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.

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Member Comments

# 121 The Kid 24 @ 12/14/11 11:33 PM

Any word on if Zone and Classic (just pushing X to swing) hitting options are still in the game?

I know it's old school but I LOVE hitting with either of those options.

# 122 thaSLAB @ 12/14/11 11:35 PM

I think rain delays in a video game are a waste of time, but that's just my opinion.

What I wouldn't mind seeing is real-time weather, where "current conditions" was an option on the weather selection screen. And have it pull the current conditions for the ballpark you are playing in. Of course there would probably have to be a minimum temperature so that you're not playing at Yankee Stadium in January in 20-degree weather lol.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

# 123 tnixen @ 12/14/11 11:55 PM

For me the next step I would like to see the weather take is have some Snow Flakes falling in cold games in places like colorado,Chicago and Minnesota. And also I would like to see the players have smoke coming out of their mouths.

# 124 DJ @ 12/15/11 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Kid 24


	Any word on if Zone and Classic (just pushing X to swing) hitting options are still in the game? I know it's old school but I LOVE hitting with either of those options.

They should be. This development team, at least to my knowledge, doesn't remove features from the game.

# 125 The Kid 24 @ 12/15/11 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ


	They should be. This development team, at least to my knowledge, doesn't remove features from the game.

Ok good to hear

# 126 ripwalk @ 12/15/11 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell_SCEA


	Not this year

Why why why no playoff mode?

Most other sports series have this as an option, there must be some reason it hasn't made it into the game yet. At least on the surface (and having no programming knowledge whatsoever), it doesn't seem like a mode that would take much to implement or would take up much in the way of resources.

Yet, I'm sure many would play it. I know myself I've been playing playoffs only with MLB 11 recently... However, it's kind of a pain to have to sim through an entire season just to (hopefully) make the playoffs with a certain team ... And obviously it limits me to only being good teams who have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs when I sim out a season.

# 127 Blzer @ 12/15/11 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLB_Fan


	Except classic Rookie GP, HOF players & in-game HR count.

I think they removed profile statistics as well.

# 128 MarinersVsDodgers @ 12/15/11 01:27 AM

Coming out of my Madden hibernation to see all these exciting new features!

Can't wait for March!

# 129 Blzer @ 12/15/11 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLB_Fan


	As much as I would like to see rain delays and double headers like REAL baseball, I do understand Russell's point that they dont want to add it until they can get it right. I have no clue how to write a video game code, but I can imagine that its much harder than just typing 20 goto 10. So, while it may seem simple to us for them to implement it, there may be many obstacles before they can get it right and I would rather wait and it be right than get it now and it be bug ridden. Just IMHO.

I've done a lot of coding, and there are a lot of parameters that would be involved with it. This is not just adding a new feature, this involves tapping deep into the breadth of the franchise coding. Not only that, but the actual programming for the rain itself? Determining whether field conditions are too poor (this obviously also has to tie in visually, which now means two departments are adjoined to make this possible), etc. is just tacking onto the math. Then there's also memory...

I could go on and on, but it's reasonable that they don't end up doing something like this... at least for now.

# 130 Russell_SCEA @ 12/15/11 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ripwalk


	Why why why no playoff mode? Most other sports series have this as an option, there must be some reason it hasn't made it into the game yet. At least on the surface (and having no programming knowledge whatsoever), it doesn't seem like a mode that would take much to implement or would take up much in the way of resources. Yet, I'm sure many would play it. I know myself I've been playing playoffs only with MLB 11 recently... However, it's kind of a pain to have to sim through an entire season just to (hopefully) make the playoffs with a certain team ... And obviously it limits me to only being good teams who have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs when I sim out a season.

One of those things when you start out with a list of well over 300 features, tweaks, a.i. changes etc..................... stuff gets lost and others get put on the back burner. Same reason why co-op didn't make it for season and franchise modes last year.

# 131 Russell_SCEA @ 12/15/11 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLB_Fan


	So does that mean there is a good chance for a playoff mode in 2013?

I can't nor will I promise anything but it's already on or MLB13 ideas page.

# 132 spit_bubble @ 12/15/11 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcruise


	From the human perspective, sure it would be nice. But keep in mind that for that to work, the game's scheduling logic (currently only used to generate a set-in-stone schedule at the beginning of each year) would have be able to handle re-scheduling of games, whether and when to have double-headers, whether the game even needs to be played if it's late in the season (I know some meaningless games late in the season just get straight-up cancelled occasionally, because MLB simply doesn't have a place in the schedule to move them to). Even the real MLB struggles with this stuff at times, and trying to program all of this extra logic in would undoubtedly take away from development on other things. And that's probably just the tip of the iceberg - the first things I can think of off the top of my head that would make this a royal pain to implement.

It really wouldn't be that hard. MLB struggles with it because they actually have to deal with travel, etc. For The Show they could just come up with some simple parameters and weave them in.

If a rain out occurs early in a series, make the following day be a double header. If it's the last game of a series, make it a double header the next time the two teams play. If the two teams are done playing each other for the year push it ahead to the next time there's an off day for both teams. If both teams have already been eliminated and it's late in the season, cancel the game. If the game needs to be played at the end of the year do it then.

Compared to some of the other stuff that goes on with coding this would be relatively simple.

# 133 LastActionHero @ 12/15/11 05:50 AM

Since you are so nicely anwering all these question Russel can you tell me if you can save exhibition games this year? If not have you guys ever considered this option? There's probably more to it then simply putting that option in.

I just don't have the time for a whole season or franchise and often have to quit an exciting exhibition game just because...well work or life knocked on the door.

# 134 LastActionHero @ 12/15/11 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battman


	What I really hope is that there will not be add-on content for money, like the stats add-on this year. Not that I am not willing to pay some extra money. But I am from Europe and will have to import the game for the fifth straight year. And the stats add-on was not available on european PSN, which really pi**** me off. So I hope 2011 was not a test for more add-ons this year. @Russell: or is there any chance we Europeans can buy the add-ons? I would've loved to play the game with the extra stats

Hey Battman you can still do this.
Just create a US account and buy a (US) PSN Network Code online (lots of sites offer this) Fill in the code and buy all the stuff you want from the US Store. Just make sure you install the game on the US account. I'm from Holland and actually never use my Dutch account.

# 135 Bahnzo @ 12/15/11 06:32 AM

Can I ask a question about the Move support?

How will this work, exactly? Is it good enough to detect not only when I swing, but *where* I swing? IE: If it's a pitch low and on the outside corner, and I swing there, is the game able to know that? Or...a pitch inside, can it detect my pulling my hands inside and trying to pull the ball?

# 136 LastActionHero @ 12/15/11 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bahnzo


	Can I ask a question about the Move support? How will this work, exactly? Is it good enough to detect not only when I swing, but where I swing? IE: If it's a pitch low and on the outside corner, and I swing there, is the game able to know that? Or...a pitch inside, can it detect my pulling my hands inside and trying to pull the ball?

I can tell you what it won't detect, your lamp in the living room

# 137 Alonzo @ 12/15/11 08:51 AM

That was a great review that totally won me over, again. To be honest, wasn't the biggest fan of 10&11, thought it continually missed to make the next step...but it looks like Show12 is going to be fabolous. - ball physics: haunted this franchise for years. Same type of hits hits over and over again. no hit variety before. - collission-detection: players running thru each others like ghosts isn't up-to-date, so thankfully this is going to change. Of course it adds to the realism - new broadcast/commentary system: that feature is huge as well. I can only hope its as good as advertised and hopefully it includes many new stat-overlays like league-leaders when someone is at the plate (i.e. AVG .320 - 3rd in AL/NL) Coupled with important things like an overhauled pitcher-confidence system, BAP (already a blue-chipper), new trade/signing-logic, 14 different umpires (various/better K-zones) and I am ready for this game.

# 138 ped3328 @ 12/15/11 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LastActionHero


	Since you are so nicely anwering all these question Russel can you tell me if you can save exhibition games this year? If not have you guys ever considered this option? There's probably more to it then simply putting that option in. I just don't have the time for a whole season or franchise and often have to quit an exciting exhibition game just because...well work or life knocked on the door.

I second that. For a variety of reasons, some gamers are more occasional than others. They are just happy to play games at random. It would be nice if we could have the possibility to save those exhibition games.

# 139 bukktown @ 12/15/11 05:17 PM

I love videogame collisions!

# 140 YanksFan4Life @ 12/15/11 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell_SCEA


	Very obvious, but we don't and until we can design a compelling way to do it we won't. It's never at the top of the list to begin with so the chances are slim year to year. That is until someone comes up with a compelling design that makes sense. On the realistic note the game will never be "realistic" if it was everyone would suck at the game. There is a fine line between what people think they want in "realism" standards and the contrast between fun.

As long as how the rain looks itself is improved, i'll be happy(probably already has been). Maybe even more puddles forming on field?

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