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MLB 2K13 News Post



When Major League Baseball 2K13 was announced in January, the usual questions popped up about the game's ability to produce an experience that would be worth a $60 purchase to gamers.

Thus far, fan response has been rather chilly to the new game, as have gaming critics' reviews. In the build up leading to the release of the game, we were not given many details about what was coming, just a vague fact sheet leading up to release which contained features that were already in the franchise. Worse yet, Online Leagues were removed from the game with no announcement from 2K Sports.

Currently, MLB 2K13 is scoring an average of 48 on Metacritic, with our review similarly harsh on the game.

My Press Row Podcast Co-Host Mike Suzek had this to say in his review on Joystiq in summation of the game: "It's as much a shame on 2K Sports for releasing this game as it is for the MLB to carelessly stamp its name on it. Whether it was sheer apathy or contractual licensing obligations that caused MLB 2K13 to exist in this state, it certainly wasn't a love for baseball, sports games, or its fans."

Our own Dustin Toms concluded, "MLB 2K13 is not a bad game by any means, but rather this is more about the principle of the matter. When a company charges $60 for a game with little improvements over a release a year earlier, something has gone terribly wrong. Attaching a $60 price tag to this game is nonsense."

This, of course, leaves important questions to be answered as we move through this year's sports gaming release season. Will 2K Sports be releasing a game next year or will we find out that another company such as EA Sports has plans to develop baseball games to take MLB 2K's place?

Game: Major League Baseball 2K13Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 14 - View All
Major League Baseball 2K13 Videos
Member Comments
# 21 bigfnjoe96 @ 03/15/13 01:19 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by inkcil
Big...,Kotaku's story furthers my point. They had plenty of time and opportunity to put out a game. I love 2k, but I'm still gonna call it like it is. How is how 2k handled the whole situation good for games or gamers? Nah, when you pull stunts like this, you're gonna get it...period.
Inkcil, you say 2k had plenty of time to put out a game. From everything we know, an agreement was reached some where towards the end of the year with 2k & MLB. Many people in the know stated Visual Concepts worked on this game for less than 90 days.

I respect your opinion. I know your from the old school. We go all the way back to the SEGA Sports Message Boards. I know your passionate about 2k Sports & Visual Concepts, but on this 1 they really were put in a tough situation by the MLB.

They did the best they could, which was to say: "Let's try & Fix some surface stuff & get this game out with the" Perfect Game Challenge" in mind. Which is what 2k felt would help sell the game, which sucks for us hardcore supporters

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
# 22 bkrich83 @ 03/15/13 01:27 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigfnjoe96
Inkcil, you say 2k had plenty of time to put out a game. From everything we know, an agreement was reached some where towards the end of the year with 2k & MLB. Many people in the know stated Visual Concepts worked on this game for less than 90 days.

I respect your opinion. I know your from the old school. We go all the way back to the SEGA Sports Message Boards. I know your passionate about 2k Sports & Visual Concepts, but on this 1 they really were put in a tough situation by the MLB.

They did the best they could, which was to say: "Let's try & Fix some surface stuff & get this game out with the" Perfect Game Challenge" in mind. Which is what 2k felt would help sell the game, which sucks for us hardcore supporters

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
The MLB deserves a share of the blame. A large share of the blame, but in the end, no one forced 2k to this deal, and certainly no one forced them to charge $60.. 2k is responsible for their criticism, and it's deserved.
 
# 23 tril @ 03/15/13 04:26 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveDQ
I have to scratch my head and ask why this thread was even created. Is this some sort of news piece? Is it, in light of some reacting to the initial review, an attempt to justify that review by saying, "Look, it's averaging bad scores so...?"

I would like to suggest that we refer back to the Madden 06 review given by Shawn Drotar, here on OS. It was given a 5. I use that review as an example for two reasons. One, I'm pretty sure the majority would agree that the game deserved a 5, so there really wasn't much controversy. Two, the review itself thoroughly breaks down why it was given a 5.

Reviews aren't given specific numerical points "because of principle" or because "very little was changed." They are given a numerical value based on the performance of the game. Heck, since we can't help but parallel MLB 2K with The Show, the OS MLB The Show 13 review writes, "There are no sweeping changes to either the core gameplay or the individual modes. And for some, that may be a valid reason to not buy the game. Call it the 'MLB 12.5 defense'." The Show was given a 9.

But I know why The Show was given a 9. It's an excellent representation of baseball in a sports video game. In some areas, so is MLB 2K 13.

When you look at the review that was given for MLB 2K13, that review isn't for this year's version. That review shouts "4" to 2K Sports for this entire generation. It says, "You are the guys that gave us NFL 2K5..."4!"....You are the ones that made the NBA 2K series what it is today..."FOUR!" 4! 4! 4! It's the frustration of feeling like baseball was put in the hands of the sacred 2K Sports and they blew it.

That's what that and many other reviews are all about.
cosign your last paragraph.
I would give the game a 6-7, even though its a patched version of last years game. its still fun and the pitching and batting are top notch.
 
# 24 Eddie1967 @ 03/15/13 09:49 AM
I will never EVER understand the complainers. You knew that the game was coming out on short notice yet you spent the money anyway, then you complain over and over again. If you don't have any control over how you spend your money then you have no one to blame for yourself. It's a video game for Christ sake. If it hurts your wallet that much then why not rent it from gamefly or another source to save yourself the embarrassment of complaining about something that you knew in your mind would not live up to your overinflated expectations.

I also have to ask, why does a review make you purchase a game, most folks have some type of agenda to begin with so you are asking for trouble when you take their advice negative or positive.
 
# 25 pistolpete @ 03/15/13 10:00 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eddie1967
I will never EVER understand the complainers. You knew that the game was coming out on short notice yet you spent the money anyway, then you complain over and over again.
It's because 2k13 find a way to strip the series of any charm or fun what-so-ever. 2k11 and even 2k12 has some fun factor to it. 2k13 found a way to rip it from us.
 
# 26 tvman @ 03/15/13 10:41 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pistolpete
It's because 2k13 find a way to strip the series of any charm or fun what-so-ever. 2k11 and even 2k12 has some fun factor to it. 2k13 found a way to rip it from us.
I don't have 2k13 but from everything i've read it's basically a slightly polished up rerun so I can't understand how the fun factor could be gone. Is it possible you are just burned out from playing to much?
 
# 27 buckeyedawgtribe @ 03/15/13 11:42 AM
if you did not see coming then its your own fault. Did you expect the game to drastically improve..Based on 2K's prior renditions.. We have all been burned by 2K..some of you keep returning to the well every year in hope of clean water only to get a cup of pee.
 
# 28 DaveDQ @ 03/15/13 12:04 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by buckeyedawgtribe
if you did not see coming then its your own fault. Did you expect the game to drastically improve..Based on 2K's prior renditions.. We have all been burned by 2K..some of you keep returning to the well every year in hope of clean water only to get a cup of pee.
Those comments right there are the very reason why I am against the initial review and then a thread like this being created, with its obvious intention to support the review given. All it does is stoke the fires.

Everything we have discussed in this thread and in the review thread could easily be talked about in the impressions thread. For as long as OS keeps that MLB 2K13 review up I will maintain that the game was never adequately reviewed, but rather, a writer took time to gather all the negative feed back on what 2K has done with baseball this generation and post about it.
 
# 29 pistolpete @ 03/15/13 12:05 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by tvman
I don't have 2k13 but from everything i've read it's basically a slightly polished up rerun so I can't understand how the fun factor could be gone. Is it possible you are just burned out from playing to much?
I still enjoy 2k11 a great deal.

Maybe it was unreasonable expectations that make me despise 2k12 and 2k13.
 
# 30 tvman @ 03/15/13 12:50 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny_W
Why haven't you bought 2K13 ?
Mainly because I live in the middle of nowhere and haven't been anywhere that they sell video games! That plus the fact I don't generally buy sports games every year they come out.
 
# 31 pistolpete @ 03/15/13 01:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mt Oread
2K11 was definitely the first in the series that deserved to be called great. But I'm a huge fan of 2K12, and 2K13 is just more of that.

Were you a fan of the PC versions? My assumption is that those versions looked far better than the 360 versions. That could make 2K13 seem like a big step down to PC users, but a decent progression to the 360 users.
I played both 2k11 and 2k12 on my pc initially. It was becoming too much of a hassle to continue using my pc though, so I switched to the 360. 2k11 on the 360 is wonderful. The graphics are not up-to-par with the pc, but it's good enough.
 
# 32 RoyalBoyle78 @ 03/15/13 03:05 PM
Honestly, The game is not that bad.
 
# 33 inkcil @ 03/15/13 04:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigfnjoe96
Inkcil, you say 2k had plenty of time to put out a game. From everything we know, an agreement was reached some where towards the end of the year with 2k & MLB. Many people in the know stated Visual Concepts worked on this game for less than 90 days.

I respect your opinion. I know your from the old school. We go all the way back to the SEGA Sports Message Boards. I know your passionate about 2k Sports & Visual Concepts, but on this 1 they really were put in a tough situation by the MLB.

They did the best they could, which was to say: "Let's try & Fix some surface stuff & get this game out with the" Perfect Game Challenge" in mind. Which is what 2k felt would help sell the game, which sucks for us hardcore supporters

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
You're exactly right, it is just my opinion, which I know is hard (but I think 90% of sports games this gen were graded too soft anyway). Yeah man, we been playing 2k baseball for a long time and I always look to see what you think of each version, but I have a hard time looking at the timeline and not feeling like more could have been done, especially with everyone (2k and MLB) knowing they were the only game on xbox.

Well, going forward, now is the time for them to decide what they want to do (and pursue it with full diligence) with the next-gen systems on the horizon.
 
# 34 bigfnjoe96 @ 03/15/13 05:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by inkcil
You're exactly right, it is just my opinion, which I know is hard (but I think 90% of sports games this gen were graded too soft anyway). Yeah man, we been playing 2k baseball for a long time and I always look to see what you think of each version, but I have a hard time looking at the timeline and not feeling like more could have been done, especially with everyone (2k and MLB) knowing they were the only game on xbox.

Well, going forward, now is the time for them to decide what they want to do (and pursue it with full diligence) with the next-gen systems on the horizon.
I totally agree with you. It's sad to see what has happen to this series this generation. Especially after the success 2K had last generation.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
# 35 Bionickle @ 03/15/13 06:42 PM
At this point 2K should just admit that MLB The Show is years ahead of them and just release the game for a more reasonable price. Like $40 on XBOX (Since they don't get The Show) and no more than $30 on PS3, to at least try to move some copies. They did something similar back in the day with NBA 2K5 or 2K6 and sold it for $20, same thing with NFL 2K5 & it worked wonderfully and got a whole lot more people to buy into their style.
 
# 36 Eddie1967 @ 03/15/13 06:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baile
Eddie! My favorite 2K Defender of the Faith! Hey man, I'm serious. Your rock-solid logic always makes sense to me, even though you like to make it personal which PO's everyone. But what the heck, your intentions and your points are mostly all good, bud!

Thanks Baile.
 
# 37 Cardot @ 03/15/13 09:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bionickle
At this point 2K should just admit that MLB The Show is years ahead of them and just release the game for a more reasonable price.
I think they sort of did that....except instead of lowering the price, they targeted the Million $$$ crowd that doesn't care much about graphics/enhancements, will pay the $60 and buy at release. Had they targeted the OS crowd with a $20 price tag, not sure they would have sold 3X as many??
 
# 38 Bulls321974 @ 03/16/13 10:53 AM
Quote: "MLB 2K13 Initial Reviews Quite Negative" And that's supposed to be shocking or what?
 
# 39 DBMcGee3 @ 03/18/13 11:06 AM
Not a real shocker here. This game has sucked major balls for years, and now that The Show is consistently putting out a fantastic game every year, people just aren't going to want to play the 2k version. I haven't even played this year's iteration, but I'd be willing to bet on a few things about the game:

1. hitting isn't fun. you don't aim a cursor to make contact, so really the timing of the swing is the only thing you have to guess correctly, making location of the pitch almost irrelevant.

2. fielding is clunky/glitchy. controls just don't feel right.

3. uniforms look stupid and unrealistic, especially when blowing in the breeze.

4. baserunning is horrible.

5. pitching gets old in about 5 minutes. same old RS mechanic, boring as ever.
 
# 40 econoodle @ 03/18/13 01:57 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny_W
What he said has no truth to it ?

are you a formerly banned user?
you sure post like one.
 


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