News Post

MLB 12 The Show Preview - Pulse Pitching, Zone Analog Batting, Collision Awareness

04:53 PM - December 13, 2011 by Russell_SCEA

ESPN's Jon Robinson has posted his MLB 12 The Show hands-on preview, as he talks about the new Pulse Pitching, Zone Analog Batting, collision awareness and much more.

Quote:


	Another big gameplay improvement comes in the form of the new "Pulse Pitching" dynamic. If you're not a fan of last year's analog pitching, you can go back to the old-school buttons, only with a new level of intensity that really helps up the challenge of pinpointing pitches. Basically, after selecting your pitch and location, you'll need to hit X to pitch the ball (same as classic pitching). Only now, there is a giant pulsating X on the screen in the location of your pitch, and you need to time your button press when the X is at its smallest point in order to throw the ball accurately. The more you're off, the bigger the X will be when you throw the ball, making your pitch wild, or even worse, left hanging right over the plate for someone like Albert Pujols to crush over the fence. I was a fan of the analog pitching last year, but I have to say, after about four games of switching back and forth between the analog and the pulse, I ended up playing the rest of the games with the pulse pitching and I don't think I'll go back to the analog once the game ships. It just feels right to me.

Game: MLB 12 The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS Vita / PS3Votes for game: 55 - View All

MLB 12 The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 1 ckarlic @ 12/13/11 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILurk


	Thanks for sharing ! I'm lookin' forward to MLB 12 just as much - maybe more - than I previously did for 09, 10, and 11 ! I think it's awesome that there are still game developers that actually care and take pride in the game they release. Stay real, SCEA.

I second that...I look forward to each iteration of the show and always get excited around this time of year but with the integration of the Vita and from the ESPN article, I am even more excited and anxious to get this game

PS--Thanks for the updated avatar pic Russ

# 2 LastActionHero @ 12/13/11 05:13 PM

Ok I just pissed my pants.
This game is allready reaching epicness in December.
That article just made my excitement level increase tenfold.

"Just another chapter in the Dodgers/Giants rivalry, but a great day to be a gamer as Sony has finally added not only player collisions, but collision awareness in "MLB 12: The Show."

And Russel telling us all these years it wouldn't happen!

Hallelujah!

# 3 tiptop00 @ 12/13/11 05:14 PM

Can you still use zone hitting online? With square x and circle and aim with the left stick?

# 4 m1ke_nyc @ 12/13/11 05:14 PM

that was a great read

# 5 HustlinOwl @ 12/13/11 05:17 PM

Can't Wait

Quote:


	Franchise mode in co-op

# 6 HustlinOwl @ 12/13/11 05:19 PM

booo, trying to share on facebook and it has the 2k logo

# 7 wrigleyville33 @ 12/13/11 05:19 PM

Looks good to me. Can't wait to see Wrigley.

# 8 Blzer @ 12/13/11 05:27 PM

I might have been the only one to misread this game's title as "ESPN MLB 12: The Show" lol! I had nearly crapped my pants, until I realized it was the website.

The kicker in this article was the ball physics. Man, I am stoked for that! I'm also looking forward to the zone analog hitting.

I think I want to pre-order a Vita now, too.

# 9 tabarnes19_SDS @ 12/13/11 05:33 PM

Nice!!! New contract and trade logic as well as new free agent signing process. Sounds awesome! ! Looks like alot was done this cycle. Pulse pitching intrigues me as a classic pitching Guy.

Love the fact we can save and continue franchise on vita.

# 10 sydrogerdavid @ 12/13/11 05:35 PM

So with a ton of new stances, that means you guys got Jon Jay in the studio to motion capture his stance, right?

I don't believe it's possible for his animation to be animated without him performing it himself.

# 11 nomo17k @ 12/13/11 05:35 PM

Looks very very promising! Thanks for sharing the article!

# 12 sink4ever @ 12/13/11 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liftheavy


	Too much about vita ...seems like a huge focus. Generated pitch counts????

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tymalin


	yep.They want twice our money. If not buying a Vita, not a fan of Move and if satisfied with current controls, where's the meat ? Really MLB12 has left to offer than previous years.

Seriously? Seriously? I personally couldn't care less about Move (although I'm open to having my mind changed) and I can't justify the purchase of Vita right now . . . but to say there's too much focus there and it's hurting other areas?

What about:

Quote:


	Sony has finally added not only player collisions, but collision awareness in "MLB 12: The Show." And since cyber athletes will not only collide, but be aware of the potential collisions, players react in a much more realistic manner, sliding around tags from all angles, dropping the ball more often when going for the sweep tag, and even giving the occasional spike when necessary. One of the biggest improvements "Show" fans will notice right away is the improved ball physics. In past games, there wasn't the amount of hit variety you'd expect from a baseball simulation, and that had to do mainly with the fact that the game's math was off. So this offseason, one of the more hardcore members of "The Show's" engineering team took up the challenge and re-wrote the entire ball physics code based on the actual math for how a spinning object reacts when it strikes everything from the bat to the playing surface to one of the bases. Another big gameplay improvement comes in the form of the new "Pulse Pitching" dynamic. But don't think this year is all about the mound as a new way to hit has also been added to the game, even if it's strictly for the hardcore. Sony calls it "Zone Analog Batting," and it combines what gamers loved about the old way to hit with the newer analog approach, as gamers manipulate the right stick to control stride and swing timing, while at the same time using your left stick to control where you swing in the zone. # 500+ new presentation animations # 300+ new fielding, throwing, and base running animations # 150+ new batting stances # 75+ new pitching animations # 14 new umpires complete with their own personalities # 2 new training techniques in Road to the Show (base running, fielding), as you're now a Double-A starter who is the most touted prospect on the team Add to that the addition of Season and Franchise mode in co-op, new pitcher confidence logic, and franchise improvements that include new contract logic, improved trade logic, and an all new free agent signing process, and you have the baseball game "Show" fans have been waiting for.

# 13 Knight165 @ 12/13/11 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sink4ever


	Seriously? Seriously? I personally couldn't care less about Move (although I'm open to having my mind changed) and I can't justify the purchase of Vita right now . . . but to say there's too much focus there and it's hurting other areas? What about:

What?...I can't see anything except the Move and Vita in your post or in that article.

M.K.
Knight165

# 14 sink4ever @ 12/13/11 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	What?...I can't see anything except the Move and Vita in your post or in that article. M.K. Knight165

Haha.

Okay, I've calmed down now, my apologies if I offended either of the fine people that I originally responded to. It just seems like there's been a ton of negativity since info started to be released, and as someone who's been driving myself crazy trying to enjoy the mess that is NCAA 12, I just couldn't understand it. That's okay, everyone has their own preferences and I just need to be more understanding.

# 15 PsychoBulk @ 12/13/11 05:44 PM

Great preview from Jon Robinson as always, hes always excellent and you can tell, a real Show fan.

My main gripes were the stale broadcast feel - addressed, the lack of enough hit variety - clearly addressed with the all new physics code, poor commentary - looks to be addressed.

Add in new franchise improvements and im happy as can be with what SCEA San Diego has done to this years version.

Roll on March 6.

# 16 tvman @ 12/13/11 05:49 PM

Will an option for generated pitch counts be in the ps3 version?

# 17 Knight165 @ 12/13/11 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sink4ever


	Haha. Okay, I've calmed down now, my apologies if I offended either of the fine people that I originally responded to. It just seems like there's been a ton of negativity since info started to be released, and as someone who's been driving myself crazy trying to enjoy the mess that is NCAA 12, I just couldn't understand it. That's okay, everyone has their own preferences and I just need to be more understanding.

That wasn't directed at you!
It was directed at those saying it's nothing but Move and Vita!
I'm agreeing with you....

Oh...and something tells me there is even more than what's in the article.

Just a funny feeling.

M.K.
Knight165

# 18 bp4baseball @ 12/13/11 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	That wasn't directed at you! It was directed at those saying it's nothing but Move and Vita! I'm agreeing with you.... Oh...and something tells me there is even more than what's in the article. Just a funny feeling. M.K. Knight165

Talk about a 1,2,3 K.O. First Russell's new avatar, then a fantastic article, and now a post like this

# 19 bcruise @ 12/13/11 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	That wasn't directed at you! It was directed at those saying it's nothing but Move and Vita! I'm agreeing with you.... Oh...and something tells me there is even more than what's in the article. Just a funny feeling. M.K. Knight165

Yeah...they didn't even mention the commentary upgrades. Probably keeping that under wraps until later.

(disclaimer: I'm completely out of the loop and just speculating FYI, just because I went to CD one year doesn't mean I hear things anymore)

Love everything I read in that article, from the ball physics to the collisions, to the Vita and even the Move.

# 20 MLB Bob @ 12/13/11 05:54 PM

this still didn't cure diabetes, as I probably developed it sitting in front of my TV for days at a time playing this game. I love the info coming out, ball physics, umpires, tag system, tv presentation, RTTS upgrades and people still complain 3 1/2 months out that it's same old same old and can't wait for full disclosure before condeming the game and the people making it? I almost wish I knew nothing so the forums wouldn't get flooded with the numerous things that haven't been mentioned (yet). some people should probably assume an article from espn is trying to appeal to a large audience and mentioning generated counts and fixing a sign in a NL isn't gonna bring in readers even if it is an important detail to some. thanks for the article though, is it march yet?

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