News Post

MLB '09: The Show Preview with Screenshots (ESPN Videogames)

11:24 AM - December 19, 2008 by iamemmittsmith

ESPN Videogames have posted their exclusive first look at MLB '09: The Show, including some new screenshots.

Quote:


	"Think A-Rod chokes in the clutch? Ever shout "Dodgers suck!" or yell "Drewwwwwww" when J.D. walks up to the plate? MLB 09 is about to bring out the crazed fan in all of us as not only can you record your voice screaming anything from "Where's Madonna?" to "we want a pitcher not a belly itcher" and put it in the game thanks to peripherals like the Rock Band mic and wireless headset, the fan yells will sound like your voice actually coming from the stands. You can even assign the recordings to be part of a chant and your voice will be put through a new process so that it sounds more like a crowd chanting "over-rated" and not just a single person yelling."

Game: MLB '09: The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS2 / PS3 / PSPVotes for game: 90 - View All

MLB '09: The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 121 Scooter3 @ 12/19/08 08:52 PM

RIP ASB...

Is this live of is this Memorex? This is going to be a great year guys!

Hats off to the SCEA people, you are all involved in something really special...

SCEA's video baseball game is a blessing to me ...I'm past my prime ( which is code for I'm an old geezer ) and I thought my baseball playing days were over... It feels like I'm starting over again with this great game...

Can't wait till March!

Scooter...

# 122 Garrett67 @ 12/19/08 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_SCEA_Sports


	I guess I might as well jump in here. If it was easy, we would do it. Thank you. Next question. Seriously, first we have to make a distinction between Player Geometry and the skeletal system. The Player Geometry (ie, the model) in the PS3 game is entirely different than the PS2 model. From head to toe, not a single poly, not a single texture is the same. What many of you are complaining about is the proportions of the skeleton....and this is simply not an easy thing to just change. Look at it this way. Put your hands together in front of you like you are clapping. Hold them in front of you palm to palm and imagine 2 more inches of length added to your arms.... your hands don't match up anymore do they? Same thing with holding a bat, adjusting your helmet, punching your fist into your glove, reaching into your glove to get the ball, putting your hands on your hips, etc etc etc...you get the idea. We currently have over 20,000 of these animations to convert. Like I said, if it were simple, we would push the "new skeleton" button and take the rest of the year off. Don't forget, it has taken us over 7 years to build up this catalog of animations. And yes, I know people will chime in with, just use a simple IK system, problem solved....well, yes and no...might get us part of the way there, but an IK system doesn't know how Derek Jeter holds his elbow during his stance, etc....so it may get the hands on the bat, but in doing so, will mess with the integrity of the animation. Please understand that we do take this seriously, and it IS something that we are looking at for the future. Enjoy. Chris

And I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about.

# 123 Chris_SCEA_Sports @ 12/19/08 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Management


	Please cut it out. I said they had two choices. Spend the time on player models, or spend the time on other features. Not that I don't believe a developers explanation (which was given to me via PM). And I was using home as an example of real time animation adjustments. Home is probably using stock animations from some company anyway. Asking for a deeper explanation than "complications" is not out of line. I'm sure the SCEA developers don't mind the dialog either (not that I asked them specifically, they've probably been asked a million times).

We don't mind the dialog at all...that is why we are here.

If you look at things that way, then you could say just about every decision is a "marketing" decision...but that really is not the case. Every developer in the world has to cut and/or scale back features...even games with 3 year (or more) dev cycles...heck, I'm sure even Duke Nukem Forever will have to cut a feature or two to ship (just assuming here....I have NO first hand knowledge of DNF...so hold your PMs).

Developers have to prioritize, of course. If we had endless amounts of time and people power (

) we could do it all. We have our wish lists, you have your wish lists...etc. The fact is, we get a ton of new things into the game every single year, and we are proud of that...but, alas, some things just have to be put off until the future. Thankfully choosing jerseys in franchise and going the short way for the 3rd out at 2nd (among a TON of other things) made it in this year.

Okay, back to work....

Chris

# 124 Gary Armida @ 12/19/08 09:13 PM

LOL @ this thread. Anyway, the preview has me even more excited than before for this game and the pics look tremendous. Like I said in an earlier thread, if this game delivers like I think its going to, then I won't be buying another game for the rest of the year. Looks great so far. Thanks to the SCEA team.

# 125 countryboy @ 12/19/08 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_SCEA_Sports


	We don't mind the dialog at all...that is why we are here. If you look at things that way, then you could say just about every decision is a "marketing" decision...but that really is not the case. Every developer in the world has to cut and/or scale back features...even games with 3 year (or more) dev cycles...heck, I'm sure even Duke Nukem Forever will have to cut a feature or two to ship (just assuming here....I have NO first hand knowledge of DNF...so hold your PMs). Developers have to prioritize, of course. If we had endless amounts of time and people power ( ) we could do it all. We have our wish lists, you have your wish lists...etc. The fact is, we get a ton of new things into the game every single year, and we are proud of that...but, alas, some things just have to be put off until the future. Thankfully choosing jerseys in franchise and going the short way for the 3rd out at 2nd (among a TON of other things) made it in this year. Okay, back to work.... Chris

Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!

Where's Mikey? Hey Mikey...its in man..its in..

# 126 blinkfan77 @ 12/19/08 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_SCEA_Sports


	We don't mind the dialog at all...that is why we are here. If you look at things that way, then you could say just about every decision is a "marketing" decision...but that really is not the case. Every developer in the world has to cut and/or scale back features...even games with 3 year (or more) dev cycles...heck, I'm sure even Duke Nukem Forever will have to cut a feature or two to ship (just assuming here....I have NO first hand knowledge of DNF...so hold your PMs). Developers have to prioritize, of course. If we had endless amounts of time and people power ( ) we could do it all. We have our wish lists, you have your wish lists...etc. The fact is, we get a ton of new things into the game every single year, and we are proud of that...but, alas, some things just have to be put off until the future. Thankfully choosing jerseys in franchise and going the short way for the 3rd out at 2nd (among a TON of other things) made it in this year. Okay, back to work.... Chris

Now you just made everyone change their underwear. Nice going!

# 127 countryboy @ 12/19/08 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinkfan77


	Now you just made everyone change their underwear. Nice going!

hope nobody's going commando..

# 128 Blzer @ 12/19/08 09:16 PM

Chris, I have a question of logic here, don't hark on me too much for it...

Wouldn't you just be digging yourself in a deeper hole by adding many more animations this time around if you have a plan to change the player models later? Like you said, 20,000 animations in seven years is quite a feat, and to have to just go back to square one seems rather absurd. It seems as though the more logical approach would be to get the new player models, no? It's like spending a bunch of money on DVD movies when you know you're getting a Blu-ray player soon. Might as well either hold off or just buy them on Blu-ray now so you don't have to double-dip or have an inferior version later.

Does that make sense? Again, I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here, but I was just wondering exactly how much more complicated will it get now that you're adding this many more animations before you do the player model change?

# 129 Scooter3 @ 12/19/08 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_SCEA_Sports


	Thankfully choosing jerseys in franchise and going the short way for the 3rd out at 2nd (among a TON of other things) made it in this year. Okay, back to work.... Chris

Choosing jerseys in franchise is music to my ears!

Scooter...

# 130 Chris_SCEA_Sports @ 12/19/08 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blzer


	Chris, I have a question of logic here, don't hark on me too much for it... Wouldn't you just be digging yourself in a deeper hole by adding many more animations this time around if you have a plan to change the player models later? Like you said, 20,000 animations in seven years is quite a feat, and to have to just go back to square one seems rather absurd. It seems as though the more logical approach would be to get the new player models, no? It's like spending a bunch of money on DVD movies when you know you're getting a Blu-ray player soon. Might as well either hold off or just buy them on Blu-ray now so you don't have to double-dip or have an inferior version later. Does that make sense? Again, I'm not trying to play devil's advocate here, but I was just wondering exactly how much more complicated will it get now that you're adding this many more animations before you do the player model change?

It does indeed make sense. You make a very good point. The animators ask me the same thing everyday.

The short answer is there are a lot of areas of the game involved in getting a new skeleton into the game...graphics programmers, motions systems programmers, character team, animation team, AI programmers...heck, pretty much everyone. Enormous undertaking. It is not as simple as dumping it on the animation team and having them run with it...but, we do have some very smart people working on the some solutions...so I am pretty confident it will all work out quite well in the end.

Okay now...really...back to animating...

Chris

# 131 Kolbe @ 12/19/08 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_SCEA_Sports


	It does indeed make sense. You make a very good point. The animators ask me the same thing everyday. The short answer is there are a lot of areas of the game involved in getting a new skeleton into the game...graphics programmers, motions systems programmers, character team, animation team, AI programmers...heck, pretty much everyone. Enormous undertaking. It is not as simple as dumping it on the animation team and having them run with it...but, we do have some very smart people working on the some solutions...so I am pretty confident it will all work out quite well in the end. Okay now...really...back to animating... Chris

Lies... all of it!

We're sipping drinks on the beach right now...

-Kolbe

# 132 countryboy @ 12/19/08 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KolbeSCEA


	Lies... all of it! We're sipping drinks on the beach right now... -Kolbe

# 133 WatchdogXC @ 12/19/08 09:55 PM

I should not be this excited about a baseball game in December...I should not be this excited about a baseball game in December...I should not be this excited about a baseball game in December...

...goes and resumes 08 franchise...

Wow! You guys are doing an amazing job with this game. I love 08 and pretty much everything I've wanted so far for 09 looks to be in. All I ask for is more hits into the gap or over OFs head.

# 134 maball @ 12/19/08 09:57 PM

will the psp version have the new stadiums in it too?

# 135 countryboy @ 12/19/08 10:03 PM

ok...now I'm waiting to hear about the Rule 5 draft and the option years for minor league players.

# 136 countryboy @ 12/19/08 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike75


	YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! THANK YOU SONY!!! lol

I was wondering where you were.

# 137 cjay321 @ 12/19/08 10:05 PM

Chris, just a couple quick questions. Just asking if more wristbands, eye black, forearm bands, etc. have made it into this years game? Also, have more fielding and batting glove colors, bat colors etc. made it into this years game as well? Thanks.

# 138 theaub @ 12/19/08 10:15 PM

Screw priorities, I want my out of town scoreboard at the Rogers Centre

Heh, this game is going to be siiiiiiick.

# 139 The Management @ 12/19/08 10:17 PM

Sweet. I appreciate the effort. I will reply to the individual posts (most likely tomorrow) since you all took the time out to dignify my questions with a response! Thanks

I responded to Russel via PM, thanks again

# 140 theaub @ 12/19/08 10:18 PM

imo we should go back to those days. Where a fielder's choice would be counted as a hit, and as long as you pressed up on the D-pad you could hit bombs with anyone. I miss those days when I didn't care

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