MLB 11 The Show News Post

MLB 11 The Show Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here

07:03 PM - February 22, 2011 by Pared

The MLB 11 The Show demo is available now. It weighs in at roughly 3 GB and features the Texas Rangers vs. the San Francisco Giants, in a 4 inning World Series rematch.

Please post your impressions here.

DO NOT post that you are downloading the demo, what % the download is at, the fact that you are starting to install it, etc.

IMPRESSIONS ONLY please.

Game: MLB 11 The ShowReader Score: 8.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3Votes for game: 57 - View All

MLB 11 The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 181 doughron @ 02/23/11 01:49 AM

Well I just finished my 3rd game which I guess could also be considered my 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th game because it went 21 innings! I lost 2-1 because of throwing errors in the 21st.

I was the Giants and Lincecum's final line was: 21 IP, 13 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 23 K's!! Oh yeah and he only had to throw 282 pitches....lol

I love the analog pitching but so far I'm not overly thrilled with either the analog hitting or fielding but I'm gonna keep working on it. I only managed 11 hits with 1 double and 1 home run so I suck pretty bad at it right now but it does feel rewarding when you do get a hit, especially a home run.

# 182 juicer420 @ 02/23/11 01:53 AM

The pure analog pitching was easy to get used to. Had some trouble at times, but for the most part I like this feature. Painting the corners is an entirely new concept!

The hitting was impossible though! I got a solid hit on my first swing, and from there I was lucky if I made contact. It didn't help that I got nothing to hit and with everything going on, it was tough to lay off of pitches.

A lot going on when you need to swing. Guess pitch and location, then picking swing type (hardest thing to remember to do) and then timing your pre load and swing. On top of that you need to use the left stick to match the location of the pitch (maybe?).

It was tough, but I think a few more tries and I can get used to it. I'll give it a fair try. I like the idea of it and the challenge though.

I like the fielding, had only one bad throw to the cutoff man, but no one advanced, so no error. It felt ackward at first, but I got the hang of it quickly.

I love the addition of specific commentator volume control. Too bad Jack Buck wasn't the announcer so I could just mute the guy!

And the addition of balk!!! Maybe this was here before, but I love it!

Good first impression overall.

# 183 thekingofKC @ 02/23/11 01:53 AM

Just had my first broken bat of the demo.... dang that was pretty

# 184 ripwalk @ 02/23/11 01:53 AM

I am loving the new analog controls and will be using all three come game time. The one taking the biggest adjustment is hitting though, as I am a far less patient hitter with analog it seems and I also am having trouble with the follow through to the proper side thing.

It's still really satisfying when you do line everything up well and make great contact, much more satisfying than just pressing a button would ever be.

Analog pitching is also very enjoyable and it's fun to have to work to hit corners and get guys chasing.

On the negative aspect, I don't really feel the commentary improvements are all that vast (at least from the demo). People wanted commentary where the announcers interact, well they have some more in MLB 11 ... and I can tell you after 6 games I am already sick of hearing them debate whether or not the Giants can repeat, whether or not the Rangers can put up another solid season, whether or not Buster Posey was a good choice for Rookie of the Year, etc etc. These are long-winded stories that seem to come up every game and if anything significant happens during the story, usually results in the commentators getting embarassingly behind on the commentary.

Overall though, can't wait for March 8.

# 185 econoodle @ 02/23/11 02:04 AM

more stuff:

- game froze during a Pablo Strikeout. Yuck First time I have EVER had a demo freeze on me.

- after another game its already starting to fell bland. overall vibe. hard to explain, its just blah.

12's focus should be TV STYLE PRESENTATION.
last 4 years its been something else that was more important. hope that ends, seriously. The Show so far behind the competition there.
Did not see any of the presentation additions Russie raved about.

Hope to go back and read this thread and see if anyone has seen anything different from 10 in that regard.

+ Team colors in the overlays. Gives a bit of flair to the look.

- The Show logo permeating every screen and overlay. Makes everything to busy. I know what game I have in the ps3 guys lol
Cant u guys use a logo and have it say 'SCEA Sports Network' or something?

+ Timmies Animation set.

- TImmies Hair

- Not being able to see the ESPN ticker. odd choice leaving it out. Try to sell that thing. The casual that does not follow OS has no idea its in there.

- No tutorials with the new analog system. Really?

+ LOVE the dusk! The progression is a sight to behold. Makes me cry.

- HATE the intro. ZERO commentary on the lineup or fielders [only matty v on the fielders]. Makes me cry.
Is that part gtting worse each year. Possibly?

- Cant pinch hit or call in a reliever?

+ Being able to call a time out while batting. I did it once by mistake, never figured out how to do it agian.

+ Being able to cheat and play endlessly by keeping it tied.

More Coming.

# 186 pdawg17 @ 02/23/11 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALBERTPULHOZ


	GAMEPLAY - cool will take some getting used to . PRESENTATION-just a demo but a lil disappointed with graphics . I do love how much more detailed the crowd and stadium looks ! Pretty awesome ! However I have a 65" 3d tv was hoping to see 3d better than what it looks maybe release will look better . Or it could just be 360 graphics are just far superior to ps3 imho ... Overall just feels not much different from last year which isnt necessarily a bad thing but Im sure ill be happy march 8th . Heres to hoping next years focus is mainly franchise !!

Have you played a 3d game on PS3 before? In order for 3d to work games have to lower the resolution...so no 3d game on PS3 or Xbox for that matter will look as good resolution-wise...

# 187 Russell_SCEA @ 02/23/11 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by econoodle


	more stuff: - game froze during a Pablo Strikeout. Yuck First time I have EVER had a demo freeze on me. - after another game its already starting to fell bland. overall vibe. hard to explain, its just blah. 12's focus should be TV STYLE PRESENTATION. last 4 years its been something else that was more important. hope that ends, seriously. The Show so far behind the competition there. Did not see any of the presentation additions Russie raved about. Hope to go back and read this thread and see if anyone has seen anything different from 10 in that regard. + Team colors in the overlays. Gives a bit of flair to the look. - The Show logo permeating every screen and overlay. Makes everything to busy. I know what game I have in the ps3 guys lol Cant u guys use a logo and have it say 'SCEA Sports Network' or something? + Timmies Animation set. - TImmies Hair - Not being able to see the ESPN ticker. odd choice leaving it out. Try to sell that thing. The casual that does not follow OS has no idea its in there. - No tutorials with the new analog system. Really? + LOVE the dusk! The progression is a sight to behold. Makes me cry. - HATE the intro. ZERO commentary on the lineup or fielders [only matty v on the fielders]. Makes me cry. Is that part gtting worse each year. Possibly? - Cant pinch hit or call in a reliever? + Being able to call a time out while batting. I did it once by mistake, never figured out how to do it agian. + Being able to cheat and play endlessly by keeping it tied. More Coming.

It's a demo from a build of the game in December what are you expecting. A demo is meant to be a slice of the the pie, in this case to let you demo the new analog controls not much else.

The ticker is a franchise mode only feature, I'm not even sure if show track was in the game at the time we made the demo.

# 188 Motown @ 02/23/11 02:11 AM

The lighting is just INCREDIBLE! WOW also, I'm absolutely DIGGIN the fielding HIGH cam this year...this will be MOM fans dream!

player models are vastly improved. like someone mentioned earlier...GAME OF THE YEAR...without a doubt! An Incredible baseball game SCEA

# 189 bukktown @ 02/23/11 02:13 AM

1st game- meh, underwhelmed, analog controls I don't like
2nd game- ok I'm getting the hang of it and damn I swear the graphics look better than the 1st game
3rd game- Game On! Wow the graphics are beautiful! Analog hitting is great!

I still don't really like the throwing meter. It fills up in about 400 milliseconds. Way too quick I feel. But maybe after the 4th game I will start to like it.

# 190 pdawg17 @ 02/23/11 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell_SCEA


	It's a demo from a build of the game in December what are you expecting. A demo is meant to be a slice of the the pie, in this case to let you demo the new analog controls not much else. The ticker is a franchise mode only feature, I'm not even sure if show track was in the game at the time we made the demo.

I can see why some companies/game franchises aren't thrilled about putting out demos...I agree with a lot of the points econoodle made but without input from you (like quoted above) a demo can give people a bad impression depending on what each person is looking for...

As you have stated though, if this demo is intended to mainly give us a taste of the analog controls then it sure seems like a success to me!

# 191 nemesis04 @ 02/23/11 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bukktown


	I still don't really like the throwing meter. It fills up in about 400 milliseconds. Way too quick I feel. But maybe after the 4th game I will start to like it.

Your first instinct is to jam on it all the way to the desired location resulting in the meter filling up rather quickly. Preloaded light gestures to the intended target will yield the best results!

# 192 mrcultureshock @ 02/23/11 02:18 AM

After playing the demo for over 3 hours, here are my impressions:

Difficulty: Veteran (I'm a softy)

Commentary: same as before. I think Vasgersian and Campbell sound good together but Karros (like Hux) don't fit. There are a LOT of repetitions in the demo though, but hopefully this will improve when the game is released.

Graphics: Some things look better (player models, stadiums) but many things are recycled from 10. But overall the game looks better than 10.

Animations: the 1st thing I noticed was that the throws from the fielders are animated correctly for the most part. There are still some animations like the 2B or the SS sliding and throwing the ball which really needs to be redone. The pitchers have good animations as well, and ball release points look good. Definitely better than last year. However, the fielders go into an animation sequence every time they catch a ground ball and it takes too long for them to get out of it. This makes me feel that I don't have complete control over the fielders. SCEA should copy the style that the Pro Yakyu Spirits uses, which offers you 100% over your fielders.

The big disappointment for me is the catcher. There are new animations, but there are too few of them. The receiving stances are wrong and should be changed to look like the way major league catchers do it. Also, the throwing animations are for the most part the same, which is a shame.

Analog pitching: interesting, but too imprecise. I feel I have more control using the meter system.

Analog fielding: interesting, but lacks fine control. Every time a fielder catches a ball, I flex the right stick completely which causes throwing errors.

Analog batting: flawed IMHO. There's not enough time to react to a pitch and what happens is that I either swing too early, or too late.

Gameplay (Overall): for me the pitching (meter) feels better than last year. The fielding is a bit faster, but could be a lot better. Batting is still difficult for me. All the games I've played so far are low scoring.

All in all, 11 Demo is an improvement over 10. I would buy it but I'd like to see more dramatic improvements next year.

# 193 Tommyklaid @ 02/23/11 02:23 AM

FINALLY downloaded after 4 (1/2) hours.... ugh!

Havin' a great time with this demo so far...

(1.) The announcing definitely needs an upgrade, but it's not as bad as I had particularly thought...I turn them down a few notches and it isn't all that bad. I can live with it.

(2.) The lighting, well...fantastic - enough said.

(3.) Game options - BALKS are in!!!)

(4.) Analog pitching - I dunno if I like it as much as I do classic, because I love "watching" the windup of the pitcher - I'm too focused on the meter. (That's only my opinion, because I like the visual aspect

(5.) The players FINALLY look like they belong in the outfield...the field looks sooo much larger than it did in previous versions....it looks natural. BIG difference!

(6.) LOVED THIS!!!!! - After a ball was pitched in the dirt, the umpire threw the ball back to the pitcher, and the batter walked back into the batters box IN ALL FLUIDITY! There wasn't a break, or glitch - IT WAS ALL FLUID!

P.S.> Heard the P.A. announcer say, "We would love the thank the "elderly ball dudes"(yea, he said dudes) patrolling the 1st and 3rd base foul lines. Thank you Mr. So-and-So and Mr. So-and-So for all your help. And please....don't hurt yourself."

Haha, I thought that was great!

Havin' fun playin' so far....!

# 194 swanton @ 02/23/11 02:27 AM

Played 4 games and I gotta say, I love this game already. Lighting is amazing. The sky looks lifelike. I felt like I was outside on a summer's day. Haven't really tried analog controls, thinking of sticking with the classic.

One thing I noticed was some of the fans were all white. I haven't read through the whole thread to see if anyone else noticed it. Hoping this is fixed for the final game.

Other than that, March 8th please hurry up.

# 195 PlayLoud @ 02/23/11 02:27 AM

I just played my first game, so here are my thoughts on the analog controls

Pitching. This is the one area that I think was improved. As much as I liked The Show before, I felt it was a little too easy to aim my pitches. Playing against the CPU, I would usually not walk a single battle (unless intentional) throughout the game. This new control makes it much harder to paint the corners, and I appreciate the added realism.

Fielding. Well, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I really don't like it. I mean, the PS3 controller's buttons are shaped like a baseball diamond. IT WAS PERFECT the way it was. I suppose I can get used to it, but it's one of those things that wasn't broken, but was fixed anyway.

Hitting. This is the one area that REALLY bugs me. I was just starting to get good at reading pitches (after playing since MLB 08), and now I have even less time to decide to swing. I played a 7 inning game in the demo, and I didn't get a base runner. Hitting is the one area where I am going to want to play with the classic controls.

Big question... When playing online, do you all have to be playing with the same controls, or can you choose your options individually?

# 196 nemesis04 @ 02/23/11 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlayLoud


	Big question... When playing online, do you all have to be playing with the same controls, or can you choose your options individually?

Nope everyone can have his or her individual control scheme.

# 197 dominicanpapi @ 02/23/11 02:33 AM

my impressions were
first thing i noticed was the lighting WOW !
i liked the addition of karos just everything he says i enjoy because hes "new" and brings that "fresh" feel to it.
i dnt like matt V hes wack and next to karos he just does not sound as professional karos makes him look bad
i liked the gameplay the batting timmy threw a 96 and i was like WOW he threw that right by me. my timing is slightly off but il get used to it. i loved the pitching i adjusted fast. the feilding was ehh it was alright but i got confused at times and pressed buttons. but overall i liked it and this was a erlier build so the full retail should be better this is a must buy !

# 198 toine2983 @ 02/23/11 02:36 AM

I got a couple of games in with the demo. and I'm really enjoying the analog pitching. The controls are very responsive I feel more in control of my pitches.

Analog hitting is another story, I couldn't get timing down resulting in me getting a bunch of groundouts and popups.

Analog fielding feels weird to me as well. I've gotten so use to pressing buttons to throw to different bases that analog fielding doesn't feel intuitive to me.

Overall I'm enjoying the demo. When I get the retail version of the game I think I'm going to go with analog pitching and classic batting and fielding.

# 199 MukaMuka @ 02/23/11 02:38 AM

With all the complaints about the commentary, can you guys at Sony try to get Kruk and Kuip to do commentary for next year's game?

# 200 econoodle @ 02/23/11 02:44 AM

more stuff:

+ I had 4 walks with Timmy in 5 IP with the analog controls.

God help the people who use Oliver Perez.

- whats with the beep sound in the demo?

- After another game i have come to the not so shocking conclusion that the announcing in this game needs a killshot.

SCEA usually doesn't rock a new feature till its ready to go. They muffed this punt my friend. Also I am noticing some serious sound issues with the crew. Compression. bit rate, who knows.

+ Pitching with analog brings you into the pitchers cleats.
Example, I love pitchnig from the stretch as u get the truncated meter.
Also, in 10 when u pitch via Meter, you hit your spots on the meter then basically watch the pitch come in, in 11, you are more immersed all the way thru.
U pull back he winds up and as u bring it forward, hes right there with you.
Pitch complete.

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