when it comes to sports) review before I jump of that ledge...lol...but I didn't like what I heard about the hitting. It worries me that Gamespot equates simplification to fun. We'll see, I guess.

That's what I gathered from that article as well. No zone hitting, merely directional influence.

[statum71]

I'm a Show fan. But I am impressed. Looks good so far.

[Chad Rogers]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

I am hopeful although the word meatball starts me sweating. I'd love to hear that they are gone for 2k9 and for me would be a deal breaker. Miss badly and please just miss badly, it would be a dream to struggle throwing strikes with pitchers without good control. Throwing meatballs might have been the single dumbest thing I have seen in baseball gaming history.

[jerm21]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

I hope this game turns out like how it is with people on the internet who look better in person than in pictures.
Because honestly I was kind of dissapointed by the last 4 shots. The ones of Lincecum were great. but I would say Beckett and Reyes didn't look good at all.

1.)First of all Beckett looks like he has a mullet in that screen shot. the glove does look its pretty large, but hopefully its due to the motion of the wind up. also seems like a lot of green seats in the background..the shadows look good and so does fenway

2.) The picture with Torri Hunter is probably one of the best. the graphics look great with the fans in the background. the bat on the ball looks great as well.

3.) Evan Longoria picture, gave me a sigh of relief after i saw the Beckett picture. This picture actually looks like him! Glove doesn't look that big and no mullet so great picture. especially with the wrinkles in the jersey. The park looks more filled out in the background and i'm pumpedd to see how 2k did with the real life atmosphere.

4.) Jose Reyes..very awkward picture. the only awkward part is his head. the helmet looks like it's in a weird shape. and his gloves look like two michael jackson gloves on his hands. But this is just probably due to in mid motion and hopefully! the game graphics are a little better than this.

So graphics weree 7 out of 10. but i do have faith in mlb 2k9 i think it will be a greatt game with a TON of new improvements.

So bring on the trailer!

[brendanrfoley]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

This is a solid preview, and it gives me hope VC is taking the series in the right direction.

Eliminating the timing release of the pitching mechanic, while keeping the gesture, is a great compromise. I'm also happy to hear fielding hasn't changed. As for hitting? I play with one button classing swing, so the changes to the hit stick don't impact me too much.

The Longoria picture is sharp.

Crowds are definitely different, as well. Fenway has its trademark red seats, which it did not have last year. So, at the very least, we know they've done some work.

Bring on more screens, the trailer and some gameplay vids, please!

[HK-47]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

They've dumbed down the controlls for the lame pick up and play users.

2k, why do you always listen to the pick up and play users?!They are the reason why your losing customers to The Show.

The meatballs were the only thing wrong.It made the pitching seem broke, because every messed up pitch motion made you throw the ball right down the middle to get smacked into orbit.Messed up pitch motions should have just turned into BALLS, which would have been great, because it's way too easy to pound the strike zone in 2k baseball games.

The meatballs turned people off, not the controlls.Seriously...Who likes seeing every mistake go over the fence?

And why did you get rid of step timing for hitting?Swing stick+ zone hitting+step timing = the greatest hitting controlls in baseball gaming history.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

I don't think it's fair to say the game is "dumbed down."

The Show uses very simplistic pitching and hitting controls, to great effect.

[thundergatti]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

I'm thrilled at the ability to control all 30 teams in franchise. No more players sitting on the bench or in the minors when they should be in the lineup/rotation

[JayhawkerStL]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

The dumbed down pitching mechanic really bums me out. The pitching mechanic was what sold me on last year's game despite the other problems. Plus, I got to point where I was throwing one meatball every few games. This is what I wrote about 2K8's pitching earlier today on another forum, before I saw this preview.

"Now pitching is a different matter altogether. The stick did not merely make it more difficult. It did several things that made pitching much more realistic. You had two steps, and timing was important on both steps. But better pitchers had more leeway in that timing. But further, as pitchers got tired, that leeway shrank.

"Another thing it did was make breaking pitches tougher to pull off for strikes. So if you got behind in the count (which could happen, because the controls were imprecise, it was common to go back to your fastball, which mimics the way the game is played. But it also created a situation where better pitchers, like a Greg Maddux, could get away with breaking pitches when behind. This really drove the gameplay experience for me.

"But they did one more thing that really amped it up. I think it was poorly named, but the payoff pitch element could help you really get on a roll, especially with a fastball pitcher. With two strikes, or pitches in key situations, you were asked to hit a spot. hitting it boosted your pitcher's rating on that pitch. Missing it, however, dropped your rating. I was then faced with situations where I knew my curve ball was just not clicking, but I count on my slider. You could choose to cancel the payoff element, which would avoid the risk, but you would also lose the chance to boost.

"Where I would simplify hitting, I placed restrictions on my pitching, in order to keep that element of stress. For one, I never altered my catcher's target or signal. If he asked for a strike up and in, that's what I did. There were times he would call for balls out of the strike zone. I generally even obeyed this, as we were tryingto get the batter to chase a bad pitch, or set up for the next pitch. But that made the payoff pitch even more critical. I never opted out, but I sweat every time he called a curve ball. It was just really hard to place. It was tempting to just fire the fastball, which was much easier to hit.

"But there was another catch. Let's say I had Wainright, that opened with a fastball rating of 83. I could work him up to over 90 at times. But if I missed, it didn't drop to 89, it dropped to 83, and I had to start over. So once I was in the seventh inning, and the leeway started to shrink, I really sweated even hitting my fastballs. It could make the difference between Wainright pitching the 8th, or forcing me to go to the bullpen.

"Pitching became a meta game, that actually mimicked the meta game pitchers go through in real life. And the cool thing was, there were plenty of sliders so that you could adjust just how hard pitching was. I started out playing on easy, but it didn't take long before i had moved it up. I wasn't worried about what level I played, it was just if the game felt right. This is what I don't think I would ever want to give up in a game again."

Yet, it looks like 2K just sucked a healthy part of what made 2K8 a good game right out of it. This seriously bums me out.

[Behindshadows]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

I like what I read, and the pictures look amazing.

Thank you Gamespot for posting nice resolution..and good job from Visual Concepts, from the ground up. Incredible detail...

Looks like I'll have 2 Baseball games to play this season.

[HK-47]

Re: MLB 2K9 First Hands-On (Gamespot)

Yeah, it sucks.

I never was a fan of the pay off pitch though.Your starter would start throwing 98+ mph by the 7th inning.I just press B so that when I hit the spot, theres no ratings boost.

The Angels starting rotation is filthy, so I don't need no boost!