Need Help With A Decision

[TarHeelPhenom]

Im finally going to take the plunge and get a current gen system this week. Im torn between the two right now. One of the things that have me leaning towards the PS4 is the fact that it has the only baseball game on the market. Funny as it may sound, i have never played The Show franchise. Ive been playing 2k and MVP 2004 on the PC. My question to yall is this...is MLB The Show franchise good enough to tip the scales in favor of a PS4 purchase? Let me just say im a real big franchise mode and coach mode guy...does The Show shune in this area? Help me out man...

[Efbomb]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

This is a tough decision.

I'm a PS4 owner, and my help might be a little biased, but if you really love baseball, then the choice is easy. PS4 is the way to go.

Plus, PS4 has the Uncharted series. 1,2 and 3 are avail on 1 disc right now. The 4th is due in the near future.

[Knight165]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

TarHeel.....

Like stated above, if you want to play baseball on the current gen systems......there really is no other choice.
If baseball is your game....the PS4 is the must buy.

As far as franchise mode and manage mode.....they are both very, very good in MLBTS.
Perfect?(is there really such a thing in any sports game?) of course not, but the franchise mode is very deep and I'm confident that they will expand and improve it as well.
It's got just about everything there is as a GM or manager......but here are the main misses(IMO)

Spring Training....There is a Spring Training of course, but it's not much more than 30 games to play before the regular season. It needs position battles and that vying for the last few spots on the 25 man roster(CPU of course). As it stands now....regardless of ST performance the CPU basically has it's idea of how it wants to handle the 25 man roster(12 pitchers.....2 catchers.....etc) and picks the highest rated player to fill them.
I feel there needs to be a little(okay...a lot) more emphasis on using current performance for players that are close in ratings to make those last few decisions.....
Roster management. While it's solid for the most part....you will sometimes see stacking of positions(organizations carrying 10 catchers and 2 1B's etc). It's not rampant....but puzzling......there is also problem with SP's and injuries. Often a high rated RP(with low stamina) will be placed into the rotation. I'm hoping they can correct this one.
Honestly, the GM section problems are small and if you use 30 team control(the CPU will still control any or all teams you want) you can correct any problem that pops up as far as team management.

As for manage mode.....I love it. It's got just about everything you need for running the games.
Missing.....
Ability to call individual pitches. You can call for location....but the catcher calls which pitch(FB-Curve ..etc)
Ability to call for the runners take the extra base or hold. This is on your player and coaches .....More realistic ....but I'd like to be able to control this.
Pickoffs are not in the game right now. YOU can call for a pickoff....but the CPU never does. I'm confident this will be fixed.
MoM can also use more interaction with the team in some way.....

But with the mode being used by very few players.....I would say it's pretty much as is.

There is one dev who frequents the boards(WoodWeaver) who has said he would like to pick up the torch for us MoM users, but it's all going to come down to how much time he has. My guess is that it would be ON TOP of any work he gets.....not actual allotted time for it.

Hope this helps.

M.K.
Knight165

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

Probably going to sound like some kind of fanboy here but I'm literally unaware of any reason someone would buy a XBONE unless that's where your friends are. Maybe I'm just out of the console wars loop but seriously it's not even a question - a good 95% of the multiplats run better and at higher resolution on PS4, and have much healthier online communities; it's basically the inverse of last gen. And that's before even considering The Show.

[ryanmc564]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

Probably going to sound like some kind of fanboy here but I'm literally unaware of any reason someone would buy a XBONE unless that's where your friends are. Maybe I'm just out of the console wars loop but seriously it's not even a question - a good 95% of the multiplats run better and at higher resolution on PS4, and have much healthier online communities; it's basically the inverse of last gen. And that's before even considering The Show.

you can't really sound like a fanboy when speaking the truth, like all that you mention here^^ nothing but the truth!

[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

I really appreciate the feedback men. This is what i was looking for. I think one thing that i will have going for me is the fact that i'll be completely new to the series of The Show; so i won't know any better whereas the majority of you guys have been playing this game for years and know what has been improved and what hasn't etc. Because of that when i play it for the first time it'll probably blow me away. So, yeah i'm thinking PS4 is going to be the move.

[TheWarmWind]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

I too would recommend PS4 and MLBTS, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, while MLBTS is really good, don't expect a 100% real to life experience, because that's pretty much impossible. The sooner you accept that it's a video game and buy into the mechanics the more fun you're going to have. I'm not saying it's unrealistic, but if you expect 100% fidelity (ahem, like some people on OS) then you're going to miss out on some of the greatness of this game.

Also keep in mind that experiences can differ greatly across different difficulty levels, control styles, and modes. There are a lot of different ways to play this game. I personally would recommend zone hitting and pulse pitching, but even within that there are different styles of play. For instance, I try to guess the pitch before the windup and sit on it, whereas others will track the ball on the way in and actually adjust on the fly (congrats to all those people, really wish I was good enough to do that). Seriously, if you toss sliders into the mix, there are literally hundreds of different ways to play this game, and each one will net you different results. You're going to have to explore a little bit to find out what works for you.

Third thing to keep in mind is that this game has a REALLY steep learning curve. Seriously it is not friendly to new players. There are elements of the game and controls that I only found out after YEARS of playing and visiting the forums.

Outside the game itself, I will always recommend the PlayStation environment, especially if you're more of an independent player like me. PlayStation has some great single player games and some of the best exclusives, and that's coming from a member of the PC master race.

[forme95]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

The only reason I got a PS4 was because of MLBTS. This is my second year with it and there is NONE better IMO. I also am a MoM player and absolutely love the gameplay of it. There are a few things missing as Knight has stated, but nothing that takes away from the awesomeness of managing. I wish the pickoffs were there, but it hasnt taken any enjoyment away from it imo. As for the pitching, I just look at it as my pitching coach and catcher are handling it as they should. All in all, its a great way to play.

[tessl]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

The ps4 is a better machine and MLB the show is a fantastic game.

[Spanky]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

If you're a baseball fan, it's a no-brainer, the PS4. It really is a fantastic franchise and IMO replicates its sport better than any other title. You know what you're getting from the Show. It's consistently great every year. Other titles can't make that claim (i.e., you don't know how good Madden will be in a given year).

If sports is your primary gaming passion, you can't go wrong with the PS4. I can't speak to whether the other console is better for other genres since I only play sports games.

[shadow2201]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

I have both consoles and love them both. Fanboys will always side with one, it's just the way things are. But I'll give you an opinion from someone who finds merits and actually really enjoys playing on both systems. I personally like the online experience of the XBOne better than the PS4, but the PS4 definitely has it's merits, enough to goad my dumb *** into spending another $400 on yet another console lol. As everyone has stated here though, if you want to play baseball, you have to go PS4, that's literally the only reason I bought the PS4, it's the only game I ever bought on the PS3, and it will probably be the only game I buy on the PS5 as well when it comes out lol!

For me, the biggest tipping point is, as has been said already, where your friends are at. All my friends are on XBOne, so that's what I got first, but with MLBTS being a must own game, PS4 is a must own system.

[sc050610]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

MLB The Show was the only reason I bought a PS3 and then moved to a PS4. It will be worth the investment.

[Yari]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

Im finally going to take the plunge and get a current gen system this week. Im torn between the two right now. One of the things that have me leaning towards the PS4 is the fact that it has the only baseball game on the market. Funny as it may sound, i have never played The Show franchise. Ive been playing 2k and MVP 2004 on the PC. My question to yall is this...is MLB The Show franchise good enough to tip the scales in favor of a PS4 purchase? Let me just say im a real big franchise mode and coach mode guy...does The Show shune in this area? Help me out man...

Short answer:
Does The Show shine in franchise mode? - Most definitely yes. I have sunk far more time in franchise mode than I would like to admit.
Does The Show shine in Coach Mode - Somewhat. I have given it a try once but the pace was a bit too slow for my liking the first go around. That being said, it is something I plan on trying again because I actually felt like a manager (the ability to use the dugout view is a huge plus).

Long answer: I'm a former 2k convert and I absolutely love MLB The Show 15 even with the few flaws I've noticed. As a word of advice, should you choose to take a swing, the pitches are not at all like what you would see in MLB 2k11. I'm still having a bit of trouble telling myself to stay back. The pitches in The Show actually look like the real deal from a batting perspective and the timing is far more authentic than my experience from 2k11. The franchise mode (especially with the OS rosters but even with the default ones) is great. Rule 5, super 2, having players rip your heart out in arbitration, it seems to be all present in The Show. Like I said, the game does have its flaws. Some AI trades are a little questionable here and there but I think I see the logic behind the moves. The error rate on pickoffs with default sliders is a bit high for my liking but I can live with it. Also, the limited soundtrack feels a bit repetitive at times but not overly so.

I'm with the others when I say that MLB The Show was the reason why I got a PlayStation 4. It feels like a quality game, well worth the purchase price in my book. Despite the flaws I've noticed, after putting up with recent EA releases on games, The Show is what I had been hoping for in a video game.
It's a very enjoyable emotional rollercoaster that plays true to the heart of baseball.

[GRob78]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

Like others above, when it came down to it, I bought a PS4 because of MLBTS.

I had a XBox360 that I had played plenty of games on, and would've been happy to have bought the next gen system but my main game is baseball for sports.

[nyqu1st]

Re: Need Help With A Decision

I was in your shoes at one point. I had an XB360 and was debating whether to to buy a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One. If you find yourself weighing the consoles about the same then go with the PS4. MLBTS is a great game as far as sports games go and if you can't live w/o a baseball game then it's a must to go with the PS4. If most of your friends are on Xbox then I think that would trump playing a baseball game, for me anyways, as I could live w/o MLB the show over some other factors.