The Best New Feature Announced in MLB 15 The Show is...? (Roundtable)
Submitted on: 01/27/2015 by
Steve Noah
There has been a slow trickle of information coming out of the SCEA camp when it comes to MLB 15 The Show. We've learned, for example, that the game will have a major graphical improvement along with a new radio show. There will also be licensed equipment and what Sony is calling the Human IK engine.
What has you most excited for MLB 15 The Show?
Phil Varckette: This has to be the new Human IK Engine. Anytime animations are redone to look more realistic and behave more human-like is a good thing. I'm really excited to see the new engine in motion. The Show has been lacking any real innovation for years. I feel like if something isn't done with this game, it will start to suffer the wrath of OS. Last year was the first time I can remember a large contingent of unhappy OSers. Some, including me, felt it over-promised and under-delivered.
Jayson Young: I am most excited for MLB 15: The Show's "major graphical improvements," assuming that those improvements include running at 60 frames per second, in every MLB stadium, from the opening pitch to the final out, without any dropped frames.
The frequent stuttering in MLB 14: The Show would often throw off my timing while fielding and batting, plus it made most of the cinematic cutaway shots look choppy and ugly. I am even willing to sacrifice less detailed and/or less varied crowds if that would result in a smooth frame rate this season.
Robert Kollars: I am excited by a lot of what has been announced so far. The new emotion and lighting engines sound great, but the overhauled franchise experience is what has me most intrigued. The Show does a fantastic job already in this mode, but there is room for improvement, and I can't wait to hear how deep it actually goes.
With Just over two months left before retail release, it should be a lot of fun for fans of the series, as new information will start to come out consistently.
Ben Vollmer: It is hard not to be excited about a commentary overhaul. Despite the game's careful attention to detail, the commentary has always felt generic and dull compared to everything else. If The Show gives half as much attention to the commentary as it does the rest of its presentation (stadiums, audio, ect.), then we are in really good shape.
I am also intrigued with the idea of a fresh franchise mode. Even though the mode has always felt steady and almost uniquely functional amongst the sports game genre, it didn't have that extra something that would keep me hooked on the same franchise for years. The possibility of having a similar mode to NBA 2K's "MyLeague" is really exciting for me, as someone who loves to customize their experience.
Caley Roark Both the Human IK Engine and the overhauled franchise are the improvements I'm looking forward too.
MLB 14: The Show's franchise isn't bad, but it's neither tremendously deep or strategic. It's pretty much contains all of the features you'd expect, wrapped in a less than exciting package. Compared to the management modes in Madden and NBA 2K15, The Show's franchise mode can feel a bit dry.
As for the Human IK Engine, it's seems like another small but important step in making The Show feel truly next-gen. Similar to the real camera angles, the real-time cut scenes, and last year's lighting, this addition looks to be a major visual upgrade.
Matthew Coe: The improvement I'm most looking forward to is overhauled commentary. When it's bad ... it's really bad. It can be an instant immersion killer, a major no-no in modern sports games. Better commentary, along with a hopefully louder, more emotional crowd, will go a long way towards putting MLB 15: The Show back at the top of my most wanted list.
Which feature are you most excited about, OSers?
Jayson Young: I am most excited for MLB 15: The Show's "major graphical improvements," assuming that those improvements include running at 60 frames per second, in every MLB stadium, from the opening pitch to the final out, without any dropped frames.
The frequent stuttering in MLB 14: The Show would often throw off my timing while fielding and batting, plus it made most of the cinematic cutaway shots look choppy and ugly. I am even willing to sacrifice less detailed and/or less varied crowds if that would result in a smooth frame rate this season.
Robert Kollars: I am excited by a lot of what has been announced so far. The new emotion and lighting engines sound great, but the overhauled franchise experience is what has me most intrigued. The Show does a fantastic job already in this mode, but there is room for improvement, and I can't wait to hear how deep it actually goes.
With Just over two months left before retail release, it should be a lot of fun for fans of the series, as new information will start to come out consistently.
Ben Vollmer: It is hard not to be excited about a commentary overhaul. Despite the game's careful attention to detail, the commentary has always felt generic and dull compared to everything else. If The Show gives half as much attention to the commentary as it does the rest of its presentation (stadiums, audio, ect.), then we are in really good shape.
I am also intrigued with the idea of a fresh franchise mode. Even though the mode has always felt steady and almost uniquely functional amongst the sports game genre, it didn't have that extra something that would keep me hooked on the same franchise for years. The possibility of having a similar mode to NBA 2K's "MyLeague" is really exciting for me, as someone who loves to customize their experience.
Caley Roark Both the Human IK Engine and the overhauled franchise are the improvements I'm looking forward too.
MLB 14: The Show's franchise isn't bad, but it's neither tremendously deep or strategic. It's pretty much contains all of the features you'd expect, wrapped in a less than exciting package. Compared to the management modes in Madden and NBA 2K15, The Show's franchise mode can feel a bit dry.
As for the Human IK Engine, it's seems like another small but important step in making The Show feel truly next-gen. Similar to the real camera angles, the real-time cut scenes, and last year's lighting, this addition looks to be a major visual upgrade.
Matthew Coe: The improvement I'm most looking forward to is overhauled commentary. When it's bad ... it's really bad. It can be an instant immersion killer, a major no-no in modern sports games. Better commentary, along with a hopefully louder, more emotional crowd, will go a long way towards putting MLB 15: The Show back at the top of my most wanted list.
Which feature are you most excited about, OSers?