First Look from ESPN Video Games' Jon Robinson
The biggest change to the game comes with the addition of Pure Analog Control. That's right, buttons are about as hip these days as players wearing stirrups, so Sony has finally changed the control scheme for hitting, pitching, and throwing to be all analog based (although if you want to play old school and use buttons, you can still find last year's controls in the options menu).
"This is the feature everyone has wanted in our game for years, but we didn't want to do it until we could do it right," says longtime "MLB" producer Chris Gill as he sits down to demo the game for me inside Sony's San Diego studio. "People have been asking for a new way to play the game, and now everything you do, whether you're swinging the bat, throwing to first, or pitching the ball, it's all done with the right analog stick."
What this means is for hitting, gamers pull back on the stick to start the batter's stride, then push forward to swing the bat. This is all about timing as if you start your stride too early, pause, then swing, your stride will be off and you'll lose power. Start your stride too late, and you're going to be behind on the ball when you finally swing. It takes a few innings to get used to, but by my second game, I hit a few homers and felt comfortable enough to start really enjoying the new approach.
On top of the new control scheme, "MLB 11: The Show" also features a fun new co-op mode that can be played both online and offline. Co-op can be 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 2, or even 2 vs. CPU, with online games using up to two consoles max, meaning if it's a four-player game, two players can be on one console playing against two players on another console. The game then enables each team's captain to assign duties for each showdown. For example, if I'm playing with a friend, I can choose to pitch every other inning and control the infield while he controls the outfield or I can change things up and have him pitch while I control all the fielding. When we're up to bat, we can alternate spots in the order or even choose to just have one player hit and one player pitch. There are so many options to choose from, you can really play this mode however you desire.
Think that's all that's been added to the game? Think again as the exhaustive list of improvements made to the "MLB: The Show" franchise also includes Move support for the game's home run derby mode, 3-D gameplay (all you need is a 3-D TV and glasses), and a camera editor that enables you to customize any pitching or batting camera to your own personal specifications. There are even the exact broadcast views for every MLB team so you can play the game as your favorite team from the exact same viewpoint you watch them play for real. Amazing.
Other highlights include Eric Karros joining the booth alongside Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell, completely redesigned stadium-specific jumbotrons, and dynamic rain and cloud coverage that not only takes into account stadium location, but the wet field will now affect the on-field results. There's even a new fake throw system that enables fielders to fake like they're throwing the ball to a certain base in hopes of catching an aggressive runner on another base off guard (simply press throw twice to pull off the fake).
For online sports fans, the team at Sony admits to past trouble when it comes to playing their game over the PlayStation Network, but say they are doing everything in their power to ensure a better, smoother, and lag-free experience for "MLB 11." "We've been working a lot on online," adds senior producer Jason Villa, "and right now with our testing it's as close to offline play as it gets. We're going to continue to improve the stability as much as we can. Some people will tell us they have great connections, others don't, and it's hard to determine what the cause is. You never really know until you ship and get out on the shelves, but believe me, we're doing our best to make sure it's as good as we can possibly get it."
Other online improvements include flexible divisions in leagues (2, 4, or 6), custom roster support for league play, and the ability for commissioners to set AI controlled teams so that you can play in a league with 30 teams even if you only have a handful of human players. Commissioners also have the new ability to simulate or reset games to help advance the league. In addition, there's a new XP system that will grant XP points whether gamers win or lose online. The winner will now get 75% while the loser gets 25% of the points, and Sony hopes this alleviates the problem of competitors simply pulling the plug on online games once they fall behind. Winning percentage will also play a factor in your skill rank and help determine whether you're a rookie, veteran, or legend, not just your overall XP value (so don't automatically assume someone with 5,000 points is brilliant at the game, look at their win percentage).
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by cdj
Bookmarks