It is always worthwhile to compare different elements of competing games and the visuals are initially the easiest to do so. I went ahead and grabbed screenshots of 20 popular MLB players in order to judge how well their faces were rendered in MLB 10: The Show and MLB 2K10. The screenshots were captured using the same method so as to eliminate any difference in quality produced by the screenshot features of the particular games.

Continue on to check out 10 of the players up against each other from MLB 10: The Show and MLB 2K10. The final set of 10 players will be posted later this week. MLB 10: The Show images are on the top and MLB 2K10 are on the bottom. Vote in the polls for which you think are better and leave your thoughts in the comments!

Ryan Howard

Manny Ramirez

Joe Mauer

Jonathan Papelbon

Brian Fuentes

Alfonso Soriano

Evan Longoria

Roy Halladay

Tim Lincecum

Mark Buehrle

The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.

• Three new mascots have been announced for NCAA Football 11 so far. Oregon’s Donald Duck, Texas Tech’s “Raider Red”, and Stanford gets “The Tree” in. You can see them in the screenshot gallery.

• The pre-order deal for Tiger Woods 11 at Gamestop will be a free download of the Riviera Golf Club.

• The PS3 version of Tiger Woods 11 will include support for the Playstation Move. The motion controller was recently unveiled at GDC to less than enthusiastic reaction but seems well suited for golf. It is expected out this fall.

• Tecmo Bowl Throwback, which does allow for customizing team names, will not allow for editing of player abilities/attributes. The rosters will be the same as Tecmo Super Bowl which you can look over here but with fake names.

• THQ has posted a second blog answering community questions about UFC Undisputed 2010.

News and content that may have been missed from around the site:

• Predators Sneak Peak Video. Produced and co-written by Robert Rodriguez.

• Hugo Weaving Cast in Captain America. Will play the villain Red Skull.

• Robert De Niro to Play Vince Lombardi. Movie expected out in 2012.

• Theatrical Trailer for Tron Legacy. Sequel to the 1982 classic film.

• New Trailer for Iron Man 2. Less than two months until it releases.

• First Round NFL Mock Draft #3. The next one will be up late this week.

The MLB: The Show franchise has produced what has been widely regarded to be some of the best sports titles over the past few years but one major deficiency has held the series back. The online play options and performance has always been terrible, or at the very least disappointing, especially compared to how other games have advanced in the area. After spending some time online with MLB 10: The Show and reading a large number of accounts from others it can be determined that overall the performance has improved this year, though not nearly to the extent that was necessary and with a new crop of problems to deal with.

At the team select screen there is the handy connection assessment. I’ve made sure to only enter games with a “great connection” but oftentimes that will not hold up through the course of a full game or necessarily even correspond the experience being had. Still, I wanted to make sure I’d go into each game with the best chance of producing a good experience.

Performance wise I’ve had some consistently solid games. While lag is has not affected them for the most part that doesn’t mean they have been perfect. What is especially difficult is reading low pitches. The ball skips on the way to the plate, in a jumpy fashion where it disappears and reappears. This makes a low pitch in the zone nearly indistinguishable from a pitch in the dirt. There are also times where the ball is hit but you didn’t see the bat swing, which happens far less than last year but creeps in there occasionally and makes it tough to get a read on where it is going to initially react as a fielder.

Despite those things the games that are stable are much more responsive than last year. Pitching and hitting appear to be pretty balanced, outside of the issue with low pitch visibility. So it isn’t as much a guessing game where lucky swings resulting in home runs is the only way to score. I’ve strung together hits much more frequently than was possible last year.

I have to mention though that there have been some laggy games which I have backed out of. Many people out there have gone through really laggy experiences that make the games practically unplayable. It does not seem to be happening at the same rate as it has in the past however. Still there is that inconsistency which makes online play for The Show unnerving. Is it going to get really laggy? Is it going to disconnect? Is it going to freeze? Having a constant worry about those things makes it hard to relax and just enjoy the time spent playing.

Even with constant pleading to make a change the “Guess Pitch” feature remains active for ranked games. What this means is most people just sit on fastball every pitch. Not only does that mean that the user who is pitching completely loses any control over the pitch, and that is a completely helpless and frustrating feeling, but it pretty much forces people to either avoid throwing fastballs or only throw them outside the zone. I played one game where neither of us were using “Guess Pitch” and it was remarkable how much more fun it was than the others.

What had been available previously were “Guess Pitch Off” lobby rooms. This still was not as ideal as just removing the feature from all ranked games, but at least the option was there to find people who wanted to play the same way at a given time. For some reason they have been removed this year, instead a bunch of general or rookie rooms are available. Oh yeah, yet there are rooms specifically for people who like “Guess Pitch”, but none for those who don’t want to use it. Not sure why those are necessary given the default settings yet they removed a room that many preferred to use.

Another thing that people have asked for that hasn’t been fixed is an opponent quick-pitching. After getting set an opponent can go right to the plate with the pitch. This means they can prevent baserunners from taking leads or attempting to get a jump for a stolen base. It can also catch the batter off-guard if they are attempting to set that up or aren’t even ready for the pitch.

The pitch meter stays on screen even when at the plate. This is distracting and should be removed. What ends up happening as a hitter is the tendency to watch the meter instead of concentrating on the ball coming out of the pitcher’s hand.

Last year I was told that variable camera views just missed the cut for MLB 09 as they couldn’t get the sync right and ran out of time. Somehow another year has gone by and it still hasn’t been provided. I really prefer to pitch from a behind the pitcher view and was disappointed that the option wasn’t in. I’m not sure why The Show keeps the catcher view as the default, but at least offline you can change it.

Options wise the jerseys, stadiums, and day/night are all selectable. Unlike last year the graphics are not dumbed down in an attempt to improve performance, at least not noticeably so. The game still looks great during online games.

SCEA has removed the rating of opponents after the games, which is a welcome change. Too many times people rated others poorly out of spite, because they lost, and not because the opponent did anything wrong. Instead now there are general statements to use that can help build up an online reputation instead of the star ratings.

Last year check swings were not possible in online games. This year they can happen but they can’t be relied upon. Basically anything close to a swing and its too late to change your mind, you really have to barely press and let off the button immediately to have a chance at it. It definitely is not the same level of responsiveness found offline.

I’ve also been bothered by a complete randomness in where pitches end up. I’m aware that this has been a problem found offline as well, but it feels to me as though it is magnified online. I have hit patches where my pitch location does not end up anywhere near where it was targeted even when hitting the meter perfectly. I’m not describing just small variances, which are expected, but examples like aiming a fastball inside and off the plate, nailing it on the meter, and having it end up outside off the plate by two feet. In the end I just end up feeling like I’m throwing and just hoping it somehow results in an out instead of pitching. Based on responses on Twitter I’m definitely not the only person who has seen pitch accuracy become completely random.

The online leagues are back with some improvements, though it is tough to assess the mode this early on with limited feedback. Soon after release of the game I attempted to create a league and was met with a 14 day restriction, which was ridiculous and insulting to have a feature they were not going to let people use. Thankfully it appears they have removed that restriction as I since have been able to form one. There are a ton of options in setting up the leagues which is really good at least from that standpoint. Finally this year owners can be replaced, however they still have not added the ability to reset a game’s results.

Most of the presentational elements are removed to quicken the pace of the online games and reduce the chance of desyncs. So I have to ask, when there are replays, why are they in super slo-mo? No one sits though them so they all just get skipped. Totally goes against the general idea of speeding things along. There are times I’m wanting to watch the replay but there is no way I’m going to painfully sit there for 45 seconds to do so.

Though it is more of a console issue, the disconnect between the PS3 friends list and the “Buddy List” in The Show is irritating. You have to add any friends from within the game to a separate list. I wonder how Sony hasn’t found a way, especially in their own game, to better do this and eliminate that hassle.

The SportsConnect Website, which hosted things such as leagues and box scores of online games, is not up this year. I used to like checking on my personal online stats and results there or tracking the games that were currently being played. There appears to be absolutely no web presence for the game which is disappointing.

In the lobby rooms you can choose to watch a tracker version of the ongoing games which includes commentary with “SportsCast Live”. This is not a new feature but is a unique one and if you have a friend playing or want to follow along with an online game being played it is a neat thing to check out. I believe the only way to view/listen to the games is in the lobby rooms, that you can’t do it from the friends list anymore.

Probably the biggest online flaw is that intentional walks are, in many cases, resulting in consoles freezing. This is now a tactic being used by some to get out of losses. Unfortunately this issue is going to require a patch, meaning the fix is well over a month away. In addition there are a couple stadiums that are basically unplayable due to freezes. The one that has seen the most problems is Tropicana Field.

There are reports of other problems such as games not being recorded or consoles freezing following a game while loading back into the online menu/lobbies. I have not experienced these things myself (0utside of a couple games that never showed up because the server had gone down). However as much as these instances are being cited a solution needs to be found for both.

Overall I’ve had some really fun games online. When it is running well The Show is very fun, strategic, and rewarding online. However inconsistent performance, freezing issues, lack of options and innovation, and puzzling design decisions continue to make online play a weakness of the series.

Some of you may already be familiar with Marcus Stephenson. He has been around for quite some time driving community initiatives or just being accessible within the community. After running a Madden fan site for years he took a position as a Community Manager at the EA Canada studio before moving between a few different projects, most notably as a Producer on NBA Live 10. He has now left the EA Sports studio and holds the position of Game Designer for WWE Smackdown vs Raw at THQ. I had the opportunity to ask Marcus a few questions about his time at EA and his new role at THQ.

PP: What prompted the decision to leave your current position to join THQ?

MS: I chose to leave EA because the opportunity to work in a lead position on the WWE franchise was too good to pass up, and most that know me know that wrestling has always been a big passion of mine.

PP: When you started working at EA Sports what were your main interests and what was the career path you had hoped for? How does the move to THQ change those plans or is the new position what you had always hoped for?

MS: I honestly didn’t know. When I first got to EA SPORTS, I just wanted to excel in what I was doing. I tried my best to bring community to the forefront of EA SPORTS, and I think I did that. Then I wanted to make an impact on a game team (as a Producer), and leverage my community experience, to create a better game – and I think we did that (NBA LIVE). I was at a crossroads at EA SPORTS on what exactly I wanted to do next (continue down the development path, or go back into community management). I accepted a role as Sr. Community Manager for FIFA ONLINE because, well, it’s FIFA – why wouldn’t I?

The move to THQ cements in my mind what and where I want to go from a personal career perspective. The new position is something I have always hoped for because I get to work on a passion of mine, with a franchise that has been successful for a number of years, and on a team that knows where it wants to go in the future.

PP: You have previously worked on NBA Live 10 before most recently moving to FIFA Online. At the time what was the reasoning for shifting away from working on NBA Live 11? Was that something you wanted to do or were you frustrated by the situation?

MS: I had such a fun time working on NBA LIVE 10, I’ll cherish those memories making that game forever, and I’ll miss that team! Things changed once NBA LIVE 10 shipped, and we started pre production on NBA LIVE 11. It was no longer a place I saw myself.

PP: When Mike Wang departed from NBA Live to re-join 2K Sports for NBA 2K11 he cited a big reason being a change in direction for the Live series. Would you agree with that assessment, that NBA Live may be moving away from being a simulation offering? That EA Sports is not committed to the vision that Mike Wang and yourself had for the future of NBA Live?

The way I see it, things change. I can’t say the direction NBA LIVE is moving in, I can say it will be “different,” but I think it will be up to all of you on what you want from a basketball simulation. There are guys on that team that know what’s being said out there, and they’re building something pretty special I think. Mike made his decision, just like I made mine, but I wish the NBA LIVE team success, and think they’re on a path to making that happen.

PP: What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the most recent Smackdown vs Raw?

MS: I think where the SvR series has gotten to from a customization perspective, is unmatched. You can basically create anything you want from characters, to unique storylines, and share them with the community. As for “weaknesses,” I think that every area in SvR could use improvement. That’s the goal that every team should have, at least in my experience. You can feel reassured that the team knows about every issue, but we want to make sure that we’re making improvements that effect the franchise long term, and not just for a short term temporary fix. I think sports games get caught up in the quick fix that creates more problems, instead of thinking long term to ensure quality and stability.

PP: Like any yearly title gamers inevitably scrutinize and ask if enough has been done in that one year to warrant another purchase. The WWE franchise has been viewed by some as lethargic and not having made the expected big advancements or in some cases even going backwards. How do you take WWE and enhance the experience every year?

MS: Thank god for software right? If we could get everything we wanted to get into SvR, or any sports game for that matter, in one year, we’d do it. With that said, I get the complaints, and think that as long as there are ideas, there will not be a “lethargic” sense to SvR.

Wrestling games have untapped potential when compared to other sports titles. We’re thinking of things that you guys haven’t ever dreamed (or have and were spot on) so I think there’s a lot of things left in the tank that we can do from a year to year basis to make sure SvR stays fresh year in and year out. You’ll find this out soon enough!

PP: Smackdown vs Raw 2010 saw marked improvement in reviews. The consensus seemed to be that the features were great but the gameplay still needed work. How do you feel about 2010 and how has the team looked at goals for 2011?

MS: I’d agree, the team made huge strides with last year’s effort, and even in gameplay, we saw improvements (seamless transitions between grapple states, dives, etc.). We have a plan for gameplay, and we really think it’s going to make a big difference. Bryan Williams and his team are working hard to keep building off of the things you saw last year, and introduce new things – but we’re getting way ahead of ourselves here. You’ll see soon!

PP: In what ways do you and those already working on SvR take feedback from the community and how do you utilize it to improve the game?

MS: I know our team reads what the community is saying, but that’s where I think I can have an immediate impact on the team. I’m planning to bring the two way communication to the SvR series, and that means that I’ll be available anytime, and answer every question. Even if I can’t answer the question, I’ll say “I can’t answer,” which is technically an answer. My point is that the community has always played a role in the creation of SvR, but this year, I’d like to bring that to another level!

PP: With THQ in control of the WWE license until at least 2018 does the license security result in the ability to implement more creativity and innovation or are there still limitations to what can be done?

MS: I think that the license deal helps us. That was actually a big reason for me coming here, so I’m glad it was able to happen. I’d say for us, if a simulation wrestling game is what you want, then no other company is in better position to do that than us. This license helps us achieve that goal!

PP: What is there about the WWE that could be better translated to a video game?

MS: The history. The WWE has a legacy that we all can’t deny. I think whether it’s through broadcast presentation, or new modes and features, we need to leverage that history better into SvR so that when you fire up the game, you get a sense of something bigger / greater than just the 2011 / 2012 snapshot or installment of that year.

PP: Is Smackdown vs Raw intended to appeal most to WWE fans or is the game also designed to reach gamers who may not watch much WWE? If you also hope to attract the casual fans how do you balance the game to be fun for everyone?

MS: That’s a great question. I think first we obviously need to appeal to the WWE fan. They’re our lifeblood, and the reason why we’ve been so successful. But I also know that games like “Wrestlemania 2000” and “No Mercy” transcended the audience, and appealed to everyone. I think that sometimes we tie the words “casual” and “fun” together, and maybe that might be the wrong way of looking at it. My belief is that if we create the ultimate WWE simulation, then the “casual” will want to check it out because of the game’s quality and attention to detail. I think that’s where the “ultimate user control” comes in.

You take a game like NHL, and wonder why that’s been so successful. They put control right into the user’s hands which made it fun for non-hockey fans to play because THEY were shooting, THEY were moving their stick. The same thing goes for Fight Night. When you feel like YOU’RE punching, you’re having fun.

PP: THQ also owns the incredibly successful UFC Undisputed series. Do you see THQ as building a “fighting” brand and becoming known for that?

MS: I’d hope so, yes. With the WWE and UFC at the forefront of THQ, I think we’re positioning ourselves to be the leader in the sports fighting space.

PP: What do you hope to hear gamers saying once Smackdown vs Raw 2011 is released?

MS: “SvR 2011 is so good that I’ve gotten into wrestling!”

Thanks to Marcus Stephenson for taking the time out to answer some questions! WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 is expected to release late fall/early winter.

The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.

• Many are already claiming to have pitched qualifying perfect games for the MLB 2K10 contest, going as far as to post pictures of the code that appears after doing so. 2K Sports will not be revealing the winner until June. Given the number of rules involved there is no way to know whether the $1 million contest is, in essence, already over.

• Much has been made of EA Sports president Peter Moore’s comments about digitizing the Madden consumer. This is nothing new though. DLC has become a staple, feature access through code inserts in new copies has been done for two years now, and Madden Ultimate Team is an example of the type of added content to not only make more money but keep people from parting with their copies.

• IGN has posted a new producer interview that goes over a couple new features in 2010 FIFA World Cup. I’ve also added a few new screenshots to the gallery.

• THQ has posted a new blog for UFC Undisputed 2010 focusing on stamina management and how it will play into the submissions this year.

News and content that may have been missed from around the site:

• Review of Kick-Ass. This is an absolute must see movie (opens April 16th).

• Review of Hot Tub Time Machine. Uneven but has some hilarious moments (opens March 26th).

• Zoolander 2 Finally Getting Off The Ground. The sequel to the 2001 film is in active development.

• Final 2010 Academy Awards Predictions. The Oscars are handed out tonight!

• The reports from the NFL Combine are up in the NFL Draft section. A new mock draft, taking into consideration early moves in free agency and trades, will be out this week.

With MLB 2K10 in hand I have gone through and timed different loading areas when running off the disc compared to running off the hard drive on the 360. Installing to the hard drive not only has proven to cut down on load times, in some cases significantly, but it also reduces stress to the system and the noise it produces. For MLB 2K10 the actual install process took 10:50 which is the longest install time to date and has produced marginal improvements to loading times.

Install Size- 6.4 GB
Install Time- 10:50

Loading Times
Load to Main Menu- :49 disc vs :42 hard drive (7 seconds)
Load into Game- :27 disc vs :19 hard drive (8 seconds)
Load out of Game to Main Menu- :09 disc vs :06 hard drive (3 seconds)
Load into Home Run Derby- :22 disc vs :15 hard drive (7 seconds)
Load into Positional Drill- :24 disc vs :15 hard drive (9 seconds)
Load into saved My Player- :05 disc vs :05 hard drive (No advantage)
Load into My Player Game- :19 disc vs :17 hard drive (2 seconds)
Load out of My Player Game to Menu- :19 disc vs :15 hard drive (4 seconds)
Load into saved Franchise- :06 disc vs :06 hard drive (No advantage)

As always it is recommended to install the game to the hard drive if you have the space. Though the improvements to the loading times do not appear significant they are still noticeable with the biggest benefit the 360 running quiet and cool throughout the play sessions.

The Line Drive is a weekly collection of news, links, and updates that didn’t necessarily warrant their own postings.

• THQ has released a new blog for UFC Undisputed 2010 that covers submissions. They have also put out the first Q&A responding to questions submitted by the community.

• The pre-order bonus for UFC  Undisputed 2010 will offer a code to download four exclusive fighters. The first has been announced as James McSweeney. The other three, though not officially revealed, are expected to be fellow TUF 10 participants Roy Nelson (winner), Brendan Schaub (runner-up), and Marcus Jones. Gamestop is currently the only outlet that has this offer listed.

• A new fighter has been revealed for EA Sports MMA. Luke Rockhold has won six straight fights and currently has a 7-1 record. The announcement was made coming off his victory on Friday night at the “Strikeforce Challengers” show.

• SCEA has posted two more blogs for MLB 10: The Show. The first covers improvements made to Road to the Show mode, with IGN also providing a hands-on preview of RTTS. The other blog focuses on discussing and displaying some of the elements of the game that add to realism.

• The patch for the PC version of NBA 2K10, five months in the making, is apparently still in the works. The PC version has been stuck without a single patch, two of which already attempted to address some of the fundamental problems with NBA 2K10 on the consoles. PC gamers have been without any online functionality for the majority of the time since release.

• With the NFL combine underway and teams making other transactions I’ve already found myself tracing out changes to my initial mock draft. I will be posting a new one sometime next week.

From the time the demo for MLB 2K10 was released I’ve been keeping notes, some of which I’ve been posting to Twitter along the way. I’ve compiled my thoughts and observations here and will just stream them out. I’ve also included another two HD videos of a demo play through.

Overall based on the demo MLB 2K10 is going to offer a much cleaner and more rewarding experience than previous iterations. There are a number of issues though, some of which won’t be properly evaluated until the complete game is out, that appear to hold it back from being better than just a decent offering. Continue on for my full impressions as well as another set of videos of a demo play through.

First in terms of demo structure it’s a shame that it lacks commentary and doesn’t offer the opportunity to change difficulty level or camera angles. On the plus side though I dig that the starting pitchers and game time are randomized.

The difficulty level is set on Pro and with no way to adjust it that is what I’ll be basing my thoughts on. Overall the game has a fun feel to it but it is incredibly easy. I’m hitting home runs at a rate of about two per every three innings. It definitely scared me that the very first power swing I attempted with the demo I crushed a home run with Chase Utley. After a Ryan Howard ground out I followed up with a Jason Werth home run. And that was when I was just trying to get used to the game. In well over 20 innings I’ve given up something in the neighborhood of six hits and still not a single run. If the $1 million challenge were to be held on these settings there would be perfect games thrown on release day.

In terms of controls I like what has been done for both pitching and hitting. I’ve never been a fan of the stick being used in MLB 2K but I’m finding them to be enjoyable for the first time. While at the plate it has a more instinctive feel, although you do usually have to determine whether to swing big or go for contact beforehand. The defensive swing I don’t anticipate coming into play naturally and I’ll probably never use it because of that. When pitching I like the ability to choose the pitch type beforehand and then just concentrate on the motion. I’m having much more success delivering properly because of this.

Facing the AI is much more rewarding both while pitching and while hitting. The CPU isn’t swinging at everything and CPU pitchers will even give up walks of which I’ve gotten a handful. I don’t mind the Batter’s Eye too much but what does bother me is how random it is. One pitch it’ll flash and another it won’t and I’ve yet to see any discernible pattern to it. I use the location aspect of it more than to identify what type of pitch is on the way as that really hasn’t offered much of an advantage. For me I tend to swing more often because I see it come up rather than just try to hit naturally.

Fielding though seems to be a weakness as the CPU basically is in control leaving the User to just make the throws. Most of the action in the infield is so fast that there is no time to react. Even on hits to the outfield the players are usually well on their way before the User has a chance to take over.

Graphically I like the overall brighter look and the stadium ambiance is more true to life. There are some jaggies and player faces particularly are disappointing. Without the commentary the atmosphere doesn’t feel up to par making the listless crowd stand out more than it probably would otherwise. Obviously the most glaring visual issue is with the jersey numbers which are far too large.

One concern I had going in was how slow the pitches seemed to be coming to the plate in the video that was out. I actually think the speed to the plate feels about right. The issue I have here is that there is little difference between an off-speed pitch and a fastball. I’ve basically been going up with the strategy of looking for location and not caring about pitch type and that has led to the success I’ve had hitting. The window is simply too large on this difficulty setting.

An issue with the new batting camera is that the hitters are so proportionally large that they get obscured by the scorebar and the bat even goes off the top of the screen. Initially I noticed it with Jason Werth and thought it was just because of his height. But then when I used the Yankees it had Derek Jeter positioned even worse. It is somewhat distracting and I’m surprised that a visual flaw like that would be overlooked. Otherwise the new view does provide a better opportunity to judge strikes from balls which will probably be more beneficial once the difficulty level is moved up as it doesn’t feel necessary here.

• The text above the pitch types is just too small. I have a 56″ HDTV and in sitting just about six feet away I’m having to lean in and/or squint to figure out which pitch to select.

• I’ve only hit one double which is concerning. However that double was pretty damn cool as it went over the outfielder’s head and off the wall. Otherwise hits to the outfield seem to hang in the air more often than not and the outfielders are snagging those easily.

• I had my runner get doubled-off at first base on a lazy pop-up to the second baseman. There is no way he should’ve been standing halfway to second base and not retreat until after the catch was made. Come to think of it maybe the infield fly rule should have been called.

• Ryan Howard made an impossible play catching a line drive with two hands over his head with his back turned to the plate and looking towards the right field wall. I shook my head at that. I haven’t seen any other plays along those lines made thankfully.

• I like that I’m fouling off pitches at a decent rate. This is great because it doesn’t have to do with the defensive swing and usually I get a feel for how my timing was off when it results in a foul ball.

• Framerate seems consistent which is great but with so many elements removed for the demo we’ll have to see if it stays that way.

• Player movement is awkward. Lots of starting and stopping (see example when heading to dugout after home run). Not as bad as last year though.

• Not a big deal but the pitching cursor is really unsteady and jumpy. It doesn’t move around smooth making it frustrating at times to try and get the location you want to throw for.

• Seeing occasional AI issues such as players not completing their assignments (such as the pitcher not covering first base in the video I posted last night), throwing to the wrong base, diving when not necessary, ect. That being said I’ve yet to get upset about something to the extent that I’d turn the game off because of it, which happened about once every other inning with 2K9.

What bothers me about most of the gripes I have is that they could have been fixed or adjusted based on a simple feedback session. Visual issues (small text, score overlay on top of players, over-sized jersey numbers) all could have been spotted within minutes with easy fixes being made but now the game will be stuck with them all year. Some of the other things cited in these impressions could very well be improved on a higher difficulty level but that remains to be seen. Clearly though if judging the MLB 2K10 demo primarily based on how it compares to 2K9 there is reason for optimism.

After a lengthy process my first HD videos of the MLB 2K10 demo are now live. The recording is one of the first times I played through and it was 3am so there are a few quirks. For example there is a stretch where I throw three or four consecutive wild pitches not realizing I was doing the changeup motion instead of the fastball motion. Also I started rushing things near the end of the second video as I was trying to complete the demo within the 10 minute time limit placed on uploads. I’m continuing to post some impressions on Twitter and my full article with everything gathered will be posted tomorrow. Continue on to check out the videos and leave your thoughts in the comments!

• A second developer diary video for Backbreaker has been released. This one focuses on, yet again,  Euphoria. There are still three months until release but I’m looking forward to having different subjects touched on such as how the football basics (rules, AI, play calling, ect) are instituted in the game.

• 2K Sports has released two blogs detailing the new My Player mode broken into two parts. They include new screenshots from the mode. The first posting can be found here with part two here.

• IGN has also published hands-on thoughts on MLB 2K10’s My Player mode. Somewhat concerning is the mention of multiple crashes that prevented him from continuing with his careers as well as the ease of hitting.

• Two new blog postings have gone up for MLB 10: The Show. One goes over the new All-Star Week features. The other discusses the Sounds of the Show feature.

• I’ve reinstituted the mobile version of the site and also installed BerryBlab for the forums. If you have a Blackberry try out the app and let me know if it works for you. I’m getting an error when entering a thread but it could just be my phone. I’m looking into a mobile version of the forums for other devices too.