The verdict is in on MLB 2K8, and unfortunately for 2K sports, the sole MLB title for Xbox 360 has not been cleared of all charges. Although I have not yet had the pleasure of taking this year’s edition of the MLB 2K series for a test drive, I have read numerous reviews (on this site and others), and more importantly, monitored the chatter about the game here in our very own OS forums.

After processing all of this information, it seems to me that, sadly, this season’s only MLB title for my precious 360, suffers from the same debilitating disease that severely shortened its predecessor’s lifespan (for me, anyway) only one year ago.

Now, before you jump to conclusions, I do not intend to make this an “I hate 2K Sports” article, so fear not, ye 2K faithful. Personally, I do not harbor much ill-will toward the MLB 2K series in general. In fact, I rather enjoyed 2K6 for my old Xbox.

However, last season was my first next-gen experience with the series, and it was indeed, a sour one. While the graphics were impressive, the game lacked depth and polish, a malady that many next-gen sports titles now suffer from. Ultimately, it’s the attention to little details that make a successful sports game, and last season, 2K7 failed to pass the sniff test.

In a normal year, I recognize the coming of the spring season by three distinct, baseball-related events. The first is my annual fantasy baseball draft, which, I am pleased to report, was a huge success. Big Papi, Miguel Cabrera, and Brandon Webb will be the cornerstones of 2008's champion of The League of Ordinary Gentlemen.

The second big event is, of course, the beginning of baseball season itself. Being an avid Cubs fan, each year feels like a exercise in routine futility and without Brian Roberts, I fear that this season will fall right in line with tradition. Still, there is no substitute for a good old WGN broadcast, accompanied by brats on the grill and a nice, tall Budweiser.

And finally, the last sign that the Vernal Equinox has arrived is the 1.7-mile drive to GameStop, to pick up the latest edition of MLB 2K.

As the subheading reads, this year will be different. One of these three signs of spring has not yet occurred. I have not yet made the trip to my friendly neighborhood GameStop to pick up MLB 2K8. Yet somehow, the weather still continues to get warm….strange, wouldn’t you say?

The chief reason I have not yet taken part in this annual tradition, is this very community’s response to the game. For the past week, I have read through forums, looking for the little details about the game that the reviews sometimes breeze over. I know with 100% certainty, what made the game, lackluster for me last year.

By scanning these forums, I have found evidence that the franchise mode again lacks depth, and games have a tendency to get altogether too homerun happy, both were my pet peeves for MLB 2K7. Add in mixed reviews of the new pitching system, and the apparent “freeze” issue, and I made my decision. I am going to save my $60 this year, and try to make it through the MLB season without a video game counterpart.

In discussing this issue with my Operation Sports colleagues, an interesting issue came to light. Online communities, such as this one, present a very unique challenge to game studios. Everyone has their own distinct opinion about what makes a sports game good or bad.

Often times, these opinions are based upon small details within a game, and simply reading a review may not cover all of the bases when making a purchasing decision. The OS forums (and other forums like it) have become a powerful purchasing tool for consumers, and a powerful adversary for game developers.

We can now circumvent the corporate hype machine, and get the blunt and honest opinions about upcoming/recently released titles prior to purchase. And for gamers like myself, who sit on the edge between buying and not buying, reading these forums can be a powerful tipping point.

Not an entirely original notion, right? The internet allows people to communicate in mass, which can greatly influence decision making within the marketplace. Brilliant, McCombs. Bloody well done!

I’m not trying to break new ground with this idea by any means, but I think that we can sometimes forget just how powerful online communities are to those whose products have, in a sense, created them. Many of us have become repeat customers to our particular sports game franchises, and come hell or high water, that’s never going to change. But for those of us looking to try something new, or have been recently disappointed with a franchise, the opinions of our peers ring paramount.

Thus, I have decided to embark upon a bold, pseudo-scientific experiment, and not purchase MLB 2K8, based mainly the opinions of the OS community. With the lack of the game being the only real variable, we shall see how my general enjoyment of baseball season plays out. Truth be told, I am a tad frightened about the prospect of an MLB season without the most recent digital sim resting loyally on my entertainment center. And although I often pride myself in forming my own opinions on games, I am prepared to become one of the blind flock on this one.

Am I being too hasty? Have I made a huge, monumental mistake? Time will tell, I suppose, I will be certain to let you know. Digital baseball withdrawal is certainly immanent. But perhaps I will be better off for experience. Let me know if I am completely out of my mind.