It is a new week here at Operation Sports and we are creeping up on the release of the two major baseball titles.  This week we have four staff members checking into the fact or fiction roundtable and answering some important questions for this week.  Is MVP 05 the best baseball game ever or will MLB 09: The Show surpass it this year? Is EA or Take Two going to be bought out in 2009's weak economy?  Check out their thoughts on these issues and a few more in this week's fact or fiction.

Is MLB '09: The Show set to be the greatest baseball game ever?

MLB '09: The Show will be the best baseball game ever made.

Jack Hoeffel - Fact. MLB 08: The Show was the best baseball game last year, and the SCE San Diego team has only improved on past successes. With a much deeper franchise mode, tightened gameplay and a ridiculous amount detail, MLB 09: The Show looks to further separate itself from the crowd. Based on the early build available in the demo, it appears to be a must-buy for all baseball fans, or at least those with a Playstation 3.

Caley Roark - Fact. MLB 08 practically sold me on a PS3, and I was not disappointed. I loved the atmosphere, gameplay and franchise options; all of those look to be upgraded in some way this year. At this point, MLB's only competition is a modded MVP 05. Out of the box, MLB 09 should blow everything away.

Christian McLeod - Fiction. While MLB 09: The Show will be a fantastic baseball game, it will still pale in comparison to MVP 05. MVP 05 is still superior in the areas of ball physics, fielding, throwing and baserunning, at least based on my time with the MLB 09 demo. It is not that MLB 09 is bad by any means, it is just that MVP 05 set the bar incredibly high. Is MLB 09 going to be the best baseball game ever released on the current wave of consoles? Yes. Is it going to be the best ever? No.

Ray Delizo - Fact. The amount of detail available in MLB 09: The Show is staggering. The guys at SCE San Diego have done a wonderful job year in and year out with Sony's baseball franchise. The franchise mode is chock full of options to keep even the most avid baseball fan occupied, the gameplay is solid, and the atmosphere and commentary are top notch. Plus, Road To the Show has been a staple over the last several years, offering fans just another way to play the game.

Pepsi ads aside, MLB 2K9 looks to be much improved.

MLB 2K9 will definitely be a big improvement over last year.

Jack Hoeffel - Fact. From what I have seen from Steve's early gameplay videos, it appears that Visual Concepts has greatly improved on the disaster that was MLB 2K8. The real-time world, which was highly touted in the feature list, looks to be just as good as promised, and I believe it will take MLB 2K9's presentation to the next level. Finally, it appears that baseball fans may have two great baseball games to choose from.

Caley Roark - Fact. The videos make MLB 2K look pretty good, especially the "live" presentation and new commentators. Assuming the glitches that have plagued the series in the past are gone, the tweaks to the existing gameplay may raise the overall quality of this game.

Christian McLeod - Fact. MLB 2K8 was flat out unplayable for me last year. That game alone led me to purchase a PS3 just to play a solid baseball title in '08. Based on the gameplay videos I have seen on the Net, I would have to say I am pretty impressed. Gameplay as a whole looks to be vastly improved over 2K8 (e.g. steady frame rate), and the overall look of the game could lead to some serious playtime for those who love baseball and only own a 360. I would go as far as saying that I may pick up 2K9 to play with all my 360 buddies online, and then stick with MLB 09 for my dynasty and Road To the Show needs.

Ray Delizo - Fact. After the disastrous year Take Two and 2K Sports had with MLB 2K8, the franchise is looking like it could rebound and be a baseball game that is better in terms of overall quality. By simplifying the controls and concentrating on addressing areas where the game fell short last year, there is a chance that MLB 2K9 will be closer to what fans who only own a 360 want in a baseball game. That is not to say that MLB 09: The Show's hold as the best baseball game will be threatened any time soon, no. But I do see MLB 2K9 improving this year.

Would MVP be like the Rays or the Yankees of last year?

If EA Sports was still making MVP Baseball, it would be as good as MLB 09: The Show is today.

Jack Hoeffel - Fact. MVP Baseball 2005 was the best baseball game available for many years. It had great graphics for its time, incredibly solid gameplay and a deep stat system. If Take Two had not bought exclusive third-party rights to Major League Baseball, it is very possible that MVP Baseball 2009 would be as good if not better than MLB 09: The Show.

Caley Roark - Fiction. After watching how EA has handled Madden's transition to the current-generation consoles, I do not have too much confidence in what MVP would have become. I loved MVP 05 (and still play it occasionally), but I imagine that the features that made that game great would have been dropped and then touted as new features later on.

Christian McLeod - Fact. When the MLB license was sold to Take Two, MVP was on the brink of total gaming greatness. Not only did MVP nail bat-on-ball physics, and just about everything else about the game of baseball, but the developers were able to deliver the best dynasty mode ever. No other game to date has been able to duplicate the accurate player progression, trade A.I. and free agent A.I. that MVP 05 featured. There is something to be said when both games currently on the market generously imitate almost every feature that MVP introduced to the genre -- throwing meters, analog sliding, PIP baserunning, pitching meter, etc. To be perfectly honest, if MVP 05 was given the HD treatment like Street Fighter HD, I think it would sell a million-plus copies.

Ray Delizo - Fact. Despite being one of the unlucky few that has never played MVP 2005, I still have fond memories of firing up my old Xbox and playing MVP 2003 for hours on end. From what I have read and seen of MVP 2005, it was a phenomenal game. Could EA make a MLB game today that would rival or even surpass The Show? If EA still had the MLB license and the MVP series was still around, yes EA could.

Is it EA's turn to go through a possible buyout in 2009?

The economic situation will result in either an EA or TT buyout this year.

Jack Hoeffel - Fiction. Considering how many rumblings there have been in the past regarding a potential buyout of Take Two, I do not believe it will get to a point this year in which the company is forced to accept a buyout. In regards to EA, I believe the company is too obsessed with its own business right now to allow anyone to buy it out. Also, considering that EA is beginning to drop information regarding Madden NFL 10, it seems possible that EA has new ideas for the franchise and is planning to stay independent for a long time.

Caley Roark - Fact. It seems like every month the gaming landscape is changing as one company is bought out by another or collapses altogether. I do not think it is a stretch to say that one of these two companies will go this year. And while EA is powerful, I do not think it is strong enough to outlast the mix of a weakened economy and a more powerful company like Disney.

Christian McLeod - Fiction. I think both TT and EA will survive another year by cutting back on certain projects and focusing on quality titles. In the long run, this is going to help gamers because by cutting the fat, both companies will start to give us the quality, detail-oriented sports games that we have been asking for over the last four years.

Ray Delizo - Fiction. I do not see EA being in trouble any time soon. Madden NFL 10, as well as the new line of EA Sports titles, will keep gamers playing. After all, EA has been an industry stalwart for a reason. As far as Take Two is concerned, I honestly do not know what might happen. My gut feeling is that it will find a way to make it through the economic crisis.