MLB ’08: Spring Training Already Underway

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It’s that time of the year, the development team for MLB 08 The Show is hard at work trying to again create the most authentic and realistic baseball experience available. I’m Chris Cutliff, Director of Production for the MLB franchise, and I’d like to give you a little insight on the dev team’s priority objectives for THE SHOW this year. For all you hard core fans, you will be happy to hear that we are working diligently to deliver not only the best baseball sim on any console to date, but also, our goal each year is to be the best sports game in the industry.

Yankees' Alex Rodriguez

Specifically, from a graphical standpoint, our primary focus this year was to incorporate a dramatic improvement to our environment lighting, player lighting, and textures in general. The MLB franchise is already considered by most as the most authentic baseball simulation available, but this year, we are aiming for an even more lifelike representation and with the addition of depth of field, improved environment lighting, new cloth techniques and enhanced facial textures, we are approaching photo realism. When comparing MLB 07 THE SHOW to MLB 08 THE SHOW, you will be extremely impressed with the overall graphical improvements. We’re very proud of our achievements in this area (check out the screens embedded in this post).

With regard to gameplay and features, we are building on the solid franchise foundation and continuing to push the envelope. The dev team has been hard at work constantly adding to and tuning the AI decisions, pitcher/batter strategy, controls, animations, presentation and audio. Each year our approach is to immerse the player in everything that is baseball and this year is no different.

Look for future post topics to include insight toward Road To The Show v. 2.0 (including an improved create player interface), all-new pitch and batter analysis, the Replay Vault, detailed gameplay enhancements, Progressive Batting Performance…aka batting streaks, My MLB Music, SportsConnect and much more.

It’s time to play ball… well, it will be soon.

Boston's Dice K

Boston's Mike LowellTexas' Michael Young

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80 Comments

3 Author Replies

  • I agree with WasabiKing MLB The Show needs a lot better Collision detection.

    I also would lobe to see ball girls and mascots on the field.

  • I forgot to say this, pleeease, do something about the players eyes. They really creeped me out last year :D.

  • I know this sounds a little weak, but can we please have a little more in game statistical depth during the franchise mode? Baseball is all about stats, it doesn’t have to be announced either (because I know that would make things alot harder). Example: how a batter is doing against another club for the series, and the season; how he has been hitting with runners are in scoring position, ect. That would definately give the game so much depth and realism. There is nothing more that brings a game down when you are playing an entire season and you get the same old stats when your batter takes the plate. Please, Please Please!

  • Huge graphical update from ’07. :)

  • that looks nothing like A-rod.

    Cmon Sony

  • Holy smoke this game looks HOT. I hope this ends up being the best MLB game in 08.

  • Looks sick!

  • Can’t wait till this one comes out. I love the series, but hopefully this year for the PS3 you will put in Home Run Derby and maybe some other mini games into it too.

  • Sorry, one more thing, please tell me you fixed the Leo Mazzelli bug!

  • MLB07 was the biggest reason last year to get a PS3 and it looks to be the biggest and best again for 08. Nice job fellas. This is the last game since High Heat where I had “perma grin” on my face the whole time I was playing a game. Any word on franchise swapping between the PS3 and the PSP?

  • I am a PC user reluctantly changing over to a platform. This game has made up my mind to purchase the PS3 and not the Xbox. All the preliminary info is very exciting.
    I’m very impressed that Chris Cutliff responds to issues raised on this site. I don’t believe I have ever seen this on the other sites I have been scouting out.
    One feature that is not mentioned but I truley miss from the old “High Heat” series is the ability to “manage only” but still get to watch the action as it happens and enjoy the great graphics. I’m a rather poor “thumb jockey” (since I’m a rather old dude) but I truley love baseball and look forward to the release of the 08 game.

  • Thank you, Chris! Then you got a sale right here!!—12

  • Is There a point of buying the PSP version? The reason i got The show 07 on PS2 was because of playing the demo for PSP. I mean why pay $40 for the PSP version which doesnt have rumble/ second stick or L2/R2 ?

    It was a good game on PSP though.

  • Please give Manny and Ordonez there long hair, it really makes them look so much better.

  • i agree with nickyj. i have hair to

  • When is this due ?

  • Oh man my dad would love this game!
    @NevilleThegame- Because its portable!
    @Sony and readers- Please look at this vid, my dreams, dedication and fanboism (also about 5 hours) went into making it, and sony, this would be tight!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvKwOm2UsP8

  • Hey Chris thanks for fixing the Yankees’ uniforms…I’d hate to see my favorite baseball team get butchered like that.

    I just want to again support the idea of more than 2 players(offline). This is something important which in Football games isn’t an issue since you can already play with up to 4 people.

    Like I said, co-op is a big thing, they should think ’bout it.

  • I just love mlb 07, sony has always made the baseball realistic and fun. I cant wait for mlb 08 to come out me and the boys are gona obsess like always, Please stop calling this game boring b/c it sounds like u guys want a fake all out homerun, bloopered baseball game.

  • 8 players on madden and NBA 2K are fun.

    You ppl dont know what ur missing. This another advantage PS1/2 had over its competion which was ablity to play with more than 4 players.

    8 players on ps2 cost us- $64(early 2002)

  • this game needs to improve on physical features such as hair, body proportions ex:
    mannys dreadlocks, david ortizs heavy body, also improve on commentators…either fox sports or espn themselves,…they add so much more to the realism of the game, and finally texture work such as grass dirt, etc….all this wud be good to take into consideration for future versions of the game….for this year i c big improvement good job sony.

  • @musik2020

    I have to agree with everything you said, very valid points there.

    They really need to make the players more personal instead of generic.

    Making Manny Ramirez with the dreadlocks is one of those little details which sports fans really look for.

  • @musik2020

    I rather listen to my own music than hear commentary in sports games.

  • @NevilleThegame

    i no wat u mean n im one like that…but the reason y i dont like da commentary its because its one weak spot in all sports games…reason y im sayin a way better commentary wud help the game.

  • You can in 07 be the manager and watch the game play. I really hope this stayed in for 08 as I like to use it a lot and it’s very fun.

    I find the features mentioned to be awesome. I’m so very extremely glad they kept in SportsConnect to view MLB headlines and news, In Game Live MLB scores.

    There is no mention of ingame save. So is there the ability to save your game while playing and then start where you left off next time you load the game? This to me is most important feature to add. In game save.

    One thing. It says not possible on any other platform when it talks about crowd interaction. This isn’t true. MLB2k7 for the 360 has the crowd catching foul balls. However with what Chris mentions about crowd interaction for 08 with vendors etc just rocks! I think this will add to the game and done right, look and be fun.

    One thing I really want to be in the 08 game is for the ball to actually hit walls and fasadds and not just go through everything. I am referring to everytime you hit a home run or foul ball it just goes through the crowd, walls etc. It should be like in ESPN Baseball because that’s baseball. If you hit a home run and say yer in Seattle and it bounces off the right field hit it here cafe window and all that, it doesn’t disappear and go through it. 08 needs to have this.

    Keep in old time players etc and let us use them on our team for franchise etc. Let us add to team even during the season/franchise etc. Not just before. So you play and get to unlock old time players, i want to add them even after I’ve started my franchise etc.

    There could be old time stadiums like Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds etc. Also we all would like to use these stadiums as our home team stadium during a franchise etc. So if I’m seattle or Oakland, I can play in the polo grounds or whatever stadiums there are. Also let us assign old time stadiums to AI teams as well. So if I’m controlling Atlanta or whatever, I want to be able to assign say my own old time stadium to myself and then other old time stadiums to other teams. I’d also like to be able to put old time players on other AI controlled teams when setting up the franchise etc in the beginning.

    One bug that is funny because it’s so stupid is when the Yankees play the center fielder is always replaced right when the game starts. This is so stupid it’s funny.

    I want to argu with umps at my choice, not only when the AI decides to argu. It’d be nice to have both as a choice, me choose to argue and the AI can initiate this.

    Mound visits where the catcher tells you if the guy is tired, has or does not have his stuff today etc. This would be nice instead of having them all just stand around. Also it’d be neat to have the home plate ump come out to the mound when enough time has passed.

    Auto warm relief pitchers is needed to so we don’t have to warm them up. I want the ability to choose if I want them warm already or if I want to warm them up.

    I hope you guys will k

  • I also think there needs to be info about how much money you made for that game after the game is played. After the game there needs to be more info about that game such asd fan attendance numbers like from the beginning, but in the end game info. Time of game is nice too. Not as in 45 minutes, but a realistic estimate like from mlb2k7. In that game it says time of game can be 3 hrs 12 minutes or whatever. End of game info should have replays of the best plays durring that game like from mlb2k7. Be nice to save the ones you want like the new MLB Replay vault thing. The money lost durring the season is rediculous to me. I don’t like the way it is now by showing I have lost 13 million bucks so far in the season. I just mean that there should be a better way to deal with the money in the game. End of game info such as attendance, how much you made from vendors, parking, attendance etc seperated. Total amount made for that game etc. Also when yer on the road you make money by the tv audiance. So have a TV rating like mlb2k7 does. Say 11.7 and market size of say 3 million or whatever. How much did you make from this away game? So say $865,000 with 11.7 rating, or a less rating then less money made from that away game etc. Keep the tv contracts and all the money finance features in the game now too. They’re awesome.

    There needs to be a printed manual that is 100% and very descriptive. Don’t only tell the basic controller functions, but please explain all settings, all features, all ways to use the settings and features like what they do etc. Ingame manual info for each screen is awesome too and of course needs to be in the game. However you need to make it more descriptive. I don’t know what most of the finance features are so it sure would be nice to know what certain things are, what they do and how they would affect your game.

    Be nice to have money in trade deals. So you offer a player and money and not just players. Trades should be that way and it sure would be realistic and awesome.

  • Dang, there’s a character limit here. How sad,. :(

  • I guess I ran out of space so I’d like to say that the sound of the game is amazing. The ball off the bat sound live in game and in replays, ball being caught in replays has the low bass sound, player footsteps you can hear them etc. Please keep all this. Awesome!

  • mlb the show is the best baseball game out there. 2k7 can’t compete with it.

  • I agree rolan. However there are a few cool things in the other game that would be neat to be in MLB08 and future releases.

    MLB07 The Show is just way awesome overall.

  • The graphics in 08 won’t be anything special because the PS3 I believe is capable of so much more. So I think those images look ok. Not awesome nor great, but ok as in just fine. I believe though if they cared much about the graphics they could make it look 10 times better and I mean tons better with as much power as Sony says the PS3 has. Or maybe Sony is lieing and the PS3 really doesn’t have much power. It would be nice to have Sony work on improving the graplhics like 10 fold, not just a minor update.

  • I have a psp and WIL LNOT buy mlb08 the show for my psp.. the graphics suck suck suck.. wow u can get so much memory on an apple i-pod but not on a device 2 times bigger with better grpphics to go with it?? i guess i will have 2 buy ps3 then i will be happy

  • I just wish the game had the Rockies black alternate uniform available!!!

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