As the Winter Meetings begin, so does our first look at the next iteration of everyone's favorite -- OK, only -- MLB simulation. Besides a new naming convention, what else does MLB The Show 16 have in store for baseball fans this Spring? Here are a few quick reactions from the first wave of information:

Showtime:

I'm guessing this might be a polarizing feature, depending on how gamey this system is. In fact, it reminds me a bit of my favorite MLB arcade games, The Bigs 2 -- that's not necessarily a negative, as that game's quick-time events accurately represented player skill and highlight moments in a relatively interesting way.

I'm curious whether this a fielding only feature, or if it will impact batting at all (the trailer seems to indicate it will). I imagine that this new system will be at home in Road to the Show -- a mode that's been vastly improved over the past few years -- but that most will turn it off in regular games.

Road to the Show:

Speaking of Road to the Show, it looks like The Show's career mode receives more attention this year. Being able to crank out a few games without multiple load screens would be a blessing. "Perks" sound interesting, and may further customize your focus as a player.

However, while nothing was mentioned, I hope that these improvements don't mean that Franchise mode, perhaps the game's most stale mode, was left untouched. One of the trailer's screens seemed to show some kind of franchise improvement or localized game mode -- I predict some kind of fan-based metagame, not unlike what we used to see in FIFA or NCAA Football.

Many Editions, but...

You will definitely have options when it comes to choosing how you want to play MLB The Show 16, including two-disc based versions and a PS4-only digital edition. For the digital edition, you better like Diamond Dynasty, because that seems to be what the extra $40 is buying you.

One edition that is still up in the air is the Vita version, with no mention on the game's official page. This is too bad, not because the game was outstanding on the Vita, but because I liked using the cross-platform saves during vacation season. If it doesn't release, it shouldn't surprise -- the game received very little attention last year when it was released at a bargain $20 price via digital download.

Final Thoughts

The release also indicated other improvements, including graphical upgrades (not immediately apparent in the trailer) and two new modes.

With the information we've received, I'm moderately excited. I'm still holding out hope for franchise improvements; if they don't happen, I may end up spending more time in Road to the Show that I have in the past.


What are your initial impressions after watching the trailer and reading the press release?