MLB 2K11 News Post

MLB 2K11 Preview (Destructoid)

01:31 PM - January 21, 2011 by Flaxseed Oil

Destructoid has just posted their Major League Baseball 2K11 preview.

Quote:


	"Another change that looks to help fielding is the introduction of new animations. The increased variety, especially for bobbled balls, makes the game more fluid and realistic. It�s not 100% there yet -- I saw inconsistencies like a big step and a laser-like throw from a fielder who was maybe ten feet from his first baseman, which really pulled me out of the action -- but I�m hoping that such nagging issues can be ironed out between now and the release date. I found the game�s visuals to be alternately impressive and off-putting. Many of the player faces are accurate, while others are off -- this remains an issue across most sports games -- and all of them suffer from dead eyes and stiff mouths, irregularities that scream �uncanny valley.� Numbers on the backs of jerseys are textured to stand out from the shirts themselves, but there�s a strange upward distortion of text on players� chests. Team-specific camera angles for the behind-the-pitcher view are a nice touch, and the revamped player models look great. C.C. Sabathia is a hulking brute on the mound, just as he should be."

Game: Major League Baseball 2K11Reader Score: 5.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: NDS / PC / PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 17 - View All

Major League Baseball 2K11 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 rudyjuly2 @ 01/21/11 01:40 PM

Loved how they said pitching will be harder plus variable strike zones. The outfield defense intrigues me.

# 2 tmac55 @ 01/21/11 01:45 PM

The pitching and fielding changes are important to me. Also, the animations mentioned should be interesting too as everything on the ground was pretty playable last year in the infield. Hopefully this leads to errors, which by the sound of it (throwing meter changes), it could.

Overall, this is intriguing and if they fixed franchise mode and progression, their approach of improving last year's effort over innovating could pay off.

# 3 hitstreak13 @ 01/21/11 01:45 PM

I'm so excited about pitching being more difficult. The fielding is what gets me excited. Can't wait to read more reviews.

# 4 jeffy777 @ 01/21/11 01:47 PM

Quote:


	This year, Visual Concepts is aiming to improve on the solid foundation of MLB 2K10, polishing what�s there by addressing underlying issues. I played a few innings of Major League Baseball 2K11 earlier this week, and from my hands-on time, I can say that the studio is on the right track.

Quote:


	Another change that looks to help fielding is the introduction of new animations. The increased variety, especially for bobbled balls, makes the game more fluid and realistic.

Quote:


	Team-specific camera angles for the behind-the-pitcher view are a nice touch, and the revamped player models look great. C.C. Sabathia is a hulking brute on the mound, just as he should be.

Quote:


	On the pitching front, subtle changes seem like they�ll provide a ramped-up challenge. In MLB 2K10, it was way too easy to pitch with pinpoint accuracy -- even with sub-par hurlers -- once you got good enough. Visual Concepts has introduced variance for missed analog-stick gestures, so even if your gesture is off in a particular manner each time, you won�t be able to easily predict the behavior of the pitch: it might break more or less. Real pitchers can�t simply aim a pitch at a particular spot and get it there every time, and even MLB 2K pros won�t have that luxury anymore. There�s now a variable strike zone, too, which brings in the time-honored �human element� of umpires.

YEAH!

# 5 bigfnjoe96 @ 01/21/11 01:49 PM

Nice read. Thanks Flaxseed. Some things that stood out for me:

Quote:


	This year, Visual Concepts is aiming to improve on the solid foundation of MLB 2K10, polishing what�s there by addressing underlying issues. I played a few innings of Major League Baseball 2K11 earlier this week, and from my hands-on time, I can say that the studio is on the right track.

Quote:


	Visual Concepts has introduced variance for missed analog-stick gestures, so even if your gesture is off in a particular manner each time, you won�t be able to easily predict the behavior of the pitch: it might break more or less. Real pitchers can�t simply aim a pitch at a particular spot and get it there every time, and even MLB 2K pros won�t have that luxury anymore. There�s now a variable strike zone, too, which brings in the time-honored �human element� of umpires.

Quote:


	Ratings now play a more significant role in the game, thanks to a tweaked throwing meter and a new method for catching fly balls.

Quote:


	Another change that looks to help fielding is the introduction of new animations. The increased variety, especially for bobbled balls, makes the game more fluid and realistic.

Quote:


	Team-specific camera angles for the behind-the-pitcher view are a nice touch, and the revamped player models look great.

# 6 jeffy777 @ 01/21/11 01:52 PM

Man, this is like music to my ears. It sounds like VC is making some great progress.

# 7 Flaxseed Oil @ 01/21/11 01:52 PM

I do like the idea of a variable strikezone finally....pitching in 2k10 got too easy. I went 25-2 with My Player once.

# 8 hitstreak13 @ 01/21/11 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777


	Man, this is like music to my ears. It sounds like VC is making some great progress.

Amen. This is the first time since 2k7 that I am actually considering purchasing. Also, the fielding and pitching controls sound incredible. This may be the first baseball ever were you will be forced to substitute a weak, power hitting outfielder for a defensive one in order to perserve that one run lead

.

Very excited to read more on this.

# 9 dolemint @ 01/21/11 02:04 PM

Definitely happy about the pitching news. Unpredictability and variable strike zones (and umpires' acting human)... lol it's almost like they actually paid attention to my complaining!

We could have a game here!

Quote:


	Team-specific camera angles for the behind-the-pitcher view are a nice touch

Does anyone know what this means? That each team has a slightly different camera angle for pitching? Wouldn't it make more sense if each STADIUM did if they're going for TV broadcast authenticity? I guess I don't see the point of each team having one, as don't most of us generally play with our favorite team?

# 10 bigfnjoe96 @ 01/21/11 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dolemint

Quote:

Team-specific camera angles for the behind-the-pitcher view are a nice touch

Does anyone know what this means? That each team has a slightly different camera angle for pitching? Wouldn't it make more sense if each STADIUM did if they're going for TV broadcast authenticity? I guess I don't see the point of each team having one, as don't most of us generally play with our favorite team?

I'm pretty sure the writer meant to say Stadium Specific

# 11 nemesis04 @ 01/21/11 02:28 PM

Nice read, some promising information there! Thanks for the link.

# 12 EnigmaNemesis @ 01/21/11 02:32 PM

Quote:


	In their position, it seems prudent to focus on improving the existing game instead of trying to grab gamers� attention with flashy new features. We�ll have to see if that approach pays off.

This is definitely good to hear.

# 13 Blzer @ 01/21/11 02:41 PM

I hope I'm reading it right and they are erring toward the side of "variable strike zones" over "variable umpires." They might mean the same thing, but what I would like is that gray area on the edges of the zone which aren't always a ball or strike. I'm just hoping they didn't mean different umpire strike zones that are still black and white, despite the fact the zones themselves are actually set differently.

This preview has definitely excited me, though! Nothing about different batting cameras yet it seems. I just hope we can save our camera settings this year, for goodness sake.

# 14 nemesis04 @ 01/21/11 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philly Fanatic


	I'd just like to remind everyone of something, so you're not let down in March. When it comes to 2K's marketing, what you read is not always what you get.

This article was someone's observations playing the game. It did not sound like a marketing piece to me.

# 15 Artman22 @ 01/21/11 03:51 PM

Overall good read. I'm glad they worked on fielding and pitching since they were the 2 aspects that needed the most help, especially fielding. I'm glad VC is more interested in getting the gameplay right before adding features.

# 16 DickDalewood @ 01/21/11 04:05 PM

Sweet to see they added the stadium specific cameras for pitching. I love that both games will have that this year.

# 17 Mercury112491 @ 01/21/11 04:13 PM

Not to jinx anything but this just popped into my head.

What if Visual Concepts is evenetually able to do what it always does(NFL2K5 and NBA2k11) and get the game to a point where it surpasses MVP 05 and is regarded as one of the best sports game of all time. How ironic would it be if the year they accomplished this was with MLB2k13 and 2K doesn't renew their contract with MLB and then we have to start from scratch with a different company the following year.

Not saying I want that to happen, just kinda popped into my head as ironic.

# 18 ElGuapo @ 01/21/11 04:14 PM

Great Read. Sounds like the franchise is actually moving in the right direction.
can't wait to try out the new fielding, and the new throwing meter. Idea: the meter should very depending on how though the play was to make for the infielder, so if the infielder is throwing on the move the green bar should become smaller, therefore making it harder to get the out. just an idea.

# 19 Jamin23 @ 01/21/11 04:33 PM

It seems that VC is taking this game seriously and is determined to improve this game and maybe one day get it to where nba 2k is.

# 20 Ollienyy @ 01/21/11 04:39 PM

Everything that is being released so far is getting me more and more excited. I enjoyed MLB 2K10 and am still playing the My Player mode in this off season (and I never play those kind of modes) and the improvements to fielding mentioned, the pitching etc. Seems like they have a few small things to work on in the current model which will hopefully be ironed out before release.

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MLB 2K11 Preview (Destructoid)