In our MLB 15: The Show preview podcast last week, I expressed my surprise at the lack of available information. At that time, we were nearly two months away from release, and most of what we knew came from online product pages.

Since then, we've been given a detailed fact sheet and a lengthy Twitch feed to digest. It was while watching the video feed that it occurred to me how unique the marketing of MLB 15 seems to be. This title may be the best insight we've ever had into the making of a game, and may signal an important change in how games are advertised.

Before digging into what makes this particular Twitch feed special, let me provide some context. I teach a media class to high school students; one of the important developments we discuss is how marketing has changed. A huge milestone was The Blair Witch Project and its use of viral web marketing. My students often relate how, in 2015, social media information has replaced corporate websites as the best way to get information on upcoming films and games. And, like it or not, U2's free release of their latest album directly through iTunes was a pretty revolutionary way to generate buzz.

So, it seems that simply releasing information through a website or pre-packaged commercials doesn't quite cut it anymore. Sure, a product may be successful despite reliance on traditional marketing; on the flip side, interesting advertising doesn't guarantee anything. But how many times have we scrutinized a trailer or studied a fact sheet and been left with more questions than answers?

Which brings me back to MLB 15's Twitch stream. In it, we had real developers sitting down and honestly showcasing features without a "safety net." They demonstrated "widgets" and how they worked to set up any scenario they'd like to test. We saw the game handle a specific situation over and over, and the variability found therein. And, while the dialogue may have been a little "inside baseball" (pun intended), it was refreshing seeing developers share their passion.

Admittedly, there are lots of questions still out there regarding MLB 15: The Show. But outside attending an industry convention, I can't recall such an honest and inside look at the development of a sports game.

Does this insight guarantee the game will be good, or that its flaws should get a pass? Of course not. Will the feed stand as a watershed moment in sports game marketing? Hard to say, as it won't have quite the impact of Blair Witch's first online advertising campaign.

What it does do, though, is humanize the development team and set the bar high for other titles. We've come to understand that Ramone and his crew are real people with a passion for baseball, not a collective of faceless coders and salesmen in slick suits. Of course, the territory of human being brings fallibility, so if/when the game fails to perform in certain areas, we share an understanding of how they feel.

The feed, along with Ramone's ongoing interaction here on OS and "Community Day," make the MLB: The Show series feel more transparent than any of the other major sports titles, at least in my opinion. The community is given a running commentary during the development and, for some, a tiny degree of input. It's like watching a friend or relative write a song, build a house, or raise a child: we may or may not like the outcome, but we'll understand how they got there.

Will this transparency pay off for the second iteration of the title on PS4? Who knows. But as a fan and critical observer of the series, the level of detail and openness is appreciated.