MLB 2K12 News Post

MLB 2K12 Demo Available Now, Post Impressions Here

06:46 AM - February 28, 2012 by Steve_OS

The MLB 2K12 demo is available now. Play a few games and post your impressions here.

Read the full press release below.

2K Sports Announces Major League Baseball 2K12 Demo
Now Available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Network

Features Texas Rangers against St. Louis Cardinals in
rematch of 2011 World Series

New York, NY – February 28, 2012 – 2K Sports today announced that a free demo of Major League Baseball® 2K12 is now available on the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

The demo allows players to relive 2011’s thrilling, back-and-forth World Series and play three innings as the Texas Rangers or St. Louis Cardinals. In addition, it showcases many of MLB 2K12’s improved features, including the dynamic tendencies system that adjusts pitcher and batter ratings as the game unfolds; a revamped throwing system; and a new hit distribution system with more varied and realistic hit types.

This year’s edition of MLB 2K will allow players to experience the authenticity and excitement of a real baseball game, and also a chance to win $1,000,000. The Perfect Game Challenge returns for the third consecutive year with MLB 2K12, and is bigger than ever. The new format will utilize a dynamic leaderboard that ranks the top eight perfect games thrown. At the end of the competition, the top eight competitors will face each other in a live $1 million tournament.

MLB 2K12 is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and will be available March 6, 2012 for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3, Wii™ system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS™ and Windows PC.

Major League Baseball 2K12 screenshot gallery - Click to view

Game: Major League Baseball 2K12 Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 12 - View All

Major League Baseball 2K12 Videos

Member Comments

# 161 RGmoney @ 03/01/12 11:53 AM

As stated several times already by the staff, Keep The Show OUT of this thread. If you can't keep your Impressions limited to the MLB 2K12 Demo itself.... Don't post. This is not a comparison thread.

# 162 goteamlloyd @ 03/01/12 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheechoo98


	As others have mentioned, why 2K takes the commentary out of the Demo, is a head scratcher and really hurts it. The commentary is awesome and rivals The Show's commentary... - I really love the pitching mechanic that has been in 2K for the past few iterations - also, IMO, rivals The Show's. - love the fielding cameras. I like how you see the fielder + the hitter/base runner, + the sky, all in one camera. It,s actually similar to The Show's Road To The Show camera. And the 'good at bat' cam in The Show. I wish The Show had that camera as an option for regular gameplay. - the batting camera is awful IMO, at least in the demo, they should include different batting camera options. I never understood this camera that 2k implemented.. And all the GUI stuff added to the strike zone. I haven,t played the actual game, so I don,t know if all that strike zone GUI stuff is optional. They should include the option to turn it off in the demo. - in the Demo, some animation issues hurt it. On a 3rd out, AFTER Beltran caught the flyball... The scene Cut-to: Closeup of Beltran... Running forward, (with ball in glove) then, Beltran reverses direction and runs towards the wall, then Beltran reverses direction again towards the dugout... So things like the above have made my mind up to stick with The Show this year -- when I was 90% leaning to taking a year off since 1998 from the Show (and EA) - and going with 2K...

The retail game has a lot of options to change the batting camera and gui. I didn't like it either. I like my camera a bit more zoomed in. I actually converted from the Show for the first time last year because I loved the 2k pitching mechanics. While everyone thinks I'm insane to go with 2k when you own a PS3, I always come back with, the Show has become stale and if you could pick another game besides Madden, wouldn't you. So, I'm leaning towards 2K again but I might wait a month to get a price drop. Just not sure.

# 163 brendanrfoley @ 03/01/12 12:29 PM

I'm frustrated by the little things; does anybody notice after a homerun is hit, the camera typically cuts to the pitcher right as the hitter is about to step on home?

Why would they program that? It makes no sense.

# 164 anchorsteamer @ 03/01/12 12:34 PM

I didn't pick up the full 2k11 game last year, but only played the demo. Can someone give me an impression of how much was smoothed out between the demo and the full 2k11 game?

As I wrote before, I thought this looked like a good upgrade and I saw a lot of new animations, but I'm curious how ironed out it gets between now and release aside from the addition of commentary.

# 165 acarrero @ 03/01/12 12:52 PM

Amazing to me how much they've taken from the MVP 06/07 games (NCAA baseball, when analog hitting and pitching were first introduced). The replays of your swing, the analog fielding/throwing, etc.

I really like the feel of hitting. For the first time I think they achieved something as good or better than the feel MVP06 had for analog hitting. In MVP06, however, you could move the hit stick left or right on the follow thu to push or pull the ball, something I wouldn't mind having here, to add at least an element of zone hitting.

The animations are still sub-par for what I expect out of a current gen baseball game. But overall, the hitting and pitching feel authentic. The fielding and base running are ok. The graphics look decent. This could be the best 2K baseball game since WS2K3 or 2k4.

# 166 Zezoina @ 03/01/12 02:05 PM

In the second inning I hit a batter, next inning the cpu hits on of my players, after that a screen comes up saying: "This is a warning to both teams, the next pitcher that hits a batter will be ejected"
Pretty cool to see warning to the benches.

# 167 yaeger @ 03/01/12 02:15 PM

I like the demo. It feels like 2k11, but the hitting has more of a variety and the fielding feels smoother. I'm glad that I pre-ordered it. Can't wait for Tuesday to come.

# 168 CarrotJuice @ 03/01/12 02:22 PM

played the xbox demo and this years game is much better than last years effort. Unfortunatly ive already moved on to the other system with it's game.

# 169 Cavicchi @ 03/01/12 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveDQ


	I don't think you have that element there in a videogame where you "know" that pitch isn't necessarily working. What this does is add the challenge of correcting it and working on it. it's sort of like a catcher's feedback.

Personally, and that means me, I know when a pitch isn't working and not to throw the same pitch... If X batter hits my curveball, I probably wouldn't throw him another, but that doesn't mean that all players will get hits off it, and I wouldn't nor shouldn't be afraid to throw it again. I am certain real pitchers in real life will continue throwing pitches that get hit in the same game. The only time no pitch gets hit is in a no hitter.

Now, if they want to use this pitch system for Rookies to baseball, then make it an option to have on and off.

And, I want to see how this new pitch system affects the CPU pitcher.

# 170 SeerMagicX @ 03/01/12 02:59 PM

4th game from this developer, and they are still no where close to 2k8 & 2k7. another year with crappy animations and slow down, simplistic gameplay.

# 171 Cardot @ 03/01/12 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendanrfoley


	...and the overwhelming sense of 'sameness' between 2K11 and 2K12 is a sign the project did not have a deep pool of resources. Budget, artists, programmers - you name it.

True, but isn't that the case with most sports games these days?

# 172 foofighter2455 @ 03/01/12 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acarrero


	Amazing to me how much they've taken from the MVP 06/07 games (NCAA baseball, when analog hitting and pitching were first introduced). The replays of your swing, the analog fielding/throwing, etc. I really like the feel of hitting. For the first time I think they achieved something as good or better than the feel MVP06 had for analog hitting. In MVP06, however, you could move the hit stick left or right on the follow thu to push or pull the ball, something I wouldn't mind having here, to add at least an element of zone hitting.

My sentiments exactly. This should be a goal for any new game next year by any company.

The hitting in this game is feeling more refined towards ratings mattering more as that game had. Unfortunately, I don't feel they have added the hit types they bragged about (as mentioned many times in here).
They don't seem to have a concept of what a bleeder, chopper, or really poorly hit ground ball really looks like or when they should happen. This is very frustrating after all these yearly tries at accurate hit types.

They are stepping towards the throwing system seen in the aforementioned game that was very-well implemented to challenge users based on fielder ratings. I'd like to see them take the extra step and add directional input with the throwing meter to create offline throws instead of luck or lack thereof. They attempted this, half-done, in 2K8 and quickly bailed on it.

# 173 LastActionHero @ 03/01/12 03:58 PM

I must say, coming from the dark side (still there by the way) it plays an ok game of baseball. I really had fun with the pitching mechanics.

I must say I don't like the running diamond graphic, it was even totally blocking my leftfielder once tracking the ball.

The swing analys is a great borrow implemented graphic from the mvp series. They even expanded on it by giving you the option to blow it up and go back and forth. Nice!

Not a fan of the batting cam.
Some shots in between pitches from behind the pitcher when focussing on the batter made the pitcher look like a ps1 era player. Hamilton looked like a ghost.

Graphics overall still way behind any sports game released in this day and age.

Where in the score bar can you see if its the top or bottom of an inning by the way?

Yo!

# 174 Three Seed @ 03/01/12 04:01 PM

Just went to download the demo and I can't find it anywhere in the marketplace? Anyone else having this problem?

# 175 Cavicchi @ 03/01/12 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three Seed


	Just went to download the demo and I can't find it anywhere in the marketplace? Anyone else having this problem?

Did you look in the Demo section under M?

# 176 Three Seed @ 03/01/12 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp121272


	Did you look in the Demo section under M?

Yes. Had all previous years but not this one. Also looked at recent releases and it wasn't there.

# 177 Cavicchi @ 03/01/12 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three Seed


	Yes. Had all previous years but not this one. Also looked at recent releases and it wasn't there.

That is odd. I saw it there yesterday under M.

I just checked and saw it on Xbox live. Type in MLB 2K12 in the Search bar.

# 178 Three Seed @ 03/01/12 04:46 PM

Shows up but I can only rate it. Checked online and it's an issue with my account not renewing Gold subscription. Thanks though.

# 179 HypeGG @ 03/01/12 04:46 PM

Looks like a repeat from last years game but it will have to do to hardcore baseball fans

# 180 Beetlebum @ 03/01/12 04:46 PM

I just had a great game, a pitching duel between Feliz (me) and Westbrook that went into the 10^th, Feliz took a perfect game into the 5^th.
It was cool to see the daylight change during the course of the game, around the 7^th inning the lighting changed to dusk and in the bottom of the 10^th it was actually a night game with the floodlights on.

The AI removed Westbrook after 106 pitches at the beginning of the 9th, but sadly he was not removed in the bottom of the 8^th with 2 men on and 2 outs, he popped out to 1^st and then mclellan started the 9^th. I really hope this is fixed in the full game.

I was using auto fielding and I saw several things of beauty: on a slow grounder to short, andrus charged and threw to first off balance in half a second… but the throw was wide, young caught it with his foot off first and the batter was safe... also kinsler on a groundball to second bubbles it, the ball bounces in front of him, he grabs it barehanded and throws a missile to first for an out.
Both teams grounded into a couple of double plays.

Now with the negatives: using auto baserunning in the 8^th I load the bases with 1 out, Napoli batting, I hit a deep flyball to right, beltran catches it and at this point I was at least expecting the runner on third to try to score… but he didn’t move… he stood there with his feet on the bag as if he was on first… really disappointing and unrealistic.
Also, with auto baserunning I got on base twice with andrus (a walk and a single) and he never tried to steal. Does anyone who played 2k11 know if autobaserunning only applies to situations when the ball is in play or if the AI tries to steal as well?

One last thing… I didn’t see too many foul balls, I’d say about 15 combined in 10 innings. I hope there will be a slider to increase the number of fouls…

That’s it.

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