MLB ’08: The Show

TITLE MLB ’08: The Show
GENRE Sport
PLATFORM PS2
DEVELOPER SCEI
US PUBLISHER SCEA
UK PUBLISHER N/A
NORDIC PUBLISHER N/A
ONLINE PLAY Yes

Media Screenshots:

SCREENS ADDED: 11 Dec-2007

Videos:

Official Fact Sheet:

Reflecting on the history of the franchise, the longest-running officially licensed baseball title on PlayStation platforms, the SCEA San Diego Studios development team went into this season looking to build upon the history and success of the franchise by raising the level of authenticity and realism, and creating the perfect blend of features and unique gameplay opportunities

Already widely considered the most authentic baseball game available, MLB 08 THE SHOW is set to provide fans with the most realistic baseball experience to date with innovations such as a more immersive Road to The Show mode, enabling gamers to play both offense and defense from the created player?s perspective.

Providing players with some additional performance incentives, the MLB franchise introduces the new Progressive Batting Performance feature, which will both reward players for superior performance and penalize them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, players will be rewarded with slight contact bonuses, or punished with slight decreases in contact, based on how that batter that performs beyond his ?natural ability? while under user control.

Adding to the online feature set, which includes customizable Online League Play with up to 30 teams, scrolling MLB Score Ticker and more, MLB 08 THE SHOW introduces SCOUT (SportsConnect Online User Tracking), which allows gamers to set and store their game preferences on the MLB server, and enables the system to look for a Quick Match with opponents that fits similar competitive criteria.

• Road to The Show 2.0 ? To deliver the closest experience possible, next to actually trying to make it in the Majors, MLB 08 THE SHOW introduces a more immersive Road to The Show mode. As gamers attempt to make a starting line-up in the Big Leagues, playing on both offense and defense from a custom-created player?s perspective, a more robust dynamic goal system and a new career advancement system will determine when a player is eligible for a promotion. Now, advancement goals related to the player’s attribute target level will be provided to get the player to that next level and those goals are based on the player’s attribute level and statistical performance. Also, Road to The Show 2.0 adds a new statistics screen that will display a player?s current seasons? statistics. Additionally, custom-created players are more interactive. As a position player, gamers will be able to further adjust that players positioning, catchers will occur more defense situations, and pitcher’s will now experience mound visits with user interaction ? all making Road to The Show mode even more realistic.
• Progressive Batting Performance ? Progressive Batting Performance is a feature designed to both reward players for superior performance and penalizes them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, the players will be rewarded with slight contact bonuses for each batter that performs beyond his ?natural ability? while under user control. Conversely, the user will be punished with slight decreases in contact for each batter that performs below his ?natural ability?.
• SCOUT [SportsConnect Online User Tracking] ? If you?ve ever had a difficult time finding an opponent that wants to play online with the same gameplay setting as you, this is your feature. SCOUT allows gamers to set their game preferences, stores them on the server, and then allows the system to look for a Quick Match with an opponent that fits their criteria.
• Adaptive Pitching Intelligence (API) ? Catchers will call the game based on individual strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher and analyze tendencies of batters. Gamers will have the ability to trust the pitches called by the catcher or shake them off. (The catcher?s recommendations are based off of thousands of actual MLB stats.)
• Pitch Command System (PCS) ? Delivering unsurpassed authenticity and strategy to pitch selection, a pitcher?s ?pitch comfort? will be predetermined based on a best to worst pitch scenario. It?s up the gamer to decide if they should try to ?work on a pitch? or just go with what?s working. The more a player works on a pitch, the better it becomes, and the more a gamer neglects a pitch, the harder it becomes to work the zone.
• Online League Play ? MLB 08 THE SHOW provides today?s sports fanatics with the ability to set up leagues with anywhere from 6-30 teams with full stat tracking, point benefits and rewards. Gamers can customize the league including choosing players, teams, length of schedule and much more. (Note: There are no cross platform leagues available.)
• My Sliders (Up/Downloadable) ? The My Sliders option gives users the ability to create their perfect game settings offline by adjusting game sliders. Gamers can then save these adjustments to memory and, when online, upload them to the MLB 08 THE SHOW server for other users to try and let the online community be the judge on finding the perfect game for offline users.
• Umpire Personalities ? Providing even more realism to the diamond, MLB 08 THE SHOW features umpires with unique tendencies and animations. Each umpire will have his own definition of the strike zone, and it?s up to the gamer to figure out if the umpire is calling the zone high, low, or giving the corners.
• King of the Diamond ? A classic playground duel from childhood where a pitcher and batter from opposing teams will square off head-to-head. This innovative mini-game showcases the challenging intensity of the batter versus pitcher duel, while an inning clock increases the pressure in this Over-The-Line style challenge.
• Rivalry Mode ? For those with a competitive nature, Rivalry Mode allows baseball fans to set up and maintain multi-game rivalries between multiple gamers or versus the Artificial Intelligence (AI), and keeps track of the stats throughout the rivalry.
• Online Mode ? Providing users with a complete package of unprecedented online options, the Online Mode features include head-to-head gameplay in Exhibition and King of the Diamond Modes, downloadable rosters, live sports tickers, message boards, buddy lists, and more.
• Franchise Mode ? Extending the experience of running a team, performance and player morale are tracked on virtually every level ? salary, playing time, batting slot, team performance, and much more.
• All-Star Game ? Lets gamers take the virtual road trip to San Francisco early to see who prevails for home field advantage in the 2007 Fall Classic.
• Home Run Derby ? Lets gamers pick the lineup and set the rules for the traditional homerun contest of Major League All-Stars. Complete with its own animation database for the most realistic aspects of the event.
• Exhibition Mode ? Choose any match-up with 33 teams to choose from.
• Season Mode ? Grind out the162 game season and deal with day-to-day match-ups, refining the lineup and play for the championship just like the pros.
• Playoffs Mode ? For those who don?t have the patience for a full 162 game season, or don?t necessarily like to play unless a title is on the line, this is mode is for them. Gamers will be able to bypass the full season, then play or simulate the Divisional Series, the Championship Series and take shot at a World Series ring.
• Simulation Mode ? Allows gamers to track games on a pitch-by-pitch basis as you watch the game unfold in front of your eyes. If the outcome is looking uncertain, jump into the game and take control of your team and their destiny.
• Multi-Branch Fielding ? Branch Point Technology goes to a new level as gamers you can now take full control of fielders and break out of any animation in the process. Change a fielding decision and branch out of any animation after the first branch point. With Branch Point Technology, MLB 08 THE SHOW provides unbelievably smooth, fluid transitions for seamless double plays and relays.
• User Controlled Slides ? Fans can control base runners in attempts to advance and/or score.
• 40-Man Roster ? Provides the ability to take full control of a team?s roster and manage all 40 players for each and every game.
• Game Time Decisions ? Bringing more depth to Franchise and Season Modes, MLB 08 THE SHOW provides gamers with the scenarios in which they need to take full control of their team and decide who to place in the line up at critical times.
• Hot / Cold Streaks ? Link together three or more hits in a game and the player will be in the zone with increases in batting attributes for contact and power. Or, if struggling, attributes are decreased.
• Player-Scaled Strike Zones ? MLB 08 THE SHOW is the only game with scaled strike zones proportionate to individual hitters.
• Interactive Hot / Cold Zones ? Takes hot and cold zones one step further with the ability to alter them. Turn cold zones hot and vice versa with the performance at the plate or from the bump.
• Release Point Pitching ? Taking video game pitching to a whole new level, gamers must utilize a timing mechanism to learn and realize each pitchers pace and release point, which varies from pitcher to pitcher.
• Pitching Confidence Meter ? The ultimate pitcher/batter interface returns. Additionally, Pitcher Confidence plays a role in a gamer?s ability to hit release points in the all-new pitch meter, while frequency of mistakes will impact the confidence level of a gamer?s hurler, making it more difficult to paint the corners of the strike zone.
• Guess Pitch ? Baseball fans can attempt to master the ability to knock one out or hit the grounder to advance the runner by checking the pitch history and correctly guessing which pitch and the location that the pitcher will throw next. If the correct pitch is selected, the power attribute is increased in attempts to leave the yard in a hurry.
• PlayMaker Fielding ? The fielding interface brings the player attributes together with the user?s skill level. With the Fielding Zone Marker, the fielder?s fielding attribute rating will determine the size of the zone that surrounds the ball and its eventual landing location. With highly ranked fielders, the ball marker will be displayed sooner and smaller, making it easier to judge fly balls.
• Unassisted Fielding Control ? Gamers can take advantage of more realistic barehanded flips and the ability to dive with the ball in the fielder?s bare hand for the putout.
• Double Switches ? Helps effectively manage the lineup and put the weakest stick in the nine-slot when taking advantage of double switch opportunities.
• Wind Effects ? MLB 08 THE SHOW features a wind display showing wind speed and direction. Depending upon the severity of the wind, the ball will drift according to the speed and direction. Wind effects will force the player to take the proper route to the ball and make adjustments on the fly.
• MLB Player Motion Captures ? MLB 08 THE SHOW features dozens of professional athletes including David Wright, David Ortiz, Eric Chavez, Roger Clemens, Shawn Green, Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Hudson, Darryl Hamilton, Troy Percival, Brett Tomko, Mo Vaughn and more.
• Thousands of Personalized Animations ? Authenticity: featuring personalized player animations for everything from walk-ups, rituals, stances and swings and even emotions.
• MLB Authenticity, Subtleties and’ Nuances ? MLB 08 THE SHOW features drag bunts, wild pitches, broken bats, check swings, off-line throws and much more.
• Unique Stadium Ambiance ? Every MLB team features their specific stadium with coordinated crowds, team colors and audio that catering to each team and specific players.
• AAA / AA Minor Teams ? MLB 08 THE SHOW features 60 teams from the Minors.
• Old-Time Players and’ Stadiums ? Unlock and play with Silver Era and Golden Era players like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, then play in old-time stadiums like Forbes and Polo Grounds.
• 3-Man Booth and’ Progressive Commentary ? Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian and Dave Campbell provide the most comprehensive commentary heard in any baseball videogame. MLB 08 THE SHOW sets the bar high with the Progressive Commentary that changes as the user progresses throughout the game by adapting to current actions and situations.
• Unrivaled Player Creator / EyeToy Functionality ? MLB 08 THE SHOW provides infinitely possible options for creating players including everything from gamers putting their face into the game with EyeToy functionality, to personal rituals, swings and even emotions.