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
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Member Comments

# 201 KLima878 @ 12/29/11 11:13 AM

Forgive me if this has been answered or talked about. I have been away the The Show for about two years now. Has there been any talk about new/upgrades to Franchise mode? I love this game but just didnt get into the franchise mode, which is my favorite mode to play in sports games.

# 202 tabarnes19_SDS @ 12/29/11 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KLima878


	Forgive me if this has been answered or talked about. I have been away the The Show for about two years now. Has there been any talk about new/upgrades to Franchise mode? I love this game but just didnt get into the franchise mode, which is my favorite mode to play in sports games.

I am sure more information will be forthcoming over the next month or so, but every year they tweak and add to the mode.

# 203 Pared @ 12/29/11 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KLima878


	Forgive me if this has been answered or talked about. I have been away the The Show for about two years now. Has there been any talk about new/upgrades to Franchise mode? I love this game but just didnt get into the franchise mode, which is my favorite mode to play in sports games.

Not to take the thread too far off topic but what specifically are you looking for?

# 204 seasprite @ 12/29/11 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pared


	Not to take the thread too far off topic but what specifically are you looking for?

Online Franchise?

# 205 Pared @ 12/29/11 12:07 PM

Heh - that wouldn't pertain to his question but nice try.

# 206 Knight165 @ 12/29/11 12:14 PM

Don't they have online franchise now?
Isn't that what was added last year?

M.K.
Knight165

# 207 EnigmaNemesis @ 12/29/11 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	Don't they have online franchise now? Isn't that what was added last year? M.K. Knight165

I believe what people are asking for is the MLB schedule to be played online and have it continue season after season with new schedules.

Basically all the fluff from offline, able to be played online.

# 208 keirs12 @ 12/29/11 04:14 PM

no career playoff stats for RTTS?

nothing i see here warrants $60. ill wait til '13

# 209 ryan36 @ 12/29/11 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keirs12


	no career playoff stats for RTTS? nothing i see here warrants $60. ill wait til '13

I really want to start a thread with all the people who say this now, before we have all the info

# 210 Knight165 @ 12/29/11 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan36


	I really want to start a thread with all the people who say this now, before we have all the info

Can you start it on another website!?

M.K.
Knight165

# 211 BatsareBugs @ 12/29/11 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	Can you start it on another website!? M.K. Knight165

Yep, and I guess it isn't strange that it's mostly "new" people. You go into a thread that talks abut pulse pitching, zone analog, and you don't find what you're looking for because it's not there (even when the thread title makes no mention)?

# 212 metal134 @ 12/30/11 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetsFan16


	"2 new training techniques in Road to the Show (baserunning, fielding), as you're now a Double-A starter who is the most touted prospect on the team " Yesss. This is great information. This probably means that you won't be competeing for a starting job and that you'll be getting promoted quicker because you are a higher rated prospect. Instead of being a low rated player fighting for a starting job in Double-A.

While I really like the idea of starting off as a blue-chip instead of a scrub, I do not want it to mean faster promotions. Like, half the reason I love RTTS is for the trip through the minors.

# 213 jmik58 @ 12/31/11 06:29 PM

So they're adding the old MVP style of hitting (Thank you, finally) in the form of "zone analog hitting".

One question though ... I hate analog hitting with the right stick.

Will we be able to do the pure old-school style of MVP hitting where we use left stick and push buttons to swing with the right?

EDIT: Or is it nothing like MVP? I'm talking when the left stick influenced the ball up/down or pull/push. It felt so natural because you "went with the pitch" with the left stick and just pushed the button with the right. Best controls for hitting ever.

# 214 mets718 @ 01/01/12 10:23 AM

How will "Collision Awareness" work? Like will fielders be able to collide when going for a pop up or such?

# 215 Blzer @ 01/01/12 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmik58


	So they're adding the old MVP style of hitting (Thank you, finally) in the form of "zone analog hitting". One question though ... I hate analog hitting with the right stick. Will we be able to do the pure old-school style of MVP hitting where we use left stick and push buttons to swing with the right? EDIT: Or is it nothing like MVP? I'm talking when the left stick influenced the ball up/down or pull/push. It felt so natural because you "went with the pitch" with the left stick and just pushed the button with the right. Best controls for hitting ever.

I've personally never been a fan of this, because: 1) it takes user control out of contact chance (except for timing and strike zone recognition); 2) the fly ball/ground ball directions become a hogwash. I know that you can use them for situational purposes, but they shouldn't override the ability to hit the ball where you want.

Here's the main reason I don't like it: the swing influence should not the the determiner for where the ball is hit, and this is why I think SCEA nearly has it perfect right now with zone analog hitting.

Let's say you try and pull an outside pitch... heck, let's say you try and pull an inside pitch... but your timing is late. Do you still pull the ball? No. I'm sure you understand and agree with this, but my point now is why are we trying to influence our hit based on how we swing at the ball? To try and improve our contact, correct? Well personally, I'd rather leave that up to a zone hitting kind of feature. That way, we're still trying to accomplish the same goal.

If all else fails, you still have pull/push directional hitting with the right analog stick (shooting it toward the 10:00-2:00 positions when you swing) alongside zone hitting. Of course, it's only an influence, and not necessarily a guidance.

# 216 Bobhead @ 01/01/12 08:27 PM

As much as I enjoyed that game back in its day, I definitely prefer the Zone system of The Show, as it gives you full control and better preserves the experience of batting.

# 217 jmik58 @ 01/02/12 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blzer


	I've personally never been a fan of this, because: 1) it takes user control out of contact chance (except for timing and strike zone recognition); 2) the fly ball/ground ball directions become a hogwash. I know that you can use them for situational purposes, but they shouldn't override the ability to hit the ball where you want. Here's the main reason I don't like it: the swing influence should not the the determiner for where the ball is hit, and this is why I think SCEA nearly has it perfect right now with zone analog hitting. Let's say you try and pull an outside pitch... heck, let's say you try and pull an inside pitch... but your timing is late. Do you still pull the ball? No. I'm sure you understand and agree with this, but my point now is why are we trying to influence our hit based on how we swing at the ball? To try and improve our contact, correct? Well personally, I'd rather leave that up to a zone hitting kind of feature. That way, we're still trying to accomplish the same goal. If all else fails, you still have pull/push directional hitting with the right analog stick (shooting it toward the 10:00-2:00 positions when you swing) alongside zone hitting. Of course, it's only an influence, and not necessarily a guidance.

My main question is whether or not SCEA is going to include the "zone analog" hitting mode with the ability to use the buttons for swinging instead of the stick. I realize the name "analog" implies the stick, however it's a fair question to ask because push button hitting is available in substitution of analog hitting in all other modes.

Or will this mode only be with the analog stick hitting? Anyone know?

# 218 Heroesandvillains @ 01/02/12 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmik58


	My main question is whether or not SCEA is going to include the "zone analog" hitting mode with the ability to use the buttons for swinging instead of the stick. I realize the name "analog" implies the stick, however it's a fair question to ask because push button hitting is available in substitution of analog hitting in all other modes. Or will this mode only be with the analog stick hitting? Anyone know?

It does exist already. It's called zone hitting. You use the L-stick to move the PCI and the swing button/s to swing.

# 219 Bobhead @ 01/02/12 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmik58


	My main question is whether or not SCEA is going to include the "zone analog" hitting mode with the ability to use the buttons for swinging instead of the stick. I realize the name "analog" implies the stick, however it's a fair question to ask because push button hitting is available in substitution of analog hitting in all other modes. Or will this mode only be with the analog stick hitting? Anyone know?

There has already been a "zone hitting" mode for a few years. "Analog" is the one that was born in 2011, and many (including myself), requested a new mode that combined the two, thus "zone analog". So to answer your question, what you are talking about will definitely be available this year.

Also does anyone else feel weird referring to The Show 2011 as "last year?" My how time flies...

# 220 Blzer @ 01/02/12 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmik58


	My main question is whether or not SCEA is going to include the "zone analog" hitting mode with the ability to use the buttons for swinging instead of the stick. I realize the name "analog" implies the stick, however it's a fair question to ask because push button hitting is available in substitution of analog hitting in all other modes. Or will this mode only be with the analog stick hitting? Anyone know?

There is zone hitting, but MVP's style of hitting is not available in this game in the form of on-the-fly left stick directional swinging. The only way to influence your hit type with zone hitting is by use of the right analog stick before the pitch, ala MVP's style. The rest is by contact chance (left analog stick zone movement), pitch location, and timing.

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