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

# 261 lewski19 @ 02/23/11 11:21 AM

my only issue it is just did not seem any different than last year, beyond the new controls obviously, it just felt like the same game with a few updated models and new control scheme.

# 262 ckarlic @ 02/23/11 11:27 AM

Ive read a lot of people saying that the game feels like '10 with new controls but for me, the demo has a fresh feel to it. I can't really explain it but the game and animations feel smooth. Game looks and feels great to me so far. Still need to get a hang of hitting and fielding.

# 263 Stikskillz @ 02/23/11 11:30 AM

This demo affirms that SCEA continues to go in the right direction with the MLB Series. The pitching, fielding, and hitting are much more fluid and responsive.

Once a lot of players get the hang of it, I don't see a reason to go back to the old way. It feels more like baseball which is what we all want.

It's a demo and there should be limited expectations. I was impressed by the little things such as the crowd noise and reactions. The way fly balls get caught in the wind also seemed much more accurate.

As a Giants fan there were numerous things I hope are addressed with the stadium and player ratings per my post below.

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...post2042145170

# 264 Joey @ 02/23/11 11:33 AM

Where can I log a complaint? I'm at work feeling like garbage this morning because this demo caused me to get less than 3 hours of sleep.

I'm digging all the new analog controls. Left everything default and won my 1st game 2-1 thanks to 2 hits and some Whitey-ball.

Adjusted to fielding pretty quick, two throwing errors in the games I played - one offline, one in the dirt that could have been scooped.

Love the pitching. I'm a classic pitching guy but as of now will be using analog this year. Getting the hang of changing speeds to keep hitters off balance feels good!

Hitting, still adjusting, but like it. It really feels good to catch one clean. My suggestion to anyone having trouble with hitting is experiment with the different cameras and find one where you can pick up the pitch location quickly. After trying several, I agree with others who have posted that Catcher #5 is the real deal as far as defaults go. None of the others came close for me.

I actually like Karros. Anyone who says he just repeats Hud's old lines is talking out of their you-know-what. He gives much more insight than Rex ever did. It may get on some people's nerves, but I like how he has a lot of pauses and "uhs" in his commentary...makes it feel more like he's talking rather than reading. Of course I may be saying differently after a few months!

Scored a run in my first game when the ball clanked off of Borbon's outstretched glove and squirted away. I don't recall seeing that exact animation in '10. Speaking of animations, the new player models makes running and throwing (both pitchers and fielders) look so much more fluid. Plus Lincecum (of all people) hit one into the RF corner and Nelson ran to the ball and picked it up at the wall (without bracing himself against it), wheeled around and fired a one-hopper to 2nd to nail a diving Timmy. Yes, it was a pitcher but Lincecum is pretty athletic. Anyway, the whole sequence looked very good.

It's safe to say that my hype bar is completely full!

# 265 Joey @ 02/23/11 11:37 AM

I agree. It makes me wonder how many games they played on '10. I played 100's of games and it feels fresh to me. I mean, of course it's going to feel like '10 - I hope it does!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckarlic


	Ive read a lot of people saying that the game feels like '10 with new controls but for me, the demo has a fresh feel to it. I can't really explain it but the game and animations feel smooth. Game looks and feels great to me so far. Still need to get a hang of hitting and fielding.

# 266 ryan36 @ 02/23/11 11:41 AM

Guys this thread is for IMPRESSIONS only. No conversation, use the q&a for that

# 267 DJ @ 02/23/11 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckarlic


	Ive read a lot of people saying that the game feels like '10 with new controls but for me, the demo has a fresh feel to it. I can't really explain it but the game and animations feel smooth. Game looks and feels great to me so far. Still need to get a hang of hitting and fielding.

Yep, and hey, nice avatar

# 268 bodhiball @ 02/23/11 11:52 AM

my impression....

i guess its a good thing that I was up til 3:30am playing it even though I had a game to shoot early this morning. It was fun, played so realistically, and had enough new things that I was wanting to see more. So with that said, the pluses and minuses:

+
� to the guys at SCEA, what you did with the lighting and dusk is simply amazing. kudos.
� Ball physics seem improved, livelier...more skips and burners and bounces. I liked the way it felt off the bat
� analog pitching is done perfectly.
� player models really do look SO much better, and a lot of faces have more detail
� the new cut scenes like congratulating each other in the dugout should dominate this game...they looked fresh, real, broadcast quality. excellent.
� thanks for getting rid of the homerun trot where they touch their helmet at each base
� crowd was nice and loud and seemed to be smarter
� park looked incredible.
� Karros wasnt that bad
� New replay view of a stolen base
� jumbotrons and details!
� fielding felt better, more fluid
� batting stances and walkups/rituals/timeouts were awesome

_

� Karros sounded like he was in another room.
� PLEASE get rid of any cut scene that begins with the fade to white thats been there for years. You lose the broadcast feel of the game and it reminds me I am playing a video game.
� Fade to white quickened homerun trot when using broadcast presentation
� Same old post game celebration cuts. These need to be redone.
� any camera angle that looks like a video game rather than a broadcast, and there were several
� the same old swing follow through that makes these guys look like little leaguers.
� Hoping the constant "swish" sound that happened at every cut is only in the demo.

all in all, I was actually impressed and I was a guy that was saying it looked a LOT like 10. I still think it does, but it just plays better and the addition alone of the dusk skies/lighting make it feel so much more real. Because of this, the old scenes and edits that I am thinking are from like MLB 06 stand out even more. Every time I saw one I cringed, and I honestly think that if this game had a presentation overhaul...nothing but angles and edits that mimicked a real game, it would be just about perfection. They have nailed everything else.

Here's hoping this year they work on Commentary and Broadcast style presentation.

# 269 ezio @ 02/23/11 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flaxseed Oil


	Game is fun but way harder this year. I had to drop the analog hitting down to veteran just to make contact. I've had 2 hits in 3 games.

I had to do this too which is ok for me since I was new to the show last year and really didn't play it that mcuh to be honest.

# 270 nemesis04 @ 02/23/11 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckarlic


	Ive read a lot of people saying that the game feels like '10 with new controls but for me, the demo has a fresh feel to it. I can't really explain it but the game and animations feel smooth. Game looks and feels great to me so far. Still need to get a hang of hitting and fielding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joey


	I agree. It makes me wonder how many games they played on '10. I played 100's of games and it feels fresh to me. I mean, of course it's going to feel like '10 - I hope it does!

If it feels fresh to you now wait to you see it with all the content!

# 271 nemesis04 @ 02/23/11 12:02 PM

Anyone notice the new camera angles for the pickoff plays? there are three of them!

# 272 ezio @ 02/23/11 12:08 PM

Let me start by saying I was new to the show last year but honestly didn't play it alot. I am not a big baseball guy but do follow it.

I love the analog controls. I couldn't reall hit until I put it on Veteran so I may have to go with that level. I love the analog pitching and the fielding is not bad but took some time to get used to. I threw a few into the outfield instead of to the base I was going for

I honestly wasn't sure if I was getting the game becuase as I said I am not a big baseball guy but after 1 1/2 games I am pretty sure I am getting it

I also liked the commnetary and didn't think it was bad at all.

# 273 Tyler4 @ 02/23/11 12:09 PM

Some people may not exactly know for sure what I am trying to say, but I put this in the best way possible for mostly everyone to understand..

Quite a few things that caught my attention while playing the demo were..

Updated to more realistic batting stances/pitching styles
When watching replays the batter's stance looks like it normally would playing the game (last year they didn't move much while viewing a replay)
When you press X for a pre swing motion it moves more fluid like it's one movement instead of two separate moves
Foul balls toward the bullpen don't make everyone drop and dunk for cover out of the way unrealistically
How players reach out for the wall now when going for a ball towards the stands
Eric Karros adds a little bit more interesting bits to the commentary
AI pitch selection has improved
How hitters react after every pitch taken
How the speed and base running ability is under the runner window instead of pausing the game
How hitters react when they're either early or late on a specific pitch
Able to get hitters to chase outside of the zone more instead of coming right after them into the zone
Seeing players; ****, stride, and swing
Starting pitcher warming up so you see his pitches prior to the game
How the pitcher catches the ball after the catch throws it back
Realistic updated moves by pitcher when catching the ball thrown back by the catcher
How the pitcher covers the plate automatically with a runner on third and a pitch in the dirt
The cutoffs are insanely realistic

Overall AMAZING job SECA looks better and better every year!!!

# 274 Tyler4 @ 02/23/11 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis04


	Anyone notice the new camera angles for the pickoff plays? there are three of them!

I forgot to mention this in my impressions, but those were awesome! Adds better more realistic look at pickoff moves.

# 275 JJT @ 02/23/11 12:12 PM

Everytime I eye in on the ball and go to smash it, I keep check swinging pissing me off !!!

# 276 nemesis04 @ 02/23/11 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJT


	Everytime I eye in on the ball and go to smash it, I keep check swinging pissing me off !!!

Analog or button?

# 277 DirtyJerz32 @ 02/23/11 12:17 PM

Anyone else notice you can turn down each one of the commentators individually? I love this. Dave and Eric sound horrid. Matt is the only one that I can hear, I love this idea. SCEA giving us options on how we want OUR game to sound and feel. Great job!

# 278 CMH @ 02/23/11 12:37 PM

Analog pitching is really well done. Kudos to SCEA for doing this right. I've always hated meters, but this is a system I can get used to.

Analog fielding feels very smooth. Reading about a lot of throwing errors. I had none. But, I did have an ugly engine issue pop up again that I thought was gone a few years ago.

Ground ball to Sandoval, I moved to his right to field the ball and he just ran straight to third base as the ball bounced by him. I don't care that it scored a run. That's beside the point. It's just something that shouldn't happen.

Also, fielded a ground ball to the 1B's right and he kept running toward the mound though I tried to get him to run back to first by moving the left stick toward first and also pressing the right stick toward first. This one I can probably assume I was a bit overzealous with and momentum took him out of the play, but there's gotta be something that self-corrects this issue internally.

Analog Hitting is very nice. Really could feel I was responsible for the result. Love how sensitive it is for pulling back on a check swing.

Great job, SCEA on everything analog.

# 279 phant030 @ 02/23/11 12:38 PM

What I see here is the response to a game that has peaked and plateaued. It is still a quality game and should be enjoyed. I can understand everyone's viewpoint, but you have to be realistic...how much did you expect to be different? Most ppl tend to say if it's not broken, don't fix it..then when it's not they claim its the same. The truth is, the game has plateaued..BUT should still be a very enjoyable experience

Over the past few years, I noticed my Show playing has declined...i already knew I wasn't purchasing on day 1, but I will purchasing..just don't know when.

# 280 Alistair @ 02/23/11 12:41 PM

Anyone else find that it's far easier to be selective when batting in analog mode?

Perhaps it's because you require two movements to take a cut (rather than hitting one button), but it's meant I've been able to work the count more which is always a positive thing.

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