MLB 2K8 interview

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:06 am

TheGamer wrote: If first impressions count for anything, I came away encouraged about the improvements made and the direction the game is headed. 2K seemed to realize that MLB 2K7 was a decent effort, but a few major flaws held the game from reaching it's potential. This year the theme for MLB 2K8 seemed to build upon the foundation laid last year. Vetz will have more in-depth info on MLB in the coming weeks, so stay tuned."

People have to remember also that Brinkman had said that the 2K baseball series is on a three year plan to baseball perfection (2K8 being #2). If the jump in 2K8 is anything like what we saw with 2K6 to 2K7 this game will rock.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:16 am

LOVE the improvements he's talking about here.

Hitting loses the power swing.. should be standard on all baseball games by now.. kind of like how EA has no more speed bursts in their NHL series.

I also love the sound of the new pitching interface and how he's been walking batters. Hopefully the difficulty stays there as you learn the new interface.

It's going to be fun this year playing with the Cardinals for once, because on paper they look HORRIBLE this year.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:23 am

I LOVE how this game is sounding so far! I especially like how he said in the interview that this game makes him feel like he first felt when playing MVP.
This game sounds extremely promising. I also like how you won't be able to pinpoint your pitches anymore. That was one thing that really bugged me about MLB2K5-7.

The only think that has me worried, is that he said it's "easier" to hit now with the swing stick. I thought it was way too easy to make contact in last year's game, so I was hoping they would make hitting harder.

Can't wait to try the demo. Anyone know when it's supposed to drop?

warnerwlf98 · Post by **warnerwlf98** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:23 am

Finally the swing stick has been modified to work like the swinging mechanic in the MVP NCAA game. Great! It felt very natural hitting that way.

The fielding also seems like that in the NCAA version - using the left stick that gives you a meter. I really enjoyed that too.

This one is showing some promise.

warnerwlf98 · Post by **warnerwlf98** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:24 am

JackB1 wrote: Can't wait to try the demo. Anyone know when it's supposed to drop?

I think Brinkman said sometime around mid February in the Gamepot interview.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:42 am

Well, I like the simplicity of running the bases. I've never understood why developers make running the bases so confusing. This sounds very understandable. I'm curious how well it'll work when you have more than just one runner on base.

The pitching interface sounds interesting, but I'm definitely not sold on it just yet. Press down, then up, half circle here, etc. I just don't know. I'm not a big fan of all those icons, targets, circles that widen, etc. when playing. It tends to distract me, and reminds me more of a target shooting than pitching. But anything has to better than last year. Pitching was horrific and boring.

Fielding seems a lot more intuitive. I'm really looking forward to using the analog stick. Hopefully, the player animations are improved and the throwing looks more natural.

I wish the guy who was giving impressions on the game would have commented on the sound of the bat making contact with the ball. I'm really hoping they gave it a more authentic sound. In either case, I know for a fact I'm going to enjoy batting more this year as opposed to last year. As I already commented on the last year's pitching interface, the batting was just as frustrating and a weak spot in the game. I would prefer zone hitting, but at least it's been overhauled.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:52 pm

sportdan30 wrote: I wish the guy who was giving impressions on the game would have commented on the sound of the bat making contact with the ball. I'm really hoping they gave it a more authentic sound.

Funny you mention that, because I always focus on that sound. MLB The Show07 has a great ball/bat sound. I think that sound of a batted ball is one of the great parts of the game. It can ruin a game for me, when that sounds isn't realistic. It's puzzling why games don't always nail that sound.

slyguy · Post by **slyguy** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:09 pm

JackB1 wrote:I LOVE how this game is sounding so far! I especially like how he said in the interview that this game makes him feel like he first felt when playing MVP.
This game sounds extremely promising. I also like how you won't be able to pinpoint your pitches anymore. That was one thing that really bugged me about MLB2K5-7.

The only think that has me worried, is that he said it's "easier" to hit now with the swing stick. I thought it was way too easy to make contact in last year's game, so I was hoping they would make hitting harder.

Can't wait to try the demo. Anyone know when it's supposed to drop?

Jack i'm loving what i'm hearing also. The hitting part has me a littlle worried too. As far as the demo it's supposed to be coming the first week in Feb

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:16 pm

slyguy wrote:Jack i'm loving what i'm hearing also. The hitting part has me a littlle worried too. As far as the demo it's supposed to be coming the first week in Feb

Great news!!!

spooky157 · Post by **spooky157** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:51 pm

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/898/ ... ids_1.html

First vids are out....

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:05 pm

spooky157 wrote:http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/898/ ... ids_1.html

First vids are out....

Thanks for the heads up. I watched it in SD, but it looked very nice. It's hard to get a gauge on the pitching interface, but the batting does look better than a year ago. The video stuttered a little for me, but you can tell the fps is definitely improved. The players look a little robotic at the plate, but the fielding looks great.

I don't know about the rest of you, but the play by play is just meh. I definitely don't think I could listen to this announcing team all season long.

snaz16 · Post by **snaz16** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:56 pm

sportdan30 wrote:
spooky157 wrote:http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/898/ ... ids_1.html

First vids are out....
Thanks for the heads up. I watched it in SD, but it looked very nice. It's hard to get a gauge on the pitching interface, but the batting does look better than a year ago. The video stuttered a little for me, but you can tell the fps is definitely improved. The players look a little robotic at the plate, but the fielding looks great.

I don't know about the rest of you, but the play by play is just meh. I definitely don't think I could listen to this announcing team all season long.

Can't take too much from those,but I have to agree that there wasn't a whole lot of change in the verbage of Morgan and Miller.
With "The Show" a definite buy,I might just sit back and let you guys take a rip at this one before i pluck down the cabbage. Baseball is my weakness though,and these vids will probably be up on Game Trailers in a couple of days in HD,and change my mind.
Hopefully a demo drops and gives us some good impressions.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:13 pm

Yeah, I think we'll get a much better feel for the game with a demo. Those who have played The Show know what to expect, but with 2K8 the pitching and batting interface has changed. Those are two significant aspects of the game. Fielding is also new as well.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:17 pm

I'm juiced for this game!

I loved it last year and I hope the same this year. It all looks great to me and I can't wait to try the new pitching and hitting interface.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:56 pm

I do hope the stuttering is the videos and not during gameplay.

MUTTS · Post by **MUTTS** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:44 pm

jerseys flailing all over the place in the wind during the jeter at bat in boston

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:07 am

OS cracks me up. People flipping out over some videos.

OMFG have to go out and get a ps3 2k8 sukks foos!!!!!!!!!

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:45 am

I love the runner at 2nd base diving back to the bag on the throw back to the pitcher.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:23 am

The Show/ MLB 2k8, whatever... (from another MLB thread) It always goes like this:

"New baseball games in a forum" recipe:

1.Bad/mediocre reviews hit the web
2.Everyone says 'screw the reviews'
3.One week of people posting how awesome the game is
4.Next week people start posting flaws/wish-list items
5.Next week people post how their game is going on ebay
6.Eight weeks later the hardcore post how they are still loving the game

Sprinkle in some slider discussion to taste and bake for 45 minutes...

spooky157 · Post by **spooky157** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:24 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:I love the runner at 2nd base diving back to the bag on the throw back to the pitcher.

Yeah, I got a good chuckle from that too. Maybe it was because they were playing a 2 player game. The swing animations look improved. In 2K7 it looked like everyone put the same swing on the ball no matter the location of the pitch. After watching these videos and having picked up a PS3 and playing the Show for the past few weeks, I have to say that the one area that I prefer in 2K over the Show is in the batting stances and the pitcher deliveries.

MizzouRah - the framerate stutters kinda remind me of the stuttering that happened in MVP 04. The framerate would always get bogged down whenever the ball was put in play. I hope it was just the video player too but MVP 04 was also the second year in MVP's 3 year plan, just like 2K8 is for the 2K series. Coincidence?

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:20 am

Did they add zone batting this year?

slyguy · Post by **slyguy** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:23 pm

The stuttering of the vid (diving play) has me a little worried. I hope it just the vid. Kush Gamer was at OS and said he didn't notice it. My feeling is its still in the game (stuttering) because he said he didn't notice it, he maybe so use to it thats why he didn't notice it

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:51 pm

spooky157 wrote:http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/898/ ... ids_1.html

First vids are out....

I'm not impressed by those VIDEOS...and that is all they are so lets not get crazy. I realize they are the first vids but it just doesn't impress me. I know the inevitable comparison to The Show is impossible to avoid, but I will compare any game to The Show until it is dethroned. I'm sure 2k8 will have some nice improvements but those vids don't really show me much...except for a bad framerate. Again. its early. Hopefully Brinkman and his boys will throw a solid game out there.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:42 pm

spooky157 wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:I love the runner at 2nd base diving back to the bag on the throw back to the pitcher.
Yeah, I got a good chuckle from that too. Maybe it was because they were playing a 2 player game. The swing animations look improved. In 2K7 it looked like everyone put the same swing on the ball no matter the location of the pitch. After watching these videos and having picked up a PS3 and playing the Show for the past few weeks, I have to say that the one area that I prefer in 2K over the Show is in the batting stances and the pitcher deliveries.

MizzouRah - the framerate stutters kinda remind me of the stuttering that happened in MVP 04. The framerate would always get bogged down whenever the ball was put in play. I hope it was just the video player too but MVP 04 was also the second year in MVP's 3 year plan, just like 2K8 is for the 2K series. Coincidence?

That was my thoughts.. the other player probably hit the retreat button.

I remember MVP 04 and some of the studdering.. I just hope it doesn't hurt the gameplay.

kicko · Post by **kicko** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:14 pm

I'll take that stutter if they fixed the playoff bug where most players the season just froze.