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For Better or Worse, The Show is in the Details

If there has been a theme to the recent MLB 15: The Show live streams, it's that the development team is focused on the details. From skin tones to lighting, the new additions reinforce the idea that The Show is a series which gets a lot of the "little things" right.

There's a dual danger to this approach though, albeit one mitigated by Sony San Diego's commitment to a deep and transparent marketing strategy: casual users may miss these minute improvements, while long time fans can find plenty of details that are still missing.

For someone who only dabbles in baseball or sporadically buys The Show, it's easy to overlook subtle graphical and gameplay improvements. Does he or she care if skin-tones are more accurate if "Road to the Show" is more or less the same? Are the differences in dynamic monthly lighting noticeable if one rarely attends a game in real life? Is anyone really watching the third basemen during a routine single to right field?

It could be argued that these types are gamers aren't necessarily the target audience of The Show. In some ways, The Show is the micro-brewery or jazz music of sports games--pleasant enough for the uninitiated, but full of intricacies designed for the aficionado.

If you are a self-proclaimed student of the game, you'll most likely be bothered by the details the development team hasn't got right yet. Domes that don't close. Wrong seat types or colors. Empty camera wells. Ball boys, but no ball girls. You may care less about licensed equipment than if the position of a uniform number is too high or low.

So, these details can be a double-edged sword, though it's a sword Sony San Diego has had great practice wielding. I haven't played MLB 15 yet, but for my money, no series has been as consistently good as The Show. Nor does any other game come as close to truly representing its sport.

These opinions are due largely to this constant focus on the details. Whether you agree with this strategy or not, you have to appreciate its uniqueness. In an industry where flash tends to trump substance and noise sells, The Show is nearly cerebral. Instead of effects-laden trailers, we get two-plus hour Twitch feeds looking at lighting shifts, background buildings, and wet turf.

So, when MLB 15: The Show drops in just over two weeks, we'll first marvel and/or complain about the big things: the equipment, Inside the Show, online play. Maybe there'll be some game-breaking glitch that takes months to patch. Some may trade it in within a month, claiming that too little has changed from 2014. Given time, though, many will be posting their favorite "little thing" well into the fall, taking the time to catch the nuances of Sony's subtle approach.

Time will also tell whether the newest version of The Show can also be called the best. Regardless, this Spring, I encourage you to be a connoisseur of virtual baseball. Look for those little touches that regularly make The Show a special series.

What "small" addition has you most excited for MLB 15: The Show?


MLB 15 The Show Videos
Member Comments
# 21 MetsFan16 @ 03/19/15 04:23 PM
I can understand where the article goes in terms of the casual fan may not understand the intricacies of the game of baseball. For example, when I played a game of Tiger Woods Pro Tour, I am as casual a golf fan as it gets in that I rarely watch it and when I do, I don't understand what is going on except for the basic terms. So I can underatand why a casual baseball fan who watches merely to see guys hit 450 foot bombs and guys throw 100+ every pitch wouldn't appreciate the minute details this game has.

But I am definitely not a casual baseball fan. I am always thinking about, talking about, watching, reading baseball. I am a college catcher so I know a lot about the fine details that goes into a game of baseball which is why I will forever buy this video game. My GF gives me a hard time saying its just a video game and you do the same thing every time. But she's still learning .

For me The Show is one of those games that no matter how old I get, I will always be searching through these OS forums to learn every bit of information until the game is released, play the game for that calendar year and then return to these OS forums for the next game. Hearing about how these developers go through adding so much new features into each years game truly shows me as a consumer that it is not just a roster update as many of the casual fans think it is.

The features they've added this year has me more excited than any year

11 Days!!!
 
# 22 Sip_16 @ 03/19/15 04:24 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaybaybay618
Wait a minute, what do you mean by "the old pure analog being taken out"? The pure analog pitching interface is still available isn't it?
I shouldve added that it was for hitting. I think i saw there is an option for pure analog but its new, normal swing is up, contact L or R and power down then up all with R3. There is no stride anymore.
 
# 23 MetsFan16 @ 03/19/15 04:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaybaybay618
Wait a minute, what do you mean by "the old pure analog being taken out"? The pure analog pitching interface is still available isn't it?
The Pure Pitching analog is still in the game. He is referring to the Hitting Pure Analog. In previous years with Pure Analog you would have to pull down on the Right stick to stride, and then push up to swing. In this year's game for a regular swing, you just have to push up on the stick to swing (no stride), for power swing you have to pull back and then push up and for contact/defensive swing you push the stick to the left or right. Pitching mechanic is unchanged.
 
# 24 Russell_SCEA @ 03/19/15 04:48 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyJ1976
They still haven't figured out how to open and close domed stadiums? Also, what happened to the four different umpire crews with each one of them having a name and their own specific strike zone? And why did they get rid of the rosin bag on the mound? With all the stadium upgrades, why don't they ever change the LED advertisement boards around the stadium? And why does the organ or hype music abruptly stops after the pitcher is ready? With all that said, I still love this game. Just commenting on some little things missing or taken out of the game.
  • We know how to do closed dome stadiums, the resource commitment hasn't been worth it for our dev team yet.
  • The four different umpire crews with different strike zones are still in the game.
  • The rosin bag was never a feature we anounced, the presentation is still there however.
 
# 25 Jr. @ 03/19/15 04:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clarke99
Really? This is the big leagues not a beer league, it's bad enough someone like adam Jones in the game would misplay a routiner, these need to be put to a halt. More varied throws from the outfield makes sense though
I mean less precise routes (which it looks like they've implemented), OFs not able to sprint full speed into a ground ball and field it clean every time, OFs not playing balls off the wall perfectly (knowing the exact angle the ball will take off of the wall), etc.

I'm not talking about missing flyballs because the catch animation didn't match up with the ball.
 
# 26 HypoLuxa13 @ 03/19/15 05:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell_SCEA
  • We know how to do closed dome stadiums, the resource commitment hasn't been worth it for our dev team yet.
  • The four different umpire crews with different strike zones are still in the game.
  • The rosin bag was never a feature we anounced, the presentation is still there however.
I thought you guys were on vacation for a couple weeks?
 
# 27 ShaiLeGran @ 03/19/15 05:36 PM
As an European guy, who grew up with soccer, you gotta love all the tiny details they put in The Show. It's probably more for the purists then the casual gamers, but still, it is a great, great game. Maybe it sounds a bit goofy, but I like the new font they used for all the menu and in-game text. Makes it feel fresh to me. I do think the graphics look almost the same as last year, but then again, so does FIFA's and NBA2K's. Also, I would really like some new cut scenes in the game and perhaps some post-game interviews like NBA2K.

I still wonder if the cut-scenes pan out in 60fps this year or if it's still choppy-choppy again..

Nevertheless, looking forward to playing The Show 15
 
# 28 JayD @ 03/19/15 05:52 PM
The developers of this game listen to the community more than anyone else out there. This is why the game gets better and better every year.
 
# 29 Russell_SCEA @ 03/19/15 07:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by HypoLuxa13
I thought you guys were on vacation for a couple weeks?
Yeah I'm supposed to be on break.
 
# 30 SDwinder @ 03/19/15 08:00 PM
Analog pitching has been my go to for years now. I use the Pitcher/Outfield view. As a former college/pro pitcher, no other pitching mode in gaming has represented pitching as well IMHO, and that's going back to early '80s!

Which single player pitching mode do the Devs prefer?
 
# 31 SDwinder @ 03/19/15 08:12 PM
It would be great for a 2 player online or offline game to have a split screen view. Pitcher view/Catcher view
 
# 32 PadresFan104 @ 03/19/15 09:25 PM
I'm hoping that when we are in replay mode that we can pull the camera back into the stands. That's always bugged me...
 
# 33 MAGboyswifT27 @ 03/19/15 11:13 PM
Last year's game was the first Show I've ever bought and I was a big fan of it. To me these details and time that's taken to make this game is what makes it great. I wish other companies would take that approach like these guys do. I'm excited for this game to come out.
 
# 34 Hec_bx @ 03/20/15 12:38 AM
Is the original joe mauer stance in the game?
 
# 35 ARoid1313 @ 03/20/15 12:45 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by HenryClay1844
I'm only casually interested in baseball and have found the gameplay mechanics of the show frustrating (being able to actually get hits while playing on a challenging level), but as someone who's number one game is soccer and FIFA I so envy the depth and attention to detail in the show. The visual presentation (not the audio) and the attention to detail for rules and depth of experience for franchise blows FIFA out of the water. I also love the transparency of promotion for the Show to the managed snippets EA gives us for FIFA.

Blows Fifa out of the water? I don't agree with that all
 
# 36 LastActionHero @ 03/20/15 07:10 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by MythicalGnome
It's pretty obvious to me that 15 is the tipping year. 16 is just going to be an all-around masterpiece imo. Full dev cycle. No as rushed as before and as said above they have built so many new layers into the tapestry that 16 should be a year of microdetail all around. It's going to be glorious to see what they come up with. 15 is already so much better than what we had on PS3....

Well said, my wishlist has almost been completely demolished with this years installment so I don't know what 16 will bring but "masterpiece" could probably cover it
 
# 37 SportsGameGod @ 03/20/15 07:26 AM
ALL GAMES should be made for the aficionados. Let the lazy fair weather kids be followers like always. Make the passionate true fans happy first and the rest will come.
 
# 38 Skyboxer @ 03/20/15 08:01 AM
Can't wait to get a game going!
I'm still going to be asking for the MOM broadcast cam to be a camera you can use in franchise until it's either there or I'm dead.....
 
# 39 thaSLAB @ 03/20/15 09:14 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nwo4Life75
Well I have to say the franchise/GM mode has me very interested,I'm really hoping it has changed for the better and the improved lighting and overall graphics that Russell and the devs have been touting! I'm very disappointed once again that you still don't have the option to play with the roofs closed with the retractable roof stadiums,even after its been a highly requested by the fans! I was watching the graphics Twitch stream the other day and the question was asked to Russell about still not being able to play with the roofs closed,he just basically skipped around the whole question and gave no kind of answer to the question! That kinda ticked me off I have to say!
From this thread:



Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell_SCEA
  • We know how to do closed dome stadiums, the resource commitment hasn't been worth it for our dev team yet.


htcONE [M8] 5.0 | Tapatalk
 
# 40 NC12 @ 03/20/15 09:59 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PadresFan104
I'm hoping that when we are in replay mode that we can pull the camera back into the stands. That's always bugged me...
I second this
 


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