MLB 2K12 Developer Diary #1 - Gameplay (Part 1)

[rudyjuly2]

2K Sports has posted MLB 2K12 Developer Diary #1, written by Mark Little, Senior Producer of the game. He walks through the additions and changes to the hitting and pitching systems.

Quote:

For MLB 2K12 we completely rewrote the core of our hitting system. We listened to user feedback last year about the high frequency of soft line outs in MLB 2K11, and saw a great opportunity to improve the game. The mechanics of making swings remains the same, but what happens when you swing and make contact is entirely new. A lot of research went into every possible hit type that occurs during the MLB season as well as the frequencies in which each hit type occurs. We rebuilt the system from the ground up to recreate believable and accurate to real world results based on the timing of the swing and where the ball was pitched. The result is a much more accurate representation of hit results than ever before. Just like real life, your swing timing has a huge impact on where the ball is hit. You can now pull outside pitches by swinging early, but if you want to go to the opposite field, just let the ball get a little deeper into the zone before swinging. What type of hit you get is also based on your timing, but also factors in where the pitch was thrown. If your timing is good you will generally drive the ball hard, but if your timing is bad you will likely chop, ground, foul or fly the ball off the bat. Swinging at low pitches generally creates a few more grounders and lower line drives, while making contact on the pitches up in the zone offers a better chance to drive the ball hard. Where the ball is located doesn’t completely dictate the outcome but it influences the likelihood of the different types of hits. MLB 2K12 showcases many new types of hits including soft bloopers for singles, line drive home runs and line drives off the wall, high bouncing choppers, slow dribblers, and line drives and deep shots that fade and slice down the line based on the physics of the ball-spin. Overall, you will notice a much greater variety of hit results in MLB 2K12.

Read the entire MLB 2K12 Developer Diary, right here.

[bcruise]

Nice read.

Interesting approach by 2K on the pitch selection/overuse front - that's something that's always been an "under the hood" kind of thing in baseball video games - how much you can throw the same pitch before hitters start to catch on. Now it's going to be out in the open, shown by a yellow or red background on the pitch, or a black area in the strike zone for location.

[Hajmyis]

Loving the changes to the gameplay.

[SoxFan01605]

I like the fact that they are tracking abuse of pitches and location AND that it's based on Inside Edge data...should add some realism. Also happy to read hitting has been addressed in terms of types, variety, swing effort, etc. What I'm NOT happy to read (though, admittedly, not surprised to read it) is that the hitting options are, once again, untouched. Their hitting is far too simplistic and, IMO, boring.

Either way, it's nice to finally see a bit of concrete info on this game.

[nemesis04]

Nice read thanks for the link!

In regards to the pitching feedback, can that be turned off? I kind of like it tucked under the hood and figure it out for myself.

[p00p1]

I hope they also include a pitch history on a per batter basis. If Pujols is 3/3 off me, I'd like to know how I pitched him. I have no idea why 2K hasn't implemented this before, it's been in baseball games for 10+ years. The pitch track is a step in the right direction, but it's still not enough.

[canes21]

Now they just need to finally officially announce Online Franchise.

[peigone]

Quote: Originally Posted by SoxFan01605

What I'm NOT happy to read (though, admittedly, not surprised to read it) is that the hitting options are, once again, untouched.

Boo, hiss, $#@%, etc.