Official MLB 2k10 Demo Impressions, Thoughts, etc.

[godspeed]

This game plays a pretty decent game this time around on the 360.

This coming from a newly converted Ps3 guy playing alot of the show 09 the last month.

I think 360 users will have a pretty decent baseball game to play this year.

Hitting was easy for me, but it is on pro. I hit 3 HRs in 3 games right out of the box, and I super suck at hitting on the show on veteran level.

Pitch speed seems slower then usual but again, I think it's because the level.

The graphics and movements I think are a huge huge improvement from last year, looks like a different game in that department. I do like the pitching and batter interface. I suprsingly liked the lower batter view. Infeld play still is a little to exaggerated, infeilders just seem like they are a little bit out of control at times.

No major gripes so far, a suprisingly decent baseball game for the little 3 inning games I've played and been able to experience.

Also what is up with them telling you what pitches is coming and where it is coming? Did the cpu miss his spot? Or is it because the diffculty level, because I don't really see a guess pitch option? I know you can guess location, but I didn't see guess pitch anywhere, didn't know why they were telling me this outside the strike zone box area..lol.

 

[TheSanchize]

Holy crap this game is amazing already. Definitely better then 2K9 ever was!

Only played one game so far but I won 2-1. I was playing as the Phillies. I got 5 hits off of Joba and the Yanks got 3 hits off of Antonio Bastardo. Both my runs came off of homeruns using the power swing. 1 was by Rollins and the other by Utley. Rollins' went to the short porch in right and Utley's just made it over the left centerfield wall. Obviously, there is going to have to be some slider adjustments. But, I am no longer worried about the $60 I spent on this game already by preordering it!

 

[Leftwich]

This is by far the best baseball game 2k sports has made. The Show 10 might have some competition but not likely.

 

[BuccaneerFan]

Color me surprised, this game actually isn't terrible! lol

The pitching interface is terrific. Batting is ok, I was getting used to the stick and making good contact. My first hit was a 428ft HR with A-Roid. I still prefer zone hitting as opposed to timing only, but the the analog stick swinging works pretty well in this game. Fielding is smoother than I remember from last time I played 2K baseball, but still has some of that famous robotic "herky jerky" 2K feel.

Overall, if you don't have PS3 it looks like you'll at least have a decent baseball game this year.

 

[jaggles82]

were you guys using the regular swing when you hit your homeruns or were you using the power swing? I can't ever seem to get the power swing timed to the pitch.

 

[FUSE]

I only got hrs when i used power.

edit: since this post, i have hit 1 hr with a contact swing, which went to the opposite field(right field) with Shane Victorino.

 

[Garrett67]

I'm a 'Show' guy but I wish The Show had this pitching scheme. Maybe I like it so much because I've never used it much but its great to have options.


Edit: I just played a game, I was the Yankees.. I scored 10 runs in the first inning and quit.

I like the pitching, that is about it. There are too many things that I see in the game that bother me, albeit a demo but I know 2K.

 

[Townie33]

I probably played a dozen games of the demo yesterday. I have yet to see a night game! LOL

If I were strictly a 360 owner I would be pretty excited. But I'm a "Show" guy, so I was excited to see how a different game played.

I do really like the hit stick. I do like the way you run the bases. I felt the game was smooth. I enjoyed the swing feedback (very nice).

I thought the animations ran very, very smooth. I thought the game looked good. Many have commented on enjoying the pitcher/batter interface. It is so very different from The Show. "Total Control" pitching takes some getting used to. I like it, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for error. I really like the behind-the-pitcher camera angle and the way you see the catcher call the pitches.

"Total Control" batting (using the HIT STICK) is cool. Some love it. The part I don't like is I found it way too easy (again) to go deep by pushing up on the left thumbstick as you are hitting using either method. In one three innng game I hit six dingers with the Yankees.

Some of the gameplay animations I just didn't like. At the end of a play I would see infielders take throws from the outfield, yet they would be facing towards the outfield wall??? I had one play where a grounder went to my first baseman, he underhanded the ball to the pitcher covering first. Unfortunately my pitcher stopped a few steps short of first. I assumed he would cover the bag on his own. But no! I was supposed to manually control him once he got the ball.

Another play which aggrivated me to no end was at the end of an inning. I'm in the field with two outs and runners at first and second. The batter hits a grounder to my second baseman. For whatever reason he goes into the throwing animation immediately to third! Crazy stuff.

The field of play seems to be a bit smallish to me for whatever reason. In contrast, the Phils numbers are enormous! LOL

Another oddity I found was that I intentionally hit three batters in a row. Nothing. No one got upset. No one got warned. No one got tossed. Nothing.

Lastly, I know I've been spoiled by playing The Show, but balls are called balls and strikes are called strikes. No umpire error here.

Can't wait until next Tuesday.

 

[hoodyallen]

I've been a 2k player forever, I just got a PS3, I'm not even gonna download the 2k10 demo.

 

[Tengo Juego]

"Total Control" pitching takes some getting used to. I like it, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for error.

I really dont care for analog pitching. Mainly for the reason you gave, it leaves almost no room for error. It can be difficult to rotate the analog stick in a perfect circle or exactly where it's supposed to be. Or sometimes you'll get a pitch that calls for you to move the analog stick Up and 90 degrees left or right, and if you go just a bit further, you get a bad gesture.

The arc that MVP used, and the Show still uses, is what I'll always prefer.

As for total control batting, I like that defensive swinging has been added. Theres probably not much use on a lower difficulty. But I think it'll be great when you're jammed and have a pitcher really working the corners. I still feel like batting as a whole feels... almost 'cheap' or gamey/arcade-ish. Bat cracks sound the same as they always have, and I dont like em.

Something that I really like, and no one has really mentioned, is Swing and Pitch analysis. Occasionally you'll get a PiP pop up and you can hit X to analyze your swing or pitch.

Another thing that annoyed me was every pitcher kept his hands down at his side when getting the call from the catcher or selecting your pitch. I hope it's just a demo thing. Signature styles should include this.

 

[godspeed]

I'm a 'Show' guy but I wish The Show had this pitching scheme. Maybe I like it so much because I've never used it much but its great to have options.


Edit: I just played a game, I was the Yankees.. I scored 10 runs in the first inning and quit.

Granted it is on Pro difficulty, but I too was scoring runs and hitting with ease, or maybe because I'm used to the show where it seems harder to hit. Regardless, it did seem to be a decent baseball game.

One thing that made it was easy to hit, and maybe someone can clarfiy this:

Why does it tell you sometimes what pitch type is coming at you sometimes?

At the outside of the zone hitting sqaure, the pitch type will sometimes be displayed for you. But why and how? There is no pitch guess selection that I am aware of. This is what made hitting easy, maybe it's because it
is on pro it does this, or the cpu is missing it's meter.

 

[FedEx227]

They have a new batters eye type thing, that's why you're seeing the type of pitch. Granted again, it's on Pro, but guys with good eyes, when the pitch isn't thrown perfectly will be able to see what type of pitch is being thrown.

A lot like MVP 05 use to have the color ball that would tell you what was being thrown if the pitcher "hung" it.

 

[FedEx227]

Nobody who plays The Show or has a PS3 should comment on or play this demo. Just go away and let us 360-only guys willow in our misery and justify another $60 purchase.

 

[Garrett67]

Ahh im not liking this demo. Feels a little "too" something to me. I'm thinking arcade"y"? But that's probably because I play the Show.

Yeah, I think it has an arcade'y' feel to it too. It might be that it has a hint of cartoon look to it when you're not close up to a player. The close-ups look fine I suppose but as the camera pans out during a hit, it looks too colorful or artificial to me.

Like I said, I love the pitching just because its harder than just watching a meter. What I don't like is watching the baserunning. The players move too 'oddly' and they make a weird cut when they run around 3rd.

Fielders run WAY too fast but I imagine there is still a speed slider, or I hope there is.

I do think the hitting is too easy though, even for Pro. Let me explain why I say this. I haven't played a baseball game in at least 6 months, not even one pitch so I shouldn't have been able to score 10 runs in the very first inning I play, regardless of level. Especially with a game I haven't played since 2K7 (which looked better in my opinion).

 

[Colonel Angus]

So glad I have a PS3 this year for the new year of Baseball gaming. I just dont know if I could've endured another 2k game...

 

[godspeed]

Nobody who plays The Show or has a PS3 should comment on or play this demo. Just go away and let us 360-only guys willow in our misery and justify another $60 purchase.

LOL..it's actually a pretty decent game, I was impressed with the demo.

 

[Garrett67]

Nobody who plays The Show or has a PS3 should comment on or play this demo. Just go away and let us 360-only guys willow in our misery and justify another $60 purchase.

So does that mean everybody who plays The Show should comment?

Seriously though. Its just a demo and I'm sure the game will be pretty decent. I might even pick it up just because I like the pitching so much.

I also like how you get the batters stats with every change of the count. That is pretty cool.

 

[Derrville]

Havent played a MLB 2K game since 2k8. I never had any real complaints about the game either but ive never played more than 15 games or ever played any year of the Show. I can say though that this demo feels silky smooth and responsive. The atmosphere bores me a bit though and im not used to pitching using the right stick.

 

[FUSE]

Dunno if anyone else noticed this but the outfield scoreboard also follows along with your progress. I'm talking about the mini one in left center. I flew out there in the 3rd inning and my outs went from 1 to 2, and it had zeros in the first 2 innings and the phillies 3rd as well as 2 hits for the phillies and 1 for me, which was correct

 

[celtsxpatsxsox]

Dunno if anyone else noticed this but the outfield scoreboard also follows along with your progress. I'm talking about the mini one in left center. I flew out there in the 3rd inning and my outs went from 1 to 2, and it had zeros in the first 2 innings and the phillies 3rd as well as 2 hits for the phillies and 1 for me, which was correct

I think they also added live scoreboard in franchise mode so you can see the scores of other games that are going in on your franchise. Kinda like what NBA 2k10 has.