Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

**Smokez4DAyz** · 03-05-2009, 12:13 AM

I have no problem getting this game. good review. I've gotten a few mediocre games lately that were fun (afro samurai, fear 2, MK vs DC). Hey, I only use my Yanks anyway, so let the softball games begin. lol

**tkoui** · 03-05-2009, 12:30 AM

I concur with the review as well. My first franchise game, an hour into it, and it freezes on me as I make a catch to end the 8th inning. Disappointing. It would freeze then move one frame then freeze then move one frame, etc. I tried to let it "play out" hoping for the inning break to restore the game but to no avail. I played the demo for The Show but I was underwhelmed with that one as well. Maybe I need the full game (The Show) to appreciate it but for now, I'll keep plugging away at this one in anticipation of yet another patch fix. This is not the way to retain consumers, VC.

**ChaseB** · 03-05-2009, 01:46 AM

Originally posted by BlyGilmore

Cool Chase - you can play the game for two months and then re-review ...

Ha, no chance there's going to be a re-review in that sense douche.

**byobd4** · 03-05-2009, 07:14 AM

this game gets a 8 all day

**BlyGilmore** · 03-05-2009, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by ChaseB

Ha, no chance there's going to be a re-review in that sense douche.

sure sure. big words but fail at the execution :-)

**allBthere** · 03-05-2009, 12:24 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by BlyGilmore

IMO you can't review games based on what sliders may or may not do. Not everybody wants to sit there for hours fiddling with sliders trying to figure out what works - and IMO they shouldn't be expected to.

Besides, sliders should be for tweaking game play. IMO gamers shouldn't be counting on sliders to fix game play.

You should be getting at least decent game play right out of the box.

I don't agree with you. Anyone willing to pay for the game I would imagine would be up for fiddling with the sliders (at least most people). It is part of the game, thus something to be reviewed. I 'fiddled' for about 15 minutes, going under the assumption that the sliders work - which they do as far as I can tell.

your last point - we are getting a decent game right out of the box. It's just enhanced by slider modifications for those looking for more walks, bigger pitch counts, and less homeruns.

perhaps there should be tested, pre-programmed sliders used for accomplishing 'sim, arcade, and fusion'. I'm not sure what the 'average' buyer is looking for, and we can't really assume we know that either...so in that respect I can totally see why it plays the way it does out of the box. And after using bfjoe's slightly modified sliders, I'm very happy with the game. 8/10 happy.

So imo, the review lacks a major part of the game created deliberately to allow you to modify the gameplay to your preference. I'm not sure why you think it takes 'hours' also...but hey, if you don't want to touch sliders for some reason, that's fine. But in a review, I think people should at least know that the sliders can alter the gameplay dramatically, just to be fair and concise.

**Pared** · 03-05-2009, 12:29 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by allBthere

But in a review, I think people should at least know that the sliders can alter the gameplay dramatically, just to be fair and concise.

That's fair enough... but don't you think it's unfair not to hold the developer to task for not making these "necessary" adjustments in the first place?

If someone has to buy the game, then out of the box, up the power to get proper stats for HR's... why can't you hold the developer responsible for not doing the same?

**MLB** · 03-05-2009, 12:30 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by tkoui

I concur with the review as well. My first franchise game, an hour into it, and it freezes on me as I make a catch to end the 8th inning. Disappointing. It would freeze then move one frame then freeze then move one frame, etc. I tried to let it "play out" hoping for the inning break to restore the game but to no avail. I played the demo for The Show but I was underwhelmed with that one as well. Maybe I need the full game (The Show) to appreciate it but for now, I'll keep plugging away at this one in anticipation of yet another patch fix. This is not the way to retain consumers, VC.

I don't think there's any pleasing you then..

**allBthere** · 03-05-2009, 12:31 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by Pared

Well, IMO, you can't review a game on slider changes because they are very objective.

Not everyone who posts in the forums are the only guys who read these reviews. Others get home from work, read the review, then decide to buy the game. They might not even have the time to make the necessary changes; They just want to put the game in and play. I know a lot of guys like that... and a lot of guys that will scour the internet for the "best sliders evah!"

You can mention there are sliders... probably even go as far as to say they can help some of the issues out of the box... but you can't give the game the benefit of the doubt if upon loading up you have to plan to fix issues in the game. That's backwards thinking IMO.

For good measure: Chase, you suck at life.

if you don't have time to mess with sliders at all, you probably don't have time to play a true-to-life 3 hour game either. :wink:

**allBthere** · 03-05-2009, 12:37 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by Pared

That's fair enough... but don't you think it's unfair not to hold the developer to task for not making these "necessary" adjustments in the first place?

If someone has to buy the game, then out of the box, up the power to get proper stats for HR's... why can't you hold the developer responsible for not doing the same?

what's 'necessary' though? If you boot up the game with a buddy and play it it's going to be a fun action-packed game w/ each guy hitting a couple of dingers etc..
That's why there maybe should be some slider pre-sets w/ a default to what i think would be the most popular being 'fusion' which would be sim/arcade combo.
The sliders are the for you to customize your game experience. Perhaps the sliders are better the way they are by default than the opposite? If someone want a quick game and doesn't have time for franchise and slider tweaking - if it was the other way around, that guy would have to do a bunch of slider tweaking...the way it is now, only the harcore sim guys do.

**Pared** · 03-05-2009, 12:43 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by allBthere

what's 'necessary' though?

That's exactly my point, and why I put it in quotes.

How can you review a game, expecting the reviewer to be level in how reviews this game compared to other sports games, and expect them to factor in that sliders can "fix" a game for them?

Does that make sense?

**teebee** · 03-05-2009, 12:45 PM

I can't get visions of Pepsi and State Farm insurance out of my brain after playing a few games of 2k9, anyone know why?

**allBthere** · 03-05-2009, 01:17 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Originally posted by Pared

That's exactly my point, and why I put it in quotes.

How can you review a game, expecting the reviewer to be level in how reviews this game compared to other sports games, and expect them to factor in that sliders can "fix" a game for them?

Does that make sense?

I don't really get it. I'm saying to people it isn't broken, and that if sliders can make the game more to your preference - that should be factored in.
We are talking about videogame baseball, and your idea of what bliss is like will differ than mine.
I feel like the point of the review was to dock major points for the game not simulating real life baseball extremely closely - right out of the box.
I think your argument against mine is that the game is fundamentally 'broken' in certain aspects - is that right? And that sliders can band-aid those aspects and that the consumer shouldn't be expected to have to fix those issues himself..at least I think that's where you're going.
I'm just saying this is all very subjective and I'm not convinced that the game has to be extremely sim right out of the box to get a good score.
I think it's a great 'fusion' of sim, especially with my current sliders and I'm very happy w/ how it's playing now. I could list stats like my team BA or pitch count and things like this. I'll have lower walks (taken and given) and pitch counts - but everything else is very believable and my games only take 40-45 minutes.

**Trevytrev11** · 03-05-2009, 01:55 PM

Re: Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

I still don't understand the 3 hour game comments. Real baseball games are three hours mostly due to stuff that happens when the ball isn't even live.

Baseball games are slow because coaches take 2 minute mound visits, pitchers take several minutes to walk to the mound, talk to the coach and warm up. In a nine inning game there are 17 times times the teams have to switch sides (excludes the top of the 1st). This alone is a 2-3 minute process each time. Hitters step out of the box between every pitch. Pitchers gather themselves between tough pitches or when they get into tough jams. Catchers calm down pitchers. Coaches argue with umpires. Players argue with umpires. etc. etc.

All of this stuff is the reason games take forever in real life...in a video game all of this stuff takes seconds or no time at all.

Of course higher pitch counts are going to increase game length, but more so is whether or not you want to see every replay, every cut scene, etc. If you hit a in between pitches, you can throw pitch after pitch after pitch with almost no time in between and get through games with realistic walk and pitch counts in not a whole lot of time.

My average 2K8 game length is about 40-45 minutes or so and I works counts every chance I get and get the AI to throw 120+ pitches a game.

**shy1011** · 03-05-2009, 02:30 PM

Originally posted by Pared

That's fair enough... but don't you think it's unfair not to hold the developer to task for not making these "necessary" adjustments in the first place?

If someone has to buy the game, then out of the box, up the power to get proper stats for HR's... why can't you hold the developer responsible for not doing the same?

Every one is different as far as how they want to play with sliders. Not everyone is going to agree no mater what sliders the development puts as default.

Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

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