Sony guys please read this review of MLB 08 The Show!!

[mike75]

I know this is an older review but this guy makes some really good points about MLB 08 The Show!

Some examples I hope you great guys at Sony can fix for 09!

1. Another issue with the franchise mode is player fatigue. The fatigue engine does need work. Players like Alex Rodriguez normally play 162 games unless there is an injury. Players all seem to tire at the same rate which will eventually force a gamer to have to sit their star. Some players do play more than 150 games in a year. A better fatigue rating is needed so that players who play the majority of games are differentiated from guys who are platoon or bench players.


2.Another issue with franchise mode is AI bullpen use. Many times, the AI will bring in the same set of pitchers for each game. While that may happen from time to time during the real baseball season, it does make the game somewhat repetitive when David Aardsma pitches 3 or 4 innings in each game of your four game series with Boston.

3.On the field, there are certain issues that don’t have a direct impact on the game, but are a bit tedious nonetheless. Burress brings up the issue with foul balls. “Why do I constantly have 3-4 guys a game get 10 foul balls?” Foul balls in the Show function more to elevate a pitch count. There is a pattern to them. Some pitchers, Joba Chamberlain for instance, do not have many batters who are fouling off 10 in one at bat. In the Show, it happens quite often.

4.Whoneedsrules board member, Rudy Dyck, brings up the fact that there are too many singles in the game. An experienced Show veteran will be able to average 9 or 10 hits a game, with most being singles. He also thinks that a pitcher still has too much control, despite having sliders to fix that. Walks, even on the most difficult of combinations of sliders, are tough to come by. Burress also feels the walks from the hitter’s perspective, stating that he’s had many hitters get ahead 3-0, only to have the count get to 3-2 most of the time.

5.Lastly, John Enoch, a staff writer for WNR, would love to see some graphic tweaks like day-night progression, field condition progression, and real weather effects. One important improvement Enoch brings up is shared by Dyck as well. Loading times for the “Road to the Show” mode is quite long. It does take away from the flow of a career when jumping to your next event on the field.

Heading Home

As previously stated, MLB 08: The Show is a fine baseball game. It gives one of the best baseball experiences to date. But, as one can see, there are still things that can push the franchise to greater heights. With some game play tweaks, an overhauled online experience, a faster and more expanded “Road to the Show” mode, and a more focused franchise mode, MLB 09: The Show can make people forget the glory days of the High Heat and MVP franchises.

Full Review Here http://fullcountpitch.com/2008/08/01...season-review/

[DarkleafGoJays]

Did they close the wishlist thread?

[mike75]

Quote: Originally Posted by DarkleafGoJays

Did they close the wishlist thread?

No should I have posted this there?

[ckarlic]

Quote: Originally Posted by mike75

I know this is an older review but this guy makes some really good points about MLB 08 The Show! Some examples I hope you great guys at Sony can fix for 09! 1. Another issue with the franchise mode is player fatigue. The fatigue engine does need work. Players like Alex Rodriguez normally play 162 games unless there is an injury. Players all seem to tire at the same rate which will eventually force a gamer to have to sit their star. Some players do play more than 150 games in a year. A better fatigue rating is needed so that players who play the majority of games are differentiated from guys who are platoon or bench players. 2.Another issue with franchise mode is AI bullpen use. Many times, the AI will bring in the same set of pitchers for each game. While that may happen from time to time during the real baseball season, it does make the game somewhat repetitive when David Aardsma pitches 3 or 4 innings in each game of your four game series with Boston. 3.On the field, there are certain issues that don’t have a direct impact on the game, but are a bit tedious nonetheless. Burress brings up the issue with foul balls. “Why do I constantly have 3-4 guys a game get 10 foul balls?” Foul balls in the Show function more to elevate a pitch count. There is a pattern to them. Some pitchers, Joba Chamberlain for instance, do not have many batters who are fouling off 10 in one at bat. In the Show, it happens quite often. 4.Whoneedsrules board member, Rudy Dyck, brings up the fact that there are too many singles in the game. An experienced Show veteran will be able to average 9 or 10 hits a game, with most being singles. He also thinks that a pitcher still has too much control, despite having sliders to fix that. Walks, even on the most difficult of combinations of sliders, are tough to come by. Burress also feels the walks from the hitter’s perspective, stating that he’s had many hitters get ahead 3-0, only to have the count get to 3-2 most of the time. 5.Lastly, John Enoch, a staff writer for WNR, would love to see some graphic tweaks like day-night progression, field condition progression, and real weather effects. One important improvement Enoch brings up is shared by Dyck as well. Loading times for the “Road to the Show” mode is quite long. It does take away from the flow of a career when jumping to your next event on the field. Heading Home As previously stated, MLB 08: The Show is a fine baseball game. It gives one of the best baseball experiences to date. But, as one can see, there are still things that can push the franchise to greater heights. With some game play tweaks, an overhauled online experience, a faster and more expanded “Road to the Show” mode, and a more focused franchise mode, MLB 09: The Show can make people forget the glory days of the High Heat and MVP franchises. Full Review Here http://fullcountpitch.com/2008/08/01...season-review/

Great review..didnt see this one yet. All good points in my mind and I am confident that SCEA will put out a great product next year.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by mike75

No should I have posted this there?

For your sake, before you get married, you need to ditch the habit of replying to another person's comments like that.

The points on that list have pretty much all been discussed here, some of them on numerous occasions. The only issue I haven't seen discussed -- and it's a good point, something I've thought about many times -- is the issue of the same relief pitchers always coming into the game. But like all video games, the highest-rated players will always be selected by the CPU, so I would guess that issue isn't going to get fixed anytime soon. Seems like it would take lot of programming tweaking.

[gjb01]

The only thing I disagree with is the walks. I don't play video games to sit there and take four balls. I guess I want a balance between sim and fun. The point being, I don't know why these games cannot provide sliders that allow someone to customize the game how they want. It's not that difficult to provide sliders that actually work. The fact that so many sports games release sliders that are either broken or severly limited is what drives me crazy.

[jpup]

Quote: Originally Posted by gjb01

The only thing I disagree with is the walks. I don't play video games to sit there and take four balls. I guess I want a balance between sim and fun. The point being, I don't know why these games cannot provide sliders that allow someone to customize the game how they want. It's not that difficult to provide sliders that actually work. The fact that so many sports games release sliders that are either broken or severly limited is what drives me crazy.

you don't like walks. You and Ozzie would get along well.

[bsb13]

Quote: Originally Posted by gjb01

The only thing I disagree with is the walks. I don't play video games to sit there and take four balls.

It actually feels more rewarding to me when I draw a walk then it does when I get a hit. Walking is much harder, especially in this game.

[SoxFan01605]

Quote: Originally Posted by jpup

you don't like walks. You and Ozzie would get along well.

lol...

I personally would love more walks and higher pitch counts. The Show is so close, IMO (closer than many have been) and you can get there, but it's just a bit short. I guess I understand why some wouldn't want too many walks from a gaming perspective, but simply tuning the sliders already in place for this would solve both problems, IMO.

[asu666]

Quote: Originally Posted by baa7

For your sake, before you get married, you need to ditch the habit of replying to another person's comments like that.

How true.

I agree with everything in the review. MLB 08's development cycle was shart because MLB 07 took so long to get to retail. I'm expecting great things from MLB 09.