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

# 1561 Metsui @ 03/07/08 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belljr


	:goodposting: 2k7 played a terrible game of baseball in between the lines. Baserunning was terrible, AI was bad, no hit variety etc etc. 2k7 definitely LOOKED better but 2k8 plays a decent game of baseball

FBG league thread in the baseball forum.

# 1562 brahmagoul @ 03/07/08 02:59 PM

Is it just me or do baseball games end up with the worst graphics among sports games? Madden has been decent, and Live has always looked nice. Now, back in the day, I thought World Series baseball looked awesome. MVP was too cartoony, but then again, the best games seem to have the worst graphics -- like High Heat from when Schilling was on the cover.

Anyway, I haven't had time to rent the game yet. Could anyone tell me if you can control every team? Is it like NBA 2K8 in that you can control a handful of teams but at least make roster moves and play games of non-user controlled teams?

Thanks.

# 1563 ehh @ 03/07/08 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brahmagoul


	Is it just me or do baseball games end up with the worst graphics among sports games? Madden has been decent, and Live has always looked nice. Now, back in the day, I thought World Series baseball looked awesome. MVP was too cartoony, but then again, the best games seem to have the worst graphics -- like High Heat from when Schilling was on the cover.

Funny, I always thought that baseball games as a whole had the best graphics. Football games are always the worst IMO and basketball isn't easy to capture either.

# 1564 BobbyColtrane @ 03/07/08 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodgerblue


	1. The ticker seems to run if you are connected even when you try to turn it off 2. Hot zones you need to buy the scouting reports (it's stupid, I wish they would just give them to you). 3. Press right or left on the d pad and you'll scroll through pitcher and batter stats including # of balls and strikes and total pitch count

thanks dood.

# 1565 Blzer @ 03/07/08 03:20 PM

Hockey has always looked the worst. I know they are wearing padding and stuff, but the players just look too big.

# 1566 MizzouRah @ 03/07/08 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blzer


	Hockey has always looked the worst. I know they are wearing padding and stuff, but the players just look too big.

Are you serious? I think NHL 08 is the best looking game to grace a console.

# 1567 Artman22 @ 03/07/08 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MizzouRah


	Are you serious? I think NHL 08 is the best looking game to grace a console.

Co-sign

# 1568 Village Idiot @ 03/07/08 03:49 PM

I actually think the player models in NHL 08 are too small.

# 1569 Pared @ 03/07/08 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art1bk


	Co-sign

Co-co-sign.

# 1570 123456dan @ 03/07/08 04:27 PM

Just pitched an amazing game with Cole Hamels.

9.0 IP
4 Hits
0 R
0 ER
12 K's

It previous high was 7 K's. Unfortunately, I am pissed off because since my VIP was not loaded, I didn't get his 8 strikeout card.

# 1571 Bat @ 03/07/08 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MizzouRah


	Are you serious? I think NHL 08 is the best looking game to grace a console.

I hate to bring up The Show in a 2k8 thread but The Show 08 I would consider the best looking sports game.

# 1572 JoeDog10 @ 03/07/08 05:37 PM

I must say that the more I play this game, the more I am enjoying it!

My roommate has a PS3 upstairs on our loft, and I have a 360 downstairs. He bought The Show which is obviously a great game, and originally I bought 2K8 just so I would have a baseball game to play if someone was on the PS3. But I must say that even though I absolutely love The Show, I find myself hooked on 2K8. I just keep going back to it.

First off, the game is not without flaws. The framerate doesn't really bother me (after signing out of my VIP and using the aerial cam), but it sounds like the patch will take care of that issue anyway. But, it is a bit noticeable. The graphics aren't great, and the presentation and atmosphere leave a lot to be desired. The animations don't always feel very polished, which can give the game an "arcadey" feel at times. I don't think it plays arcadey, but it can feel that way. I also think that it's not a very good 2-player game. The Show is the way to go when playing a buddy, at least if both of you are sim-heads.

That being said, I'm still enjoying this game immensely. As most of you have already stated, the new pitching interface is fantastic! After about 5 games I am finally starting to "get it", but you still have to be completely focused every time you throw a pitch. I love the fact that you can't place every pitch exactly where you want it. Not only do you have to call a good game (or let your catcher do so), but you actually have to EXECUTE!

I'm also loving that the R analog is used to throw, as opposed to the traditional button that corresponds to the base you want to throw it to. The throwing meter reminds me of MVP, and again, I'm loving it! If you want to really let one loose, it's going to be at the expense of your accuracy. And if you're a little off on the analog, the ball will follow accordingly. Fielding is no longer mindless! I gunned a guy out at home with Ichiro, and it just felt so rewarding.

I used classic hitting (just pressing the button) in 2K7, but the Swing Stick 2.0 gives you much more control over your bat in 2K8. I think that's one of the main reasons why there is such a nice hit variety. Even though it's a timing based system, hitting is not easy.

I haven't gotten too deep into franchise yet, but I like what I've seen so far. The fact that they have the A, AA, and AAA teams is sweet. Also, most of the minor leaguers are in the game, just with different names (first and last initials are the same, though). The fact that there are even franchise sliders to cater player progression to your liking is awesome too.

I am going to dive even more into this game over the weekend, but don't believe all of the negativity in this impressions thread! Though it's not a perfect game, it still plays a solid game of baseball that is very enjoyable. It will be even better once slider sets start coming out.

# 1573 BadKermit @ 03/07/08 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeDog10


	I'm also loving that the R analog is used to throw, as opposed to the traditional button that corresponds to the base you want to throw it to. The throwing meter reminds me of MVP, and again, I'm loving it! If you want to really let one loose, it's going to be at the expense of your accuracy. And if you're a little off on the analog, the ball will follow accordingly. Fielding is no longer mindless! I gunned a guy out at home with Ichiro, and it just felt so rewarding.

I just wanted to comment on this. I still haven't gunned anyone down, but I have never played a baseball game which makes relay throws from the outfield so exciting. I'm practically rising out of my seat to watch the relay throws. I can imagine when I finally nail someone that it's going to be VERY rewarding.

# 1574 MizzouRah @ 03/07/08 06:32 PM

I've been home for the last 3 days sick and I really have put in a lot of time with this game today. First impressions are the opposite of last year for me, but after playing many games, 2k8 kills 2k7 in every faucet of gameplay.

Take the manual and flush it down the toliet, they must have written that up before actually making the game this year. The in game tips/tutorials are your friends! Study them!!!

Swing stick 2.0, I love it! just before the pitch, pull back - from there forward swings the bat straight, RS to the left and you can attempt to pull one, to the right and attempt one down the line, opposite field (rh hitter), in between.. you get it. I've had hits all over the place now that I understand what I'm freaking doing. The only bad thing is , I don't strike out much at all. Hopefully a slider thing.. but damn do hits FINALLY feel realistic with the 2k series!

I love when I have a reliever warming up in the pen, as soon as he's warm, I get a chime and a pop up telling me so! I love all the different throws that are made, very few are perfect. I love the fact I can pitch 4 shutout innings with Wainwright and I'm working the new pitching system with perfection, then BAM! just like that give up 3 runs as I get over confident and I'm not making perfect pitches anymore. I also love it when I forget to call off my LF and he runs into me as the ball drops between us. Everything is quick thinking in this game and I like that.

You all know I hate walks in a video game, that's just me and on Pro, I'm getting fun games. Just lost to Oakland 6-3, they had 11 hits, I had 8, they also had an error on a pb that allowed me to advance to first base and keep a drive alive. The game is fun, very far from being perfect, but very fun for me.

Some of the presentation gets cutoff and I wish they would have smoothed those out a bit, but for a 9 inning game of baseball, I will NEVER go back to 2k7, not in a million years.

There are some neat things like watching the camera pan after an inning in New York.. it goes past the subway and climbs over the top of the stadium as you can see the players tossing the ball around as the next inning is about to start. VERY COOL

I'm babbling, sorry...... once the rosters come out after opening day, I'm ready to start a franchise!

# 1575 Village Idiot @ 03/07/08 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadKermit


	I just wanted to comment on this. I still haven't gunned anyone down, but I have never played a baseball game which makes relay throws from the outfield so exciting. I'm practically rising out of my seat to watch the relay throws. I can imagine when I finally nail someone that it's going to be VERY rewarding.

I've done it once so far. It was great.

Now if only the crowd could react properly.

# 1576 TopDog @ 03/07/08 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronnyballgame


	Hey, I have been changing all the name and whatnot to prep up my franchise, and I have played an exhibition game already and I am in the middle of my 1st franchise game, and I am loving it, trying to find a good setting in between Pro and All Star, so far, in the bottom of the 5th inning I am losing 4-2 to Washington.

For anybody just starting the game, stay far, far away from All Star UNTIL you learn how to pitch. I got the game and tried to jump straight in and every meatball (which was basically any pitch but the fastball) was getting hit out of the park. I'd be good for a couple of innings and then they would explode for 5 or 6 runs at a time.

I bumped it down to Pro, but once I started getting a hang of the pitching, i was able to throw shutouts with ease. I finally gave up when in a game against the Phillies I was pitching a no hitter in the 10th inning with Santana while the only hit I got off Cole Hamels was a first inning leadoff double with Reyes.

I'm back at All Star and now that my hitting and pitching have improved, I'm getting some very good low scoring games.

# 1577 Bat @ 03/07/08 07:52 PM

The computer hits too many pop flys.

# 1578 Diesel3649 @ 03/07/08 07:58 PM

This game is better than 2K7 in almost all areas, but there are a few things that are bugging me.

The AI pitchers not throwing enough balls is iritating. I have all three throw strikes sliders at zero, and in the three games I have played since, Joba threw 81.6% strikes, John Patterson threw 77.2%, and Roy Oswalt threw 79.4%. Thats simply not enough balls. Part of the problem, in my opinion, is a lot of the BS strike calls that the umpires make.

My other main issue is that, again in my opinion, like last year, the computer has a great deal of difficulty scoring without hitting homeruns. I have raised the AI's batting skill, and contact sliders, while lowering their power. I want the computer to hit, singles, doubles, triples, and homeruns, I want them to string together hits in order to manufacture runs, and they simply can't, and believe me, it's not my brilliant pitching. In the three games I have played using BFJ's slider set, I have given up 22 hits, 7 of them homeruns, now 2 where on meatballs, ohh well my bad there, 5 where not. It's not the amount of homeruns that bothers me, I can lower the power slider more, but without those 7 hr's, the computer would have only scored 3 runs in three games. That's not enough runs that did not come by way of the hr. That raises a red flag to me.

# 1579 The Gamer @ 03/07/08 08:06 PM

Diesel, I think the fix to see more hit variety from the cpu is lowering the human fielder speed and increasing the cpu runner aggression.

# 1580 Cheeser12 @ 03/07/08 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel3649


	The AI pitchers not throwing enough balls is iritating. I have all three throw strikes sliders at zero, and in the three games I have played since, Joba threw 81.6% strikes, John Patterson threw 77.2%, and Roy Oswalt threw 79.4%. Thats simply not enough balls. Part of the problem, in my opinion, is a lot of the BS strike calls that the umpires make.

Same here....only been able to work 1 walk in 4-5 games with all sliders at 0. Maybe the patch will address it.....hopefully.

Also agree that umpires call too many borderline pitches I've had a lot of "WTF?" moments when batting.

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