Much like the Nintendo Power Glove, or Panasonic’s decision to charge $699 for its 3DO game console in 1993, certain decisions in the gaming industry seem like a good idea in the board room, but fail miserably when they hit the retail market. At times you want to champion the idea of non-conformity in an industry full of it, and other times you wish you had access to the decision makers who come up with this stuff and ask them simply: why? This subject we deal with today falls more under the innovative category, but despite the valiant effort, the implementation of this idea is where the troubles start.

Since 2007, Sony’s MLB: The Show has featured some type of online functionality. Whether it be simply online head-to-head games, to the more detailed online leagues, home run derby, or this year’s new online franchise, the San Diego development team has tried very hard to integrate the most current online options for the time of the title’s release. While most fans have truly appreciated the effort, the results have been a mixed bag over the years, with the majority of experiences falling in the miss category.

Being someone who has experienced every single game the good people at SCEA-SD has put out, and the online portion of each one also, the results have been exactly what was described previously. There have been moments where the game feels almost as good as if playing offline, and you find yourself asking quietly, “why can’t it be like this all the time?” Then you have the dreaded moments of lost connections, warping, gameplay slow-down, freezing, weird glitches, and physics defying animations. This has been a constant issue from the start in 2007, to the first release of the PS4 version this year. We've already detailed the online issues.

Now I will only speak to my personal experiences on the PS4 version of MLB 14: The Show, but those experiences have been average at best, and maddening at worst. At times online connection to my opponent was not even possible, and when it has worked, it struggles to replicate the single player gaming experience offline. The game also provides a connection notification meter that shows each user the quality of connection, and the large majority of the time both my opponent’s and my bar are completely full, or green. This is suppose to be an indication the both connections are strong, but rarely does that mean that overall experience will be any better.

By now everyone is aware of the inclusion of the much anticipated online franchise mode this year. It's outstanding addition, in theory. On top of the overall excitement for the mode, there were certain features that are online franchise mode exclusives. Sadly, the issues that have plagued the standard online modes in years past have made their way into this mode also, almost nullifying all of the initial excitement that came with the announcement.

Keep this in mind though, this isn’t about calling the developers out, but more about the communicating and understanding of the true frustration that online fans of the series have dealt with for years. When the offline portion of the game offers what many consider to be the best sports gaming experience going today, the online issues are even that much more amplified. As much credit as the Sony San Diego development team deserves for their innovative gameplay, outstanding graphics, and attention to detail that goes into each release of MLB: The Show, one has to wonder if the consistent struggles to include a solid online experience with the game is worth it?

Maybe the time and resources could be spent perfecting other areas of the game.

Or am I wrong?