Re: MLB 09 The Show Demo Available, Post Impressions Here
For me, the batter/pitcher interface is 90% of a baseball game, and I must say that I am WOWed by the improvement in this area.
Last year I couldn't get around on fastballs (HOF difficulty), but it didn't matter because I could be pretty late even on an inside fastball and hit it very hard and very far the other way. I'd use pretty much the same timing to pull offspeed pitches. Pitches like sliders seemed a little "floaty". I could track them as they looped across the zone, and check my swing at the last second. 2 strike hitting was no big deal-I could check up easily on all balls and foul off pitches all day. Basically, everything was so forgiving.
Now I can get around on fastballs (and have to if I want to jack them), and the offspeed pitches work so much better. Hamels is just NASTY. Kazmir's slider breaks off so hard and late, and it is so much harder to check up if I'm really fooled (as it should be). On legend, the hitting zone seems a lot more important as well. Two strike hitting is really nerve-racking, and if I get my pitch early in the count, I really feel the need to get ahold of it. As someone who fell squarely into the "too many hits" crowd, I think I'll be happier than in pig in s*** this year.
The ball physics seem very much improved (less "floaty"). A scalded ball in the gap or down the line is really scalded. I know the fielding irks a lot of people, but it seems improved this year. Diving plays are now rare and impressive. In 08, I'd have at least a couple diving plays a game; now the ball often squeezes under the glove or just out of reach.
Outside of things the guys have already confirmed fixed for the final build (stuck-in-the-mud outfielders), I can't say I've found a major problem. I know it's cause everybody's getting anxious to play the full game, but some of the quibbles seems awfully nitpicky. (I never see an outfielder trip and fall down. HOW COME OUTFIELDERS DON'T EVER TRIP AND FALL DOWN
) jk. I guess I'd like to see more of a difference in the throwing meter between safe and slow tosses vs more risky guns, and maybe the pickoff/stolen base sytem could be revamped. The 2K9 videos looked like they had something where the pitcher actually has to look over manually (maybe with a small penalty if he throws a pitch quickly after looking back) that looked kind of cool.
This was kind of long and rambly. But I know the SCEA guys stop in here from time to time, and just wanted them to know they've done a marvelous job this year. I think the batter/pitcher interface is darn near perfect! Also, I'm usually a cynical jerk, so I'm hard to please.
For me, the batter/pitcher interface is 90% of a baseball game, and I must say that I am WOWed by the improvement in this area.
Last year I couldn't get around on fastballs (HOF difficulty), but it didn't matter because I could be pretty late even on an inside fastball and hit it very hard and very far the other way. I'd use pretty much the same timing to pull offspeed pitches. Pitches like sliders seemed a little "floaty". I could track them as they looped across the zone, and check my swing at the last second. 2 strike hitting was no big deal-I could check up easily on all balls and foul off pitches all day. Basically, everything was so forgiving.
Now I can get around on fastballs (and have to if I want to jack them), and the offspeed pitches work so much better. Hamels is just NASTY. Kazmir's slider breaks off so hard and late, and it is so much harder to check up if I'm really fooled (as it should be). On legend, the hitting zone seems a lot more important as well. Two strike hitting is really nerve-racking, and if I get my pitch early in the count, I really feel the need to get ahold of it. As someone who fell squarely into the "too many hits" crowd, I think I'll be happier than in pig in s*** this year.
The ball physics seem very much improved (less "floaty"). A scalded ball in the gap or down the line is really scalded. I know the fielding irks a lot of people, but it seems improved this year. Diving plays are now rare and impressive. In 08, I'd have at least a couple diving plays a game; now the ball often squeezes under the glove or just out of reach.
Outside of things the guys have already confirmed fixed for the final build (stuck-in-the-mud outfielders), I can't say I've found a major problem. I know it's cause everybody's getting anxious to play the full game, but some of the quibbles seems awfully nitpicky. (I never see an outfielder trip and fall down. HOW COME OUTFIELDERS DON'T EVER TRIP AND FALL DOWN
) jk. I guess I'd like to see more of a difference in the throwing meter between safe and slow tosses vs more risky guns, and maybe the pickoff/stolen base sytem could be revamped. The 2K9 videos looked like they had something where the pitcher actually has to look over manually (maybe with a small penalty if he throws a pitch quickly after looking back) that looked kind of cool.This was kind of long and rambly. But I know the SCEA guys stop in here from time to time, and just wanted them to know they've done a marvelous job this year. I think the batter/pitcher interface is darn near perfect! Also, I'm usually a cynical jerk, so I'm hard to please.
...but whatever.
Any ways I deleted the demo. I am going to wait for the real game to come out.
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