MLB 10: The Speculation

[badmrfrosty7]

Considering the lack of a demo at this point and lack of previews being done on videogame sites I think it's fair to discuss the possible reasonings for this marketing plan and how it may affect the game's reception this year.

After reading this Pasta Padre article, http://www.pastapadre.com/2010/02/19...-the-mlb-demos , I'm really finally beginning to understand that the reasoning for SCEA's holding back (shorter blogs, no demo, limited previews) that they are attempting to protect their game's sales after reaching that record-breaking number last year.

My impression is that the game is difficult to sell to the general consumer, that doesn't get every next iteration of their favorite sports title. The game was already solid last year, so a demo wouldnt' show many changes besides lighting and a new camera angle and all the under the hood adjustments that were painstakingly made by SCEA don't come to light to a casual gamer like they would a fan of the series.

And isn't that what demos and previews are generally for? To build excitement for the casual gamer and garner their interest? Fans like myself and many OSers I'm sure have no problems getting excited about this game and are positive it will prove to be yet another solid entry to the series. Yet it seems as though it has little appeal to non-fans. 2K sports has plenty to talk about because of the amount of room the series still has to improve and also thanks to the introduction of a new game mode (My Player), a mode that has been one of SCEA's MLB series staples for awhile now.

Suffice to say, I believe that the reason MLB 10's media buzz has been limited pre-release is because there isn't much to discuss to casual consumers and makes me wonder how reviewers will treat the game. After reading a small preview in this March's edition of Game Informer, the previewer mentions that "none of the core gamplay mechanics have changed since last year (or the previous year for that matter)" which wasn't noted as a bad thing but it certainly makes me curious on whether this will be the last year SCEA can get away with that. Sure, the gameplay IS amazing, but to fickle reviewers something bigger will have to be provided to make them believe that the game is fresh from year to year. And alot of games seem to live and die on how they are reviewed.

Anyways, that's my 2 cents on the matter and I was just interested to know what others think about these topics.

[Rebel10]

Quote: Originally Posted by LilWayneFTW

Dude check the demo thread above this, it says they are working on releasing the demo anytime soon. So my guess is your wrong.

His post has more to do with simply a demo release. It's a good post thinking about the rationale between flooding the internets with information or holding off on it.

I agree with him. I think that the casual gamer might not notice much of a difference between '09 and '10, save for the roster updates and the changes here and there. MLB '10, from descriptions, seems to be shaping up as an update for the hardcore audience... which most of us are. I'm excited for all of the changes that they've implemented, but none of them are real "marketable" back of the box type features... because most of those were well delivered last year with '09.
Anyway I hope that this thread isn't closed, because it's more than just about a simple demo or useless clamouring... it's intelligent.

[Doormat]

Yeah my mistake, I misread a bit and read a little of "Demo" in it. Sorry for that.

[countryboy]

I really don't understand the lack of media comments that I've been reading. There has been plenty of media, the only thing is that its driven by SCEA at this point and to be honest, thats understandable.

It seems that with the lack of a demo, people are coming up with these "ideas" as to why SCEA is doing this or that. The truth of the matter is that its really not that uncommon for a demo for any game to come out within a week of its release or in some cases after. It seems that since we've been "spoiled" with having the demo tremendously early, people expect it to be the same again this year and when it isn't, they immediately start thinking there is a problem.

As far as reviews, I would expect them to start rolling out this week. Again, not uncommon for developers to ask gaming sites/publications to wait until right before release or even after release for them to publicate their respective review scores.

There is plenty of information out there that has stemmed from CES and SCEA blogs, as well as sites such as Gametrailers, Gamespot, and even ESPN. And now, they have released their community website which will provide any more information for the casual user.

Botom line is that SCEA is executing their marketing plan how they see fit. Maybe its not what we are accustomed to since what has taken place before, but I also don't believe that we should be yelling fire, because as far as I can tell, there isn't any smoke.

.02

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by badmrfrosty7

Anyways, that's my 2 cents on the matter and I was just interested to know what others think about these topics.

Honestly, I think your post was very well thought out, but I think you are looking into things way too much.

[Lewis160]

It doesnt really matter..if you're a true mlb fan then you would just buy the game and forget about the demo. The Demo is just to get us to buy the game...Every year a game has new features to get us hype for the game with screenshots and some videos and they have done that without a demo so if a demo doesnt come out it wont affect me getting the game. Im a true MLB The Show Fan ,plus is the best Baseball Game in Any Console so why not get the game because of no demo...

[ps2baseball]

Maybe the game isn't going to be released!? (sarcasm)

I remember waiting for this game:
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0...race_large.jpg

I think it either didn't come out, or was delayed a bunch.

Anyone remember this? I know the forums aren't always the tell all, but I think there is a strong correlation between forums views and sales. Haven't done the scientific study though!

Either way, bummed I am not playing the _____ tonight, if you know what I mean!

[SoxFan01605]

This seems to happen every year. SCEA has been accused in the past (by game review sites too) about being somewhat stingy or controlled with their info and media. I think they simply just want to control how their game is marketed is all.

I can understand some not agreeing with it, but I don't really see any deeper meaning. As for the demo, my understanding was they wanted to get out a more current build...last year it was released earlier than normal and got to be dissected in every possible way. This way, there can be less clarifying posts from the devs...saves them unnecessary work...lol.

And for the record, I'm not accusing the OP of jumping to conclusions or not liking SCEA, etc. I just think it's reading a bit much into things..just my take.