Pedroia gets six year deal

[Dojji]

That gets backed up on the field.

 

I have no problem with smack talk when the player follows through. Unless it's against us, but even then I have to admit that at least, yes, the player did walk the talk.

[riverside sluggers]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/EB_MLB09_PS3_Cover.jpg

[Cocos Disciples]

He looks so funny. The game itself looks sick though, definitely getting it.

[redsoxrules]

Awsome

 

I'll have to get that game too

[riverside sluggers]

I heard a new option on it lets you record chants for certain players, sound like youre in the crowd. Gotta hear Yoooouk when he steps up to the plate

[Cocos Disciples]

http://assets.espn.go.com/media/videogames/photo/2008/1216/mlb09_firstlook_580x327.jpg

Think A-Rod chokes in the clutch? Ever shout "Dodgers suck!" or yell "Drewwwwwww" when J.D. walks up to the plate? MLB 09 is about to bring out the crazed fan in all of us as not only can you record your voice screaming anything from "Where's Madonna?" to "we want a pitcher not a belly itcher" and put it in the game thanks to peripherals like the Rock Band mic and wireless headset, the fan yells will sound like your voice actually coming from the stands. You can even assign the recordings to be part of a chant and your voice will be put through a new process so that it sounds more like a crowd chanting "over-rated" and not just a single person yelling.

 

That's right, MLB 09 The Show not only takes you down on the virtual field, your voice is featured inside the cyber stands shouting at your opponent's favorite players.

 

I call it Trash Talk 2.0, the next evolution of getting inside your opponent's head.

 

And it's just one of the new features in MLB 09, a game that follows in the Cooperstown-worthy tradition of an 08 game widely considered to be both the best baseball game of the year and one of the most accurate sports simulations ever created.

 

Here's just a sample of what the 09 version has in store when it hits shelves March 3.

 

Authenticity

Ask anyone about MLB 08, and the first thing fans want to talk about are the visuals. From the cut scenes to the walk up animations to the way players acted so, (should I say it?), real. Scenes played out in MLB 08 like nothing I had ever seen before in a baseball game.

MLB 09 is about to up the ante.

 

Sony promises over 700 new gameplay animations, more than 150 new personalized pitcher and batter routines, and another 400 new presentation animations. But that's only just the start as the producers of the game have also added dusk to night lighting transitions, wear and tear to the field, Jumbotron animations, and a crowd that even features weather-appropriate clothing. Every team mascot will also be featured in the game performing their signature moves and dances. Hopefully that means a whole lot of Lou Seal pelvic thrusts when the Dodgers are up to bat against the Giants, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

Road to the Show 3.0

This mode has always been a personal favorite as you create your own player then play both offense and defense from that one guy's perspective. The latest Road to the Show update includes an all-new steal and lead-off system (something that I thought was desperately needed), as well as interactive training to help improve your player's skills by competing in a series of mini-games. There will also be a lot more interaction with your coaches in 09 as they try to steer your player in the right direction on his journey through the minor leagues and all the way up to MLB superstardom.

 

Franchise 2.0

Sony has added a lot of little details that the hard-core MLB fans have been shouting for, including salary arbitration, waiver transactions, September call-ups, and the 40-man roster. Player personality will also come into play as gamers try to juggle the needs of the franchise versus the needs of their star players.

 

Online

Not only will the game support Online Season Leagues with fully functional drafts, Sony has also added flex scheduling so gamers can jump ahead and play games out of order depending on which opponents are online. Up to 30 teams can participate and the mode includes full stat tracking and customization down to number of teams and games in the schedule.

 

There is also a cool Roster Vault option where gamers can create their own custom rosters and upload them online for other gamers to use.

 

Custom Music/Replays

When it comes to customizing the audio, crowd chatter, chants, and smack talk are only a fraction of the options available. Gamers will also be able to store their favorite songs to their PlayStation 3 and assign them to be played at various points in the game, including a batter's walk-up animation.

 

The game will also feature a Replay Vault where gamers can store their favorite plays to the hard drive for future viewing pleasure (nothing is better than making your friend watch the walk-off bomb you hit to beat him over and over and over again).

 

Hotshot Fielding

A ball is smashed right at the third baseman. In past games, if the fielder is standing in the path of the ball, more times than not he's automatically going to make that catch. MLB 09 is adding some new calculations to the mix to include more dynamic fielder reactions as some balls will simply be too hot to handle and your player will drop the line drive or misplay the ball entirely depending on the velocity of the hit and the fielder's defensive ratings.

 

Other fielding additions include improved bare-handed flips and even players who dive with the ball in their bare hand to make the putout.

 

Master all these and you might also be ready to challenge the game's new Legendary difficulty level. Not for the faint of heart (or weak of thumbs).

 

Just the Facts

There is so much in MLB 09 The Show, that it's almost overwhelming. Luckily for us, Sony sent us an advanced look at their fact sheet for the upcoming game. Here are some of the other highlights worth noting:

 

* Progressive Batting Performance -- Reward players for superior performance and penalize them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, players are rewarded with contact bonuses for each batter that performs beyond his "natural ability" while under user control. Conversely, the user will be punished with slight decreases in contact for each batter that performs below his natural ability.

* Post Game/In Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis -- Available both in-game, post-game, and throughout Road to the Show, the Pitch Analysis is a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played. Gamers will be able sort by pitcher, LHB or RHB, pitch type and result. This feature is also available for Batters, and the batter analysis allows for a breakdown of how a batter has performed based on LHP or RHP, Pitch Type, and result.

* Pitch Grips -- MLB 09 The Show details various pitch grips and arm angles that a pitcher has when throwing each pitch. 17 different pitch types including four fastball variations (four-seam, two-seam, cutter, split), six breaking pitches (10-4 curve, 12-6 curve, slider, sinker, slurve, screwball), four change-ups (straight, circle change, palmball, forkball), and three specialty pitches (knuckle, knuckle-curve, and Gyro).

* SCOUT [sportsConnect Online User Tracking] -- SCOUT allows gamers to set their game preferences, stores them on the server, and then allows the system to look for a Quick Match with an opponent that fits their criteria.

* In-Game MLB Live Scores -- Gamers will get up-to-date reports on what is going on in the Majors including scores and notable status, such as HRs, complete games, etc.

* SportsConnect Headline News -- Stay on top of news around the league and receive all current happenings in sports today. Information is updated a few times each hour with news, trades, and events from 31 different feeds, each containing 25 unique items. Select General MLB headlines for updates from the entire league so news is not missed while online with MLB 09 The Show.

* Key modes -- Rivalry, Career, Season, and All-Star game are once again available to provide players a chance to challenge friends or the Artificial Intelligence in a variety of settings.

* Multi-Branch Fielding -- Branch Point Technology goes to a new level as gamers you can now take full control of fielders and break out of any animation in the process. Change a fielding decision and branch out of any animation after the first branch point.

* Adaptive Pitching Intelligence (API) -- Catchers will call the game based on individual strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher and analyze tendencies of batters. Gamers will have the ability to trust the pitches called by the catcher or shake them off. (The catcher's recommendations are based off of thousands of actual MLB stats.)

* Pitch Command System (PCS) -- A pitcher's "pitch comfort" will be predetermined based on a best to worst pitch scenario. The more a player works on a pitch, the better it becomes, and the more a gamer neglects a pitch, the harder it becomes to work the zone.

* Release Point Pitching -- Gamers must utilize a timing mechanism to learn and realize each pitchers pace and release point, which varies from pitcher to pitcher.

* Pitching Confidence Meter -- The ultimate pitcher/batter interface returns. Additionally, Pitcher Confidence plays a role in a gamer's ability to hit release points in the all-new pitch meter, while frequency of mistakes will impact the confidence level of a gamer's hurler, making it more difficult to paint the corners of the strike zone.

* Guess Pitch -- Baseball fans can attempt to master the ability to knock one out or hit the grounder to advance the runner by checking pitch history and correctly guessing which pitch and location that the pitcher will throw next. If a correct pitch is selected, the power attribute is increased to give the batter a higher chance of hitting one out of the park.

* PlayMaker Fielding -- Based on fielding attributes, but it's ultimately up to each player to decide how to play to each team's strengths and weaknesses. Excellent fielders will track down the ball for you while sub-par fielders will require some concentration.

* My Sliders (Up/Downloadable) -- The My Sliders option gives users the ability to create their perfect game settings offline by adjusting game sliders. Gamers can then save these adjustments to memory and, when online, upload to for other users to try and let the online community be the judge on finding the perfect game.

* Unrivaled Player Creator -- An infinite amount of options for creating players including everything right down to your own face with EyeToy (PS2 only). But it doesn't stop there. You can also adjust your personal rituals, swings even emotions as you create Mini-You.

* MLB Player Motion Captures -- MLB 09 The Show features authentically captured motions from dozens of professional athletes including David Wright, David Ortiz, Eric Chavez, Roger Clemens, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Hudson, Darryl Hamilton and more.

* Revamped Umpire Personalities -- Each umpire will have his own definition of the strike zone, and it's up to the gamer to figure out if the umpire is calling the zone high, low, or giving the corners.

* 3-Man Booth & Progressive Commentary -- Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian, and Dave Campbell return to provide the most comprehensive commentary available. Additionally, the game's Progressive Commentary system changes dialogue by adapting to current actions and situations.

 

Like we said, the list is overwhelming. Then again, baseball fans wouldn't have it any other way.

 

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/19/mlb-09-supports-rock-band-mic-headsets-for-heckling/

 

Lol at the bolded part. Who does that? Also, the waivers, arbitration, expanded rosters and 40 mans are exactly what has been missing in Franchise modes. Nice.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Is MVP Baseball ever coming back?

 

 

I'm trying to keep with the current rosters in MVP 2005, and that s*** is a mess now.

[Cocos Disciples]

Nope. I think EA basically traded their pro baseball rights for NFL (Madden) with 2K Sports.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I'm going to kick 2ksports in the nuts for making s***** baseball games.

 

 

Then I'm going to kick EA in the nuts twice, for being dumbshits. Madden was the only NFL game anyone ever bought anyway.

[jacksonianmarch]

He looks so funny. The game itself looks sick though' date=' definitely getting it.[/quote']

 

08 the show was a definite improvement, but I am still a bit upset that they didnt have true contract lengths in place. Nothing is worse than setting up the game, getting through one season and then seeing Tim Lincecum and Albert Pujols on the FA list

[Cocos Disciples]

That's always been a problem with baseball games. Sometimes the dollar figures are completely off too. Hopefully with the salary arbitration feature, less young guys will be FAs.

[example1]

08 the show was a definite improvement' date=' but I am still a bit upset that they didnt have true contract lengths in place. Nothing is worse than setting up the game, getting through one season and then seeing Tim Lincecum and Albert Pujols on the FA list[/quote']

 

I completely agree with this jacksonian. Half the fun is the offseason.

 

Which makes me interested in this title:

 

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/sports/mlbfrontofficemanager/news.html?sid=6201447&om_act=convert&om_clk=gsupdates&tag=updates;title;2

[jacksonianmarch]

I honestly dont care what the dollar figures are. I do care about the lengths. MLB always makes games that have the wrong lengths on deals. This makes for one hell of a realistic game but a totally unrealistic second season. At which point I usually let the game collect dust

[Cocos Disciples]

I honestly dont care what the dollar figures are. I do care about the lengths. MLB always makes games that have the wrong lengths on deals. This makes for one hell of a realistic game but a totally unrealistic second season. At which point I usually let the game collect dust

 

This is a good point-I almost never play a second season unless it's a drafted team, since I always know the next year's FA class in real life, and it's always wrong. The Show is a big reason I'm getting a PS3 (with Blu Ray being the primary reason).

[MANNYHOF24]

This is a good point-I almost never play a second season unless it's a drafted team' date=' since I always know the next year's FA class in real life, and it's always wrong. The Show is a big reason I'm getting a PS3 (with Blu Ray being the primary reason).[/quote']

 

Thats what made MVP baseball 2005 so great, every contract was the correct length and dollar amount.

[Cocos Disciples]

I completely agree with this jacksonian. Half the fun is the offseason.

 

Which makes me interested in this title:

 

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/sports/mlbfrontofficemanager/news.html?sid=6201447&om_act=convert&om_clk=gsupdates&tag=updates;title;2

 

Do you actually get to play the games in this game?

[See Red]

That's the kind of thing that bothers me. Rather than add s*** that should be in the game to begin with into the game, they put it into a separate game you have to pay for. Is it not enough we're already paying $60 for as hit or miss of a game as the MLB 2k series?

 

And by the way, MVP Baseball 2004 is still the best baseball game ever made not named Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball, which is the best of so many categories.

[Cocos Disciples]

^ That's why they should come out with a new game every other year and just release a roster patch the other year.

[riverside sluggers]

Thats what made MVP baseball 2005 so great' date=' every contract was the correct length and dollar amount.[/quote']

 

I traded for Smoltz on MLB 08, his salary was $20 million

 

on MLB 09, I am glad to see theyre adding in callups for the month of September

[riverside sluggers]

What graphics! Def a game you need a PS3 for

 

http://www.operationsports.com/images/u/media/1230140045-media.jpeg

[Cocos Disciples]

Sweeeet.

[BoSox21]

I cried when EA Sports lost their MLB license

[Cocos Disciples]

It should have been the other way around. EA had the best baseball game and 2K had the best football game. It's a shame that both were lost.

[msubulldogs21]

That game looks incredible. I hope their online play is better this year. I tried it a few times last year and that was about it due to the lag in the game. I mainly play franchise anyway though. Anyone know what day the rosters are set on there?

[riverside sluggers]

I believe its February 1st. MLB 08 went on sale on March 4

[Cocos Disciples]

They'll have an updated roster patch around Opening Day, though.

[example1]

Anyone try "MLB Front Office Manager"? It was released a few weeks back.

 

I didn't, the reviews were horrible.

 

Instead, I got Out of the Park Baseball 9 on the computer. It's a pretty amazing game, actually.

[Cocos Disciples]

Nah, I heard that it was awful too. I'm waiting (anxiously) for The Show. That games looks incredible.

[Dojji]

You got OOTP? I tend to stick to Clay Dreslough's humble little Baseball Mogul franchise.

 

It has its flaws --a major one is that you can't switch a starter to a reliever or easily stretch a reliever out to start, a big issue with historical pitchers where their role has switched in the past like John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Rich Gossage, or Derek Lowe, and even moreso with modern players whose roles are conroversial like Papelbon, Joba or Joakim Soria (or going the other way guys who would be better relievers like Eric Gagne or Mariano Rivera turned out to be).

 

Even worse with guys who IRL were starters this year (Feldman, Duchscherer) but last year were in relief. Trading system is whack too, you can acquire premium franchise arms or bats for a 15 player fail salad for example.

 

And then there's the perennial ace that is Houston Street once you go through the INSANELY overlabored process of stretching a guy out by leaving him on the roster in a starting role for 2+ years.

 

 

But it's a nice hit of baseball to help get through the winter and that counts for something. The PBP system is nice and getting better too It also has the advantage of being cheap.

 

I cried when Baseball Mogul Online went down. It's the only online game I know that made a manful attempt to get the whole GM experience down with a real effort to have an honest to God offseason and a relatively intuitive lineup and trade system based more or less on MLB rules. I wish/hope Clay could bring that back at some point. It was a good game.

[msubulldogs21]

Anyone try "MLB Front Office Manager"? It was released a few weeks back.

 

A friend of mine got it and he said he actually likes it despite the reviews. I'm not going to mess with it though because in about a month when The Show comes out I know I won't want to play anything else. The only gripe I really had about last year's game was the online play. It was too choppy. I hope that's fixed for '09.