MLB 2K8 News Post

Major League Baseball 2K8 360 Impressions

01:24 AM - February 26, 2008 by Steve_OS

Matt Blumenthal had an opportunity to demo Major League Baseball 2K8 this afternoon. His official writeup of the event will be up later this week, but we wanted to get some quick thoughts up here for you guys.

This game looks beautiful, the player models have improved but the real leap is in the animations. The animations move silky smooth and there is no need to worry about herky jerky animations of the past anymore.
I'm impressed with how intuitive and fresh the analog controls are. The pitching takes a little time to get the hang of but the new mechanics add a whole new dimension to the pitching model.
The baseball cards feature is surprisingly cool, expect me to have more on that later on this week.
In-game saves are officially in the game this year.
Check swings don't seem to be a chore anymore. They are now accomplished by pulling back on the right analog stick - no more right trigger necessary.
Stadium-specific animations are in. The Yankee Roll Call was mentioned specifically.
There should be plenty of foul balls this year. I saw several in the few at-bats I played.
No spring training games this year.
I counted eight unlockable classic stadiums. I think more might be available by default as well.
No co-op play
You will have the option to make trades for CPU-controlled teams in franchise mode, but you won't be able to edit their rotations and lineups.
It was suggested to me that the demo is done and has been submitted. If that's the case, it's in Microsoft's hands now.
I will hit on a few of the big questions from the forum here.

Game: Major League Baseball 2K8Reader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 74 - View All

Member Comments

# 1161 longshadow11 @ 03/04/08 09:43 PM

I just read the very first post about Matt Bloominthal getting an early copy, and it quotes him as saying "the game is silky smooth." That boggles my mind considering how many people are saying it is very choppy and the videos I have seen are choppy to the point of giving me a headache. It almost makes me want to question someone's integrity.

# 1162 bigfnjoe96 @ 03/04/08 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damanjinx


	I dont have the game but what exactly by turning off everything in presentation is doing? Commentary, Ticker ect...?

This is the option that has:

Inning highlights, Player highlights, Cut scenes, etc..etc..etc..

I've also noticed that when I play the game with my HARD DRIVE OFF(360) the game runs very smooth & you can see a difference in the graphics, compared to when I pay with the hard drive on. Very weird

# 1163 The Yankee Faithful @ 03/04/08 09:45 PM

Anyone get to a point while pitching in a game when your pitcher is feeling intense pressure of sorts and the ball is going all over the screen; hard to control? That happened with me with Hughes at Fenway when Ortiz was up with 2 runners on. I thought that was really cool, hard to get a good pitch down, but realistic considering my control also started to vibrate.

# 1164 UNC_Pete @ 03/04/08 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigfnjoe96


	This is the option that has: Inning highlights, Player highlights, Cut scenes, etc..etc..etc.. I've also noticed that when I play the game with my HARD DRIVE OFF(360) the game runs very smooth & you can see a difference in the graphics, compared to when I pay with the hard drive on. Very weird

I'm going to try this later and see if I get the same result. It also makes sense why a minority of people never had problems, they may not have HDDs!

# 1165 HK-47 @ 03/04/08 09:48 PM

Anyone like the trading cards?Haven't heard anyone give their impressions on them.

Which ones have you unlocked?

# 1166 bowlerguy92 @ 03/04/08 09:48 PM

The shaking is a nice feature, but it made it virtually impossible for me to EVER get the ball over the plate and thus, I was shelled nearly every game. I have the Okajima and Youk cards.

# 1167 jpcool202020 @ 03/04/08 09:50 PM

OK, so I opened the game and slid it in my Xbox 360. The first thing I did was clear my cache and download the update. I turn the fielding view to arial, and I turn the strike zone off (other than that, I keep out of box settings). I start up a play now game with the Cards vs. the Cubs. Here's what I found:

1. Framerate issue: I'm not sure what other people are seeing, but I have zero framerate dropping issues. I am using a 1080i setup, and I did not experience any slowdown after a ball was hit anywhere. There are a few hiccups now and then during cutscenes and replays, but other than that, no problem. I see now that this issue has been blown way out of proportion.

2. Atmosphere/Presentation: As expected, the presentation is very similar to last year, with only small changes here and there. I would suggest to turn up all the croud and atmosphere volume because tat helps make the game feel better to me. Nothing to write home about, but not a game killer either.

3. Gameplay: Pitching is amazing. I love the different pitch motions, and the system is not as hard as people keep saying. Just run the tutorial for 5 minutes an you'll be on your way. I will say that I believe the difficulty should actually be raised through sliders because through 9 innings I threw zero meatball pitches. Basically, all of my pitches went in the general area that I intended. I'm sure the slider guru's will help here. Oh, and gotta love the actual pitch signals from the catcher.

Batting is much better than last year. The hit variety is amazing, and you can now make contact with anything near the strike zone. This will make for more foul balls and higher pitch counts. However, this is also an area where the slider guru's will have to help. We'll need even more foul balls, and less contact from the user side. The cpu side seemed pretty good though. Again, I was using out-of box settings. Oh, and you can actually check swings.

Fielding is 1000 times better than last year, and actually reminds me of that one game called MVP 05. I'm in love with the arial view. The throwing mechanics feel natural, and just right. Don't think I'll ever be able to go back to just pressing buttons again. On the cpu side, they seem to make good decisions when it comes to fielding and throwing the ball.
Baserunning is much better as well, as many people here have stated.

4. Graphics/Animation: Here is the only place where i see a slight problem so far. And I do mean SLIGHT. The resolution did take a slight hit this year (grass, player faces, etc.), however it still looks pretty good overall. I remember seeing one guy on here post that the game reminds him of PS1. Haha. That guy should tryout for Comic View. The animations on the other hand are smooth and look really great. I've already seen a few animations that weren't in last year.

Overall, I'm impressed with this game, and dare I say, I think it's better than 2K7. I never played The Show so I won't try to compare, but I must say that anyone who liked last years game at all will love 2K8. With all the gameplay enhancements (which is what we wanted, right?), and the franchise upgrades (controlling cpu rosters, and full minor leagues), this game is pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. What's with all this negativity? This game plays great out of the box as well. Can't wait to see what the slider guys can do with this. And don't get me started on the full rosters, minor leagues and all. I may be playing this game for a long time.

I'd give this game an 8.5 out of 10 so far. And that's just leaving room for the presentation and graphics improvements that should take place next year. I may post some more impressions later as I find new things. Peace.

# 1168 RoyalBoyle78 @ 03/04/08 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigfnjoe96


	Guys go into OPTIONS, then PRESENTATION. Once in PRESENTATION turn every OPTION-OFF except for Replay Frequency. This should help with the choppiness some also

Joe I know your trying to help make the game better, but Your shouldn't have to take you HDD off and then change settings to make the game run better, this was just a bad apple put out, it seems like Take Two and 2Ksports knew the game had issue and still released like it is, it's not the worst thing in the world, but it kinda seems they ripped us off a bit.

# 1169 Damanjinx @ 03/04/08 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigfnjoe96


	This is the option that has: Inning highlights, Player highlights, Cut scenes, etc..etc..etc.. I've also noticed that when I play the game with my HARD DRIVE OFF(360) the game runs very smooth & you can see a difference in the graphics, compared to when I pay with the hard drive on. Very weird

hmm it wouldnt surprise me one bit if this is the case, tell me if im on the same page bigfnjoe, basically when your playing your hard drive is basically scanning everything so just in case you make a good play ect...it stores it in the hard drive for Inning Highlights, Player Highlights ect.. so that is causing the frame rate problem....i can see that, can you turn on Cut scenes and see if you still have the same lag... Probably still since the harddrive is determing what players are on the field to do the cutscene.. but i love cutscenes couldnt care less about the inning highlights and that crap. Thanks

# 1170 DoNutToucH @ 03/04/08 09:52 PM

I'm sorry I don't plan on reading this whole thread but I thought I would just post my impressions of the game. Overall I think the game is still pretty fun to play despite everyone's complaint of the framrate.

I bought the game because it was the only baseball game I could play, as I only own a 360. I didn't read the reviews until after playing a few games. I have to say once I started the game it did feel different. The gameplay feels more solid than it did last year. All aspects were improved from hitting, pitching, and fielding. The graphics are improved in some areas with added details in stadiums, jerseys, body shape. While there were other parts that suffer like the grass which doesn't look as realistic as last years, but not a big deal imho.

It is unfortunate the game's framerate suffers but it does not take away from the overall experience of the game. For some reason it slows when the ball passes 2nd base regardless if its from a hit or a throw. I don't agree with IGN's review that its a 7.4 but I would say its a 8.2. Yes the graphics aren't as nice as the Show's but I've played the Show and it does get boring with it's simple button presses and meter pitching that's been around since MVP. Just remember graphics don't make a game fun. I know I could still play old school nintendo games and still call them fun without the fancy graphics. Gameplay, gameplay, gameplay!

All in all, I'm loving the game! I can't wait to see what Brinkman has in store for us next year while I enjoy 2k8. Good job to kushgamer and to all who put their hard work into this year's game! Thank you.

# 1171 TopDog @ 03/04/08 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spear


	First of all of course it'd be nice to play The Show and have more baseball gaming options but some of us don't have PS3s...

I feel you. I don't have a PS3 either. I've never played the Show, and never will because I won't own a PS3 nor have I owned a PS2.

Yet, here I am having to wade thru a 130+ page thread to get impressions in the 2K8 FORUM that is filled with Show bickering. The pro Show people are just as bad as the negative dorks. Damn, take your cockfight elsewhere. Can we get back to the impressions of the game that THIS FORUM is supposed to be about?

# 1172 Bwnarrow3 @ 03/04/08 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpcool202020


	OK, so I opened the game and slid it in my Xbox 360. The first thing I did was clear my cache and download the update. I turn the fielding view to arial, and I turn the strike zone off (other than that, I keep out of box settings). I start up a play now game with the Cards vs. the Cubs. Here's what I found: 1. Framerate issue: I'm not sure what other people are seeing, but I have zero framerate dropping issues. I am using a 1080i setup, and I did not experience any slowdown after a ball was hit anywhere. There are a few hiccups now and then during cutscenes and replays, but other than that, no problem. I see now that this issue has been blown way out of proportion. 2. Atmosphere/Presentation: As expected, the presentation is very similar to last year, with only small changes here and there. I would suggest to turn up all the croud and atmosphere volume because tat helps make the game feel better to me. Nothing to write home about, but not a game killer either. 3. Gameplay: Pitching is amazing. I love the different pitch motions, and the system is not as hard as people keep saying. Just run the tutorial for 5 minutes an you'll be on your way. I will say that I believe the difficulty should actually be raised through sliders because through 9 innings I threw zero meatball pitches. Basically, all of my pitches went in the general area that I intended. I'm sure the slider guru's will help here. Oh, and gotta love the actual pitch signals from the catcher. Batting is much better than last year. The hit variety is amazing, and you can now make contact with anything near the strike zone. This will make for more foul balls and higher pitch counts. However, this is also an area where the slider guru's will have to help. We'll need even more foul balls, and less contact from the user side. The cpu side seemed pretty good though. Again, I was using out-of box settings. Oh, and you can actually check swings. Fielding is 1000 times better than last year, and actually reminds me of that one game called MVP 05. I'm in love with the arial view. The throwing mechanics feel natural, and just right. Don't think I'll ever be able to go back to just pressing buttons again. On the cpu side, they seem to make good decisions when it comes to fielding and throwing the ball. Baserunning is much better as well, as many people here have stated. 4. Graphics/Animation: Here is the only place where i see a slight problem so far. And I do mean SLIGHT. The resolution did take a slight hit this year (grass, player faces, etc.), however it still looks pretty good overall. I remember seeing one guy on here post that the game reminds him of PS1. Haha. That guy should tryout for Comic View. The animations on the other hand are smooth and look really great. I've already seen a few animations that weren't in last year. Overall, I'm impressed with this game, and dare I say, I think it's better than 2K7. I never played The Show so I won't try to compare, but I must say that anyone who liked last years game at all will love 2K8. With all the gameplay enhancements (which is what we wanted, right?), and the franchise upgrades (controlling cpu rosters, and full minor leagues), this game is pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. What's with all this negativity? This game plays great out of the box as well. Can't wait to see what the slider guys can do with this. And don't get me started on the full rosters, minor leagues and all. I may be playing this game for a long time. I'd give this game an 8.5 out of 10 so far. And that's just leaving room for the presentation and graphics improvements that should take place next year. I may post some more impressions later as I find new things. Peace.

Wow, what a great review. The same thing happened to me. I think you only have an issue with the framerate/graphics if you have zero-tolarance for them. Some people, like me, don't notice the things like that. I agree about not seeing hardly anything wrong with this game, and I agree with the 8.5/10.

# 1173 bigfnjoe96 @ 03/04/08 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FootballForever


	Joe I know your trying to help make the game better, but Your shouldn't have to take you HDD off and then change settings to make the game run better, this was just a bad apple put out, it seems like Take Two and 2Ksports knew the game had issue and still released like it is, it's not the worst thing in the world, but it kinda seems they ripped us off a bit.

I now this FF & believe I'm very mad that they allow this game to ship without double checking to make sure the game info is caching correctly with the System Hard Drive. How they allowed this slip is beyond me..

# 1174 Sportsforever @ 03/04/08 10:04 PM

After reading these impressions earlier today I almost didn't pick the game up on my way home from work, but I went ahead and gave it a shot and wow...glad I did.

I started up a game and I was intent on seeing how the frame rate was. Instead, I got caught up in trying to figure out how to pitch and I realized I had played two innings without checking out the frame rate, which obviously is good since I hadn't noticed it. In fact, for me the game is SILKY smooth from the behind the pitcher camera. From the behind the plate I only get a very slight reduction every so often, but it is so slight I don't even notice it. Honestly, 99% of the time the game is SO smooth it reminds me of 2K4 the way it runs. I am on a 60 inch Sony 1080P(and running it at 1080P).

I have gotten about 10 innings in and I am very impressed...feels like MVP to me and I have seen stuff that has made go WOW.

Couple of things I've seen:
- Braves @ Reds and the batter hits a foul pop fly down the RF line. Francouer comes over to the wall, leaps up, and catches the ball out of the stands. Very nice.

- Brian McCann on 1st and Matt Diaz at the plate. Diaz hits a ground ball to 3B and they go to turn two...I go in hard at 2nd with McCann who takes out the 2nd baseman as he is trying to take the ball out of his glove. The ball pops out and rolls into short RF as Diaz is able to race into 2nd. Beautifully done.

- Tex at the plate and he hits a line drive that is just rising towards CF...I'm thinking homer or at least a double. Griffey goes back, on the dead run, leaps and catches it at the top of the wall...I jumped up in disbelief and had to watch the replay.

- Encarnacion hit a long drive down the left field line that was hooking, hooking...and hit the foul pole bouncing back into LF. There were no indications it was going out...Miller was like...it's hooking, hooking, and GONE.

- I did get to a 3-0 count and the CPU didn't throw it down the pipe..it was a fastball up and away.

- I simmed a month into franchise and didn't see one big name player traded (a bunch of minor leaguers) and none of the lineups were jacked up (in fact, they looked pretty close to the opening day lineups).

I played a lot of 2K7 and enjoyed it and I must say this game so far is LEAPS and BOUNDS ahead of it. I'm sorry folks are having framerate issues, but I am seriously amazed at how smooth it is after reading everything on here that I did. I'm headin' back to the ballpark...

# 1175 bigfnjoe96 @ 03/04/08 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damanjinx


	hmm it wouldnt surprise me one bit if this is the case, tell me if im on the same page bigfnjoe, basically when your playing your hard drive is basically scanning everything so just in case you make a good play ect...it stores it in the hard drive for Inning Highlights, Player Highlights ect.. so that is causing the frame rate problem....i can see that, can you turn on Cut scenes and see if you still have the same lag... Probably still since the harddrive is determing what players are on the field to do the cutscene.. but i love cutscenes couldnt care less about the inning highlights and that crap. Thanks

You got-it buddy

# 1176 The GIGGAS @ 03/04/08 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sportsforever


	After reading these impressions earlier today I almost didn't pick the game up on my way home from work, but I went ahead and gave it a shot and wow...glad I did. I started up a game and I was intent on seeing how the frame rate was. Instead, I got caught up in trying to figure out how to pitch and I realized I had played two innings without checking out the frame rate, which obviously is good since I hadn't noticed it. In fact, for me the game is SILKY smooth from the behind the pitcher camera. From the behind the plate I only get a very slight reduction every so often, but it is so slight I don't even notice it. Honestly, 99% of the time the game is SO smooth it reminds me of 2K4 the way it runs. I am on a 60 inch Sony 1080P(and running it at 1080P). I have gotten about 10 innings in and I am very impressed...feels like MVP to me and I have seen stuff that has made go WOW. Couple of things I've seen: - Braves @ Reds and the batter hits a foul pop fly down the RF line. Francouer comes over to the wall, leaps up, and catches the ball out of the stands. Very nice. - Brian McCann on 1st and Matt Diaz at the plate. Diaz hits a ground ball to 3B and they go to turn two...I go in hard at 2nd with McCann who takes out the 2nd baseman as he is trying to take the ball out of his glove. The ball pops out and rolls into short RF as Diaz is able to race into 2nd. Beautifully done. - Tex at the plate and he hits a line drive that is just rising towards CF...I'm thinking homer or at least a double. Griffey goes back, on the dead run, leaps and catches it at the top of the wall...I jumped up in disbelief and had to watch the replay. - Encarnacion hit a long drive down the left field line that was hooking, hooking...and hit the foul pole bouncing back into LF. There were no indications it was going out...Miller was like...it's hooking, hooking, and GONE. - I did get to a 3-0 count and the CPU didn't throw it down the pipe..it was a fastball up and away. - I simmed a month into franchise and didn't see one big name player traded (a bunch of minor leaguers) and none of the lineups were jacked up (in fact, they looked pretty close to the opening day lineups). I played a lot of 2K7 and enjoyed it and I must say this game so far is LEAPS and BOUNDS ahead of it. I'm sorry folks are having framerate issues, but I am seriously amazed at how smooth it is after reading everything on here that I did. I'm headin' back to the ballpark...

You're really making me want to drop the 60 bones for it.

Are you on 360?

# 1177 Sportsforever @ 03/04/08 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The GIGGAS


	You're really making me want to drop the 60 bones for it. Are you on 360?

Yup...I will also add that I think the graphics are as nice as last year. The grass textures aren't, but you quickly don't even notice it. I am curious why everyone else isn't getting the game to play as smooth. So far I'm loving this game.

# 1178 chris68pj @ 03/04/08 10:16 PM

I gotta say, I spent all day at work agonizing over the comments I was reading on here and afraid to come home and play this game.

Boy, I'm I glad I didn't listen to what most of you were saying.

I just got beat 10-1 in my first game and it was far more rewarding than any other baseball game I have played.

I'm running it on the 360 in 1080i, downloaded the update, and cut off all the "extras" like highlights and cutscenes (not because I thought it would help, I always do this) and I had NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER WITH THE FRAMERATE.

The controls to this game give it so much life that I honestly didn't notice (and totally didn't care about) the reduced graphics and textures. Gameplay is what it's all about for me and this game delivers. Controlling outfielders is 100 times better than it was last year and the baserunning controls work much better as well.

Pitching is fun for the first time in a long time and the hit stick seems to work better even though I'm still trying to get the hang of the "step" part and I doubt I'll ever draw a walk until someone posts some improved sliders.

Sure the commentary sucks and the intros are the same, but so far this game run circles around 2K7 right now (which isn't saying much) as it is, so I can only imagine how good it could be if they managed to put together a patch to address some of the issues a lot of other people are experiencing.

I highly recommend that anyone who is on the fence about this game get it immediately UNLESS you are nothing but a graphics and commentary whore.

# 1179 budsticky @ 03/04/08 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fatalah


	I'm cracking guys, I'm really cracking. I'm sick of this game. I've tried my hardest to like it, but there are just too many flaws. I can't believe 2K is the only option for 360 owners, thanks a lot Take Two. This is the third year I've had to deal with a sub-bar baseball game. Not having a good baseball game to play is the only reason I regret owning a 360. I can't believe this. The game's overall presentation is so discombobulated. I don't understand why there has to be a dive "button" rather than using the right analog stick. Batting is just plain unfair--is it possible to hit a ground ball or to pull or push a ball without aiming? Just like NHL2K8, MLB2K8 turned into a mess of ideas executed with no precision at all. I feel like I'm playing a work-in-progress. I can't believe we're paying 60 bucks for audio from 2005. As baseball fans, we NEED EA to buyout Take-Two. Brinkman has not done enough. Either that or Blue Castle should take-over. I'm really frustrated guys. I'm not a *****, I've just had enough of being screwed out of good game.

Sorry to say, but I have to agree with this post. I really tried to like this game. I even posted some early favorable impressions. However, the more I play it the more I find things that are broken. And for me it has nothing to do with the frame rate.

I don't want to beat yet another dead horse but this game just isn't finished. Even the new hyped up pitching mechanic feels seriously wonky to me. I try to throw a slider and it throws a curve. Then it shows me the outline of my analog motion and it was just like a slider(straight to the left for a righty), only my follow through was a little more up towards the 2 o'clock range like a curve. Well a curve is supposed to go down to the 7 or 8 o'clock range on the first motion. I've even had it register fast balls when I pushed the stick to the side. How the hell does that happen? I know..go ahead and flame and tell me I suck, but I just got the feeling it wasn't responsive as it should be. It reminds me of a Wii game with piss poor motion controls. The idea is there but the implementation hasn't caught up with the idea.

The hitting doesn't do it for me either. Way too random. I don't get any certain feeling that I've done anything all that much better when I hit a home run as opposed to when I ground out weakly.

I've also observed the difference between the top tier pitchers and the next level down is too great. I can play a teams ace and get shut down for 1 or 2 runs with just a smattering of hits...however go against the number 2 or 3 guy and it's 8 or 9 runs with 15-20 hits. I know aces are aces for a reason but there's just too much of a disparity for me so far.

One more thing...here we go again with a baseball game with no walks. The computer will not walk you plain and simple.

If there ever was a perfect example of a sports game being rushed out just to make a yearly deadline this is it IMHO.

I'm holding out hope that maybe with some more play time and some workable sliders I can find enjoyment in this game. Perhaps the right slider combo will fix many of my problems I've mentioned above, but right now it ain't happening. And I for one, don't want to spend my gaming time experimenting with sliders. I have limited time for gaming and I want to enjoy it without too much tinkering. However I'll give it some more time..and see what slider settings pop up on here. Hopefully I can salvage some enjoyment out of this game.

As of right now though, I'll stand by my opinion that the best baseball game in recent years is not MVP 2005 or anything Sony has put out. My favorite game has been MLB Power Pros for Nintendo. Updated rosters and a few minor fixes, including pitchers that will walk you and I'll be in baseball heaven. Cartoony graphics be damned. And to think this game was produced by 2k. They have a great baseball game right under their noses and they release what IMHO is a game that is probably a good 6 months of development from being release ready...at least.

# 1180 chris68pj @ 03/04/08 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sportsforever


	Yup...I will also add that I think the graphics are as nice as last year. The grass textures aren't, but you quickly don't even notice it. I am curious why everyone else isn't getting the game to play as smooth. So far I'm loving this game.

I agree with you 100% (I didn't see your post until after I had posted my first comments about the game).

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