MLB 11 The Show: Why We Can't Wait to Play This Year's Game
Get excited, folks. MLB 11: The Show is due out for PS3 on Tuesday, more or less making it official that the 2011 baseball season is just around the corner.
As I'm sure most self-respecting gamers are well aware, MLB 10: The Show was a huge hit with both critics and fans. It scored a 91 percent on Metacritic and millions of copies of the game were sold. Sony made some pretty awesome additions to last year's game, and this year's edition boasts even more.
Of course, we could get into that right now, but then we wouldn't need to go ahead with the slideshow, would we?
In all, we have 10 reasons why you should be excited for MLB 11: The Show. So if you're in the mood for an unofficial sales pitch, go ahead and start the slideshow.
10. Black Ops Is Getting Old
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I'm going to go ahead and assume that the only people who bothered to go ahead with this slideshow are hardcore gamers. And if this is true, I'm also going to assume that, like me, you all are big fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops.
If so, let me ask you one question: is it just me, or is Black Ops getting a little old?
Shoot, I think so. I still enjoy the game, mind you, but there are some things about the game that have just plain gotten on my nerves. For example, it seems like everyone and their uncle has discovered that using the AK-74U with a grip attachment basically makes you unstoppable. It also bothers me how all the sniper rifles suck, and how...
Well, I don't want to take up too much of your time. The point is that I personally could use a change of pace, and MLB 11: The Show sounds like a fine idea right about now.
9. Added Realism
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Okay, enough silliness. Let's get into the game itself.
Now, I'm the kind of guy who thinks that gameplay matters more than visuals and other such things when it comes to video games (hence the reason I still love my Wii), but that doesn't mean that I can't accept the fact that realism is pretty darned important.
Among the things that are getting a realism facelift in MLB 11 are things like individual player faces and limb proportion, as well as clouds, rain and other weather effects. Sony has also gone in and added things like balks, stadium-specific broadcast angles and a points system that awards good, drawn out at-bats.
It's all about hiding the fact that you're merely playing a baseball simulator, folks. And they're only getting better and better at it.
8. Custom Camera Preferences
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I'm not sure if anyone else is going to be excited about this, but one of the other interesting visual wrinkles Sony came up with for MLB 11 is camera customization. Basically, players are allowed to move the camera anywhere they like with the right analog stick, lock it in place, and then save their preferences.
It sounds like a cool idea in theory, but I have to say I'll be damned if I can figure out how it might come in handy. But as with all things in gaming, if it's there, you have to at least give it a shot. I'm sure a use for a feature like this will reveal itself in time.
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7. New Analag Controls
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Ah yes, now we're in my arena: gameplay.
For MLB 11, Sony has gone in and completely done away with the button-mashing aspect of previous games. Hitting, fielding, and pitching are now all controlled with the right analog stick. You swing by moving the stick back and forth, field by aiming it towards a specific base, and the new system allows you to pitch by both controlling the pitcher's motion and pitch location.
It might sound a little weird, and I'll admit that I haven't tried it myself yet, but every indication seems to be that this allows for a much smoother experience.
Of course, if you'd rather not learn an entirely new system, the option is there for players to stick with the traditional button scheme.
6. Better Fielding
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One of the things that didn't make any sense in previous editions of The Show is that the defensive excellence of certain players didn't really factor into the game. With the exception of things like range and arm strength, there really wasn't much difference between a great defender like Troy Tulowitzki and a crappy defender like Derek Jeter.
This is something that Sony has addressed. No longer are errors randomly-occurring results of computer calculations. Players with better defensive tendencies are easier to control, so to speak, and any and all errors with be the result of human error.
Once again, it's all about realism. This is how it damn well should be, dammit.
5. PlayStation Move
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I'm going to admit right here and now that nothing I've seen has convinced me that I need to run out and spend my hard-earned dollars on PlayStation Move. The blasted thing seems like an unnecessary gimmick. And if I want a case of Wii elbow, I'll just play my Wii thank you very much.
However, I am admittedly a little intrigued by the idea that Sony has added PlayStation Move support to the Home Run Derby mode. This basically means you can swing for the fences by actually swinging for the fences. Sounds corny, no doubt about that, but it also sounds cool.
Well, I see that you can get PlayStation Move for under $100 now. I suppose I could give up expensive whiskey for a little while...
4. New Co-Op Mode
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As with any other game, it eventually all comes down to multiplayer. While the main multiplayer gameplay is largely unchanged, Sony has added a new Co-op mode that allows as many as four players to team up to share fielding, hitting and pitching duties.
Now, exactly why hardcore gamers would team up to do anything other than shoot zombies, Nazis, or Nazi zombies in the face is beyond me, but I guess a feature like this would be good for the kiddies.
But then again, I'm not expert on kids these days. Anybody know how many of them are allowed to play shooters and other such M-rated games?
3. Online Challenge of the Week
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Perhaps the coolest addition Sony arranged for MLB 11 is something called "Online Challenge of the Week." As I understand it, the idea is that Sony will present one challenge a week, and players will compete for the top scores.
As for what these challenges will be like, one imagines they involve things like hitting a certain amount of home runs or striking out a certain number of players.
It won't be free to partake, however, as it will cost you 25 cents a go. It sounds like a rip, but the tradeoff is that Sony has their sights set pretty high as far as prizes are concerned, as you can win things like autographs and tickets.
2. March Madness
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Okay, I think we can stop greeking out over the game itself. I mean, let's be honest here. The real reason gamers play games, MLB 11 or otherwise, is not because we get anything out of the experience, but because it's simply a great way to pass our free time.
Because of the NCAA Tournament, free time is something that's at a premium in the month of March. For the sake of the monetary and emotional investment that bums like you and I have in our respective brackets, it is absolutely imperative that we watch as many games as possible. Because of this, gaming takes a back seat.
At least, it does at first. The truth is that our brackets are inevitably going to be totally destroyed after the first round, and the effort will have been for naught. There's no point in watching the tournament after that happens. Indeed, who cares who wins if it's not the team that you picked?
The point is that once everything comes crashing down, there will be MLB 11. Well played, Mauer.
1. It Means Baseball Is Back!
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Indeed, MILB 11: The Show isn't that important in and of itself. What is important is that it represents the game of baseball, and that its coming is a pretty clear signal that baseball is back!
Once you realize that, things like NFL labor negotiations, the NBA's boring regular season and busted brackets take a back seat. Baseball is the best sport in the world, and welcoming it back every spring is an absolutely joyous occasion.
As the man in the picture would say, fact.
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