MLB 2k8

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i tried to give the game another shot last nite, switched everything to classic mode (using the button to pitch/hit rather than the stick) and while i did only marginally better on pitching (and that's with me using Johan Santana on the Mets) i couldn't hit. the few times i was able to get the guy to swing the bat, it was 1 second after the pitch crossed the plate. either my reflexes are horribly slow (which could be the case) or there's just something i'm not getting. anyway, i'm officially done with this game and it's sitting in my car as i write this so that when i get off of work i can take it back and put it towards some other games. i can honestly say this was the last time i ever buy a baseball console game.

That's odd.. I'm having all kinds of hitting success with the swing stick 2.0.

You pull back on the rt stick as he starts to deliver the ball and then push up when you want to swing. The manual is wrong, you HAVE to push up and NOT just release it.

[BigDPW]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Ok I played 5 innings of a franchise game last night. I didn't play 2k7 that much after I bought it because it seemed to be a pain in the ass. I'm interested in playing a game that I can pick up the controller and just enjoy and I've been able to do that with this. After tweaking the settings a bit and turning off the Swing Stick (I just want to mash a button) I've made a game that feels almost as good as the great games of the past (World Series Baseball). Sure there appears to be some slight slowdown at times in the field, but it hasn't affected my gameplay.

I'm playing franchise and I'm the Dodgers. I'm only do a 10 game season, so I'm not quite sure how that affects league financial.

Also is there a way to just make the game AI take care of all the stupid stuff, like ticket prices? So I only have to worry about the players I have and playing the game?

And I just want to make sure that if I'm in the middle of a game in franchise mode and I save my franchise does that mean it saved the game so I can come back to it later? If so that makes this awesome, because I don't always have time to play a whole game.

I think I might restart my franchise and switch to shorter games (like 5 innings) but 40 game seasons.

Anyway, I'm not looking for a game that challenges me to have to learn to flip and stick and hit 15 different buttons, I just want to play some fricken baseball.

I am very interested to hear more about your franchise experience as you move forward. Thanks for the impression.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI......Brinkman and staff are saying that a patch is in the works for the the framerate issue. If he can get it out relatively quickly, that would be a VAST improvement over the several months' timeframe that it took to release the first patch for the 2K7 version of the game. Hopefully this means they learned from last year's customer support problems.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

That's odd.. I'm having all kinds of hitting success with the swing stick 2.0.

You pull back on the rt stick as he starts to deliver the ball and then push up when you want to swing. The manual is wrong, you HAVE to push up and NOT just release it.

i'm not a real baseball player. i'm not able to analyze in the 1.4 seconds it takes for a pitcher to throw a ball towards the catcher if 1. it's in/out of the strike zone and 2. if it is a hittable pitch, the ability to hit the button or swing up and down on the stick (the fact that when you push down and that makes him step and then push up to make him hit throws me off considerably).

i'm not going to say it's the game's fault if i lack the necessary reflexes and instincts others have to play this game. it's my fault. i'm much better at playing madden, and rightfully so, because i have many more years experience on it. but still, i don't think going down to "easy" would make a difference. i just can't do the things that are required for success on this game. it sucks cuz it looks nice, but the only thing that'll happen is i get mad and wind up breaking something. and after working this shitty job i really just want to have fun, i don't play video games to get mad.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

No, what's insane is that a game like 2K8 (also available on the PS3), which has been roundly criticized and has some glaring issues both in performance and in the modes, is written off by you as being OK. This is no different than Todd's glowing reviews of Madden that he tosses up on this board year after year, which usually just fade away into the eventual sea of criticism. Gamers should not settle for this kind of unfinished product. It's no different than what we've been fed recently by the EA franchises. They put out a lot of PR and positive hype about the game, only to deliver underwhelming results and then fail to do much at all to fix the inherent problems.

The fact that the main defense of this game and its features in this thread is that MBBF is criticizing it, so it must be good, is very telling. Thus far, the only thing I've seen mentioned by Todd is that you can turn off a main feature of the game to fix another part. I'm tired of seeing yearly roster updates with lackluster performance from some of these franchises. If Brinkman patches the flaws quickly (within a month), that's wonderful. Given his previous performances, I wouldn't count on it.

Funny thing is, The Show is NOT available for the 360, so that makes it an instant "classic" with you.

2k is aware of the "studdering" issue and is already working on a patch: http://2ksports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163317

I KNEW you couldn't find that! So you have to turn of the VIP.. big deal I can't get trading cards right now.. oh my.

The difference between you and I is this... I don't need people like Bill Harris and Bill Abner telling me they don't like a game for me to at least try it out.

You have motives behind all your posts. MLB 2k is on its 3rd year of rebuilding, The Show isn't.. and STILL has many statistical issues as well as horrible online play... but you won't post that.

Edit: hahah lmao, mbbf did post a patch was in the works.. was it me?

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i'm not a real baseball player. i'm not able to analyze in the 1.4 seconds it takes for a pitcher to throw a ball towards the catcher if 1. it's in/out of the strike zone and 2. if it is a hittable pitch, the ability to hit the button or swing up and down on the stick (the fact that when you push down and that makes him step and then push up to make him hit throws me off considerably).

i'm not going to say it's the game's fault if i lack the necessary reflexes and instincts others have to play this game. it's my fault. i'm much better at playing madden, and rightfully so, because i have many more years experience on it. but still, i don't think going down to "easy" would make a difference. i just can't do the things that are required for success on this game. it sucks cuz it looks nice, but the only thing that'll happen is i get mad and wind up breaking something. and after working this shitty job i really just want to have fun, i don't play video games to get mad.

I'm with you reflex wise.. maybe it's because I played 2k7 to death?? I'm just finding the swing stick so much easier this year. Sucks you're having a hard time with it.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

2k is aware of the "studdering" issue and is already working on a patch: http://2ksports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163317

I KNEW you couldn't find that!

You have motives behind all your posts. MLB 2k is on its 3rd year of rebuilding, The Show isn't.. and STILL has many statistical issues as well as horrible online play... but you won't post that.

I posted the link to the possible patch long before your post and noted that would be a good start for the 2K crew, but I'm sure that will receive some sort of 'MBBF is a fanboy' spin as well.

"3rd year of rebuilding"........This isn't a real-life team like the Royals. The day that sports games begin 3 year rebuilding efforts is the day I stop playing them. That's ludicrous.

As I said before, I'm still not sure why you continue to bring up 'The Show' in a 2K8 discussion thread, but whatever makes you happy.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i'm not a real baseball player. i'm not able to analyze in the 1.4 seconds it takes for a pitcher to throw a ball towards the catcher if 1. it's in/out of the strike zone and 2. if it is a hittable pitch, the ability to hit the button or swing up and down on the stick (the fact that when you push down and that makes him step and then push up to make him hit throws me off considerably).

I know what you mean, that's why I turned off the swing stick and just do the button mash option. It takes a bit getting used to the timing, heck I'm still behind a lot, and sometimes I'm early when the pitcher decides to mix in a changeup, but it does get easier.

[INDalltheway]

Originally Posted by Oilers9911

It's getting beyond ridiculous to read Mizzou-Bball and his "insights" on console games here. To summarize his posts:

360 - teh suck
PS3 - makes me cream all over myself
Repeat ad-nauseum.

You took the words out of my mouth.. I'm incredibly tired of this toolbag..

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I posted the link to the possible patch long before your post and noted that would be a good start for the 2K crew, but I'm sure that will receive some sort of 'MBBF is a fanboy' spin as well.

"3rd year of rebuilding"........This isn't a real-life team like the Royals. The day that sports games begin 3 year rebuilding efforts is the day I stop playing them. That's ludicrous.

As I said before, I'm still not sure why you continue to bring up 'The Show' in a 2K8 discussion thread, but whatever makes you happy.

Actually you didn't. I was typing up my post when my DSL froze up.

You are a "fanboy", no biggie but we all know that.

Besides, The Show.. what other sport games do you play? How long has the same gameplay, pitching/batting/fielding mechanics been around for The Show? With MLB 2k.. they are taking a different direction and Ben has said it's not a simple 1 year fix. If you don't like it, move on.

Oilers9911 said it best, but let me add:

360 - teh suck
PS3 - makes me cream all over myself
360 games - teh suck
PS3 exclusive games - makes me cream all over myself
Repeat ad-nauseum.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Hey, it's great that they're working on a patch for the framerate issue, but they'd better take care of the franchise issue, too. If some teams can't demote players, that's a huge problem that a buttery smooth framerate ain't gonna fix.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Besides, The Show.. what other sport games do you play? How long has the same gameplay, pitching/batting/fielding mechanics been around for The Show? With MLB 2k.. they are taking a different direction and Ben has said it's not a simple 1 year fix. If you don't like it, move on.

Different does not = better. As far as the 3 year rebuilding effort, if you're willing to spend $180 on a beta for the first two years and what *may* be a finished product in year three, more power to you. Most gamers won't put up with that.

Right now, I can't find much in the way of sports games on consoles. Both of the 2K basketball games and The Show are likely the only ones I'll have for awhile. Thankfully, WWSM and DDS:CB keep me busy.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Hey, it's great that they're working on a patch for the framerate issue, but they'd better take care of the franchise issue, too. If some teams can't demote players, that's a huge problem that a buttery smooth framerate ain't gonna fix.

That problem was reported in the '07 version as well, so I doubt we'll see any patch for that issue.

[billethius]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Different does not = better. As far as the 3 year rebuilding effort, if you're willing to spend $180 on a beta for the first two years and what *may* be a finished product in year three, more power to you. Most gamers won't put up with that.

Right now, I can't find much in the way of sports games on consoles. Both of the 2K basketball games and The Show are likely the only ones I'll have for awhile. Thankfully, WWSM and DDS:CB keep me busy.

Most gamers actually do it all the time - they just tell themselves that they don't. I don't think you could name a PC game that's come out in recent years that did so without needing a patch or an entire new release to fix some major issues.

As for the different != better - I tend to agree. But in the case of the pitching and in-game throwing mechanics for MLB2k8, I think they're far superior to any other baseball game I've played and wouldn't be surprised to see all other baseball games move in a similar direction in the coming years.

Edit: I might as well throw a general review up here. I'm really enjoying the game so far this year. As mentioned above, I love the new pitching and throwing controls, and am even having success with the swing stick this year after hating it last year. The graphics still look fine to me - and in fact I like the player models a lot more this year now that they don't all have really disproportionate legs that make them look odd. I'm not interested in the cards or achievements, so signing out of my profile to play the game doens't bother me. And upon doing so, it plays a fantastic game of baseball.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Hey, it's great that they're working on a patch for the framerate issue, but they'd better take care of the franchise issue, too. If some teams can't demote players, that's a huge problem that a buttery smooth framerate ain't gonna fix.

I'll check out this one on my own and report back.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Different does not = better. As far as the 3 year rebuilding effort, if you're willing to spend $180 on a beta for the first two years and what *may* be a finished product in year three, more power to you. Most gamers won't put up with that.

Right now, I can't find much in the way of sports games on consoles. Both of the 2K basketball games and The Show are likely the only ones I'll have for awhile. Thankfully, WWSM and DDS:CB keep me busy.

or I could spend $180 on the same game The Show has been with prettier graphics.. at least 3 years running...

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by billethius

Edit: I might as well throw a general review up here. I'm really enjoying the game so far this year. As mentioned above, I love the new pitching and throwing controls, and am even having success with the swing stick this year after hating it last year. The graphics still look fine to me - and in fact I like the player models a lot more this year now that they don't all have really disproportionate legs that make them look odd. I'm not interested in the cards or achievements, so signing out of my profile to play the game doens't bother me. And upon doing so, it plays a fantastic game of baseball.

You mean you actually played the game instead of posting links to others who have, but are disappointed with it? There are actually people who are enjoying this game? Well.. well... I'm glad you don't read the blabber that is mbbf's - kudos to you!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI......Here's more fix information. You have to sign back into the profile each time you want to save and then sign back out before you play any games.

As owners of MLB 2K8 know, there is currently an issue with framerate which is being worked on. Until the fix is put in place, here is the work-around so that you can play the game as it is intended to be played. The temporary fix takes just a second of your time, but we do apologize for any inconvenience.

For Xbox 360:
- Sign out of your Xbox 360 profile by hitting the Xbox Guide button (the center button with the large green X), and pressing the blue X button.

- You can still save your franchise by signing back in to the gamer profile before attempting to save in the franchise menu. Simply press the Xbox Guide button (the center button with the large green X), select "Sign In," and select the gamer profile you wish to save the franchise to. You will need to sign back out prior to playing another game if you wish to alleviate the framerate problems currently being experienced.

Thank you for your patience while we resolve this issue in a better manner,

Blue-Lightning
2K Sports Moderator

[Icy]

Maybe we can ask Skydog to create a new forum section only for both mizzou fans to argue about every new next gen game release and console related news, i bet it would get more posts from them than the general forum here.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another impressions post. This time from PastaPadre...........

Impression from Pasta Padre..........

http://www.pastapadre.com/2427/initi...ons-of-mlb-2k8

Initial impressions of MLB 2K8
5 Mar, 2008
Baseball Gaming

After spending a lot of time playing MLB 2K8 yesterday I was able to compile my early thoughts on the game. Going in I had somewhat low expectations and that is probably why I feel at least somewhat pleasantly surprised. There are certainly a laundry list of issues but I’ve still found it to be fun to play as well as going through the process of learning and getting comfortable with the new mechanics. However I think over time that feeling is going to wear off as the problems become more frustrating and harder to ignore.

The game is taking a lot of heat right now and while some of it may be deserved it seems a little on the harsh side to me. Part of that is probably due to resentment over how the game was essentially hidden prerelease. Very few videos were put out, only a couple sets of screenshots, and the demo was submitted too late for it to be out prior to the release of the actual game. Then there was the news that reviews had been embargoed until release date (but that is something that isnt’ all that uncommon).

Sure there was a lot of talk about the game but people started to pick up on how little was actually being shown. I had hope that this was due to the difficulty in demonstrating the new mechanics (which were the main upgrades being touted) through videos. But then once I started to get the hunch in early February that the demo would likely not be out until right before or possibly even after release of the game that was a big warning sign. So that may be why I am enjoying the game for what is is so far because I wasn’t expecting to be blown away but I still wanted to give it a chance.


The most pressing issue with the game is the framerate. As I pointed out following the conference call with Ben Brinkman his tone and the way he worded his response to the question regarding the framerate lacked confidence. At that point it was obvious it was going to be a problem and that the small sample of videos out showing it were representative of the final product. As soon as the ball is hit into play its noticeable and annoying. While it doesn’t really affect the result of the plays it is bothersome that they couldn’t get the game running smoothly and it takes away from the experience.

The new pitching mechanic using the right analog stick is at least interesting. Working through learning the system is actually pretty fun and rewarding. At the same time I can understand why people would give up on it. Even after hours of playing I’m still making mistakes and paying for it. The movements have to be so precise that those mistakes happen too often. There have even been times where the movement hasn’t registered resulting in an easy to crush meatball that shouldn’t have been. It also means you have to focus so much on the movement of the stick that less attention is paid to actual placement and it isn’t as easy to react when the ball is hit. I’ve seen people calling the right stick pitching a gimmick and others touting the innovation of it. I fall in between those two beliefs in that it isn’t a gimmick but it probably wasn’t necessary. This ultimately may turn out to be the Madden Vision Cone of the 2K baseball series. Innovation just for the sake of innovation. An idea that had good intentions but just overcomplicated the game and wasn’t needed.

Probably my favorite new aspect of the game is throwing to the bases with the right stick. It feels really natural and the meter works perfectly. When I switch over to playing The Show that is the thing I miss most. The baserunning continues to be very easy to control and the new pickoff camera is pretty neat. I also like the intuitive nature of making diving or leaping plays in the outfield.

However the game really suffers from a poor hitting system. The majority of contact results in fly balls and right now I’d estimate that happens probably 80% of the time. The main way to induce grounders seems to be off perfect pitches as anything other than that results in the ball being lifted. So far I’ve seen a good deal of homeruns but the hitting variety is vastly improved from last year despite that. It is a worry that against another user I’ve found an awful lot of homeruns being hit, but against the CPU at least it is toned down some compared to last year. I haven’t seen many traditional singles except those that go right back up the middle. Since the system is predominantly timing based it feels so random and disconnected. Also the CPU throws almost all strikes. Pitch counts generally aren’t going to be very realistic because of the urge to swing and the lack of any reward for working the count (if you could even get the opportunity to do so). For me all of this means I don’t take as many pitches because I have to commit to the swing earlier (even though the pitches are a little easier to pick up vs last year). It’s time to scrap the swing stick and go back to the buttons as the standard method of hitting.

The trading card system is something I’ve been looking forward to. Reaction has been split going in with some people like myself anticipating the achievement angle as well as the opportunity to use card teams online. Others again think of it as something designed for marketing purposes. So far I’ve unlocked a couple cards and I like that it makes me want to play with different teams. Unlocking the cards though hasn’t been as exciting as I thought it would be. I was hoping for a notification to popup on screen or something along the lines of that. Some of the tasks required are frustrating to even imagine attempting while others are pretty easy. I guess that opens up the possibility of trading or getting them in packs. While it’s good that I’m wanting to play more games and with different teams I also find it changes my habits and I start concentrating on the individuals and trying to meet the card requirements instead of just trying to perform well and win the games.

While the commentary is unchanged from last year (Tampa Bay drops Devil from their name and they didn’t even re-record that they just edited the word out) there are some presentation elements that I really enjoy. One is the win probability and game recap that follows the end of the 7th inning. I also like that they go back and show replays of big plays from earlier innings and it’s usually the the ones you’d want to see.

There are a couple of distracting oddities I wanted to point out. What is with all the flash bulbs in the crowd? I was trying to bat at Safeco (roof closed) and could barely concentrate with all the flashes in the background. I definitely find that terribly annoying and unrealistic. Also after an out players who are out of position stand there and then all of the sudden sprint back. I usually think it’s someone on the other team trying to steal because the movement just comes from out of nowhere. It just looks really bizaare.

I got into one online game which did have some slight lag. I was worried going in that the new pitching would make any lag even more difficult to deal with since the movements have to be so precise. However I was able to time the pitches relatively well but at the plate with the swing stick you have to commit so early that it becomes a guessing game and skill goes out the window. The more lag there is the more evident that will be. I’ve read that many people are experiencing lag issues so I guess that means 2K8 joins The Show with disappointing online performance at release. 2K has the better track record in this area though so I expect improvement will be seen there. 2K8 does have a wide array of options and modes including setting specific lobby rooms (bummer they’re all unranked) and the card team battles but the removal of sliders from leagues is a curious decision.

This writeup doesn’t even contain all of the notes I took since I started playing MLB 2K8. I don’t know whether it’s a good or bad thing but it just seems easier to spot and explain what there is to like and dislike about 2K8 as compared to my impressions of The Show. I think that probably has to do with The Show being such a genuine baseball experience while 2K8 has gone with more dramatic analog motions which require all that extra concentration.

Overall I’ve found the game to be fun despite all the issues and my gripes with it. The problem is that I get the sense that is going to wear off relatively quickly. Look for a 2K8 vs The Show comparison article by the end of the week.

[billethius]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

or I could spend $180 on the same game The Show has been with prettier graphics.. at least 3 years running...

Sure, for people with that option The Show is a good purchase. But for those with a 360, there is only one option. I didn't buy 2k6, I sold 2k7 shortly after I bought it - but I'm enjoying 2k8. I can see why some people wouldn't want to log out of their profile, but for those who don't care about cards and achievements, it really it a good game.

[Butter]

Anybody with any links to discussion about the Wii version, fire away. I am interested in it. Maybe it's just me. I don't have the PS3 or XBOX360, so this would be the game I'd have to get if I want to do motion-control batting/pitching.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Anybody with any links to discussion about the Wii version, fire away. I am interested in it. Maybe it's just me. I don't have the PS3 or XBOX360, so this would be the game I'd have to get if I want to do motion-control batting/pitching.

Here's the impressions thread for the Wii version at OS:

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...d.php?t=240828

[CraigSca]

MBBF - why do you take the Show vs. 2K8 so personally? I don't get it.

I mean, I bought a flippin' PS3 solely so I could play this game and I think I made the best decision. However, you don't see me trolling these boards in a self-indlugent copy/paste 'fest to flip the proverbial bird to the people who decided to buy 2K8. Let it go, because you're coming across as an ass.

[BigDPW]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

MBBF - why do you take the Show vs. 2K8 so personally? I don't get it.

I mean, I bought a flippin' PS3 solely so I could play this game and I think I made the best decision. However, you don't see me trolling these boards in a self-indlugent copy/paste 'fest to flip the proverbial bird to the people who decided to buy 2K8. Let it go, because you're coming across as an ass.

+1

[rowech]

Having played the demo again, I'm fairly certain if the framerate gets fixed, I'd pick this one up.

[ice4277]

I own a PS3, and have never owned The Show. I had 2k7 for a short time last year, and had a good time with it. I am on the fence with which one to pick up. I would definitely have gone with 2k8 this year if they had worked out the franchise issues, but those still being around, plus the framerate issue, are pushing me towards The Show. Any thoughts/advice?

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by rowech

Having played the demo again, I'm fairly certain if the framerate gets fixed, I'd pick this one up.

I think they will have an easy and timely fix for the framerate issue. It runs very smooth for me now in 1920x1080 on my Dell 24" monitor by signing out of my profile.

Just had a great game vs the Cubbies at Wrigley.. you can hear sirens from police vehicles and horns from tractor trailers at times during the game... pretty neat.

Pie made a nice catch against the ivy against me that saved Chicago 2 runs.

I'm also seeing tons of hits all over the place, including doubles, triples, and so far the right amount of HR's. I do think the CPU pitches too many strikes, but I think a good slider set will fix up any little issues I'm seeing right now.

I also love the little chime and ticker report showing you who's warming up in the bullpen for the opposing team.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I think they will have an easy and timely fix for the framerate issue. It runs very smooth for me now in 1920x1080 on my Dell 24" monitor by signing out of my profile.

Just had a great game vs the Cubbies at Wrigley.. you can hear sirens from police vehicles and horns from tractor trailers at times during the game... pretty neat.

Pie made a nice catch against the ivy against me that saved Chicago 2 runs.

I'm also seeing tons of hits all over the place, including doubles, triples, and so far the right amount of HR's. I do think the CPU pitches too many strikes, but I think a good slider set will fix up any little issues I'm seeing right now.

I also love the little chime and ticker report showing you who's warming up in the bullpen for the opposing team.

I had to do a double take on this one. Are you the same guy who has bashed sliders for the last five years?

[rowech]

Can you do franchise mode setup so you can't see glitches when you play the game?

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by TroyF

I had to do a double take on this one. Are you the same guy who has bashed sliders for the last five years?

Yes, that's me. I've grown accustomed to anything that has "2k" on it to be a slider tweak fest and as must as it pisses me off, I have to deal with it if I want to play games like NHL 2k8 and MLB 2k8. Luckily, someone on OS had an excellent set for 2k7.

I don't think there is going to be as much to tweak as last year though, so far out of the box, the game plays decent. I would like to see more foul balls overall and I would like to see the CPU throw more balls.

[LionsFan10]

Holy hell, the little "sign out of your profile" fix works like a dream. This is a completely different game of baseball once you do this.

Awesome news about the patch, by the way.

Anybody come across a good slider set to use? I'm playing on All-Star but the computer's Bonds' like plate discipline is a little dis-heartening. Going with the Mets, I was only able to K three with Johan Santana versus the sorry Marlins. It would also help if every computer pitcher wasn't Sandy Koufax, throwing strike after strike.

Once this game gets a set of sliders, it's going to be a whole lot of fun.

[darkenigma510]

MizzouRah,

Do you notice the pitcher throwing more strikes than in 2K7. I know in 2k& I had some good sliders to get the computer to throw a reasonable amount of balls. Any luck with that in 2k8? Do the pitchers throw more stikes than last year?

[LionsFan10]

Yes, they throw a LOT of strikes. Right now I've got all of these sliders set to zero in my Mets franchise ...

AI Corner, AI Change Speed. AI Throw Strike Overall, AI Throw Strike Ahead, AI Throw Strike Behind.

It's helped quite a bit, any bad at-bats I have now are pretty much my own fault as I try to get used to the new swing stick. With those sliders at zero, I can actually take the first pitch normally, instead of having to swing away like I'm down in the count 0-2.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by LionsFan10

Yes, they throw a LOT of strikes. Right now I've got all of these sliders set to zero in my Mets franchise ...

AI Corner, AI Change Speed. AI Throw Strike Overall, AI Throw Strike Ahead, AI Throw Strike Behind.

It's helped quite a bit, any bad at-bats I have now are pretty much my own fault as I try to get used to the new swing stick. With those sliders at zero, I can actually take the first pitch normally, instead of having to swing away like I'm down in the count 0-2.

Agree here. Once again, it's going to take some slider work.. and this is a great starting point.

I've been playing the heck out of this game now though. What do you think about the aerial cam? I'm really liking it.

[Oilers9911]

I think i'll give this one a rental this weekend and giver er a try. I've been hoping for a good 360 baseball game.

[Pumpy Tudors]

What's the difference between the new swing stick and the old swing stick?

[Oilers9911]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

No, what's insane is that a game like 2K8 (also available on the PS3), which has been roundly criticized and has some glaring issues both in performance and in the modes, is written off by you as being OK.

Hang on, written off by me as being ok? Where did I say it was ok? Considering I haven't even played it yet, it would be kind of foolish for me to make a pronouncement, no?

[LionsFan10]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

What's the difference between the new swing stick and the old swing stick?

The difference between the old swing stick (from 2K7), and the new swing stick is pretty simple I believe. Last year, you had to pull back on the stick and just release the stick at the right time for a contact swing, if you pushed forward on the stick, you'd take a power hack (IIRC).

This year, you have to push forward on the stick no matter what, essentially eliminating the power swing, and instead the game measures the pitchers accuracy, location, etc, etc against the timing of your step/swing. I'm sure other factors are involved, but that's my simple breakdown of it.

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I've been playing the heck out of this game now though. What do you think about the aerial cam? I'm really liking it.

I'm playing the heck out of it too right now I stayed up way too late last night, and now I'm paying for it this morning.

I like the aerial cam, it helps when you get one hit over your outfielders head and lose the ball indicator as you go running toward the track/wall.

Overall this game is one fine piece of work, once the patch(es) are applied, it's only going to make it that much more enjoyable. I know I, for one, am really looking forward to the trading cards.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Oilers9911

Hang on, written off by me as being ok? Where did I say it was ok? Considering I haven't even played it yet, it would be kind of foolish for me to make a pronouncement, no?

Like jb, mbbf makes his assessment of games by other people's posts. Unless it's a ps3 exclusive title, his enjoyment is by posting links from Bill Abner and Bill Harris, not to mention other various links from OS, even though he's never played the game and never will.

He's no mysterious contributer to this forum anymore, we all know what he's about and his motives behind his posts. Add that to a horrible Missouri basketball program and you have a dangerous mixture of pumpy!!!!!!!!!

MUHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Yes, that's me. I've grown accustomed to anything that has "2k" on it to be a slider tweak fest and as must as it pisses me off, I have to deal with it if I want to play games like NHL 2k8 and MLB 2k8. Luckily, someone on OS had an excellent set for 2k7.

I don't think there is going to be as much to tweak as last year though, so far out of the box, the game plays decent. I would like to see more foul balls overall and I would like to see the CPU throw more balls.

Change that to ANY sports title released in the last five years and I'll agree with you. Even the great NHL 07 and 08 needed slider tweaks to hit their sweet spot.

I'm anxious to try this one. Sounds like they may have put together a decent game this year.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Change that to ANY sports title released in the last five years and I'll agree with you. Even the great NHL 07 and 08 needed slider tweaks to hit their sweet spot.

I'm anxious to try this one. Sounds like they may have put together a decent game this year.

Agreed...

[Pumpy Tudors]

Hey, if anyone sees any official news about the "unable to demote players" bug possibly being patched, please post it here. That's really the only thing holding me back from buying the game right now.

[Logan]

Any deals on this game (360) out there?

edit: HA, if you have it on 360 and are still unsatisfied, let me know if you want to work something out.

[DanGarion]

Ran into a major issue last night. I was out in the field and my team had just made an out, my OF threw the ball to my SS and the game just sort of stopped. I don't mean froze, I mean action on the field just stopped. It was like the players didn't want to reset to game mode, they were just stuck in after a play mode. I tried hitting every button combination, I went to the start menu, but that didn't solve anything. I tried to do a replay to hope that would kick it into working, it then completely froze and I had to restart my 360.

It really sucked because I was up 5-3 on the Marlins, and my team had a head of steam of momentum... . I ended up coming back to the game 40 minutes later to play the game again and of course I lost that time.

[INDalltheway]

Just turned the game on, and an update came up. I couldn't tell you what it is for, but I had one.

[Logan]

That happened to me a couple times in Madden. I attributed it to my 360 acting up.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Logan

Any deals on this game (360) out there?

edit: HA, if you have it on 360 and are still unsatisfied, let me know if you want to work something out.

i took it back yesterday. pissed i only got $25 for it (and i'm sure Gamestop will sell it for $40something). i exchanged it for NCAA Football '08. i was burnt out on Madden. pretty happy i was able to start up my old Campus Legend career. that was fun. and i REALLY liked being able to save highlights and take pics. i really want to play someone from here so i can upload a video clip. i remember playing pumpy once and even though he wound up winning the game i scored a sickass td on him.

anyway, sorry i could've help ya. i'm a very "now" kinda person.

[Logan]

Ah...would've been win-win all around with my potential $40 offer. No worries...

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i took it back yesterday. pissed i only got $25 for it (and i'm sure Gamestop will sell it for $40something). i exchanged it for NCAA Football '08. i was burnt out on Madden. pretty happy i was able to start up my old Campus Legend career. that was fun. and i REALLY liked being able to save highlights and take pics. i really want to play someone from here so i can upload a video clip. i remember playing pumpy once and even though he wound up winning the game i scored a sickass td on him.

anyway, sorry i could've help ya. i'm a very "now" kinda person.

I think you made a mistake, with the proper settings you would have found your game.