MLB 2K9

[Kermit, B.]

After reading IGN's hands-on, I don't know what to think.  I'm very intrigued.  Some great stuff in there:

• It sounds like they added MVP 2005's "Batter's Eye" feature where you can tell the difference between fastball/changeup/breaking ball by a flash of color when the pitch is delivered.
• Even though they "dumbed down" the pitching, it sounds like you can toggle an option to make it just like last year (excellent).
• The batting camera, which I thought was one of the reasons it was so difficult to determine balls and strikes, has been lowered.
• Player ambition, like the NBA 2K series, has been incorporated.
• The menu system is going to look like MLB.com (hopefully less of an eyesore, though).

I'm sure I'm getting this on release day regardless, but if they iron out the framerate, this might actually be the first really solid baseball title on the 360.

That's what we said before 2K8's release.  We were disappointed and the game needed a patch.  We're saying that it'll be solid this year and it might, but it will undoubtedly be inferior to The Show on PS3.

I hate that they dumbed down the pitching, but it seems that you can add the third step in the pitching interface through the settings menus, which is good.  There's also saving in the middle of games (EAT IT WEEBS), which I love.  I'm sure I'll be getting the game regardless as I love baseball games, but I really wish The Show was multiplatform.

To be honest, though the presentation in The Show is awesome, I didn't really like the gameplay that much.  The pitching meter just seems antiquated, and everything felt a bit too scripted for me.  What I REALLY wish is that MS would stop sitting on the High Heat engine and hire some developers to update that game.  There's nothing that says MS can't develop a first-party baseball game for the 360.

[Kermit, B.]

DPD.  GameSpy's hands-on is up.  I really hope there aren't framerate issues this year.  Though it looks like the hands-on was written for the PS3, which had much worse framerate issues than the 360 last year.

I'm a little disturbed that not a single hands-on has mentioned cursor batting.  I wonder if it's just because it's not the default hitting style.

[Kermit, B.]

TPD.  One of the producers of the NBA 2K series tries to calm everyone down about the framerate.

Just so you guys know, optimization is at the tail end of the to-do list. It only makes sense to get everything into the game and THEN do FPS optimization. Showing the game to IGN, Gamespot, et al was a formality of showing off our focus and direction with the game this year. In no way does it represent the final product.

When you pick this game up off the shelves, it will be running 60. Wait a month and you'll see for yourselves.

His explanation makes sense.  I sure hope he's right.

[Timmy B]

What I REALLY wish is that MS would stop sitting on the High Heat engine and hire some developers to update that game.

No joke. Unfortunately, with the company shutting down studios left and right (Ensemble closes its doors on January 31, and the entire ACES studio -- which makes the Flight Simulator and Train Simulator series -- was laid off late last week), it's hard to imagine Microsoft turning around and investing a lot of money in updating a six-year-old game that's been largely forgotten except for the hardcore Internet crowd. (Shit, at this point the game would have to be re-written from the ground up, given how old that engine was getting near the end.)

Unfortunately, 2K has the MLB license until 2012, and even if EA did get it back after that, the MVP team has gone on to greener pastures, and ... fuck. I really should just buy a PS3.

[*In a Nutsack]

TPD.  One of the producers of the NBA 2K series tries to calm everyone down about the framerate.

Just so you guys know, optimization is at the tail end of the to-do list. It only makes sense to get everything into the game and THEN do FPS optimization. Showing the game to IGN, Gamespot, et al was a formality of showing off our focus and direction with the game this year. In no way does it represent the final product.

When you pick this game up off the shelves, it will be running 60. Wait a month and you'll see for yourselves.

His explanation makes sense.  I sure hope he's right.

Did they not say the same things last year?

[Kermit, B.]

TPD.  One of the producers of the NBA 2K series tries to calm everyone down about the framerate.

Just so you guys know, optimization is at the tail end of the to-do list. It only makes sense to get everything into the game and THEN do FPS optimization. Showing the game to IGN, Gamespot, et al was a formality of showing off our focus and direction with the game this year. In no way does it represent the final product.

When you pick this game up off the shelves, it will be running 60. Wait a month and you'll see for yourselves.

His explanation makes sense.  I sure hope he's right.

Did they not say the same things last year?

No, because they weren't the ones working on the game.  Kush sucks ass as a developer.  VC doesn't.  Until they prove me wrong, I have faith that VC will actually fix what needs fixing.

[Timmy B]

Kush sucks ass as a developer.  VC doesn't.

Kush was just a Visual Concepts subsidiary that Take-Two acquired when it bought VC from Sega. 2K shut down Kush last spring, and the MLB2K personnel was moved back into the Visual Concepts offices. It's largely the same development team working on the game this year -- we're not looking at a Treyarch / Infinity Ward Call of Duty situation.

[5laky]

Kush sucks ass as a developer.  VC doesn't.

Kush was just a Visual Concepts subsidiary that Take-Two acquired when it bought VC from Sega. 2K shut down Kush last spring, and the MLB2K personnel was moved back into the Visual Concepts offices. It's largely the same development team working on the game this year -- we're not looking at a Treyarch / Infinity Ward Call of Duty situation.

Goddamn, every time I come back to this thread it's another reason I'll be playing FIFA through the summer until NCAA 2010.

[Kermit, B.]

Kush sucks ass as a developer.  VC doesn't.

Kush was just a Visual Concepts subsidiary that Take-Two acquired when it bought VC from Sega. 2K shut down Kush last spring, and the MLB2K personnel was moved back into the Visual Concepts offices. It's largely the same development team working on the game this year -- we're not looking at a Treyarch / Infinity Ward Call of Duty situation.

I think it was the suckiest of the VC staff, then.  The difference in polish between MLB 2K8 and NBA 2K8 is absurd.

[Andy]

I honestly believe that NBA2K9 is the bestest sports game I've ever played.  If MLB2K9 is half that good it'll be improvement over the last two years.

[5laky]

I honestly believe that NBA2K9 is the bestest sports game I've ever played.  If MLB2K9 is half that good it'll be improvement over the last two years.

NBA 2k9 is excellent. I just don't see how they can turn MLB around this fast. Me of little faith.

[Kermit, B.]

I honestly believe that NBA2K9 is the bestest sports game I've ever played.  If MLB2K9 is half that good it'll be improvement over the last two years.

NBA 2k9 is excellent. I just don't see how they can turn MLB around this fast. Me of little faith.

To be honest, I don't think 2K8 needed that much turning around.  I thought pitching and fielding were great.  Hitting and presentation were horrible.  It looks like they've totally revamped both.  I also want to point out that VC developed NFL 2K5, which was BY FAR the best football game I've ever played.  VC may not be the best developer for this series, but they're the right developer.  I'm going with cautious optimism for this year's installment.

[*In a Nutsack]

I honestly believe that NBA2K9 is the bestest sports game I've ever played.  If MLB2K9 is half that good it'll be improvement over the last two years.

NBA 2k9 is excellent. I just don't see how they can turn MLB around this fast. Me of little faith.

To be honest, I don't think 2K8 needed that much turning around.  I thought pitching and fielding were great.  Hitting and presentation were horrible.  It looks like they've totally revamped both.  I also want to point out that VC developed NFL 2K5, which was BY FAR the best football game I've ever played.   VC may not be the best developer for this series, but they're the right developer.  I'm going with cautious optimism for this year's installment.

THIS and THAT.

[Kermit, B.]

Team Xbox has a much more positive preview (surprise, surprise) of Tonker's game.

I like the idea of the broadcast booth interrupting themselves to call a play, and then returning to their previous topic.

[Weebs]

Team Xbox has a much more positive preview (surprise, surprise) of Tonker's game.

I like the idea of the broadcast booth interrupting themselves to call a play, and then returning to their previous topic.

I hope TeamXbox wasn't obligated to say any of that stuff.  If not, this game definitely has some promise.  I'd say the framerate and lack of variety for hits were my two biggest complains from last year's game, and both seem to be addressed.  Hopefully they'll release a demo that isn't as unbelievably horrible as 2k8's demo was.