MLB 2K8 IGN hands-on and videos
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IGN has posted up the first hands-on preview and four short gameplay clips for MLB 2K8. The improvements to the gameplay and new mechanics are the main focus of the preview.
When people think of baseball they think of four key elements: batting, pitching, fielding, and throwing. 2K Sports has changed the way you’ll be doing each of these for MLB 2K8.
Graphically the game doesn’t seem to have the same edge it did last year and that could be due to the improved framerate and having to make certain sacrifices in order to achieve that. The videos don’t seem to demonstrate that very well however.
For all the cool additions that 2K Sports made to the gameplay of MLB 2K8 there’s still one sore spot that needs to be fixed. Any true 2K fan probably already knows that we’re talking about the aesthetics. Player models don’t resemble their real life counterparts as well as they should, cloth physics look a little wonky, and while the stadiums look very nice from afar, close-ups don’t fare as well. Hopefully in the month of development time remaining, the team at 2K Sports will find a way to iron out the rough edges.
Also teased is a “new mode” that IGN isn’t allowed to speak on yet. It’ll be interesting to find out what that is but it’ll be hard to match a standalone mode like “Road to the Show”. It’s tough to judge the game on the mechanics that have been changed for this year until actually getting an opportunity to try that out making the expected demo in February that much more important.
January 25, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Oh my, that is a horrible computer rendered image of me. I need to go tell 2K to fix me up a lil bit.
January 25, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Pasta, why did you post the ONLY paragraph that said anything bad. The rest of the hands on he was glowing about the new controls.
January 25, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Not impressed with these clips…. same dull announcing, terrible bat sounds (like an explosion) bad homerun angles…. liked the fielding…. where’s the 60fps? Looked slow and choppy…..
January 25, 2008 at 9:16 pm
They say hopefully with a month of development remaining, 2k will fix these problems…. I think the game is already finished, and 2K and over a year to fix these problems! They were too busy adding minor leagues before fixing more obvious issues!
January 25, 2008 at 9:16 pm
2k HAD, not and…..
January 25, 2008 at 9:18 pm
what happened to AROD? He looks like he is gonna puke! Nice attempt 2K!
January 25, 2008 at 9:21 pm
^^Why did you make 4 comments for that.
January 25, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I don’t like the fact that two of the videos are homeruns. Home Run derby 2k8!!
January 25, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I’ll try to be nice, but man 2k oh man no wonder you were waiting to show us anything…
Immediately the graphical edge that was 2k7 (arguably the best looking sports title last year) is gone. the lighting looks bland and appears to blur the detail of anything in stadium.
The videos HOPEFULLY ONLY the video stream/footage were choppy. As choppy as PS3 gameplay last year in some areas AND this is with the graphical downgrade. The game in genral looks completely the same as last years except for some nice signature stuff to 2k’s credit.
BUT i think we know where are sights are set for already with these previews.
MLB 08
January 25, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Wasn’t impressed..Pretty disappointed in the look of the game and the videos…I won’t rush to judgment though but at this early stage I cannot see myself playing that game over the SHOW based on the fact I’m playing the hell outta the SHOW Now and it has done nothing but continually wow me.
Nothing about 2k8 WOWS me
January 26, 2008 at 1:01 am
Also teased is a “new mode” that IGN isn’t allowed to speak on yet. It’ll be interesting to find out what that is but it’ll be hard to match a standalone mode like “Road to the Show”. It’s tough to judge the game on the mechanics that have been changed for this year until actually getting an opportunity to try that out making the expected demo in February that much more important.
All they are going to show us here is the damn pokemon battle with cards.
January 26, 2008 at 2:35 am
I know that they go and give sites like IGN the chance to put out videos and previews because of their traffic. But I don’t get why they put their trust in these jackballs to represent their game properly. They should send out preview discs to a few other places that would do so. I doubt people would be freaking out like they are right now if I had gotten the chance to do some full game videos. Not to mention they could do some themselves or even update the game’s website at some point.
January 26, 2008 at 6:22 am
My sentiments exactly Padre…Why not at the very least capture their own promotional videos that really shows the game off as opposed to letting some dudes at IGN allow the games INTRO to the world spotlight last years biggest and most annoying problem???…I don’t get it?
I saw that initial HR and laughed thinking to myself…HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!
January 26, 2008 at 7:27 am
I actually thought the visuals were comparable to last year, if not a little bit better.
The comment of the cloth physics looking “wonky”, I noticed in the Big Papi video that his jersey looked as if it were bubbling.
I never pass judgment on a game until I can see it on my 50″ HDTV and have the opportunity to play it. I can’t wait for the demo.
January 26, 2008 at 8:49 am
I know its too early to judge but the Show is looking that much better already in my opinion. How have the graphics gone backwards? Maybe to achieve 60fps?
Hope the demo blows me away. Cause this preview left a sour taste in my mouth.
January 26, 2008 at 9:17 am
[quote comment="9957"]I know that they go and give sites like IGN the chance to put out videos and previews because of their traffic. But I don’t get why they put their trust in these jackballs to represent their game properly. They should send out preview discs to a few other places that would do so. I doubt people would be freaking out like they are right now if I had gotten the chance to do some full game videos. Not to mention they could do some themselves or even update the game’s website at some point.[/quote]
I completely agree… IGN is full of nerds that really don’t know how to play sports games…. The last thing we wanna see is a couple of homeruns! That’s all that was in 2K7… Show us some fielding; double plays, dives, fly-balls… they should have at the very least, put the 4 vids together and gave us like 6 mins of one game…2K cannot be very happy with IGN right now, but there are still some things that bother me about 2K8… Bat sound… been the same explosion for like 5 years… should be easy to fix… probably won’t be fixed…. player models look dull, still have hurricane jerseys(wind effect overdone) Jeter would never admire a homerun… hardly hits any anyway. Pitches look slow… wheres the 60fps? Shouldn’t the ball be moving like it does in the show?
January 26, 2008 at 9:49 am
Some people are saying this isn’t the final build of the game. Why would 2K want anyone to show an unfinished version if they actually fixed the stuff in the final build? I don’t think much is gonna change in the final version…. If 2K would get their media out earlier, they would see the negative talk about the game, and MAYBE fix the stuff… although they had over a year to fix it!
January 26, 2008 at 10:14 am
[quote comment="10021"]Some people are saying this isn’t the final build of the game. Why would 2K want anyone to show an unfinished version if they actually fixed the stuff in the final build? I don’t think much is gonna change in the final version…. If 2K would get their media out earlier, they would see the negative talk about the game, and MAYBE fix the stuff… although they had over a year to fix it![/quote]
Yeah its going to be pretty much representative of the final product. The demo will be too even if it comes from a build a couple weeks behind the final one. I wouldn’t even be shocked to find out that the game has already been sent to MS/Sony for certification. It is just too late to make any signficant changes regardless.
January 26, 2008 at 12:31 pm
One thing I liked was the fact that Fenway looked like it does when you play a night game there. There was sun shining on half of the stadium and in the next video the whole stadium was dark as if the sun completely settled. These are the little things thet I look for in baseball games besides the obvious gameplay, presentation etc. I have to agree with a few other people on here about the wind effects, uniforms and player faces….they look muttled or fuzzy or something. I dont understand it. The PS3 and 360 can support amazing graphics and gameplay…..why cant the producers pay attention to detail and make it happen? I’m looking foward to the MLB 08 the show but even they couldnt add weather, setting sun etc. If your game starts at 6:00pm it’s pitch black from the start to finish. No one can compete with “the show” and their gameplay though. Maybe someday someone will get it together and put out a very realistic game.
January 26, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Shouldn’t it be possible to at least make a patch that fixes the bat-on-ball sounds? The cannon sounds kind of keep this game from being realistic….. Has 2K never been to a baseball game or even seen one on tv? Or are they just lazy and don’t care?
January 26, 2008 at 3:57 pm
[quote comment="10106"]Shouldn’t it be possible to at least make a patch that fixes the bat-on-ball sounds? The cannon sounds kind of keep this game from being realistic….. Has 2K never been to a baseball game or even seen one on tv? Or are they just lazy and don’t care?[/quote]
I noticed on the operationsports forums a couple of weeks ago that someone asked KushGamer specifically about bat-on-ball sounds, and KushGamer said they worked on them for 2K8, apparently that is not the truth!
January 26, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I remembered a specific comment and had to search for it. Basically the game was done all the way back in October and from then on it has been testing and tweaking. Anyone expecting significant changes from what is seen now is fooling themselves. Even if that wasn’t the final build it was close to it and any changes made would’ve been minor. Just gives a little more perspective on the timing of these things.
http://forums.operationsports.com/vBulletin/showpost.php?p=2037814781&postcount=11
January 27, 2008 at 1:36 am
[quote comment="10212"]I remembered a specific comment and had to search for it. Basically the game was done all the way back in October and from then on it has been testing and tweaking. Anyone expecting significant changes from what is seen now is fooling themselves. Even if that wasn’t the final build it was close to it and any changes made would’ve been minor. Just gives a little more perspective on the timing of these things.
http://forums.operationsports.com/vBulletin/showpost.php?p=2037814781&postcount=11/quote
Very true Very true MLB 08 here I come ohh and pro yakuu spirits 5 too
January 27, 2008 at 9:51 pm
[quote comment="10263"] pro yakuu spirits 5 too
[/quote]
im glad someone mentioned this game…. soooooo good, that’s how you make a baseball game!