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

# 421 josh44 @ 02/24/11 07:45 AM

My Impressions are from about 3 hours worth of playing a couple of games as the giants a couple as the rangers and a couple only batting.

Note i play on veteran on MLB 09, All Star is definitely a lot harder.
I'll start with Analog Hitting:
Pro's- It feels even more rewarding when you get a ball in play. The motion feels right for me although i think i prefer just pushing up than pulling back and then up.

I can check swing with the analog hitting. I am big on check swinging since when i use X i'm nearly check swinging every 2nd pitch lol. I just have the habit of tapping X.

Con's- Extremely difficult to get the timing right. I believe this is due to the fact that you have to pull back at the release of the pitch then you only have probably half a second-a second to see if the pitch is hittable. If it were just the push up motion it would be easier to get the timing down. I also believe that its harder to pick what pitch is coming because your trying to time the release perfectly.

NO ZONE!!! This is what is annoying me the most about it. I like to use the PCI to be able to watch pitches into the strike zone. It makes it easier for me to tell if its going outside or going in. You cannot move the PCI with analog hitting. I know the contact is related to the timing but too many times i get perfect timing and no contact or just missed contact. It feels like it is being taken out of my hands. I would like to see zone hitting and analog hitting mixed together.

Went back to zone hitting for a game. Got a 3 run HR in the first inning. Kinsler and Hamilton got base on balls and Beltre hit a 3-2 pitch down the middle into left field for a HR, just made it. This really made me question if i wanted to go back to Analog hitting.

Seems to be a lot of popups with analog hitting as well. Even when i smash an infield ball it finds a fielder but i understand that the game can sometimes be like that.

Have joust found out that you can direct the RS a bit to the left or a bit to the right for inside/outside pitches so that may help my situation a bit.

Analog Pitching:
Pro's: IT IS AWESOME i love this feature and it just feels so much better than tapping x three times. It will be hard to master but i feel like it will be easier to master than the meter pitching. If you look at the Analog meter you'll see a line towards where your aiming. Just by looking at that line i seem to be more accurate with the RS. Feels great getting a strike out with it as well.

AI Batters seem a bit more aggressive with outside pitches. Its good to see and the 12'oClock curve is working as well. Never worked too well in MLB 09 but in this demo i've gotten some good strikes with it.

CONS: Only con so far for me is that sometimes it seems like i've flicked the RS a bit to the left but it goes right. Maybe its just me aiming poorly but it just seems a bit odd at times.

On All Star batters definitely punish any bad pitches. I think i may need to use sliders for pitching because in veteran i find it to easy to paint the edges and get strikeouts while in All Star i'm punished for any bad pitch. It seems like Veteran is a lot more forgiving with your RS accuracy while All Star is not only unforgiving but the batters are as well. A mix between the two would be great.

Fielding: Love this as well. My first throw i tapped O and then flicked the RS towards home when the dude was running to 1st base LOL. However after that one problem i have not had any trouble with it. Seems actually pretty simple. Just remember that no matter where your are LEFT is 3rd Up is 2nd right is 1st and down is Home. Try to release the RS just as the meter fills up to get a good throw. I also had a failed and a successful throw to 2nd from the catcher to stop a stolen base.

# 422 K_GUN @ 02/24/11 08:26 AM

played 3 games

LOVE analog pitching
Love analog fielding
love true zone hitting

done playing demo though...not *polished* enough for me--(yes i get it--it's a demo.)

back to mlb 10 to finish up my season....8 games left...should be done around....march 8th....hell of a coincidence.

# 423 Skyboxer @ 02/24/11 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swaldo


	- In the backstop area (behind the catcher) there are electronic advertising banners. For example a red "State Farm" banner will appear one minute then a blue "Welcome Home Vets" banner shows up. The problem is the pitching meter sits in front of it, and sometimes the banners will switch right in the middle of your pitch. It psychs me out every time.

You can move the pitching meter......

# 424 Gagnon39 @ 02/24/11 09:24 AM

I like analog batting and pitching but I'm striking out ALL THE TIME. Maybe I just need more practice.

# 425 Entiae @ 02/24/11 09:27 AM

After playing some more, I'm starting to give up on analog batting. I just feel like I have to focus too much on when to start my stride. It's really getting frustrating.
In the next game I play I will try the Timing Only system. I'll still use analog pitching though. I'm not very good at it but I like it.

# 426 Mom41 @ 02/24/11 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharp3500


	After playing some more, I'm starting to give up on analog batting. I just feel like I have to focus too much on when to start my stride. It's really getting frustrating.

I understand this frustration about the stride but it's one of my absolute favorite parts of the analog batting. The load/stride makes it feel so much more like you're facing a real entity on the mound, a real person that you're competing against, not just a ball coming at you.

# 427 Golds @ 02/24/11 09:38 AM

Analog Pitching - Pretty easy to pick up and play. Makes pitching more challenging and definitely makes it more fun. I used to be able to strike a batter out with a 1-2-3 punch without even paying attention. Now I can slow my pitches down when I'm in a hole and don't want to miss the zone, or I can rocket one in there with the pitcher's prime pitch.

Analog Fielding - So easy. I haven't thrown an error yet and have only received the "red warning" once (my first throw in the demo). All that is needed is soft touches and not cranking the stick to the direction of the base. I don't really see any difference between button or stick for fielding, but I guess it's nice to know that when you throw an error it was your fault. Not some AI animation.

Analog Batting - Pretty hard. I think the hardest part for me is forgetting that all I need to do is push up and to the left or right. I find myself hesitating because I want to follow the ball (like in zone batting). I love the fact that you need to learn your players' "step ins" when swinging...some take long big steps and others very quick. I have always been a great hitter in this game, but I will definitely need to play the game alot to make it second nature to me (which is actually really cool).

Graphics - Can anybody give me some insight on this? The graphics are great, I'm not ripping on them at all, but I see some jaggies on straight lined objects on the stadium as well as the base path lines. Also some on other areas. Is this just me or is it simply the demo's graphics? I'm trying to figure out if it's my 3 yr old 42" LCD HDTV just not performng the way the TV's do on the videos with Russell's interview or if it's just the game. The graphics are great, I'm not ripping on them at all.

# 428 Drew127 @ 02/24/11 09:38 AM

Liking the demo, but I can't get over why we can't change the focal point in the custom cameras. We can do it on replays. I really wanted to have a hitting camera similar to the one in MVP 2005, the default hitting cam in The Show is close...I just wanted to change the focal point so the pitcher doesn't look as far away.

The zoom button doesn't change the focal point at all. I hate complaining but I don't understand why this was left out...

# 429 Gagnon39 @ 02/24/11 09:46 AM

Although I'm striking out all the time, I'm really liking the analog hitting. Originally I thought that I would play with zone hitting but I can see that analog may be the way to go. However, my one concern with analog hitting is that the user has no control over the height of the swing. Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about

Why is my PCI over the ball? Was it something I did? If I have "perfect" timing shouldn't I hit the ball. The result of this was a swing and a miss.

# 430 Flaxseed Oil @ 02/24/11 10:00 AM

I played 7 games with analog hitting and never scored a run. I switched back over to buttons and won 3-2 in 11 innings.

Yeah, Analog feels better when you rip one into the gap, but it's so hard to get the timing right that I don't think I'll stick with it.

# 431 Skyboxer @ 02/24/11 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom41


	I understand this frustration about the stride but it's one of my absolute favorite parts of the analog batting. The load/stride makes it feel so much more like you're facing a real entity on the mound, a real person that you're competing against, not just a ball coming at you.

Same here. It makes total sense to have to focus on your stride. People ask and ask for as real experience we can get out of a video game and IMO this is a pretty good representation.

# 432 Skyboxer @ 02/24/11 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gagnon39


	Although I'm striking out all the time, I'm really liking the analog hitting. Originally I thought that I would play with zone hitting but I can see that analog may be the way to go. However, my one concern with analog hitting is that the user has no control over the height of the swing. Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about Why is my PCI over the ball? Was it something I did? If I have "perfect" timing shouldn't I hit the ball. The result of this was a swing and a miss.

It's based on player ratings. Just like in real life you can can perfect timing and still miss under or over the ball.

# 433 dasfette @ 02/24/11 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyboxer


	It's based on player ratings. Just like in real life you can can perfect timing and still miss under or over the ball.

IMO, player ratings should affect PCI size ONLY. I played high school ball, and am not exactly talented, but I still can swing a bat higher or lower in the zone at will. Whether I will connect is the hard part.

The easy solution would be to mix the timing and influence (left/right) of analog hitting with full-control PCI with the left stick. The PCI would still be moveable, and would have heavy influence on contact. Timing would still mean A TON. Pushing up to the left/right would help boost contact on inside/outside pitches.

IMO, simple solution and MORE OPTIONS!!!

# 434 Golds @ 02/24/11 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasfette


	IMO, player ratings should affect PCI size ONLY. I played high school ball, and am not exactly talented, but I still can swing a bat higher or lower in the zone at will. Whether I will connect is the hard part. The easy solution would be to mix the timing and influence (left/right) of analog hitting with full-control PCI with the left stick. The PCI would still be moveable, and would have heavy influence on contact. Timing would still mean A TON. Pushing up to the left/right would help boost contact on inside/outside pitches. IMO, simple solution and MORE OPTIONS!!!

That was my recommendation on another thread of impressions. I think having the left stick be your batter's eyes like in zone batting, along with the pull back (stride) and up (swing) still implemented would work. I think what would make it as easy as possible would be to have the right sticks direction not effect the outcome of the swing. The left stick should impact the direction and location of your bat and the right stick should impact the stride and swing timing. Maybe this is the direction the devolopers are planning on going in the future, and what we have now is the beginning of the implementation?

# 435 PsychoBulk @ 02/24/11 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flaxseed Oil


	I played 7 games with analog hitting and never scored a run. I switched back over to buttons and won 3-2 in 11 innings. Yeah, Analog feels better when you rip one into the gap, but it's so hard to get the timing right that I don't think I'll stick with it.

Exactly where im at.

I like the feel of analog but its very hard to get the timing down, especially with all hitters having different strides etc.

Timing only button hitting on good old HOF for me

# 436 Flaxseed Oil @ 02/24/11 10:59 AM

What's the longest game anyone has played? My aforementioned 11 inning affair was my longest yet, but I've had a couple of games go into the 7th.

# 437 nemesis04 @ 02/24/11 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golds


	That was my recommendation on another thread of impressions. I think having the left stick be your batter's eyes like in zone batting, along with the pull back (stride) and up (swing) still implemented would work. I think what would make it as easy as possible would be to have the right sticks direction not effect the outcome of the swing. The left stick should impact the direction and location of your bat and the right stick should impact the stride and swing timing. Maybe this is the direction the devolopers are planning on going in the future, and what we have now is the beginning of the implementation?

Just to let you know the system originally started out with having to use the left stick to aim but was scrapped. There were certain stick scenarios that made using both overly complex. You see the vast majority of people on the board struggling, having to use one stick. Imagine having to involve another stick, worry about timing your stride and having to move the other stick in an entirely different direction in one fluid motion. Train wreck!

# 438 ryan36 @ 02/24/11 11:16 AM

There is a big learning curve to each hitters swing that's for sure...I think that having to push the r-stick the way of the ball is a little hard to get used to...I like that bunting is tied into the r-stick too, I like that a lot. The game is a lot more fluid than last year.

I think it would be awesome if for left-handed batters and pitchers you used the L-stick to bat/throw. It wouldn't be great for fielding, but it'd add a wrinkle, lol

# 439 dasfette @ 02/24/11 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis04


	Just to let you know the system originally started out with having to use the left stick to aim but was scrapped. There were certain stick scenarios that made using both overly complex. You see the vast majority of people on the board struggling, having to use one stick. Imagine having to involve another stick, worry about timing your stride and having to move the other stick in an entirely different direction in one fluid motion. Train wreck!

Thanks for your reply, first off!

However, although I do understand the difficulty SOME may have, it's limiting those who want more of a challenge / a different challenge. Another option still allows for those who do not want to use to shut it off. That is what The Show has been PERFECT about for years. OPTIONS :-).

All I'm saying is the option to do this would only be an option. For those who don't like it, shut it off. No harm, no foul.

# 440 DickDalewood @ 02/24/11 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dasfette


	Thanks for your reply, first off! However, although I do understand the difficulty SOME may have, it's limiting those who want more of a challenge / a different challenge. Another option still allows for those who do not want to use to shut it off. That is what The Show has been PERFECT about for years. OPTIONS :-). All I'm saying is the option to do this would only be an option. For those who don't like it, shut it off. No harm, no foul.

Yup. I LOVE it as is, but you're right, options never hurt.

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