MLB 2K10 News Post

Major League Baseball 2K10: A Live Journal (Gameinformer)

04:25 PM - February 4, 2010 by basehead617

Gameinformer has posted a very detailed live journal on Major League Baseball 2K10.

Quote:


	"In the skill point menu, new sections have been added for my pitch types. For instance, I can now spend points on my curveball's speed, control, and movement. One nice really touch is having individual skill points rewarded for pitching, fielding, baserunning, and batting. Unlike MLB: The Show, you won't have to needlessly spend pitching points on drag bunting. It looks like I'll earn bunting points for laying down bunts, and fielding points for actually playing my position. Nice."

Game: Major League Baseball 2K10Reader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 33 - View All

Major League Baseball 2K10 Videos

Member Comments

# 61 Juiceman @ 02/05/10 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blog


	Two points of concern have come up during this game. I noticed that base runners are not recognizing easily readable line drive singles. They wait until the ball lands before moving to the next base, even if it will land 20 feet in front of a fielder. As fluid as the fielders are, they don't always make the best decisions to turn double plays. As I mentioned in a previous game, one fielder threw home instead of going for the inning ending double play. Just this game, I had a fielder run to second opposed to tossing it to the shortstop already on the bag. The base runner was safe at first. Dunce plays like these shouldn't happen, but at this point in my playing, I can't rule out if it is just double A vs. MLB skill level balancing, or if it's an AI problem for the entire game.

Rut-roh...

# 62 Gusto1 @ 02/05/10 02:27 PM

Will this game have manager mode where you manage on field play?

# 63 jeffy777 @ 02/05/10 02:29 PM

This sounds better:

"With the new difficulty in place, my game started off with one run surrendered in the first. I also gave up my first walk. Batters are appearing to be selective in their swings. Very nice."

# 64 duke776 @ 02/05/10 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juiceman


	Rut-roh...

I agree. This guy said he would talk more about 2k10 in general after he finishes up his first season in my player, so hopefully he can tell us if it's just an issue with minor leagues. This could be a big problem, but I'll wait to see if he talks anymore about it in the future.

# 65 BigBlue @ 02/05/10 02:41 PM

I'm curious as to what everyone's 'gameplay videos' scenario would be. I mean, what type of gameplay videos would give you the idea that this game is the realistic baseball game we are all craving.

Here are mine. There have to be TWO different videos.
The first video would have the user playing against the CPU. The user would need to have a National League team's number 4 or 5 starter going against a pretty formidable national league team. I'm looking to see how accurate / inaccurate the user's pitcher is. I'm looking to see the CPU AI hitters taking pitches and working counts. I'm also looking for situations like hit and run, bunting runners over (not in the early innings, obviously), and most importantly, how much of a struggle it can be for the user pitcher to get through the game realistically.

The second video would have the user playing against the CPU (again). Only this time, the user has an ace on the mound (Johann Santana) going against another ace (Lincecum?). This game should be a real low scoring afair with both pitchers going deep into the game with relatively high pitch counts (about 105 pitches in 7- 8 innings). Again, I'm looking for situations (steals, hit and run, bunts).

I want to see balls 'just' get past infielders, not the 4-5 gold-glove-type diving plays per game that 2K is known for. I want meat and potatoes, rock-solid baseball and not the climb-over-the-wall robbing-the-homer arcadey baseball that we've seen too much of over the past few years.

I want Bill Abner to provide us with an honest preview/review of this game the way he used to with old pc-baseball games like High Heat.

Is that too much to ask? :-)

BigBlue

# 66 TimLawNYC @ 02/05/10 02:48 PM

First, let me say that I've been an avid reader of Game Informer for many years, and Reiner is definitely not a "n00b" or a "casual gamer". He has been writing video game reviews, often sports game reviews, for a very long time, so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing.

But he just posted the following, which makes me very nervous (especially when combined with all of the other AI issues he's already identified in just 3 days of having the "final code' of this game):

Quote:


	We're knotted up at two...bottom of the ninth...a runner on second...one out...and they are sending up a pitcher with a contact and power rating of 25 against right-handed pitchers... MANAGER FIRED. STADIUM BURNED TO THE GROUND BY FANS.

I mean, that's just ridiculous. And he's already talked about times when he's pitching when any rational manager would have pulled him, but the game let him go all 9 innings.

This is why these "My player" game modes all eventually suck; the manager AI is stupid. I can't handle these modes in football games because of the idiotic play calling (it's 3rd and 12... how about ANOTHER draw up the middle?), and it seems like the same thing is happening here in baseball.

# 67 PVarck31 @ 02/05/10 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimLawNYC


	First, let me say that I've been an avid reader of Game Informer for many years, and Reiner is definitely not a "n00b" or a "casual gamer". He has been writing video game reviews, often sports game reviews, for a very long time, so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing. But he just posted the following, which makes me very nervous (especially when combined with all of the other AI issues he's already identified in just 3 days of having the "final code' of this game): I mean, that's just ridiculous. And he's already talked about times when he's pitching when any rational manager would have pulled him, but the game let him go all 9 innings. This is why these "My player" game modes all eventually suck; the manager AI is stupid. I can't handle these modes in football games because of the idiotic play calling (it's 3rd and 12... how about ANOTHER draw up the middle?), and it seems like the same thing is happening here in baseball.

Just read this. WHAT!! That is insane. I really hope this stuff doesn't happen in traditional game modes.

# 68 Juiceman @ 02/05/10 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke776


	I agree. This guy said he would talk more about 2k10 in general after he finishes up his first season in my player, so hopefully he can tell us if it's just an issue with minor leagues. This could be a big problem, but I'll wait to see if he talks anymore about it in the future.

But even in the minor leagues it's pretty much professional baseball and those things he's noticing do not represent a simulation of even minor league ball. I am going to stay neutral for now. I just really hope that's some kind of anomaly...but doesn't sound like it. We'll see I guess.

# 69 duke776 @ 02/05/10 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juiceman


	But even in the minor leagues it's pretty much professional baseball and those things he's noticing do not represent a simulation of even minor league ball. I am going to stay neutral for now. I just really hope that's some kind of anomaly...but doesn't sound like it. We'll see I guess.

I agree with you there, I don't think it should even be like that for the minors. My only reason to (hopelessly)believe that it would be different in the majors is that their ratings might have some effect on that. I really doubt it though, and it wouldn't suprise me that 2k baseball has messed up AI(what else is new). But I'm going to wait and see how often things like this happen before I decide.

# 70 bigfnjoe96 @ 02/05/10 03:41 PM

Looks like 2k once again has screwed-up with their Ratings System. You would think if most of your Game AI is some how tied into RATINGS, you would fine tune your Ratings System so that your Game AI would seem more realistic in all areas.

# 71 DaveDQ @ 02/05/10 03:54 PM

If he is playing on a lower difficulty, I completely understand why the AI is acting this way. AI has always been a matter of giving you the opportunity to win on the lower level and toughening it up on you in the higher levels.

It's what makes the A in AI artificial.

# 72 bigfnjoe96 @ 02/05/10 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveDQ


	If he is playing on a lower difficulty, I completely understand why the AI is acting this way. AI has always been a matter of giving you the opportunity to win on the lower level and toughening it up on you in the higher levels. It's what makes the A in AI artificial.

I hope your right Dave.

# 73 jeffy777 @ 02/05/10 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveDQ


	If he is playing on a lower difficulty, I completely understand why the AI is acting this way. AI has always been a matter of giving you the opportunity to win on the lower level and toughening it up on you in the higher levels. It's what makes the A in AI artificial.

But what about when the AI baserunners and fielders on your own team aren't reacting properly to line drives and double play situations?

# 74 Craigsca @ 02/05/10 04:27 PM

Absolutely. Changing the difficulty on a baseball game should do two things:

1) Increase or decrease the window of a perfectly hit ball when batting.

2) Increase of decrease the window of a perfectly thrown ball when pitching.

That's it.

It should not effect the fielders and make them into a bunch of rejects from the Bad News Bears. This Is MLB2k10, not Challenger Division Baseball 2K10.

# 75 Jistic @ 02/05/10 04:37 PM

I'm not buying it. Lower difficulty usually means the gameplay experience is authentic on any level, but the abilities of the CPU players are muted on the lower levels.

They should still make the proper switch, it should just mean the player they did pick wouldn't be as effective as on a higher level.

If you play easy on Madden they don't start third string QB's to take it easy on you.

This is a legitimate concern for any sports gamer.

# 76 DaveDQ @ 02/05/10 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777


	But what about when the AI baserunners and fielders on your own team aren't reacting properly to line drives and double play situations?

I don't see that as an issue as you can control your runners by "advancing all."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craigsca


	Absolutely. Changing the difficulty on a baseball game should do two things: 1) Increase or decrease the window of a perfectly hit ball when batting. 2) Increase of decrease the window of a perfectly thrown ball when pitching. That's it. It should not effect the fielders and make them into a bunch of rejects from the Bad News Bears. This Is MLB2k10, not Challenger Division Baseball 2K10.

AI doesn't work like that. We all know that. It's not like they look at the code and say, "Ok code, you make yourself into a baseball game and do it with a smile."

It's what makes video games what they are. If you are playing on pro or rookie, expect silly things. I think what separates some of these devs from each other is the ability to raise the difficulty without making weird things happen.

# 77 Jistic @ 02/05/10 04:49 PM

This I didn't like either

My line for the game:
IP H ER HR BB K PC B S
10.0 10 5 0 3 2 107 41 66

Although he did walk 3 which is a good sign.

I really wish he'd play franshise mode.

# 78 jeffy777 @ 02/05/10 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveDQ


	I don't see that as an issue as you can control your runners by "advancing all."

In "My Player", you only control your player though, right?

And that doesn't help with the double play fielding issue....

But yes, neither of these would be a problem in franchise or other single player modes.

# 79 DaveDQ @ 02/05/10 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777


	In "My Player", you only control your player though, right? And that doesn't help with the double play fielding issue.... But yes, neither of these would be a problem in franchise or other single player modes.

True..I didn't think of that.

I still think it's difficulty setting though. Most games, like Madden for instance, show a great reduction in reality when you go lower in difficulty. The last time I played Madden in a lower difficulty was when I could outrun everyone on kickoffs and actually backtrack and still not get caught.

# 80 jeffy777 @ 02/05/10 06:03 PM

He added a little more. I like this paragraph:

Quote:


	"My next game is against the Montgomery Biscuits, who have one of the best names in all of sports. On the first pitch of the game, I forgot which direction my curveball broke. This lead to my first hit batter of the year. Plunked him in the right knee (he's a lefty). After a single and a force out, he moved up to third. On the next pitch, my catcher tossed the ball to third. He dove back safe, but it was still cool to see. I can't remember the last time I saw that in a game, if ever."

It's nice to see that messed up gestures aren't automatic meatball homeruns for the AI.

Also, good to hear that the catcher attempts to keep the runners honest as well.

EDIT: When asked how much better the game was than 2K9, he responded with:

Quote:


	Way better than 2K9. As I said earlier, it feels like a new game.

That's encouraging.

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