MLB 10 The Show Fact Sheet

Publisher:  Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer:  Sony Computer Entertainment America, San Diego
Platforms:  PlayStation®3 (PS3™), PlayStation®2, PlayStation®Portable (PSP®),
PlayStation®Portable (PSP®) go
Genre:  Sports
Cover Athlete:  Joe Mauer, catcher, Minnesota Twins
Launch Date:  March 2010
Players:  1-2 Players
Rating:  “RP” for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW

Widely considered the most authentic baseball game available, MLB 10® The Show™ is set again to provide fans with the best baseball experience this console generation with even more features and modes destine to quicken the heart, raise the stakes, and hurl you further into a true MLB® baseball experience.  Holding more than 81% market share on PS3, more than 70% market share across all PlayStation platforms, and the #1 selling baseball franchise in video game history, The Show is proving once again to be the industry’s premier licensed Major League Baseball® (MLB™) game, both critically and commercially. 

The long awaited Home Run Derby® leads the deep features list in MLB 10 The Show for PS3.  Fully implemented in the season modes and available as a stand alone feature, Home Run Derby follows the current MLB rules and flow.  The MLB®All-Star Futures Game™ will also be available within season modes in its correct timeframe (just before the Home Run Derby), as well as fully functional online leagues.

Additional new features for the PS3 game include “Catcher Mode,” the ability to call the game as the catcher, select pitches, and be the ultimate field general, just like Joe Mauer.  MLB 10 The Show will also offer daytime transitional lighting, a newly added “Movie Maker” menu giving the user the ability to select multiple replays to add to and edit a single movie, and 11 new stadiums.  Five new Minor League stadiums will be introduced, as well as a selection of classic parks available on the PS3 for the first time including Forbes Field, Crosley Field, The Polo Grounds, Shibe Park, Sportsman Park, and Griffith Stadium.

Online multiplayer has vastly improved this year to bring more of that competitive fire out amongst friends.   First and foremost, the game will detect and respond better to adverse network conditions and bandwidth has been reduced to help the speed and flow of online gameplay.  Along with the core online league play, where gamers can customize leagues including choosing players, teams, and length of schedule, MLB 10 The Show will now offer fully functional online season leagues!  The new online season leagues will save and display MLB Player stats, track player energy, allow for trades/injuries, and offer 40-man roster functionality.  Alongside this will be weekly live roster updates, available every week throughout the entire MLB season, tracking roster changes, addition of new MLB players (with correct attributes), and player attribute updates to reflect hot and cold streaks.  Lastly, The Show will offer the ability to view every game you've ever played online, complete with opponents, box scores, and game logs.  There is simply no better place to turn up the smacktalk and settle a little baseball rivalry than playing it out online in The Show.

The gameplay in The Show has been enhanced considerably with improved logic, animations and presentations resulting in a wider variety of hit types (including more choppers), improved ground ball friction, improved run down logic, and upgrades to the Throwing Meter, which will reflect each player’s arm strength based on attributes.  The ground ball friction will provide more realistic bounces and ground balls getting by the corner infielders when hit down either foul line allowing for extra bases when the ball rattles around in the left and right field corners.  Ball collision improvements now enable the ball to bounce off of any part of the batter's body and take the correct trajectory after impact.  If you dive for a ball and miss it, the ball can be smothered, kicked, and deflected, all outcomes following real

life ball physics.  Comebackers to the mound can deflect off the pitcher’s body who can then turn a great looking 1-6-3 double play.  We have also added the always popular 3-6-3 double play, ability to rob HRs, dives, sliding catch plays, tumbles, rolls, over running bases, getting caught on a pick-off move when leaning the wrong way, base runner line drive reactions, multiple levels of check swings, and umpire reviews of HRs hit down the foul lines (they can get reversed!)—all new aspects of the gameplay that not only look great, but feel right.

MLB 10 The Show once again raises the overall level of detail and realism from customizable fan chants, to jumbotron animations, to crowd atmosphere.  Not to be outdone, stadium ambiance will be improved with the addition of HR/splash counters, fireworks, steam, noisemakers, towels, thunder sticks, crowd reaching over the rails, and crowd detail, such as interaction with vendors and placing Ks.  Mascots are also available for all teams and each will show off signature moves throughout the game.

The popular “Road to The Show” mode returns with version 4.0 featuring the addition of two new interactive training modes, new settings, and new presentations.  Interactive training will consist of a set of mini-games designed to improve a player’s fielding and pitching ability, adding to last year's introduction of batting and base running training.  In Road to The Show users will also have the new Game Watch and Game Completion options which allow the player to set how much of the game they wish to view.  “Franchise Mode” also returns to the game, including the 40-man roster, salary arbitration, waiver transactions and September call-ups.  Due to hit stores in March 2010, just in time for Spring Training, as the only officially licensed first party videogame exclusively for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™), PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) go, MLB 10 The Show is prepared to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience for all fans, new and old.

NEW FEATURES IN MLB 10 THE SHOW

·    All-Star Break (includes Home Run Derby® and MLB® All-Star Futures Game™) (PS3) – The long-awaited return of Home Run Derby will take place in MLB 10 The Show for PS3.  Fully implemented in our season modes and available as a stand-alone mode, Home Run Derby follows the MLB rules and flow.  The MLB® All-Star Futures Game™ will also be available within season modes in its correct timeframe (just before the HR Derby).  See if your Road to The Show player is invited to either the Home Run Derby or the Futures Game!
·    Catcher Calling the Game (PS3) – The catcher will play a bigger role in season modes, Road to The Show, and exhibition games.  The catcher will give a sequence of signs and users will have the ability to change their indicator.  Specifically for Road to The Show, the feature will allow a catcher to calling the game.  This feature will give a new level of control to the catcher where he will have responsibility to select pitches and position himself to block balls that are in the dirt or wild.
·    Online Gameplay Improvements (PS3) – This year, the online gameplay experience has been improved a great deal as the game will detect and respond better to adverse network conditions along with reduced bandwidth to help the speed and flow of online gameplay.
·    User Controlled Pick-offs (PS3) – Want to surprise a base runner with a quick move or lull him to sleep?  The new pickoff mechanism will now allow users to choose from a quick, casual, or deceptive pick-off type.  In exhibition, season, and Road to The Show modes, you have the ability to decide which move you want to make as a pitcher.  As a base runner in Road to The Show you now have to pick up on the pitcher’s move or get thrown out leaning!
·    Custom Music, Fan Yells, and Chants – New to The Show this year, users can now assign music or a recording to an entire team, not just a player.  Edit tracks to assign batter walk-up music or record your own voice and assign it to play for the team or player during the situation of your choice."
·    Movie Maker (PS3) – Newly added is the Movie Maker menu within the Pause Menu.  This will give the user the ability to select up to ten replays to add to a single movie and do all their editing from this menu.  The user will now be able to start recording their movie on a newly created timeline and then pause their movie, choosing different camera angles of their plays. 
·    New Stadiums (PS3) – MLB 10 The Show will offer 11 new stadiums.  In addition to all current MLB stadiums, five new Minor League venues are available, as well as classics parks now be available on the PS3 for the first time.  The classic stadiums include Forbes Field, Crosley Field, Polo Grounds, Shibe Park, Sportsman Park, and Griffith Stadium.
·    New Fielding and Pitching Training Modes/Practice Drills (PS3) – In MLB 10 The Show users will have the ability to choose from two new interactive training/practice modes.  The additions of pitching and fielding training sessions round out the Road to The Show training suite.  Fielding training will consist of two types of training –focus on the user's throwing with the new throw meter and focus on a combination of throwing and decision-making.  Pitching training will have two options—Knockout and Simulated Game, both focusing on control and accuracy, with goals provided for each session.  These training modes will extend to practice modes for both fielding and pitching and are a perfect way to polish and improve your baseball skills in The Show!
·    Road to The Show Version 4.0 (PS3) – Road to The Show (RTTS) 4.0 features the additions of two new option settings; RTTS Game Watch and RTTS Game Completion, that allow users to set how much of the game they wish to view.  With settings of All Pitches, All Fielding, Result Play, and Off, user's will have the choice to view every pitch of the entire game, or trim the viewing down to just the result pitch.  Users will now start their career in AA and will have to earn their spot in Spring Training.  In order to enforce good fundamental baseball, two new systems have been implemented.  The first is a mistake tracking system that will keep tabs on how users play the game and will penalize for throwing to the wrong base, not covering the right base for the out, etc.  The second feature is a new Green Light system that has been implemented to reward good base stealing and penalize those that shouldn't be stealing.  If a user continues to steal once the green light has been revoked, their playing time will diminish.  Once revoked, users will have to improve their speed and base running ability in order to regain the green light.  Finally, there is a new stat tracking system that keeps stats for your player’s career versus every pitcher or batter faced during the current season that can be accessed at any time.
·    Full Online Season Leagues (PS3) – Along with improvements to the traditional online leagues, MLB 10 The Show will offer fully functional online season leagues!  The new online season leagues will save and display MLB Player stats, track player energy, allow for trades/injuries, and offer 40-man roster functionality.
·    Weekly Live Roster – An updated live roster will be available every week throughout the entire season.  Included in the update will be all roster changes, addition of new MLB players (with correct attributes), and player attribute updates to reflect hot and cold streaks.
·    Online Game History – MLB 10 The Show now offers the ability to view every game you've ever played online, complete with opponents, box scores, and game logs.
·    1-30 Player Season Modes (PS3) – Because roster control is an integral part of Franchise Mode, giving the user the ability to control one or all 30 teams is now essential to the mode.  To do this, the user has the option to select how many teams (or all teams) they wish to control right from the start of their franchise or season.
·    New Camera System (PS3) – MLB 10 The Show is set to raise the bar for sports gaming and offer the most robust and realistic camera system available.  Camera positioning will make you double take and make sure you’re not watching a live MLB telecast.  
·    Real-Time Presentations (PS3) – MLB 10 The Show has boosted the number of overall animations by capturing more than 1,250 new gameplay animations, more than 1,000 new presentation animations, and more than 400 personalized pitcher and batter animations.  To accompany this upgraded experience, The Show introduces a new broadcast camera for fielding that will make you feel like you're watching a live telecast.
·    Stadium Realism and Experience (PS3) – As the leading MLB experience, MLB 10 The Show takes pride in the details offering daytime transitional lighting, similar to our day to night transitional lighting.  Notice the sun position and length of shadows as the 1:00pm first pitch reaches the afternoon.  All players on field will be shown in real-time; this goes for dugout and bullpen players.  Not to be outdone, stadium ambiance will be improved with the addition of HR/splash counters, fireworks, steam, noisemakers, towels, thunder sticks, working digital and analog clocks, crowd reaching over the rails, and crowd detail, such as interaction with vendors and placing K signs.

CORE FRANCHISE FEATURES

·    Progressive Batting Performance – Reward players for superior performance and penalize them for hitting slumps.  Specific to each individual batter, players are rewarded with contact bonuses for each batter that performs beyond his “natural ability” while under user control.  Conversely, the user will be punished with slight decreases in contact for each batter that performs below his natural ability. 
·    Post Game/In Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis – Available both in-game, post-game, and throughout Road to The Show, the pitch analysis is a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played.  Gamers will be able sort by pitcher, LHB or RHB, pitch type, and result.  This feature is also available for batters, and the batter analysis allows for a breakdown of how a batter has performed based on LHP or RHP, pitch type, and result.
·    Mascots – Every team mascot is available, performing signature moves during each game to pump up the crowd and rally the team. 
·    Pitch Grips – MLB 10 The Show details various pitch grips and arm angles that a pitcher has when throwing each pitch.  17 different pitch types including four fastball variations (four-seam, two-seam, cutter, split), six breaking pitches (10-4 curve, 12-6 curve, slider, sinker, slurve, screwball), four change-ups (straight, circle change, palmball, forkball), and three specialty pitches (knuckle, knuckle-curve, and gyro).
·    Roster Vault – The Roster Vault features gives users the ability to create their perfect roster offline by adjusting player attributes, appearance, accessories, etc.  Users can then save this roster to their memory card, memory stick or PS3 hard drive and then upload online to share with others allowing The Show community to share and judge any roster.
·    SCOUT [SportsConnect Online User Tracking] – SCOUT allows gamers to set their game preferences, stores them on the server, and then allows the system to look for a quick match with an opponent that fits their criteria.
·    In-Game MLB Live Scores – Gamers will get up-to-date reports on what is going on in the Majors including scores and notable status, such as HRs, complete games, etc. 
·    Online League Play – Create leagues with up to 30 teams with full stat tracking, point benefits and rewards.  Gamers can customize leagues including choosing players, teams, length of schedule, and much more. (Note: There are no cross platform leagues available)
·    MLB.com Headline News – Stay on top of news around the league and receive all current happenings in sports today.  Information is updated a few times each hour with news, trades, and events from 31 different feeds, each containing 25 unique items. Select general MLB headlines for updates from the entire league so news is not missed while online with MLB 10 The Show.
·    Key Modes – Rivalry, Career, Season, and All-Star game are once again available to provide players a chance to challenge friends or the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a variety of settings.
·    Multi-Branch Fielding – Branch Point Technology goes to a new level as gamers you can now take full control of fielders and break out of any animation in the process. Change a fielding decision and branch out of any animation after the first branch point.
·    Pitch Command System (PCS) – A pitcher’s “pitch comfort” will be predetermined based on a best to worst pitch scenario.  The more a player works on a pitch, the better it becomes, and the more a gamer neglects a pitch, the harder it becomes to work the zone.
·    Release Point Pitching – Gamers must utilize a timing mechanism to learn and realize each pitchers pace and release point, which varies from pitcher to pitcher.
·    Pitching Confidence Meter – The ultimate pitcher/batter interface returns. Additionally, Pitcher Confidence plays a role in a gamer’s ability to hit release points in the all-new pitch meter, while frequency of mistakes will impact the confidence level of a gamer’s hurler, making it more difficult to paint the corners of the strike zone.
·    Guess Pitch – Baseball fans can attempt to master the ability to knock one out or hit the grounder to advance the runner by checking pitch history and correctly guessing which pitch and location that the pitcher will throw next.  If a correct pitch is selected, the power attribute is increased to give the batter a higher chance of hitting one out of the park.
·    PlayMaker Fielding – Based on fielding attributes, but it’s ultimately up to each player to decide how to play to each team’s strengths and weaknesses.  Excellent fielders will track down the ball for you while sub-par fielders will require some concentration.
·    My Sliders (Up/Downloadable) – Gives users the ability to create their perfect game settings offline by adjusting game sliders. Gamers can then save these adjustments to memory and, when online, upload to for other users to try and let the online community be the judge on finding the perfect game.
·    Unrivaled Player Creator – An infinite amount of options for creating players including everything right down to your own face with EyeToy® (PS2 only).  But it doesn’t stop there.  You can also adjust your personal rituals, swings – even emotions as you create Mini-You.
·    MLB® Player Motion Captures – Authentically captured motions from dozens of professional athletes including Joe Mauer, Dustin Pedroia, David Wright, Ryan Howard, and more.
·    Umpire Personalities – Each umpire will have his own definition of the strike zone, and it’s up to the gamer to figure out if the umpire is calling the zone high, low, or giving the corners.\
·    3-Man Booth & Progressive Commentary – Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian, and Dave Campbell return to provide the most comprehensive commentary available.  Additionally, the game’s Progressive Commentary system changes dialogue by adapting to current actions and situations.