Awful reviews for Inside pitch?

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Wed May 28, 2003 8:54 am

You guys seem to love Inside Pitch - have you read the IGN review ?
 
 "With all this dissention, it´s nice to know there´s one thing every sports enthusiast will agree on this summer: Inside Pitch 2003 is nobody´s favorite pastime. In fact, Inside Pitch has the dubious honor of easily being the worst baseball game on Xbox this year. With no franchise mode, mediocre graphics, forgettable sound, and ugly gameplay, Inside Pitch puts Microsoft sports on the same level as 989 Studios. In short: This game sucks, don´t buy it. "
 
 What´s the deal here?

K_Mosley · Post by **K_Mosley** » Wed May 28, 2003 9:24 am

It´s IGN... ´nuff said!
 
 In fairness, the game is VERY lacking in 1P mode, for those that love stats and GM stuff. The gameplay is solid, however. This title really shines online, as it enables players to have a fun, well-paced, realistic game of baseball. No doubt IP is a gem online, but it´s weak offline with all things considered, IMO. Don´t get me wrong; it plays a decent game of baseball, but it really lacks in every other category.
 
 Kevin

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 28, 2003 10:11 am

IGN is f*cking high, plain and simple.
 
 First off, IP is not as bad offline as people are depicting it. It´s shy on features, such as no franchise mode and no box scores after games, and the player graphics and animations are so-so. But other than the occasional baserunning foible, I see no game-killing flaws on the field.
 
 In fact, IP does some things better than any of the baseball titles. Fielders´ abilities and player´s speed are indicated by a green-yellow-red color-coding naming system under each player, and a red runner definitely is slower than a green runner, for example. And on the field, balls that a good first baseman will catch will whiz past dough boys at first like Mo Vaughn.
 
 The batter-pitcher interface also is very good. It´s great to be able to move a batter around in the box, and the contact and physics model is very solid. If you swing late, you will go opposite field, etc. There´s also a very good variety of hits -- much better than MVP and arguably better than WSB 2K3. The pitch speed is excellent, too. Plus the strike zone is enforced as well as any baseball game I´ve played. The zone still is too big in WSB 2K3, forcing you to take too many hacks at the plate.
 
 My only argument about the pitcher-batter interface is the pitcher fatigue model. It seems a bit permissive. But once pitchers get tired, they will toss meatballs with regularity. So players should give their pitchers the hook pretty quickly unless they want to get tagged.
 
 I find the baserunning intuitive and realistic, and the fielding model is the best of any of the "big four" for the Xbox this year. People who are bitching on other boards about the ease of running out base hits simply don´t know how to play the field in this game.
 
 Quite frankly, you must play the ball in this game. You can´t wait for a slow or even medium roller to dribble into your glove and then throw to first. You need to charge grounders and use the right stick to throw to first right when the ball gets into your glove, and you´ll throw out runners by two or three steps.
 
 Same for the outfield. You need to get a jump on the ball and make the play, or the ball will go into the gap. There´s no magical magnetic fielding mechanism like in some other baseball games.
 
 Finally, the field size is superb. Feels just right.
 
 I´ve had an exciting variety of offline games on IP -- slugfests, pitcher´s duels, routs and rallies. And unlike WSB 2K3, I´m not getting 15 hits and scoring just three runs. WSB 2K3 is single-happy; IP is not. There´s a nice variety of hits and ways to produce runs.
 
 And like everyone says, this game is superb online. In fact, after playing just two games last night, I´ll call IP the best team sports game I´ve played on Xbox Live, including NHL 2K3 and NFL 2K3, my prior benchmarks.
 
 My two online games were lag-free and fun as hell. Lost playing to a guy from Chicago, 3-2, as my late rally from a 3-0 deficit fell just short. I then played Cincinnati Kid from this board and the SR board and rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the last two innings to win 7-4.
 
 There´s something about baseball that´s perfectly suited to the communal nature of online play. It´s a slower game, so you can actually take time to bulls*it with the guy on the other end. And since the leisurely pace of baseball doesn´t appeal as much to the younger crowd these days, I think you´ll find older, more mature gamers playing this game online. Oh, and since it doesn´t have the EA label on it, I think much of the "ROXXORS and SUX" crowd will avoid it.
 
 And that´s just fine with this 37-year-old gamer.
 
 I think it´s almost impossible to cheese in this game, too. I mean, how can you cheese in baseball? There are no Hail Mary passes on fourth-and-37, no endless fast breaks or full-court presses, no goalies being pulled with seven minutes remaining. Just pure fun and satisfaction.
 
 Is IP the best offline baseball game this year? No. But I think it´s every bit as good or better than ASB and MVP, and it´s a closer to HH and WSB than many think.
 
 But when you add in the fantastic fun and realism of online play, especially when trying to decipher a human pitcher´s throwing tendencies while just chatting about with him, IP is my choice.
 
 I put my copy of WSB 2K3 on eBay after just two XBL games of IP last night. I had no intention of buying this game. But IP had me at hello; it had me at hello. My rental is becoming a purchase this week.
 
 Take care,
 PK
 [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 28-05-2003 10:38 ]

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:03 am

Glad to see you on the IP tip PK !!!
 
 We DEFINITELY need to get our game on soon ! Let´s schedule a time shall we !?!?!?
 
 
 "Hey, hey, Holy Mackerel, no doubt about it, the Cubs are on their way !" Everybody sing along...

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:06 am

Spooky:
 
 You betcha. Tomorrow night probably will work well with me. My rental of IP ends tonight, and I´ll probably pick up the game tomorrow or Thursday.
 
 Friday is a no-go. The Frau and kids are throwing me a 38th birthday party with friends and family. <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 Take care,
 PK

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:10 am

What PK said <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:14 am

Sounds good gentlemen !
 
 let´s try and do a Thursday night miniature tourny !
 
 PK and Leebo, Let´s try and settle on a time.
 
 Oh and PK, HAPPY FRICKIN´ B-DAY MY GAMING BRO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 38, sheeesh, can you still hold a controller all by yourself ??? Are you having your B-Day cake through a straw ???
 
 My Cubbies are more than ready to give you your birthday spanking. <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">

K_Mosley · Post by **K_Mosley** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:28 am

Nice post, Paul! I meant to say all that... <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_biggrin.gif">
 
 Do you want in the Calvert Games league I´ve got going? We´re up to 14 teams now. The official league constitution is now on the main page... Just let me know!
 
 Kevin

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:47 am

From Kevin´s IP League message...
 
 "treat each other with respect, and most importantly, remember that this is for FUN, not for blood or money. "
 
 Forget it. I thought I was getting a quart of blood from my defeated oppenents and at least $100 cash for every win.
 
 I guess I´m out !!!!!!! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Wed May 28, 2003 12:00 pm

Um, guys, I write the racing reviews for IGN -- so I guess I should take that personally? <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 I guess I´m just wondering at this point if perhaps the IGN reviewer just didn´t play online enough to experience the thrills you guys are apparently having. I can deal with some disparity of reviews and opinions - that´s natural. But here it seems to be a case where the reviewer was totally opposite you guys. Another review cited on GameRankings gives it a 30, while another gives it an 80. So IGN just split the difference.
 
 No replays at all? Seriously?
 
 Randy

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 28, 2003 1:17 pm

Randy:
 
 Don´t take it personally.
 
 You´re one of the few and the proud: An honest, objective reviewer at IGN that actually treats the English language with respect and plays a game for more than 30 minutes before writing the review. If anything, you singlehandedly elevate that site. Frankly, you´re too good for that piece-of-sh*t site, but I know the exposure is good for you and your reviewing skills.
 
 Walk tall, bro! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 Take care,
 PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 28, 2003 1:22 pm

Randy:
 
 No replays. And knowing how you love replays based on our one NFL 2K3 game online, that might cause you to seize up! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 IP is a very bare-bones experience. But the gameplay is very, very solid offline and online. Microsoft definitely took the sound approach with development of this game. Get the gameplay and online play solid for the first year and add the eye-candy and trimmings next year, hopefully.
 
 Out,
 PK

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 28, 2003 1:27 pm

Kevin:
 
 The league is very tempting, but a three- to six-game series is just too much for me to handle during the summer when racing season is at full throttle.
 
 Plus I love NFL 2K3 with my brother-in-law on XBL too much to slice into that time for a league. But I definitely look forward to "one-off" IP games against you guys on XBL!
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 28-05-2003 10:27 ]

K_Mosley · Post by **K_Mosley** » Wed May 28, 2003 1:52 pm

Paul,
 
 Cool... I completely understand. That said, the invitation is always open to you. Just say the word...
 
 I´ll hook up with you online sometime for some IP action!
 
 Take Care,
 
 Kevin

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Wed May 28, 2003 3:10 pm

Another killing field:
 
 http://www.gamerankings.com/itemranking ... wid=192998

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed May 28, 2003 3:25 pm

I don´t mind poor reviews as much as I dislike statements that just are not true. From the IGN review:
 
 “Fielding follows the trend of most baseball games in that it really doesn´t matter who´s on the field. Ben Grieves can make a great play just as often as Ichiro. However, Pitch takes fielding to an even lower level with some physically impossible throws and some terrible cameras. Once the ball is thrown, the camera does a weird spin into a cinematic mode. Occasionally this offers a cool visual, like when Nomar snaps up a grounder and flings it to first and the camera flips 180 degrees just as the ball reaches its apex. But in other instances it´s terrible. For instance, if the right fielder throws a ball home, the camera switches to a low-perspective view of the catcher waiting for the ball, which sometimes can take 20 seconds to get home.”
 
 This is the most inaccurate statement in the review. Try fielding with Ichiro and then with Jeremy Burnitz. Almost everyone that has played IP states that this is a STRENGTH of the game. Try making a long throw with Kenny Lofton and then Bobby Abreau. The reviewer should also learn how to use the cut-off man to speed up the throws. Also, the reviewer was specific enough to use an exact figure on how long it takes to get the throw home with no sense of sarcasm. Do me a favor. Look at your watch for 20 seconds. It’s a long time isn’t it? Next time you play IP make a throw home (what the heck, play like a newbie and don’t use the cutoff man on a long throw)…think it takes 20 seconds?
 
 
 "Inside Pitch doesn´t preload throws. So you can´t press the B button as you´re about to scoop up a grounder so that it can be instantly slung to first. Instead, you have to wait for the "pick up the ball" animation to finish before you can press the button and throw to the base. This results in some stilted looking plays and, sometimes, runners being safe when they should have been thrown out."
 
 You can essentially preload all your throws by using the right stick. It takes a little practice, but just hold the right stick to the preferred base as you are fielding it. The animation is smooth. Should the face buttons work? Absolutely, but there is a viable alternative that works and once you get used to it you rarely throw to the wrong base.
 
 
 “Batting requires both timing and aiming in the right location. The strike zone is broken up into the nine-square grid standard. Hitting a long ball simply requires choosing the same location as the pitcher and then not swinging too early or late. Inside Pitch dissolves most of the "hey, $#^& happens" aspects of baseball with pitching and hitting that feels more like a test of rock/paper/scissors than actual baseball physics.”
 
 As opposed to what? Using a cursor to chase the ball down? In IP you have to actually look at the pitch and time it correctly. A nasty slider or overhand curve ball look totally different. With practice you can start to spray the ball realistically if you have a good hitter and you execute properly, but yet against a good pitcher controlled by a good player who mixes up pitches you can strike out a lot. The B/P interface is a STRENGTH of the game. The reviewer obviously prefers a cursor-based system, which is fine. Just don’t let it effect your objectivity.
 
 
 “Grounders will often die rolling towards the outfield and throws home will often end in you watching the ball slowly trickle towards the plate.”
 
 Often? I’ve seen it a few times in hours of gameplay. There is much more hit variety than more highly-regarded games as HH and WSB. If you throw to the plate with a player with a poor arm without using the cutoff man the ball will trickle home. What’s the problem?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed May 28, 2003 3:29 pm

Of course, this idiot´s main gripe is the Create A Player mode. Another "ROXXORS, SUX" idiot from gamers.com.
 
 Let me look at his points specifically:
 
 >>>the game features: minimal replays;<<<
 
 Actually, it has none. That, and a lack of box scores, are big negatives.
 
 >>>terrible, hands-off pitching controls<<<
 
 What the f*ck does this mean? Hands-off pitching controls? This moron wants to be able to pitch without pressing buttons? The pitching control in this game is every bit as good as any of the other games, except the very cool meter system in MVP.
 
 >>>zero fan interaction<<<
 
 Wrong. The crowd noise is somewhat subdued. But it´s there. Not as good as MVP, but EA always nails the window dressing.
 
 >>>awkward angles that make first and second base appear to be separated by, oh, three inches<<<
 
 I need to get some of this guy´s drugs. IP has the most realistic-looking field dimensions of any of the baseball games this year.
 
 >>>corny sound effects<<<
 
 Hmm. Crack of the bat and thud of the glove sound good to me. I actually like the way players grunt when they swing hard and miss. No other game does this.
 
 >>>players who, while throwing the baseball, resemble uncoordinated stick figures<<<
 
 Yep, the animation isn´t the best. But it´s serviceable and doesn´t detract from the gameplay.
 
 >>>and fat Yankee pitcher David Wells weighing approximately 90 pounds.<<<
 
 Haven´t pitched Wells, so I can´t comment. But Mo Vaughn does look like a porker in this game, and Eckstein is a shrimp.
 
 In a nutshell, this review is a joke. IP isn´t the best single-player baseball game available this year, as I said. I´ll still give that nod to WSB. But combining the decent offline play with very, very fun online play, IP is my keeper this year.
 
 It seems that IP is the whipping boy this spring of the gaming press, much like Inside Drive 2003 was last fall. I guess the colossus Microsoft is easy to hate. Either that, or its E3 swag really sucked compared to EA.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 28-05-2003 12:31 ]

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Wed May 28, 2003 3:42 pm

Bought IP and played a few games last night. So far, so good. Lack of boxscores is a real bummer, but the gameplay is where IP shines.

Bill_Abner · Post by **Bill_Abner** » Wed May 28, 2003 8:24 pm

It sounds like from what you fellas are saying that IP is a lot like the original High Heat (HH99). Good gameplay, poor features. Close comparison?
 
 I have my copy from MS sitting here unopened. Guess I should give it a whirl afterall.