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[Blackace]

Hey XBOXers, first MLB2K9 trailer released:

http://www.gamespot.com/wii/sports/...major-league-baseball-2k9-teaser-trailer?hd=1


Visual Concepts---Nice effin job so far.

Wii?

 

[pizzaguysrevenge]

The orange trim is there, watch the video again.

 

[Windu]

Last one for the night, I'll check and see if they posted more stuff tomorrow. You can click the links if you want to check it out yourself though.

Tons of new animations, but I didn't hit a batter. There's a cool one where the batter falls to one knee when he's really fooled on a breaking pitch. There's a cool one where the catcher takes one in the gonads, goes down to both knees, puts his face to the ground and the ump calls time. It lasts about 15 seconds and is pretty funny.

Oh, Thome got hit, slammed his bat down, started up the line and turned around to yell back in at the other dugout, picked up his bat, then threw it down again and walked to first in disgust.

If you like presentation, trust me, this game has it. A batter swung and threw his bat into the stands, put his hands on top of his head like "oh, my god, hope that doesn't hit anyone".

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-34.html#post2039135669

 

[Matrix]

I want this game so bad,the wait is killing me

 

[templeusox]

jim416

The ivy in Wrigley field in April? There is none, a bunch of vines with no leaves, all brown.

Boom. GOTF.

 

[sportzhead]

Pics

Dude the trim is there. It's not so noticeable for some reason, maybe it's because of the lighting. His back seems to be in shadow. But you can clearly see it on the front, not shadowed side of the jersey.

 

[Windu]

More:

No, I didn't beat Legend mode. Close, 3-2. Made some bad decisions at the plate and it really should have been 2-2 but I can't speak on why! Damn it!

Either way, today was a complete blast. Legend mode is manageable but when you lose it, if you don't manage things well you're done!

I got lots of jersey stuff and impressions coming up. I'll try and put together my thoughts tonight.

Oh, the BSG comments got way out of hand. I said you'll some some very, very minor exaggerations on a few players... but overall they were extremely well done.

Span from the Twins was probably my favorite. Just incredible.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-35.html#post2039135711

"So that new pitching meter got you Pared?"

Nah, that wasn't it, but the break on the pitches in the default batting camera angle was KILLER. SO HARD to pick them up... then I switched to the angled view and it felt like I could read them better.

The breaks are very similar to MVP in that the ball appears to stay level then drops out of the zone.

The batter-pitcher experience is just all around SUPERB. Much props to Brian_SCEA who really hit a walk-off grand slam with this one. It's amazing. I had a game, runners on first and third with one out... the CPU kept pounding the ball low in the zone, trying to get the ground ball for the DP. It would even go up in the zone trying to keep you off balance... the level of complexity is amazing. Again... Brian_SCEA... you da man!

I do want to add that the entire team was such a blast just to hang out with and talk to. Many thanks to all of them and it was a pleasure meeting all of you.

Cubs fans should love this: Zambrano didn't have the correct glove height when starting his windup. I pointed this out and it should be addressed before final build! Also, David Wright's stance will be addressed as well. Mets fans should love his minor changes!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-35.html#post2039135721

Last one for me and I'm outta here:

All Star teams are not editable.

I know someone asked that so I just want to answer it. Gotta get some sleep for a long day of flying tomorrow.

Enjoy the information fellas.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-36.html#post2039135770

(About Wrigley Field's Ivy

What he's saying is....it's brown in early April.....gets patchy green a few weeks later.....and then turns a beautiful green for the summer. (SCEA guy later responds in the thread that they just put that in a couple days ago.)

....oh and the batter's eye section got some major loving. I spoke to one of the stadium guys....who is also a big Cubs fan. He's going to get even more fixes in for future versions.

Another great note.
When the CPU rests players....it will now re-work the lineup.
No more seeing Wilson Betimet hitting third in the lineup when Alex Rodriguez got a day off. HUGE! (thanks Kolbe)

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-35.html#post2039135716

Mike75..

You wanted to know how much power the PS3 uses when running The Show?....I found out these last two days. 110%

Were nicknames and first names added? Yes..and yes. You can now choose a first name and last name for the game in the editor.

Did they change/add the commentary. Yes.....and there is specific playoff/W.S. commentary added
...also Opening Day and the playoff games...the stadiums are dressed. LOOKS GREAT. Logos and bunting.

The saved game no catchers mitt glitch. Fixed

Confidence bars disappearing. Fixed

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-35.html#post2039135725

Weather? No real weather(as far as precip) You will get clear skys, cloudy skies and overcast. The tempature will also matter.

On a related note...pitchers will wear the jackets on colder days...the long sleeves will also be worn on colder days...but some players will never wear them.

Beachballs toned down? Yes

Will the chalk lines fade down the bases as well as batters box? Yes.

Rogers Centre? fixed the panels that were blue to gray.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-36.html#post2039135743

Hi guys!

Here are the sliders for 09:

User:
Contact
Power
Timing
Fouls
Solid Hits (New)
Starter Stamina
Reliver s
Stamina
Pitcher Control
Pitcher Consistency

CPU
Contact
Power
Timing
Fouls
Solid Hits (New)
Starter Stamina
Reliver Stamina
Pitcher Control
Pitcher Consistency
Strike Frequency
Manager Hook
Pickoffs

Global
Pitch Speed
Fielding Errors
Throwing errors
Fielder Run Speed
Fielder Reaction
Fielder arm strength
Baserunner speed
Baserunner Steal ability
Baserunner Steal frequency
Wind

The total number of clicks is different this year. From default (middle) you can move the slider 5 clicks either way. It looks like each click is the equivalent of two last year. From the way the game played in its current state we will not need to spend much time sliding. Brian did an excelent job tuning the game in its current default state.

As you can see from the list that the sliders were streamlined. Some were cut basically because they did not work or worked against one another. After playing a good junk of games on Legend and Hof, the game is tight!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-36.html#post2039135749

Let's see here...

Have Wright fix his gloves after a swing and miss. Check.
Fix Johan Santana. Check.
Higher hands, elbows in, glove straight for Zambrano. Check.

Can I go home now, Pared?

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-36.html#post2039135785

One definite thing I noticed with hitting, and this is just the way I played. Last year I would be late on 80% of my swings. As a righty I'd foul tons of balls down the right field line, same as a lefty, but down the left field line.

It all felt different in 09 and I wasn't late on stuff. You can pick up the pitched ball a lot better. I was letting balls go that were out of the zone (not always, of course, and Mr. Manage-Only Knight swung at everything), but also beware as the pitch breaks are really mucho better this year.

When Nem and I were striking each other out on curveballs and change ups we'd just look at each other, smile and say..."ooooooooooh yeah".

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-40.html#post2039136147

I used Daniel Cabrera in a game, new Washington pitcher. The first four balls I threw in the game were.....balls. That's Cabrera. (note: I used CLASSIC pitching/all visual aids off).

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-40.html#post2039136149

After moving from CLASSIC running scheme to NEW last year (becauses that what on line uses), I thought the system worked really well. It took some practice. Not sure what you're asking.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-40.html#post2039136173

Q: "Last year I noticed a number of times the CPU decided for you that you should 'stop' at a base instead of trying to leg out an extra bag. You could mash R1 all you wanted and you would still pause and invariably get thrown out by the smallest of margins which just made it feel like it decided to limit you.

The game would also go into pickoff mode where you couldn't take a leadoff step without getting another attempt. You'd have to let them throw to the plate before it seemed to let you leadoff again.

I've read where you guys noted ropes down the line were easy doubles now... guess I'm wondering about the fluidity and pitcher/batter interactions."

A: I can actually say I never noticed the things in the first two paragraphs. I do know I could mess up running like a drunken sailor on my own until I got used to the controls, but that was a user issue for me.

I can't praise enough what I saw in the pitcher batter aspects of the game. The ropes down the line. I'm not saying all of them are easy, because they have worked so much on tweaking all the issues. It depends on the outfielders, but last year they flat out weren't there unless the ball bounced off a wall away from the outfielder. I can tell you this, on manual field, I had my guy going for some fly balls and I just knew that I might not get to it where last year outfielders tracked down way too many flyballs. I took a great screen of Soriano just missing catching a fly ball down the line at Wrigley and hope that one gets posted.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-42.html#post2039136224

If they post the one screen I took, it was in Milwaukee, there are shadows all over the field because of those high walls that aren't solid. Because of the structure of this particular stadium it is heavily influenced by shadows. Pitcher will be standing half in light, half out. It's there.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-43.html#post2039136303

Game is optimized to run at 720

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-44.html#post2039136316

You really have to strain your eyes this year to pick out the duplicate fans. They pulled this off really well. They look better and they walk around the stadium, up and down the stairs during game play. You can see them walking along the outfield walls where the seats are, etc. I played a game as the Padres and the fans were booing them, but that's to be expected.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-45.html#post2039136353

BATTING STANCES....ALERT

Again, I will tell you that the batting stance guy was asked to put every batting stance that he knows into the game. Please ask Pared as he's a little more up on it and he isn't going to be getting home until later EST. The batting stances that I could recognize, Span for example as it's a little funky, looked really good.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-47.html#post2039136504

 

[jman2050]

Stop torturing me!

 

[CHRP718]

can't wait for The Show.
Stop posting pics of that piece of shit 2k game.

 

[Windu]

Stop torturing me!

 

[Mrbob]

Damn, the attention to detail sounds amazing.

MLB 09 could be the title to finally dethrone MVP 05. MLB 08 came close, but some nagging issues kept it away from the gold trophy. Sounds like MLB 09 has all the fixes and more....could blow MVP 05 away. My only concern at the moment is online. To be honest, online league setup last year in MLB 08 was very bad. Games not registering, couldn't add or remove people in the league, no ability to reset disconnected games. It gave me a huge headache trying to run it. :lol

 

[jman2050]

You must've misinterpreted my post in the other thread. Lidge torture makes me smile

 

[Windu]

more:

Oh, yeah. It was completely different because of the 40 man roster and all the teams players being on ONE page, not three. It was a little cumbersome for me as I just wasn't used to it.

Trax, you're like me, right? If a player gets injured you send him down and bring up his actual replacement (real time, daily)???? If so, no you can't MANUALLY put him on the DL.
You have to do it the same way as last year, put him in the minors, but you go to the CPU Team Control page to do this.

You can do the same manipulation that we roster accuracy nuts did last year, the only problem is my work around didn't work as they had to change the code/programming, etc., however the roster lineup AUTO FIX works really well. I must have tested six teams and was happy with how it adjusted the rosters. You can still manually change all the team rosters if you want if you're unhappy with what the CPU did.

Did that answer it?

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-48.html#post2039136632

The rosters were pretty accurate. But, I with a lot of the teams just to check things out and they looked good. I noticed Ronny Cedeno still on the Cubs. As they were listening to some of the things we were telling them, I'm gonna bet they will be update to the date that the game is FINISHED and ready to ship off for approval by Sony/MLB, etc.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-48.html#post2039136637

You must've misinterpreted my post in the other thread. Lidge torture makes me smile

oh...Well I'm glad I made you feel better.

edit: here we go

edit: more:

Nemesis and I both felt that, out of the box, there's a heck of a lot of less use for the sliders. Remember, the sliders were used last year to try to correct the doubles down the line that weren't, the balls in the gaps that seemed to be always caught/cut off, etc. and these issues are absolutely fixed this year. It's still going to be an individual gamer thing to tweak the game, but yes.

I'm sure when the game is out somebody will be posting "It's too easy to hit on LEGEND", lol.

I'm going to exaggerate a little here, but the breaking balls can cause your knees to buckle and you just have a controller in your hand. That's the kind of stuff that impressed us most.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-48.html#post2039136648

This was an interesting coding/programing explanation (this is for you guys who say "how hard can it be.....how come they don't add this or that).

You remember the problem where the outfielder would stop and the catcher would run out to RF and pick up the ball? What was happening is lthat there was, I'll try to explain this as best I can, one teensy-weensy spot in the outfield that triggered the field to do a turn around. You wouldn't see it, but the catcher was actually running towards the backstop (in the coding) and trying to pick up the ball. We saw him running to the OF, but that's not what he was doing when the programmers looked at it. He was running towards the backstop after the ball.

They had to do hours trying to find this one little pin point spot in the field that was causing this. Every centimeter of the game has some kind of coding that effects other stuff. It was amazing to watch one programmer sitting in front of 5 monitors with 2 controllers reconstruct things.

Thought I'd pass that along.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-48.html#post2039136670

Aw, hell no. The other guys are on a long plane ride and you'll be amazed at the stuff they'll lay on you. All the franchise stuff that I haven't a clue about because I don't play years of franchise, more on the sliders, etc. I'm just touching the surface and I'm the only one that isn't flying at 30,000 feet right now.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-49.html#post2039136676

Q: "Jim, You said that in the franchise mode there were MLB legends in the free agent pool. Do the CPU controlled teams pickup any of these legends through out the season or in the off season?"

A: Not in FRANCHISE mode. They are there in the default FA list, I think 80 of them. Before you start your FRANCHISE you can go ahead and assign them to different teams if you want, all of them if you want, spread them around. Once you go to FRANCHISE these oldtimers disappear, replaced by 80 fake players that you can create (plus the Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn free agents).

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-49.html#post2039136685

I can't express enough how great these guys were. When we first walked in, Russell being very serious in tone, lol, we sat down at a big table and the devs walked in, very serious, a dozen or so of them. I had to draw down on Kolbe, but I digress. We knew then that this was a serious business for these guys. We were all very humble, but once we got into it and they put a muzzle on Pared so he woudn't bite, everything loosened up. JUST KIDDING Pared!

Several devs told us how important it was to have a bunch of serious gamers at OS (all you guys) that they could look to for feedback. Again, when you have a game developer looking over your shoulder when you're playing you know they are serious about their product.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-50.html#post2039136721

 

[nyprimus2]

Playoff specific commentary as well as stadiums being decorated for playoff games?

EA should be taking notes for Madden. This sounds absolutely amazing.

 

[Windu]

more:

- You cannot choose to argue calls.

- Behind the pitcher view the pitch stamina bar doesn't disappear, been fixed.

- Yes, you can pick up on the pitched ball MUCH better this year and the difference in pitch types is quite obvious.

- There is no DH or UTILITY position in the player editor.

- You cannot choose your stadium in FRANCHISE, I may have answered that awhile ago.

- Did not see the pitcher look at first/second before pickoffs.

- No create a team, or create stadiums. If you want though you could replace a team with all the old time players in the FA list and play a franchise.

- Didn't see a coach pick up a ball.

- I think Kolbe said 21 create a player slots?

- You can't edit the coaches/managers.

- Cannot step out of batters box before the pitch.

- You can change lineups/pitching rotation for both teams in exhibition mode only, not franchise. Would have to use two controllers like last year.

- There is no rosen bag on the field.

The reason is programming. Right now you see the rosen bag in the pitchers hand at times and he throws it down. We were told that the rosen back HAS to be a "static" (embedded) article and actually part of the field that will NOT move. There is no way to program it so that the pitcher will walk behind the mound and pick it up. If they do have that animation there will still be a rosen bag showing on the field.

So that people don't post...."well why don't they......." remember there is already coding in the game that if something is changed it might mean changing absolutely everything that effects that code/program.

- Catcher doesn't throw his mask.

- If you put your personal music/jeers/cheers in the game, but then use a new roster, you lose the music/jeers/cheers as those are tied into the roster. A new roster means you have to put the stuff back in for each player. That makes sense. (you don't lose the stuff off your hard drive)

- Are there outfield errors? I had Soriano run a ball down and then drop it, so I'd say yes.

- Ha, ha....okay...one mo time, lol. Here's how the lighting works. Let's take a Seattle night game. All 7pm games used to start with it DARK. Now when you go to the game, and being as it gets dark much later up north you will see the sun out, however, you will notice afternoon shadows in the stadium. It will get increasingly darker (thats' what happens when night comes , until the lights go on and you're playing the game at night.

Think real life. They covered it.

- Weekly update and chants/jeers. It is my understanding, for those guys who do the weekly roster updates, that the chants/jeers are completely tied into the one roster you just added them to[\b]. That makes sense to me as a roster is a separate file. So if you download a weekly update you are NOT downloading the chants/cheers, just the roster update. You'd have to reinsert the audio.

- In the player editor, let's see.....

For EACH player you can

add a homerun song/chant/whatever
a walkup for him
a few separate jeers
a few separate cheers

You don't even have to edit the song. The program will do it for you, HOWEVER, to save space on your PS3 hard drive you might want to put in very short clips. I'm sure some guys here will be coming up with all kinds of short clips. I plan on adding all the old High Heat shouts/cheers/jeers myself.

 

[jman2050]

more:

oh...Well I'm glad I made you feel better.

edit: here we go

That's better

Spoiler

 

[Windu]

blah:

Q: "Thanks for explaining this.

Just one thing. Is there a chance Sony could get the rosen bag on the field in future versions? Or are you saying it would be just too much programing and will never be done on PS3?

I would really like to know this so I can stop asking for things that will never be added anyway

If that is the case I will just have to get over it"

A: I believe what he is saying is that we didn't have time to get to it this year. The graphics guys were a little busy this year. Right, Jim?

But....Yes, it can be done. Just about anything can be done, it just takes time, resources and coordination with various groups....

I think you may have been the one asking about "how much power of the PS3 we use..." There really is not a definitive way to answer that. I talked to the guys a little about this at dinner (and I am not really the guy to answer this, but since I'm here).

Think of it this way...in the first couple years of the PS2 developers were using "100%" of it's power...and then they got better at coding for it...optimized things, etc...fast forward to the later years on the PS2..God of War II for instance. That game looks amazing. There is no comparison between it and 1st or 2nd gen Ps2 games...both were using "100%" of its power probably, but early on they were only using a portion of its potential. The hardware itself obviously did not get more powerful, the devs just found ways to tap more out of it...do more things with the power they have...that is the very cool thing about the PS3 and the cell, and the SPUs....they are crazy powerful...and as we find more ways to optimize and harness that power, you will have rosen bags galore.

Hope that made sense....and of course, Patrick may post telling me I don't know what I am talking about, so take it for what its worth.

Bottom Line..Don't stop asking. Many of the things you ask for are on our lists as well.

Chris

Okay boys.
I'm back home in N.Y.
I'm going to take 45 minutes to shower,eat...say "hello" to the wife and pet the dog. So that will be 5 minutes...25 minutes...1 minute and 14 minutes.

Then I'll be on pretty much all night for you guys.
I have the answers to almost every question on the list. If I don't have the answer now...it's because the dev team member who I asked wasn't the guy working on that and the guy I needed to talk to was busy. It's very few and I will find out if I can.
The other thing is the sections we can't discuss until after SCEA releases it's information about it first. That one is a no-brainer.
If you're asking me something and I'm not answering....that's the reason. I really don't want to keep posting "I can't discuss that."
Be back soon.

 

[Windu]

blah blah:

Before I start....I gotta say.... major props to Russell.
Quite a few guys on the dev team told me that while they wanted to do this Community Event....it was Russell who fought and busted his a$$ to get it done. Major Atta Boy to Russell for that.
Thank you.

Brian is an absolute genius. I would have loved to listen to him talk about how he comes up with his formulas for attributes for both days....but he's on another level. I could only understand up until he said.."Hi, I'm Brian"....then it sounded like he was speaking in tongues (j/k Brian ...thanks for the insight!)

Pat....pretty much the same as Brian...Except it went like this..."Hi I'm Pat...I do the stadium work..you see here the spectral lighting ei394r0dk 94830sl484030 49303854030-29 8950202kdka0d[a4. 49fdk 09543 sdkaj/ l43lmfpd p94lwe0 and that's how we get the shadows at Safeco to bounce off the red tile. Thanks for coming."

Steve from sound....the only guy at SCEA to watch my vids There will be extra shirts in the care package for you buddy.


Lorne....my kindred spirit over there. He's got his space laid out just like I do(okay he's a little neater))....to do his roster work. Needed some more time with him. ..(maybe next time)
(Lorne...I was gonna kidnap one of your collectibles and put him up for ransom here on O.S...I would have tied him up and even put a little tiny duct tape over his mouth with a little note...HELP ME LORNE..PLEASE!)......but I don't think I can do time in a S.D. jail.....way too warm for me!)

Travis......next time I'm bringin' MY camera, big man. YOU'LL be doing the cryin'

Chris, Chris and Chris...eehhhh...you guys were working to hard. I'll find something on you though.

Kolbe....now if there was ever a guy who was from New York....but is B.S.'in everyone out there that he's a left coast boy...it's him.
"Kolbe...can I have ONE more editable player in the game please?"...You simply get this look like....yeah right...big smirk and a big fat NO...sarcastic as heck and the DEAD GIVEAWAY...he drives like a New Yorker....right down to yellin' at some poor old lady to get the *$&( out of the way after a 2 second pause at In and Out Burger. You my man there Kolbe...don't let them old bags get away with NOTHIN'!

It was a phenomenal experience.
They should put in a cover charge and give a short tour. Great way to make some bucks!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-61.html#post2039137602

 

[Returners]

I want so bad.

 

[Windu]

Blah, Blah, Blah:

I'm just gonna go down the lists...may have been answered already...sorry for the dupe if it was.

Eye black...yes...glasses...8 kinds of shades.
I didn't get into the editor that much.
I know that sounds crazy for me...but I wanted to play(that sounds CRAZIER...but when you see it, you'll understand) and I had 15 pages of questions from you guys.

Baggy pants + stirrups? No...if you have stirrups it's the high socks

Red Sox unis correct? Yes.

Long sleeves at night issue? Corrected.

Do the Indians have the red bill on the batting helmet. No..all same color

Atlanta Blue Jersey? The did have one...I'm not sure if it's the one you wanted...

Warm up jackets? Yes

Stirrups?

More retro unis? Yes and one was butt ugly(no fault of SCEA's...) the White Sox Blue/w white stripe...like a prison uni!
Saw a nice Pirates retro.

Player wear specific team jersey in the all star game? No

Red gloves? Multi bats? No and the bats are solid..but I did see a white stripe on the black bat this year.

Braves alt road uni? Yes

Change colors of acc? No

A's uni's....MLB STYLE GUIDE(sorry)

82 Brewers unis? The look better to me

Choice on cleats? No

82 Braves unis? No

Mismatched colors on catcher equipment? Yes...it's the same now
Reds caps....right now it's the same as last year...but Chris is looking into it....let's hope?

I just want to point out something about the unis and the MLB guide.
I think it was Jason and Chris that told me that these guys are CONSTANTLY sending requests(PROBABLY OUR REQUESTS) to the MLB guide crew and they are getting knocked. It's not that these guys(SCEA) are just looking at the guide and saying..."no good"...they see that you are providing links/photos and are trying...but they are STRICTLY bound. I was told the fines are hefty.
I hope this helps guys understand what it is about the uni's(and I hope I was allowed to say what I just did......if not take out that little silver pen from M.I.B. and forget it)

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-62.html#post2039137646

Boxscore expanded? It's basically the same as last year. One guy asked specifically about number of pitches...there is the pitch track and it has the TOTAL breakdown for you. Accessible after the game. Never realized that...I'll be using this one!

Can you see opposing pitcher/batter ratings during game? Not exactly...but one EXCELLENT new addition...on the BP screen you can now hit square and it switches the next batter up(name) to his contact vs. LHP an RHP. Handy(I forget if you can get power up there too...sorry)

I'm sorry I didn't get more into stat tracking. I'm going to be honest...it was easy to get sidetracked. There was A LOT going on.

One thing I must say about the layout....they changed it and it's FANTASTIC.
They are really trying to streamline getting into the "depths" of the screens.
For instance....to get to the bullpen to replace a pitcher you had to pause...go into the bullpen on that menu...then warm up your pitcher. Then when you went to replace....same thing.
It's now tied to the directional pad in game.
Hit the up button....and the bullpen....infield/outfield depth/shift is displayed.Warm up your pitchers..
Now for the sweet part...when your pitcher is warm...hit the up button again and your pitchers are displayed at the bottom of the menu...highlight one and it brings up the option to sit him/put him in or double switch.

I talked to Brian and he and Kolbe have more streamlining of these menus being talked about. Love it.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-62.html#post2039137677

No editing salaries. MLBPA ...same with lengths...but they worked on getting the lengths right.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-62.html#post2039137683

 

[templeusox]

A good solution to the whole issue of incorrect uniform details would be for people to stop bitching about inconsequential uniform details.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

A good solution to the whole issue of incorrect uniform details would be for people to stop bitching about inconsequential uniform details.

I'm a baseball nut, especially for the games, and I've never understood this. But if you go to OS or other sports themed gaming sites, people get .... fanatical about these details. Beyond any and all understanding. I find it disturbing.

I really like when these games have retro jerseys, though. 80's baseball uniforms are the epitome of so bad it's good to me.

 

[Windu]

I don't really care about those small uniform details either but I do get annoyed when they have the Braves red Alt Home jersey as a Away and Home Jersey like in the 08 version.

 

[pizzaguysrevenge]

A good solution to the whole issue of incorrect uniform details would be for people to stop bitching about inconsequential uniform details.

Sorry, I'm a baseball fan. I need everything to be as perfect as possible.

 

[Windu]

blah blah blah blah:

Has diving catches by the OF'ers been improved? BIG yes. I saw some awesome new animations.

Can we throw ball around after strikeout? I don't think so....

Doubles?(this question was actually much longer).....WAY MORE. Down the line lasers.....splitting the gap hard shots...splitting the gap long shots...long shots down the line....balls hit over the OF'ers heads..I'd say MUCH BETTER (I know you heard this already, but I like hearing it myself! )

Will coaches pick up and throw foul balls? No

Can I hear more about the new routes the OF'ers take? This one I thought would be a simple..."yeah they changed the routes" answer...until I asked Brian about it. Whew! This guy is FOCUSED on getting the AI routines right. The sheer amount of work he has put into this is absolutely amazing. Watching him run his routines on his work station and then listening to him explain how he would go to games...watch games...read books all just to see how he could get all of this correct is mind boggling.
Add to that the animations that Chris and his team are constantly adding and tweaking to make that A.I. look and do the right thing and it's really nice.
...an aside on this...it all looks and feels(when you are fielding) very natural and smooth as glass.
I'm totally impressed with this.

OF'ers...will they bypass the cut off and throw to bases more? This has been worked on. I couldn't get enough hits(I'm terrible) to check this out...maybe the others can chime in...

High throws to first...toned down? I still get some when I field...so that's on me some...but I saw less throwing errors to first, for sure.

Wild pitches/passed balls...toned down? There are still a good amount. Maybe a bit too much. There is a new animation where the catcher smothers the ball(I think it's new) right at the plate. We started to discuss this after we left(at the hotel). Maybe Kolbe can check on this?

Manual sliding? No...assisted and auto like last year.

When you play D...is there more of a sense of urgency to get rid of the ball? Yes. Fielding got a NICE work over. The DP's are nice. The throws in the DP's are excellent.
Seeing the CPU go the short way to get the third out and being able to do it yourself...is excellent. I was playing Jim and forgot there was two outs...he had a man on first. Grounder to my 2B and I hit the triangle to start what I thought would be a DP. Last year that would have been 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. I got the man ...inning over.

Can you cut off the ball mid air? No (and I know you mean if you are throwing home to try and get the runner...you know you're not getting him and see the batter taking second...you would "yell" for a cut off and try and get him there or at least stop him from advancing)

Did they adjust the depth that OF'ers start at? Yes...it seems so. I forgot to ask...but I remember thinking it just looked different from last year.

CPU bullpens? Can we see pitchers warming up? No...but the CPU will do mound visits to "warn" you that a RP might be on the way!

Does the opposing manager come to the mound more? Yes

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-64.html#post2039137748

 

[Wickerman]

I can't wait to get my hands on this game.

After reading some of the new details in this thread I going to go out on a limb and say that MVP 2005 will finally dethroned this year.

 

[Windu]

more blah blah:

Franchise.
You guys have seen the blog....but holy crap. Thing of beauty!

Let me get one thing out of the way...the travel part. Unchanged and I hate it too......I agree, there should be no way your MLB squad should be taking a bus. Like Pedro Feliciano says in the game "it's embarrassing" . I forgot to ask Kolbe about this though. I apologize.
Maybe they can work on this next year.(that's ME saying this)...we can ask them.

I simmed a season in franchise quite a few times to check certain aspects. Right off the bat....NO CRAZY WAIVER MOVES. I did not see a bona fide MLB regular getting put through waivers. Lower tier guys...that probably got called up to replace a player because of injury?...yes. A lot of the times they made it back down and that makes sense...they weren't really worth picking up.(that's why the CPU took him up instead of a guy with options).
It seems like the CPU will go for a guy with options first(if he "fits" into the managers needs).
The option year will be for one full year. So if you have a guy with 2 options left...you can shuttle him up and down for the year and still have one left. A guy with 1 left(when in the minors) can be used that year once you bring him up.
It's when guy has 0 options left...that you must expose him to the waiver wire and hence the chance to lose him to another squad. I should be shot for this...but I can't remember if you can pull the player back or not. I don't think so though.

There are no waiver trades(meaning after the trade deadline)(perhaps next year!)...but there is in addition to the 40 man roster the playoff eligible roster. For a player to be eligible for the playoff roster, he must be either on the 25 man active roster or the DL by September 1st(REMEMBER!). If a player gets injured after the deadline OR during the playoffs...you can replace him with a member that is on the 40 man roster(thereby still playoff eligible)

September callups are automatic to your 40 man roster(remember to set them on the 31st)

The off season got a major and AWESOME overhaul. Once you get used to it...it makes sense. Everything is off the schedule now. You simply pick an off season day(if you go a week ahead of the date....things will happen in the rest of the league! be careful!) and choose it. A menu comes up showing the things available to do.
Certain days have stars on them. You can highlight them to see what the significance of that date is(last day to sign your possible FA's for instance) ...so you don't forget.
That reminds me of something else I forgot to ask Kolbe...if we can save from day to day...but I think we can...I'm almost sure of it.(please give a heads up Kolbe! )
You have a 15 day window from the W.S. to re-sign your FA exclusively(like in real life)
The off season is also where you will assign your June draft signings(if you want)
When they are drafted in June...they are put on an "inactive" roster for "safe keeping" until you can see how you want to make your moves.
If you let a Type A free agent go...and another club signs him...you will receive comp picks(in the June draft). These are sandwich picks that you would get in between the rounds. There are 5 rounds...but if you have sandwich picks you could get more than 5 players(if you make all the picks)
The off season FA signing period looks good. There were a couple of guys left on there I thought should go...but 1. I didn't sign anyone(I simmed through it and was just looking at things), so if I did...it could have made a difference to that.
There were FA's MLB guys after the period...but only one that I REALLY thought should have been signed.
I was told that the CPU MIGHT sign FA's during the season from the FA list. I didn't see it..but I was told it was possible!

more after a quick break!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-66.html#post2039137868

Legend

I must say that I walked away very impressed with the amount of work that went into this level. The game gives you a great sense of which teams you will have an up hill battle against as opposed to the ones you feel can be taken early on in the game. Strategy, strategy, strategy.......did I mention strategy? As we know, baseball is a thinking mans game. Sure you have to hit, throw, catch and run but knowing what to do before actually performing these tasks is often the difference between success and failure. This is no different here in the show, I will admit I was a little nonchalant at first with some of my decision making and the CPU thoroughly exploited and punished me for it. Of course this was at the expense of numerous developers standing behind me watching but it was all good!

In some sort of way I view pitching and hitting like a poker game. Each side is trying to figure the other without tipping their hand as to what they have or don't have. It is very important not to establish patterns when pitching or hitting on this level. For example if you are pitching and had success against a batter the first time don't expect to follow the same routine the next time. Strong hitters adjust very quickly and before you know it your pitcher is hanging his head down because he just got torched. Pitcher confidence is important in keeping things together. Use your mound visits to settle down pitchers or to stall while your reliever is trying to get ready. One thing I learned early was to be proactive with your bullpen. They cannot be an after thought as far as getting warm because things can fall apart extremely fast later in the game.

Then there is the other side, the hitting. If you swing at junk, the CPU pitcher will oblige and continue to throw junk until you can prove you have the eye and willpower to lay off. It is more important than ever to try to get to those hitter's counts. This is where the hitter is rewarded with golden opportunities for the extra base hits. To note, there are some great extra base hits in this game. The variety of PULLED hits will impress! Play the bases smart, The cpu does not mess around and will make you pay for being greedy. The cpu will also come up gunning from the outfield to home so you have been warned!

Pitching and hitting are not enough, you need some solid "D" in the field. You can definitely see the work that went into the fielding. The routes that you and the CPU players take are a thing of beauty. Balls that are hit over your head and the ones that split the outfielders need to be collected quickly and sent to your cut off men to gun down those aggressive cpu runners. The CPU will push it on the base paths and will capitalize when you try to throw home from the outfield with other runners on base. One thing I would like to mention is many complained that the fielder would run by the ball without making any attempts. There are now animations that show the fielder reaching for the ball. You still will miss them if you try that route but it looks good when you miss now.The hot corner is definitely on fire his year. Balls will get smoked down the third base line this year and while your third baseman is picking himself and his jock off the dirt, you have a runner on second, so guard those lines. Especially late in the game!

Just when you think you could not come any closer to the real MLB, the SCEA team has brought us even closer to the action. The AI grew a set in the off season so be ready!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-67.html#post2039137893

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Thanks for keeping these updates going, Windu. This sounds awesome.

 

[Meier]

Traded in 08 today for $23 store credit at Blockbuster which I immediately put to a pre-order of 09. Boom. Can't wait.

Whaaaaat :O I should find a Blockbuster...

 

[WasabiKing]

Hey XBOXers, first MLB2K9 trailer released:

http://www.gamespot.com/wii/sports/...major-league-baseball-2k9-teaser-trailer?hd=1


Visual Concepts---Nice effin job so far.

Hmm... this is a MLB 09 thread. So we'll see you when MLB 09 is released.

 

[Windu]

lkjadfklj:

Okay...back...

Arbitration....You can offer your guy arbitration and when you do...you are given a time frame to sign him by.

Trades...they seem to have been toned down this year. But it's probably due to improving the programming in this area. In speaking with the devs about this and progression....with the new franchise options...they reworked this area.
I didn't put anyone on the trade block and I think I only got offered 3 trades in two seasons. The other times it was 2 or 1. I was told that if I wanted to get more.....using the trade block would help(sounds obvious...but I'm sure people will forget)
Also.....use the trade block to see what other teams are looking for.
As far as balanced trades, I didn't see anything crazy...but to be honest, I didn't look that much. I didn't want to get into posting specific trades as they are VERY subjective IMO.

Progression. I spoke to a dev about this specifically and am pleased with what I was told...very pleased.
Position....starting attributes and other factors will make a big difference in how a player develops. For instance a CF with speed will be more inclined to gain contact and contact related attributes rather than power. The nice thing is I was told it's not in concrete...you COULD get a guy who looks like he might be a CF...but start to bud and become a power guy. Not the norm anymore but possible.
Also as far as potential...this has been tweaked. While an A potential guy will most likely become a star...he may bust(almost impossible last year)...and you could get a C guy turn into a hidden gem. It's possible this year. There is also no set curve to progression.....there are many and they are variable. I've been told you'll really have to watch your players this year.

The manage roster screens are different this year. All in one. Now when viewing the roster...it's no longer split into each level...you will see all your pitchers..all your RP...all your closers and so on. No more switching from box to box to box to try and make moves. Simply highlight the player and the options on what to do come up on a menu. Very slick.
It does take some getting used to..but everything is laid out there for you.

I mentioned that on opening day there is bunting and logos. They are also there for the playoffs. It's great to see...and every stadium has gotten worked on...they all have great improvements.

There is a lot more commentary added this year....and while it was tough to hear in the room(six sets going at once with plenty of hootin' and hollerin'!)....the audio guy has also told me that there is tons of new specific commentary. Game to game...team to team....

I have more...but I need to find out a few things....
...I'll take a break...

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-68.html#post2039137939

Here is all you need to know about LEGEND mode.
It made ME want to play games to try and beat it. It was white knuckle and frustrating(in a good way I guess!) all at once.
But for me...it was ever so humbling.
I "tapped out" quite a bit.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-68.html#post2039137952

Okay...you can play any game on the schedule...but only one up to that time(that's what I was told...I didn't try to play a 1 PM and a 7 PM)....so if you play YOUR game that day....the others will be simmed in the background and that's what you'll see on the scoreboards.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-69.html#post2039137972

Q: "Any word on Playoff Atmosphere? Louder crowds, more specific commentary? Playoff-Specific presentation?"

Yes-yes-yes...and yes.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-71.html#post2039138061

No ticker(I WILL get my sports ticker for franchise games, right Kolbe?! ) this year...
But the launch paper is cool
It has info on your MLB club...your AAA and AA clubs also(GREAT to keep up on your minor league guys!) plus a LEAGUE wide paper to update you on events in the league.

dorismary...you can play any game on the schedule...but I'm pretty sure not ALL games on the schedule.
Sorry.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-72.html#post2039138090

(On spring training stadiums)

5 new ones. Much more realistic too.

They are
Mackenzie in Winter Haven
Sunsito in Peoria
Date Palm in Scottsdale
American Greens in Tampa
Moonstone in I have no idea, I can't read my notes

Minor league stadiums(new)
Franco Park
Main St. Field
Majestic Greens
Riverboat
Green Valley

You can also use Classic Yankee(last years) and Shea for exhibition(Shea without the construction)

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-73.html#post2039138146

I saw a lot of new cut scenes added this year. Also the mascots were tastefully done and added to the overall experience.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-70.html#post2039138014

From only being there 2 days I was amazed at how much fixing and tweaking they accomplished and the game we were playing was not the most current. I know this is a passion for you but you are way too jammed up about this. Lets just see how it plays out.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-73.html#post2039138126

Hmm... this is a MLB 09 thread. So we'll see you when MLB 09 is released.

Kind of a dumb reason to ban someone, oh well.

edit: for some reason the OP was deleted, I fixed it.

 

[templeusox]

Whaaaaat :O I should find a Blockbuster...

No d. They will only put it towards store credit man, so beware of that. Otherwise, it makes The Show a very cheap game from year to year.

 

[Hasenfeffer]

I just got done reading every single detail and impression that has been posted so far. The amount of polish that this game has so far could very well top MVP 05 (like someone mentioned earlier.) Hell, I'm just happy they made calling your bullpen quicker to access.

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

This game is going to be the most played game this year, just like 08 was last year. Likely, the only sports game I buy this year.

 

[_Angelus_]

Baseball is the one sport I live and breath like no other, God bless my Steelers later today,I hope they win it all,but baseball is still tops for me. Reading the craziest details on how Sony is obsessed with giving us the best baseball game on the market just makes me extremely proud and happy to own a PS3.

Bring it on Sony,day one for me.


Off topic but umm,are there any good 3rd party controllers out there? I'll be buying a couple for this game along with Killzone II. Money is an issue so I'm afraid I can't put out $110 dollars for two extra pads,thats just crazy.

 

[Windu]

Blah:

Man that's a good question....in regards to the skies.
One thing......Kolbe has told me that the long sleeves are weather dependent(unless you always have him w/long sleeves I believe) in the night games...so you have your wish on that count!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-76.html#post2039138215

About the shifts....I saw guys moving around...but it could have been the movement you saw like in last years game. I was playing legend games so I had my attention elsewhere(that little teeny weeny white dot that you try and hit..and can't if you're me)..so sorry.

To add to what nem said about fielding and such. I can't tell you guys enough on how much more I saw. Pared had one hot shot to Delgado(so he must have been fielding) where the ball bounced up high...hit him in the chest and went on...at a good clip too.....into RF. It was nice.

Curtain calls....yep they are there and the player comes out and acknowledges! (I was told...I can't hit homers...)

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-83.html#post2039138657

(Does charging a ball and come up throwing from the outfield seem improved any?)

Big time.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-83.html#post2039138670

I do not know if it was mentioned but there are different umps in the game to who rotate behind the plate for the different games you play. each ump has a different take on the strike zone but the actual strike zone overlay does not change.

Check swings seem like they are going to be harder this year. Last year you could check at will with a contact swing with any player on any pitch. This year it seems a little different, the ability looks like it is tied to their plate vision and pitch type thrown.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-79.html#post2039138513

The opening intro is different this year. The lineup comes up but they only highlight one player and talk about him. It is much better! Make sure you let the opening intro play out so you can see the scene of the umpires and players looking up at the flag!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-79.html#post2039138530

Yankee fans:

When the fans are doing the roll call, sometimes they will cut away to the player and it shows him acknowledging the shot out!

There is also a cut scene between Jeter, Arod and Cano where they are lined up and the 2 slap each others glove and then the back of the other.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-80.html#post2039138539

The first baseman still make a fair share of scoops but at least some get by them now!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-80.html#post2039138544

There are different flag animations but I do not know if they are directly tied to the mph's of the wind.

Just be happy that it is not blowing full throttle to the right!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-81.html#post2039138556

(On curtain calls)

Yes they can. There are 2 types, the one where they poke their head out of the dugout and one when they come out at the edge of the dugout onto the field.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-81.html#post2039138561

(How did the flag look?)

To me it looked better. I am telling you guys the lighting does an amazing job to all the textures in the game. Especially reflective light. I did not notice the direction but it was doing different things and even laying flat at times.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-81.html#post2039138574

The cpu does some amazing things. They are very aggressive in trying to get runs in. I was caught flat footed when the cpu dropped down a 2 strike bunt!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-85.html#post2039138782

One cool detail I saw was on bunts or dribblers down the lines, as soon as the ball just goes foul you will see the fielder swat it further into foul territory so it does not kick back.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-85.html#post2039138804

Anyone who enjoys baseball....on any level...and gives this game anywhere in the 6's or the 7's should be flogged and put on public display for acts of humiliation.
Seriously.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-86.html#post2039138836

A quick note, I am still not a fan of the throwing system in the Show. The animations have improved but I would like a little more bite when it comes to determining the velocity and risk of my throws. It plays nice, I just want to see more.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-86.html#post2039138842

(on throwing system)

Yes, the system to me seems to be more animation driven than pressure sensitive driven. With that said, there are more animations added this year so things look better when they are happening.

The system gets the job done and does not take away from gameplay but there needs to more. I feel they know this too.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-87.html#post2039138865

One thing that should be mentioned, don't be disappointed if you find something you really wanted did not make it in. These guys are very detailed oriented and will not put something in just to say it is in there. So it does not mean it was necessarily forgotten as people allude to. It has to work properly. Lighting is perfect example, I think that was 2 or 3 year project before it is making its debut for 09. Things take a couple of years to perfect so don't give up hope!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-87.html#post2039138885

 

[nyprimus2]

Off topic but umm,are there any good 3rd party controllers out there? I'll be buying a couple for this game along with Killzone II. Money is an issue so I'm afraid I can't put out $110 dollars for two extra pads,thats just crazy.

DualShock 3 with RealTriggers is the way to go.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

DualShock 3 with RealTriggers is the way to go.

True, but they are crazy expensive, which is what I think he's trying to avoid.

 

[Bog]

Look, as long as they've fixed the zero'ing out of my stud pitcher's confidence after he does ANYTHING remotely wrong, I'll be happy.

 

[oatmeal]

Need media thx

 

[Windu]

Blah:

(Have you noticed any difference in PCI. Basically can I make contact with almost anythig in the zone without moving the controller?)

On the higher levels the PCI is reduced but it is not reflective in the visual aid. That coverage icon overlay appears to be static. The contact slider makes the change under the hood so to speak, you will not see it visually. I tried just swinging with X and my hit quality was poor to non existent. Jim mostly plays hitting with X maybe he could comment more with that aspect. I know he played with contact up to check on things.

(were there any sig swings (follow throughs...ex Ichiro, Griffey etc) or did everyone generally share the same animations?)

They are still tweaking these things.

(Do we still have that same ugly animation when swinging at a pitch too far inside?)

Yes, that animation is still there.

(What did you notice different about the pitcher/batter duel. SCEA mentions this...but doesnt go into any detail?)

I cannot talk about this yet, sorry!

(Do pitchers...pitch like themselves...(ie Wang,lowe keeps things down and is a groundball guy, Mariano busting people in with the cutter relentlessly)

Yes to me the pitchers represent themselves better this year.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-88.html#post2039138975

The throwing with the meter was never "perfect." There were times where you'd tap it to do a soft toss and the player would rocket the ball over. The ANIMATION was slow but the actual throw speed was not consistent with the throwing motion.

Either way, we made out feelings known when we were there. I know I pulled some guys off to the side and spoke about it. If you're not happy with it in '09, at least they know how we feel about it.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-93.html#post2039139263

(About Jerseys)

Ok, here are the major things I got from the Community Day. Unfortunately I could not get the minor league teams stuff checked out.

Unfortunately, a lot of these mistakes/omissions are because of the MLB Style guide. I've seen it, and it was INDEED incorrect on a majority of the teams. I don't know why the MLB can't get this stupid thing right, but that's why things are the way they are.

Brewers do not have their Blue alternates. Do have their warm up which is close. Also do not have their cervecero’s jersey. Actually they do have their blue alternates but you can only wear them while away. The blue "Brewers" jersey is only selectable away. Yes, I said away.

Astros jerseys appear to have the correct colors this year.

A’s are correct.

Blue Jays are not correct; Can’t wear the home baby blue alternate (Not in). Old white is their home alt. Black alternate is there. Away Blue alt is in, says Toronto.

NY Yankees accessories have a white outline away,

Size of the C on cubs hat looks small still. Cubs blue alt looks a little too blue.
Phils have the correct home alt hat.

Reds catching gear is red. Cubs alt blue gear is blue. Cubs alt blue batting helmet is all blue.

Orioles have a patch “Orioles Baseball” on left arm. Looks a little too small.

Astros number should be black, but it is still red. Alternate home is only able to be played while away.

Dodgers do not have the blue piping in their away jersey.

Cardinals alternate hat is correct.

No Pirates red.

Indians helmet is still all blue.

Rays alt is in.

Twins throwback is in

Mariner’s jersey number is correct (rear)

Rockies alt (black sleeves) is correct.

Boston was correct although I think I may have missed if they have their new hat in.

Rangers new helmet is in.

Hope that help eases the pain a bit fellas. There was a change that they
might be able to get in before final but I can't really talk about it... but it should make some fans happy.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...issions-additions-09-a-16.html#post2039135769

It's all the fault of the style guide. It IS incorrect and if they deviate they have to pay a fine.

I will be in contact with them for '10 to get this stuff right using a different method. These guys know some of the incorrections but like I said, they are incorrect in the style guide and we just have to deal with it. There is still hope for one issue and I'll keep my finger crossed it makes it in.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...issions-additions-09-a-17.html#post2039138721

There's plenty to be excited about. Every single one of us talked about going through withdrawals and how we can't go back to '08.

I won't touch upon too much because of the vast things the NDA covers. But as time goes on we'll be able to talk about different things.

The gameplay is what gets me so excited.. I'm more a between the lines kinda guy and the game certainly did not disappoint. At all.

One amazing play I had... 2 strikes in the close game that I lost in legend with first and third... still tried to force the bunt down b/c I needed to move the runners over with no outs. Down 3-2... pitch comes in and I make contact but the bunt runs down the first base line... barely goes over so Kotchman hits the ball with his bare hands, while it is foul, further into foul territory. It was incredible.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-93.html#post2039139399

On an unrelated gameplay note, the CPU AI now takes chances on the basepaths on default settings! I had a play where a ground ball was hit to right field on the ground and the AI tried to go first to third on it... and Ryan Church came up throwing and one hopped a strike to 3rd base to throw him out! Put outs seems forced last year but were happening on a great rate this year!

To ice the cake, Wright was straddling the bag very, very appropriately and made a spectacular tag. I recorded it on video and hopefully will be able to show you guys!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-94.html#post2039139468

Need media thx

here you go

 

[Windu]

blah:

You guys know the demo will be an earlier version than the one we played?

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-95.html#post2039139525

Lighting will not disappoint. The detail is amazing and brings out the textures in the different surfaces.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-95.html#post2039139537

They did a fantastic job with monument park. Looks real sharp!!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-95.html#post2039139548

As far as anything else:

-I think I told you Girardi looks very good. He is pretty animated in the dugout, lol. Sometimes he is wearing a Yankee jacket.

-Are you familiar with that glove tap, back slap that Jeter, Arod and Cano do?

-They did a great job on the stadium for the lack of info they were given.

I pitched with CC, Burnett, Wang. I liked pitching with Burnett the best, just really like his feel.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-99.html#post2039139744

It's truly a sight to behold. You see it immediately; We didn't need a side by side comparison with '08 to tell.

Another few gameplay notes:

-I really feel there needs to be more errors. There was a lot more variety to the fielding animations and hits were going off of fielder's gloves, bodies, etc. but I don't recall seeing any botches being recorded as errors once again. I did not touch the sliders.

-The new outfielder paths are just incredible! The play out for not just the CPU but the user as well. They seem to "trigger" accordingly.

-Pickoffs are certainly not as controllable as I would like. I pretty much feel you press the pick-off button, hold your breath and hope the proper animation plays out. I had a good discussion on ways to make this better and really hope they get implemented for '10.

-Side note on the demo: I'm sure you'll see the updated stances for whatever they use as a demo.

Ok, back to the Super Bowl.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-96.html#post2039139574

Oh, that reminds me, diving in the outfield is tough. There were a few times I came up with a grass sandwich minus the ball and had to go the the wall and retrieve it. The cpu fielders will dive and they miss A LOT more too, might as well share the love!

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-97.html#post2039139617

I don't know about the demo. If it was said to be several weeks older than the one we were playing I would think there's gonna be stuff that we didn't see because we were playing a newer version. It should make for more "discussion" and panic soothing, me thinks.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...swer-discussion-thread-97.html#post2039139610

What gives?

Wondering if you read some of my explanations regarding coding/programming earlier in the thread? For example, the gentleman doing the lighting was sitting in front of, I think it was SIX monitors and had two or three PS3 controllers he worked with. With our jaws on the floor we watched as he explained how the color of one object had to reflect and then had to flow into a different color of another object, for example, from the green grass of the field, up the color of the wall, to the sunlight hitting the fan. I believe he said each fan had its own idividual coding. I can't even explain it right, lol, but that's what gives. Not trying to be smart, but it's so much more detailed. It's not a simple matter of cutting out a likeness of something, let's say a scoreboard advertisement and paste it into the stadium.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...wer-discussion-thread-101.html#post2039139968

They would like the demo out "early" February.
They asked us to tell you guys(I did!)
BUT they also asked us to tell you that it is a MUCH earlier build than the one we were playing(again, I did!)

I guess they sent the demo version to whoever they need to for an approval and then it gets it's release.

http://www.operationsports.com/foru...wer-discussion-thread-104.html#post2039140322

 

[templeusox]

Edit: Had to take pic down.

 

[AndoCalrissian]

Nice. Not really much of a sports gamer, but I want to pick this up so I can play through a season with the good ol' Twins.

 

[yakulto]

This game is looking better and better.

Cannot wait!

 

[templeusox]

 

[Big-E]

Sexy. Really like that last shot.

 

[Coop]

Can't wait intill we get some videos. I read on another forum that the demo is coming out this week.

 

[templeusox]

Can't wait intill we get some videos. I read on another forum that the demo is coming out this week.

Why would Sony bury it the same week as RE5, KZ2, and Flower?

 

[templeusox]

Pitcher running with his jacket on...