Things MLB 2k does better than the Show?

[loudiamonds1979]

I was just wondering what MLB 2k does better than MLB The Show and vise versa. I was thinking about buying a baseball game this year and wanted a little information from people that have played both.

[baa7]

From my look at all the vids:

- Player models obviously.
- Real-time cutscenes, although rough, are a super addition.
- Gary Thorne is terrific. Maybe better than Matt V... maybe.

That's about all I'd say 2K9 has on The Show. I'd add R stick pitching, but those yellow pitch target/circles are ugly beyond belief. No way I'm playing a baseball game using something like that.

[Blzer]

Since this is a 2K forum, here are the [more or less] major benefits for owning 2K9 over The Show:

- First and foremost, I feel like it has always had a higher level of customization. This includes player editing, game options (time of day, weather...), cameras, visual aids and displays, slider settings, and controls.

- This year, I firmly believe that commentary is overall better. It feels like the announcers are in the same booth talking to each other, and they fill in those silent moments between pitches with stories of the past. The only question is how often will these stories be repeated?

- Take this as better or worse, but they use right-stick control, which many people believe leads to much more variance and an overall greater feel of game immersion, like that your actions with the stick feel much more like your input for what the game is doing matters that much more.

- I can't say either way which "presentation" I prefer. Basically, 2K has a better feel of a TV broadcast for me, but I don't like the graphics and overlays as much, though I like the overall authentic feeling. However, people tend to tie in "atmosphere" with presentation, and the overall sounds of this game (crowd, glove-/bat-ball interaction, PA announcer, umpire) are inferior to The Show. But the real time aspect really makes for a more "natural" flow of the game, plus the fact that you won't see anything necessarily repeated, because everything is on-the-fly, tied into what you do in the game.

- Player models are much better. The players are proportioned like humans and not like Buzz Lightyear (harsh exaggeration on my end), and they have many signature stances to better replicate the overall look of the player like you would see in real life.


Those are the only things that I can really care to speak about. I haven't purchased the last two versions of this game, and I never played the retail version of 2K8 (only the demo), so hopefully people can give more insight on what else it does better.

The thing is, The Show does so many little things right while maintaining a consistently solid product for the past three years as well. If you're looking on the PS3 side of things, SCEA really takes advantage of Sony's hardware, while VC ports their game over from the 360, leading to some visual defects mostly. With The Show, you can guarantee the most solid product that they can currently deliver, though every game still has its downsides. I think what I'm trying to say is that if you asked the same question at The Show forum, you would get a lot of answers based on "little things," which is great... but you won't get the overall gist of what makes it better better.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

First and foremost, I feel like it has always had a higher level of customization. This includes player editing, game options (time of day, weather...), cameras, visual aids and displays, slider settings, and controls.

Oh yeah, that too. Good one. I don't think the face editor beats the one in The Show though.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by Blzer

This year, I firmly believe that commentary is overall better. It feels like the announcers are in the same booth talking to each other, and they fill in those silent moments between pitches with stories of the past.

Another good point. You're on a roll, and I'm a forgetful b*****d.

One thing that I've felt they've done better for years is the "world environment".

They have clouds they move across the sky, light progression no matter the time of day, and they have actual weather (ie, rain).

That stuff REALLY makes it feel like a baseball game to me. An overcast day in the summer, some rain clouds creeping in, maybe some light rain starting... OR... a sunny day, but with huge, rolling white clouds occasionally going across the sky, maybe temporarly blocking out the sun.

I love that stuff.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by dickdalewood

They have clouds they move across the sky, light progression no matter the time of day, and they have actual weather (ie, rain).

If you want to play a game and stare at clouds for hours on end, play Tiger Woods.

[jeffy777]

Also the fully customizable batting/pitching cams look great this year in 2K9.