MLB 2K series joins NHL 2K in studio move
by 
The writing was on the wall and 1UP has confirmed that the MLB 2K series will be developed out of the Visual Concepts studio after the closing of 2K LA/Kush. Recently it was announced that the NHL 2K series would be moving to Visual Concepts, though at the time the reasoning behind the move wasn’t clear.
While the departure of Ben Brinkman is a disappointment, a fresh start could be the best way to go for a series that has had major issues over the last few years. It isn’t known yet whether the game will be developed from the ground up as they have stated for NHL 2K9. In the poll posted a few days ago 89% of respondents felt that doing so would be a good step for the future of the franchise.
May 27, 2008 at 8:02 pm
finally
May 27, 2008 at 8:22 pm
idk if this will help the MLB 2k series or not. But one thing is for certain is that EA would help the MLB 2k series for sure. Bring back MVP!!!
May 27, 2008 at 8:23 pm
hmm…wonder what all that means..and and note to EA chicago..2k is still looking for workers.(note anyone brought call of duty 4 in nov. knows the inside joke to this)
May 27, 2008 at 8:24 pm
[quote comment="22380"]finally[/quote]
Yeah really, Kush/2kLA were pushing out subpar stuff for years. While VC has made the best football game and basketball in that same time. With all the added work being put on VC im gonna say any hope of a APF 2k9 or 2k10 are gone.
May 27, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Kind of sucks that its gonna have to start over in a way. Hopefully they ditch the thumbstick pitcing. It was innvative and fun for a little but got annoying. Keep the fielding with the stick though it was perfect. Hitting needs to actually use a zone or curser…anything.
May 27, 2008 at 9:07 pm
[quote comment="22387"]With all the added work being put on VC im gonna say any hope of a APF 2k9 or 2k10 are gone.[/quote]
From what I’ve read, APF 2K9 isn’t going to happen, although APF 2K10 is still a distinct possibility.
May 27, 2008 at 9:09 pm
btw in that screenshot, if thats Edgar Renteria of the Detroit Tigers…I believe the Tigers do not have pinstripes.
May 27, 2008 at 9:24 pm
But aren’t they the same company who made MLB 2k in the past and then when Brinkamn came he made it was today. They made MLB 2k6 and it sucked.
May 27, 2008 at 9:25 pm
[quote comment="22398"]btw in that screenshot, if thats Edgar Renteria of the Detroit Tigers…I believe the Tigers do not have pinstripes.[/quote]
BTW thats him on the Marlins.
May 27, 2008 at 9:35 pm
[quote comment="22399"]But aren’t they the same company who made MLB 2k in the past and then when Brinkamn came he made it was today. They made MLB 2k6 and it sucked.[/quote]
Kush took over the MLB series with 2K5.
May 27, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I have never been so underwhelmed at a product in my life. Talk about overproimising and under-delivering. 2k8 and 2k in general has been a 100% failure in the way they have dealt with and promoted this product. A complete and total joke. I am trading mine in for my sons lego Indiana Jones game coming out next week. I haven’t played it since the first week it came out.
Chad
May 27, 2008 at 10:09 pm
[quote comment="22400"][quote comment="22398"]btw in that screenshot, if thats Edgar Renteria of the Detroit Tigers…I believe the Tigers do not have pinstripes.[/quote]
BTW thats him on the Marlins.[/quote]
why would they make a 2k8 screenshot of Edgar Renteria in a Marlin uniform? He hasn’t played with them in 10 years.
May 27, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Pasta do you think they will still have the total controls for next years game?
May 28, 2008 at 5:35 am
Good news for baseball fans. Unfortunately for 2K, it will take some sort of miracle to be able to make up the ground that has been lost to the outstanding MLB The Show series on ps3.
May 28, 2008 at 5:51 am
While I think it’s good news that VC is stepping in, I don’t know how in the world they’ll have time to produce a “grounds up” title
Actually – interweb hysteria aside – MLB2K8 plays a nice offline game of ball once the choppiness patch hit, and the sliders are adjusted. Probably like this game as much as any baseball game I’ve played. Hopefully what VC can do is fix the online component (where they’ve always been strong)and return the graphic sheen to the game. Really hope they leave the new controls alone, with exception of the “random” meatball pitch – when you just touch the stick and it immediately signals a bad pitch
Think VC is almost in a no win situation – they can try to do a grounds up, and almost certainly fail given the time frame. Or, they can just fix MLB2K8 and release it as 2K9 and take heat there as well …
Be interesting ..
May 28, 2008 at 6:58 am
They needed this. They MLB 2k Series wasn’t bad but needed a change. Hope this helps.
May 28, 2008 at 7:00 am
Also MVP baseball from EA was deff the best ones out there. Hope something like this comes back.
May 28, 2008 at 8:28 am
THANK GOD!!! The last two years this has been the biggest waste of my money. The fielding this year has just been atrocious. My favorite part was how the computer could pull off animations, but when I tried it my guy stopped instead of continuing the animation. I don’t know if it’s my Xbox or not, but the last two years my game would freeze a lot and I would the infamous “disk-read” error. I don’t have these issues with my other games.
In short, MVP Baseball ‘05 (with Manny on the cover) was the best baseball game I’ve ever played.
May 28, 2008 at 9:16 am
I’ve heard companies use the phrase “build it from the ground up” before, yet when I play those games, it doesn’t seem like it. Didn’t they say that with MLB 2K8.
I sure hope both games are built from the ground up, especially MLB.
May 28, 2008 at 11:51 am
[quote comment="22397"][quote comment="22387"]With all the added work being put on VC im gonna say any hope of a APF 2k9 or 2k10 are gone.[/quote]
From what I’ve read, APF 2K9 isn’t going to happen, although APF 2K10 is still a distinct possibility.[/quote]
yeah im hearing the same thing, I just don’t think a 2k10 will happen now unless they hired alot more people. If I were 2k I would ditch the legends, make the game 100% custimizable and release it during the NFL playoffs for 39.99$.
May 28, 2008 at 1:11 pm
[quote comment="22393"]Kind of sucks that its gonna have to start over in a way. Hopefully they ditch the thumbstick pitcing. It was innvative and fun for a little but got annoying. Keep the fielding with the stick though it was perfect. Hitting needs to actually use a zone or curser…anything.[/quote]
Yes, the stupid thumbstick get rid of it!
May 28, 2008 at 2:46 pm
No they should keep the thumbsticks, and let the people that don’t like it use what they want. Im a big fan of the thumbstick pitching and fielding. It makes it more challenging.
VC needs more player pics, updated stadiums, updated graphics, make franchise a little better, and fix the gameplay up a little.
They REALLY have to make online playable first of all. I never play online anymore, because of the delay.
2K Share would be awesome too.
May 28, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Did anyone download a new patch recently? I already got the first one but when I put in the new patch my sliders were messed up. I had turned up outfielder errors and now there are errors every play and I think the outfielders might be slower now. These are all guesses and I don’t know if this is even a new patch or not and I have only played one game with it.
May 28, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Thanks for the info Pasta. Can’t wait for your NCAA impressions!
May 28, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I’m still playing MLB2k7 and think it’s a fantastic game. I get realistic scores and with a few slider adjustments i don’t get all of the HRs anymore. they definitely have a great foundation to start from so there is NO NEED to start from the ground up.
And all you people worshipping MVP 05, go back and play it again. You’ll miss a lot from the 2k series, I’ll guarantee it. It’s certainly a good game… but I’m playing 2k7 far more.
May 28, 2008 at 7:33 pm
[quote comment="22497"]I’m still playing MLB2k7 and think it’s a fantastic game. I get realistic scores and with a few slider adjustments i don’t get all of the HRs anymore. they definitely have a great foundation to start from so there is NO NEED to start from the ground up.
And all you people worshipping MVP 05, go back and play it again. You’ll miss a lot from the 2k series, I’ll guarantee it. It’s certainly a good game… but I’m playing 2k7 far more.[/quote]
Stand at home plate on a baseball field and draw a straight line to LCF and RCF. Do you feel that 50% or more of the hits in the MLB 2K series take this line? I do.
May 29, 2008 at 11:40 am
[quote comment="22499"]
Stand at home plate on a baseball field and draw a straight line to LCF and RCF. Do you feel that 50% or more of the hits in the MLB 2K series take this line? I do.[/quote]
I’m not exactly sure what you are saying here, Anthony. Are you saying that not enough hits are “pulled” or hit the opposite way down the lines? Or that too many hits are hit to the center of the field? Do you mind clarifying what you mean?
May 29, 2008 at 3:25 pm
[quote comment="22644"][quote comment="22499"]
Stand at home plate on a baseball field and draw a straight line to LCF and RCF. Do you feel that 50% or more of the hits in the MLB 2K series take this line? I do.[/quote]
I’m not exactly sure what you are saying here, Anthony. Are you saying that not enough hits are “pulled” or hit the opposite way down the lines? Or that too many hits are hit to the center of the field? Do you mind clarifying what you mean?[/quote]
Just saying that 50% or more of the balls hit in this game take the same line. And I think the % is even higher when just looking at the track the ball takes when you get a basehit (usually a double or HR). I don’t recall be able to rip a single through the hole on either side. Too many groundballs go to the 2B or SS, and flyballs go to the gaps or out of the ballpark. 3B are hardly needed to field balls. To me, that’s unrealistic. Just my opinion though.
June 20, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Exactly how is Ben Brinkmans departure a “disappointment”? He obviously mucked up MLB2k8 and his departure is more of a godsend rather than disappointment.
But in all honestly, all you 2k fanboys will be playing EA published games anyway. Prize fighter is a bust and nobody plays tennis. GTA 4 is past tense. Its only a matter of time before EA owns 2k’s ass. How’s this sound 2k fanboy: MLB2k9 if its in the game its in the game.