MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

[dukebeatsuncagain]

I think that this game, hands down, has the least impressive graphics out of any 2011 titles.

My overall opinion...blah.

[jmik58]

The batting interface, the physics of the ball off the bat, and the tracking of the ball from pitcher to home are very nice and make this game great to play in the demo so far!

[devroid]

Just wanted to say something about how some think that MLB 2K11 is for the casual gamer. I played both demos with my brothers 18 year old friend who is not a big baseball fan or gamer at all. He was kinda like my guinea pig experiment to figure out which game he would consider better and have more fun with at the end of it all. (didnt tell him that though). Well we played MLB:The Show for about an hour when the demo first released. Funny thing was, he and I were both having fun when playing the game. After awhile though I started to get bored of throwing pitches with just an up and down motion on the stick. Also playing the whole guessing game of where the ball was going to be pitched and what was being thrown was getting really annoying. But my brothers friend was having a blast. With that said, when the demo for MLB 2K11 came out we played maybe 15 minutes of it. The reason it was only 15 minutes was becuase he wanted to go back to playing The Show for the fact he couldent get the pitching scheme down nor didnt like the fact you had to judge where the pitches were going instead of guessing where and what was coming. I was enjoying the game completley, finding it way more difficult and fun than The Show. What I'm getting at is this kid was having more fun and finding it way more easy pushing the stick up and down all day instead of having to perfect your stick skills the way you need to on MLB 2K11. And what game is for the casual gamer agian?

He wasn't saying casual gamer, he was saying casual baseball fan.

[Greene_Flash03]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

Just wanted to say something about how some think that MLB 2K11 is for the casual gamer. I played both demos with my brothers 18 year old friend who is not a big baseball fan or gamer at all. He was kinda like my guinea pig experiment to figure out which game he would consider better and have more fun with at the end of it all. (didnt tell him that though). Well we played MLB:The Show for about an hour when the demo first released. Funny thing was, he and I were both having fun when playing the game. After awhile though I started to get bored of throwing pitches with just an up and down motion on the stick. Also playing the whole guessing game of where the ball was going to be pitched and what was being thrown was getting really annoying. But my brothers friend was having a blast. With that said, when the demo for MLB 2K11 came out we played maybe 15 minutes of it. The reason it was only 15 minutes was becuase he wanted to go back to playing The Show for the fact he couldent get the pitching scheme down nor didnt like the fact you had to judge where the pitches were going instead of guessing where and what was coming. I was enjoying the game completley, finding it way more difficult and fun than The Show. What I'm getting at is this kid was having more fun and finding it way more easy pushing the stick up and down all day instead of having to perfect your stick skills the way you need to on MLB 2K11. And what game is for the casual gamer agian?

Very good example! As I said in my first post here, I truly believe 2k11 is a FUN and Sim baseball game. I really enjoy playing the demo, maybe because the game is much more challenging than I expected both hitting and pitching. Also, when you nailed a pitch or a hit, it feels rewarding.

As for the graphics, eh it's good enough for me to enjoy the whole experience. Honestly its not the 'graphics' the thing that bothers me are the player models and faces. that's all.

AND...

Players rounding bases looks awkward! Player getting stuck on the bases, I hope they fix that.

[kennyacid]

Im a show guy ever since 989 sports BUT i must say i did enjoy this demo. It was a welcomed change. Im not a graphics guy so the look of the players didnt bother much. The gameplay felt good, did some nice double plays that had me goin WOW! . Am I goin toing to pick up the retail ? Not sure i want to blow 60 on a box of chocolates...might have to wait and see how others like it then ill see.

[DirtyJerz32]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

I worked a walk last night after being behind 0-2. It definitely feels like a real battle at the plate, which is why hitting is actually my favorite part of the game.

This...

I also love the pitching also. Having the variable strike zones really make a difference this year.

[Ollienyy]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

Just my 2 cents (fun article to read guys BTW) is that I totally disagree with the casual baseball fan part given to 2k11. I honestly think, having played both games, that 2K is the more in depth. Earlier incarnations, 2k6-8 mostly, have seemed to hinge on the arcadey side but ever since VC took over in 2K9, we have seen a bigger shift to a game that is actually more rewarding in the battle between the batter and the pitcher. So much so that getting in a 0-2 count and working back up feels so much more rewarding and realistic to me then another game I could mention. Fielding has lagged behind a lot but it looks like they are starting to concentrate on that. This is just my opinion after all, coming from someone who is not a huge gamer, but is (I like to think) a Huge baseball fan. Some articles, including Pasta Padres recent rather dismissive impressions, seem to not even give the game a chance, so ingrained to the mistakes of the past and graphical splendor of another game. Especially when it has been revealed that the Demo is from a very EARLY build. Really we can't go the "this game is crap" root until we have it in our hands or at least see some youtube videos from legit owners of the game.

Also want to point out, some posts from the other games fans have been on the fine line between trolling and posting. Those posts have been reported as such. This game is not perfect, neither is the other one. In an ideal world we would have two great games. But defending one or the other to the death, ignoring other peoples views is not the way to go about it, it's a childish thing and something that needs to be put an end to in this forum. I still think an age limit of 16+ should be enforced on these boards to weed some of these posters out but thats for another post.

Anyway, Rant Over.

[Spongedaddy]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

Just my 2 cents (fun article to read guys BTW) is that I totally disagree with the casual baseball fan part given to 2k11. I honestly think, having played both demos, that 2K is the more in depth. Earlier incarnations, 2k6-8 mostly, have seemed to hinge on the arcadey side but ever since VC took over in 2K9, we have seen a bigger shift to a game that is actually more rewarding in the battle between the batter and the pitcher. Fielding has lagged behind a lot but it looks like they are starting to concentrate on that. Some articles, including Pasta Padres recent rather dismissive impressions, seem to not even give the game a chance, so ingrained to the mistakes of the past and graphical splendor of another game. Especially when it has been revealed that the Demo is from a very EARLY build.

Also want to point out, some posts from the other games fans have been on the fine line between trolling and posting. Those posts have been reported as such. This game is not perfect, neither is the other one. In an ideal world we would have two great games. But defending one or the other to the death, ignoring other peoples views is not the way to go about it, it's a childish thing and something that needs to be put an end to in this forum. I still think an age limit of 16+ should be enforced on these boards to weed some of these posters out but thats for another post.

Anyway, Rant Over.

I like 2K and am buying it this year...but...you have played 2 demos. It's impossible to tell which game is deeper at this point. There will always be haters when it comes to sports games. I could care less. The bottom line is what will I enjoy.

[DirtyJerz32]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

So i guess not being able to compare one game to the other just went out the door now that i see OS writers doing it in a 2K forum, lol.

Can't begin to imagine what would have happened if this had been done in the show forums!

Lol, really?

Other than this, The Show can be a bit overwhelming to the casual baseball player, and I think 2K has wisely tried not to copy The Show's success verbatim. Were did the compare the two?

[Knight165]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

What kind of back-handed BS is that? After the work 2K put into differentiating the fielders and pitchers, and the dynamic ratings, you could argue that 2K11 is on the verge of becoming the most realistic game on the market.

And while it may not be there yet, the notion that The Show is overwhelming to the casual fan is beyond a joke. In fact, it's reliance on style over substance, as it looks amazing, it exactly what draws in the casual fans that don't nail The show for its problems.

But I've seen this kind of comment from the community day guys enough to know that they are just carrying out more of Sony's PR for them. But it really had no place in this look at the 2K demo.

You know what...
I'm getting tired of THIS B.S.
Getting called out for being able to partake in SCEA's CD is getting old.
I'm sorry but this $%^^ has got to stop.

M.K.
Knight165

[TexasBorn1]

I am happy with 2k11 this year. The revamped fielding, dynamic player ratings, hitting and pitching controls are what sold me based on the demo. No its not a pretty game like some have said, Josh Hamilton & some other players look...very strange and are only recognizable by name/number, but I had a lot of fun and that is what matters most. I agree that the animations are lacking and sometimes the pitchers look uninterested during cutscenes, but they definitely got the gameplay down. It feels like my inputs matter and its not completely random. I also love that they have stats everywhere and the inside edge system

[DirtyJerz32]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

But it's still a comparison! That is not supposed to be allowed at all.

Ok, I think we're done here. Let's move on.

[ryan36]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

Keep it about the article guys. Articles are news items , and our writers will compare games in their thoughts. You can take issue with the article's content and give feedback here.

The PERSONAL ATTACKS need to stop

[DirtyJerz32]

Re: MLB 2K11 Demo Impressions Roundtable

Keep it about the article guys. Articles are news items , and our writers will compare games in their thoughts. You can take issue with the article's content and give feedback here.

The PERSONAL ATTACKS need to stop

That's why I said we're done. Sorry about that.

[rudyjuly2]

The more I play the 2K11 demo the more I like the game. It's too easy on the default settings but I think the game will play really well with difficulty level and/or slider adjustments.

MLB 2K11 does lack polish in some areas but I think people overuse this to suggest that 2K can't be sim and is just for the casual baseball fan (it's a bit elitist at times). Just because the AI has some quirks doesn't mean the batting and pitching engine can't be realistic which is the basis of all great baseball games. I'm absolutely in love with the bat off the ball physics in the demo. Huge improvement over 2K10 in this area.