What's Hot and What's Not With MLB 09: The Show

[Bumble14]

Quote: Originally Posted by jim416

Nobody said you said it was a roster update, I said that. You're back to comparing the DEMO to the final product. If that's what you want to do, then stay with 08. In my opinion, and it looks like the opinion of many, it's vastly improved. Just the hitter/pitcher matchup alone is worth it. I couldn't even play the demo but a few times as the build we played put THAT to shame. I don't know what "core gameplay" issues you are talking about, but then again you're stuck comparing the demo the the final product.

I am comparing the demo to the final product, hence why I stated I was comparing the demo to the final product in my original statement.

The reason I am comparing the demo to the final product is because most of us haven not played the final retail version of the 09 game. Could the final retail version completely blow my mind? Sure. My point was that based on the demo I am not lining up at my local electronics store an hour before they open to pick this game up due to the already high quality of 08.

Core gameplay elements= hitting controls, fielding controls, pitching controls, foul ball cut scenes, cut scenes in general. general presentation, etc.

I'm sure there have been areas that I mentioned that have seen polish, it's just that the 09 demohas the same "feel" when playing as 08. That most likely will not be an aspect that changes when the game releases.

[jim416]

You haven't played the final product, but you're going to go ahead in your mind and make a decision that not much has changed?

Okay. Not really worth much more discussion. Your decision.

[Bumble14]

Quote: Originally Posted by jim416

You haven't played the final product, but you're going to go ahead in your mind and make a decision that not much has changed? Okay. Not really worth much more discussion. Your decision.

Jim-

Honestly, are you reading anything I am saying?

I will say it again- based on the DEMO (key phrase, "based on the demo"), not much has changed.

I am a bit confused how I praise the Show 08, say 09 is very similar based on my time with the demo, and that is somehow a bad thing? Think about it- I am saying that 09 is still great, it just hasn't changed enough for me to consider it a day 1 purchase.

I understand you really like the game, but you need to realize I am not attacking it, so stop defending it. I even said that the final retail build may change my mind about my current feelings.

There is a ton of hype surrounding this game, and the purpose of my original post was to get people to honestly and objectively answer the question I posed. The Show series is baseball bliss-it's just important to discuss if the improvements to the 09 version are really that big of a deal to invest in the game. It's really a simple concept in relation to this article that should be discussed.

[sgthalka]

Quote: Originally Posted by SDwinder

You dont need a visual meter. The longer you hold down the button the harder you throw the ball, with more chance for an error. It is all done by feel and touch, so no meter needed.

Fielders have these color bars that come out at your feet ... one is a normal throw, the longer you hold the button, the more bars come out and the harder (and less accurate) you throw. I think they change color, from green to red but not 100% on that.

[sgthalka]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bumble14

There is a ton of hype surrounding this game, and the purpose of my original post was to get people to honestly and objectively answer the question I posed.

You're dealing with people who are baseball fanatics and love this series. I'm not sure what you expect them to say. To us, these are major updates, major enough where we wouldn't want to go back to last year's game. To my mom, no, I don't think she would care if she were playing MLB 09 vs. MLB 08.

I'm not the biggest FPS fan in the world. If I'm playing CoD 4 vs. Counter-Strike, honestly, it's the same gameplay mechanics and the same game, on a very basic ground level. But I certainly understand why people love to gobble every incremental upgrade in the genres they love most. I don't think that's a bad thing.

[Bumble14]

Quote: Originally Posted by sgthalka

You're dealing with people who are baseball fanatics and love this series. I'm not sure what you expect them to say. To us, these are major updates, major enough where we wouldn't want to go back to last year's game. To my mom, no, I don't think she would care if she were playing MLB 09 vs. MLB 08. I'm not the biggest FPS fan in the world. If I'm playing CoD 4 vs. Counter-Strike, honestly, it's the same gameplay mechanics and the same game, on a very basic ground level. But I certainly understand why people love to gobble every incremental upgrade in the genres they love most. I don't think that's a bad thing.

Sgt-

I understand where you are coming from, but I am one of those baseball fanatics who loves the Show series. I just have begun to expect more out of my sports titles on a yearly basis. Maybe I'm just becoming an old man who is getting cheaper every year..haha.

Anyhow, as far as the meter throwing goes, I too would prefer an MVP type meter. I like the Shows meter, but I honestly don't think I've ever had a wild throw in the game- even when my meter reads red. I sometimes feel like there isn't as much risk in powering the meter up like there was in MVP 05.

[PsychoBulk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bumble14

My point is that the core gameplay mechanics are identical to 08

Bumble you say this but i have to disagree (and thats coming from someone in the same position as you, having not played the full game).

The biggest core gameplay mechanic in ANY Baseball game, the pitcher/hitter interface and battle has been totally re-written from the ground up, confirmed by Brian Ma himself, whos sole job it is all year to do this.

So, as i say, identical it is not.

[Bumble14]

Quote: Originally Posted by PsychoBulk

Bumble you say this but i have to disagree (and thats coming from someone in the same position as you, having not played the full game). The biggest core gameplay mechanic in ANY Baseball game, the pitcher/hitter interface and battle has been totally re-written from the ground up, confirmed by Brian Ma himself, whos sole job it is all year to do this. So, as i say, identical it is not.

Based on the demo I didn't notice a difference as to how the cpu pitched to me. The only change was that cpu batters seemed to be more patient at the plate. To me this isn't really a huge deal.

Let me clarify- by "core gameplay mechanics" I was meaning more as to how the game controls. Hitting, fielding, and pitching all felt great- just like in 08. Cut scenes looked the same, game intro looked the same, commentary was the same, HR celebrations looked the same, replay angles looked the same, music is the same, etc.

I love the little things that I am reading about being added to 09, I'm just saying that it's hard to justify buying a new game without seeing changes to how I play the game or presentation upgrades.

I'd really like to see the implementation of a better throwing meter, see the pitching interface switched up a bit so that there is more a difference between weak pitchers and strong ones, see better sliding controls, eliminate the power swing button, see a better hitting interface where you influence your hit type on the left stick and not the right, and see a better bunting interface that doesn't revolve around right stick manipulation as to where you want to lay the bunt down.

Those are all core mechanic changes that would differentiate a new version of the game for me from the last.