When February started, what we knew about MLB 15: The Show was slim. Since then, we’ve been treated to a deluge of information, including weekly live feeds and frank discussions about the development process. As I wrote previously, this marketing strategy is a unique one in the industry — but certainly helps us set our expectations accurately.

Now that March -- and release month -- is here, here are my most anticipated changes and additions, as featured in the streams thus far.

Diamond Dynasty:
I broke this mode down earlier, following the dedicated feed, but this mode is slowly inching its way toward relevancy. What used to be something I’d abandon by May might actually be a mode that sees a large percentage of my time.

First, it’s much more streamlined. It also helps that it is ingrained throughout the other modes — modes which I historically tend to play much more. I like the focus on real life MLB players; while the “feeding” concept and created superstar feels a bit odd, they do help retain the creativity found in previous versions of this mode.

GM Contracts:
While I was hoping for something more interactive and dynamic, like NBA 2K15’s RPG-like GM mode, this addition to Franchise mode is a welcome one. I like that it gives shape to a very broad and open-ended mode, and puts urgency on your ability to make positive changes.

The goals demonstrated seemed to be reasonable for the teams shown; though, in the future, more short-term goals would be welcomed. This would help create a more fluid GM rating, and perhaps variable length contracts.

As it is, this addition represents what the Show team does well: carefully implement a small but meaningful change and give the users the option to turn it off.

Radio Show:

I’m an admitted “presentation guy,” so any addition like the "Inside the Show" is a big one for me. From what was shown over the course of two feeds, it seems like the developers did a good job of adding a daily recap that feels authentic and provides detailed context.

I do worry about it getting old, especially if you are playing every game and listening every day. How soon will the announcements start to get repetitive?
That said, I love the decision to make it an audio recap. Allowing users to listen while they navigate a menu-heavy mode maximizes our time and allows us to get back in games faster. As cool as video replay shows are --and I’d gladly welcome them in the future! — I tend to skip through them in favor of doing other things in-game.

Trade Improvements:
The developers touted the increased trade logic — something that has been needed for a while. Scamming the AI wasn’t necessarily easy before, but it was possible to squeeze an unrealistic trade. I like that they used this busy offseason to test out the trade engine.

I more excited for the Trade Finder feature, something that has been introduced into other sports games over the past few years. I use it to great effect in NBA 2K15, and it’s nice to see it making the jump. While I’ve never been a real GM, I imagine there’s some system in place to make players readily available — I hope no one has to cold call the league directory to start negotiations. Hopefully, these two features combined will make transactions easier and more realistic.

Lighting:
Throughout all of the feeds, the new lighting has been apparent. It looks very good; better when you compare it to MLB 14. This one isn’t likely to get anyone to buy the game who wasn’t already sold, but it will be appreciated by long time users. Improved lighting is a perfect example of one of the “little things” The Show team does to produce a quality title year after year.

What revealed additions/improvements are you most looking forward to?