As daylight savings kicks in and the snow begins to melt it's starting to become evident that spring is in the air. And what comes with spring? Baseball. Unfortunately being an XBOX 360 owner leaves me few options when it comes to choosing a baseball game. In fact it leaves me with just one option: MLB 2K8.
Living in a city (Pittsburgh) which has woefully attempted to field a winning team for last 15 seasons has made my love for the game of baseball dwindle; not to mention everything else that has gone on with the sport in the last decade and a half. Still, every spring I get an itch, and it's not pollen related. The itch is for some digital baseball on my console.
Last year was the first year I spent with the 2K series, and while I enjoyed it enough to make it through a whole 162 game season, plus playoffs, I knew it could have been better. This is what I was hoping for when I recently started getting geared up for the newest rendition. This is not what I got at all, however.
Upon firing up the game for the first time I quickly realized that something was, well boring. I cannot think of a better way of saying that. The front end is lousy and dull, and everything presentation wise is more or less exactly the same as last year. Aesthetically speaking, I began to feel like I had just paid sixty dollars for a roster update, even though I still had to wait until Opening Day to download an up to date roster.
Commentary was exactly the same, especially after all those games I played last year. Honestly, how many times do I need to hear about, "PFP, Pitchers Fielding Practice", Joe Morgan?
Where is the groundbreaking presentation that placed 2K games above the bar for so many years? Replays and cut screens looked the same, well almost; there was that renowned stuttering issue to enjoy. In addition, animations and every other little nuance was pretty much exactly where I left it at the end of last summer. What a disappointment. How can I possibly be inspired to keep playing a game that got old seven or eight months ago?
Then I began to start disliking features that I liked in the previous year's game. The lineup card you can bring up during the pitcher batter interface was still there, but the writing was so small it was hard to read even when zoomed in. I am gaming on a 42-inch plasma, I should be able to read this stuff; I am still a relatively young guy here!
The one feature I really do like happens to be the 2K beats. This is where you can import any music you like, even streaming from your computer, to the game and have it play for all kinds of circumstances. This should be in every game!
That alone was the bright spot I found though. The game itself played mostly better as the new controls were inventive, and fun. Pitching takes too long to keep me interested though. It's a neat idea it just needs to be tightened up. Waiting for the catcher to give the sign and set up takes a little too long, and then just the act of pitching is pretty drawn out itself.
There is a better variety of hits which is nice, along with the new fielding mechanic being sound.
At the end of the day, however, all the new game mechanics can not make up for what this game lacks. The atmosphere is dull; graphics look bland; player models have taken a step back, physics are pretty weak again; and the overall experience was just lame. Even the lighting and weather just downright atrocious. And this isn’t even getting into all the bugs and problems I have encountered personally, or ones members in the forums have been complaining about. I'm talking about issues that have ranged from games freezing to gameplay errors and mishaps. It's exactly the type of problems I don't want out of a game that has no competition.
Maybe you can play this if you really love baseball and put in the time to tweak the sliders post-patch, I cannot though. Knowing that other games, like GTA, are coming out next month I don't see any reason to try and force myself to like this game.
It is just a boring game. A game I had already mastered last year; a game that I expected so much more out of; and mostly, a game that will sit on my shelf no matter what happens with baseball in this town.
Can I have my money back 2K?
Feature Article
Can I Have my Money Back?
Submitted on: 03/20/2008 by
Patrick Williams
Member Comments
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Bk;
I hear what you are saying, but I've played HH on a high end PC and enjoyed many years of it. We both know HH's graphics were substandard even 5 years ago.
I want what you want too, but the way I look at it, I survived 4 years of HH on the PC and wasn't disappointed with gameplay, which is probably the key word.
HH never updated the commentary and they only updated the graphics in the last year. And the commentary was more loopy than 2k8's.
# 122
Shadymamba @ 03/21/08 12:03 PM
I dont get it..ive played the game...i think its fine...a lot of people say the game is cool..i dont know what people are looking for its a VIDEO GAME..everygame has flaws, but i think people are looking for a television broadcast type video game...i say either trade it in or dont play it anymore dont continue to say i hate this and i hate that..and then when the patch comes out i love this and i love that...just give it back!!
ps. i have it on HD as well and its fine to me..maybe because i just play for the fun of it
ps. i have it on HD as well and its fine to me..maybe because i just play for the fun of it
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I know you are around but the Madden reference has a history to it and the MLB2k8 fans didn't start it.
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The difference is, now times have changed, the consoles and the games are more expensive, the technlogy is much better. So imo, the bar has been set higher than it was 4 or 5 years ago.
Are you playing the Show? It reminds me of HH in so many ways, both in manage mode and in regular playing modes it's not even funny. The Show to me is a more advanced, refined version of HH, with outstanding graphics and presentation to go along with it. Classic pitch mode, is identical to HH's pitching mechanic, and I find myself walking batters like I did in HH.
The Pressbox view in Manage Only, is eerily similiar to the same view in HH's manage only mode as well.
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I hung out mostly at Sim Central for the modding features.
Maybe the bar has been set higher, but I do remember even people with xbox's and ps2's ripping on HH graphics and sound, so, to me, nothing has changed in five years.
No, I don't have a PS3 , so, I don't have the Show, but I've heard it very close to HH. Unfortunately, I married an Accountant. It was similar to pulling teeth for the 360, so, I'd prefer to stay out of divorce court for the time being.
I'm sure if I had The Show, I would love it. I am content with the gameplay of 2k8, as I'm able to draw walks and throw walks as well.
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With this articles, I take it for what it is. An opinion piece that is representative of one man's opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't get the outrage. Opinion pieces aren't a new phenomenon.
Do I agree with his take? No not really. He's got some valid points, and 2k definitely mislead us when it came to the framerates and such. But he's entitled to his opinion, and he has this place to express his opinions. The whole why isn't "The Show" held to the same standard or "What about Madden" arguments are moot, since this wasn't a review, it was an opinion on a single game by a single guy. Madden, The Show and any other game out there is irrelevent to this article.
Not to mention, if you've been here any amount of time at all, and have any knowledge of the history of this site, the mere thought that it's somehow anti-2k is beyond ridiculous.
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I do enjoy aspects of the game, but when I combine everything, this year felt unfinished, and/or rushed. And it's not just the game. Like I said above, the marketing felt half-assed, rushed, or unfinished (whatever you want to call it) as well. Being the only officially licensed third party MLB game, I thought things would be different. I was disappointed.
# 130
spankdatazz22 @ 03/21/08 05:03 PM
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I'm not saying there's an anti-2K bias. I'm saying that all games aren't held to the same standard. I know more about The Show just from reading about it in the 2K8 forum. However, even the slightest hint of a 2K/EA debate in the Madden forum is enough cause for it to be locked. I don't visit the NCAA forum enough to know if that would be the case. I'm not trying to tell anyone how things should be modded. Just saying that this forum has been pretty much a free-for-all since the game released - if someone in any way says something derogatory about The Show for example, you're going to see someone "set them straight" so to speak. And I'm guessing the same happens in The Show forum. You go to the Madden forum and there's one big negativity thread and a bunch of sterile threads
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As someone who's been behind the scenes at this site, I can tell you, it's quite the opposite of what some people seem to be saying. If anything this has always been a pro-2k site.
As far as how the forums are modded, things for the most part in the baseball gaming forums seem to be much more civil, as opposed to the Madden forums where people and you know exactly who I am talking about seem to lose their minds.
As far as the APF thread not having one big thread for things wrong, I don't think people has as many problems with APF as they did with Madden, not to mention so many fewer people had the game, that having that thread really wasn't needed.
I know there are those that want to find a conspiracy at any chance, but there simply isn't one here.
# 133
spankdatazz22 @ 03/21/08 06:36 PM
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You're looking for something that simply isn't there. Or just trying to cloud the picture of the shortfalls of the 2k baseball game by muddying the water with false assumptions.
# 135
awesomepatrol @ 03/21/08 07:37 PM
I'd like to say that it's highly amusing that this debate is still going on.
Here's a brief recap for anyone that doesn't feel like reading all the posts.
- People disappointed with 2K8: "I don't like this game. The frame-rate renders it unplayable, it's even worse if you want to play online, the audio is precisely the same as 2K7, the crowd is no longer interactive, it freezes constantly, etc."
- Response: "But Madden had a separate thread for negative comments!"
If only 2K8 were as amusing as this thread. . . .
Here's a brief recap for anyone that doesn't feel like reading all the posts.
- People disappointed with 2K8: "I don't like this game. The frame-rate renders it unplayable, it's even worse if you want to play online, the audio is precisely the same as 2K7, the crowd is no longer interactive, it freezes constantly, etc."
- Response: "But Madden had a separate thread for negative comments!"
If only 2K8 were as amusing as this thread. . . .
# 136
spankdatazz22 @ 03/21/08 07:48 PM
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I'll just agree to disagree w/you. Not even sure what I'm disagreeing about at this point; I've sidetracked the thread enough.
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I think the main point here is that the people that like this game and people that dislike this game will never agree. Im over caring what the people that dislike it think. They don't need to play it and I don't have to listen to them. So, while neither this game or The Show are perfect, I can appreciate the improvements from last years version to this years version. I feel thats the only fair comparison to make for this game, and when it comes down to that I'm happy with my purchase. I hope the people that are disappointed this year can find another game to play until next year and hopefully by then we will all be in agreement on this game. Heres to baseball!
# 138
spankdatazz22 @ 03/21/08 07:53 PM
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And yet again, no mention of gameplay issues.
The issues you did mention are all legitimate issues, but overstated and overblown by those arguing that they make the game completely unplayable. That's all that's been being debated
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And no where near the venom that's leveled at the NCAA and Madden developers? Are you kidding me? Those guys get killed every year around release time. With everything from being called lazy to liars. Nice selective memory though.
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Actually the audio is exactly the same as last year. I believe the Devs have even said so.
As far as framerate being unplayable or not, that varies from person to person. I can look past it, while I can see why others would not be able to. They are pretty bad at times on the PS3 for sure.
There are a lot of things you can defend on this game. It's controls, the ball physics, etc.
Audio, presentation and framerates are really not defensible topics.
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