MLB The Show returns in March 2009
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Dec 22nd 2008 at 7:07PM }
09 will also add online season leagues, training/practice drills, and a new ability to store replays onto the hard drive. The most important addition of all, however, are the mascots. Each team's mascot will be represented in the game.
Check out the first screenshots of MLB 09 for the PS3 here.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
berto @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:17PM
most likely going to be the EXACT same game, but with updated rosters and maybe 2 tweaks in the gameplay
Kxpuc @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:24AM
that's good enough for me the game rockzors
sscoolchea @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:47AM
isn't that every sports game ?
Mein Bratwurst @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:18PM
I'm looking forward to their create-a-taunt feature thing.. hopefully you'll be able to use it online as well. Overall it looks like the best Baseball game just got even better.
DodgerDugout @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:18PM
Best damn sports video game franchise for the PS3. And it keeps getting better! First day purchase for me.
PSN: John-Paul-Jones @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:30PM
The amount of detail in the 2008 version amazed me. First day purchase, as well!
dabamf @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:19PM
No way dude, this game will be way better...I'm super stoked for this coming out.
Also, check out this new feature:
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/19/mlb-09-supports-rock-band-mic-headsets-for-heckling/
dabamf @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:20PM
"No way" was @ berto
H2Os @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:21PM
Nice, I skipped on 08 this year, looking forward to 09. My birthday is in March, so I might get it as a gift for myself. :)
rko_kero @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:31PM
Ok, Please tell me that they now have Hair! I dont like Manny without the messy dreads!
James @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:53PM
Honestly 08 was a near perfect baseball game. The only thing I'd like was more and better animations (IE players don't go through each others when a player challenges him on a DP ball), maybe a bit more crowd members (although it was already the best IMO), and some more bonus features in road (like pitching, batting drills, less grind basically) and it appears they did it all.
Maybe my connection is just bad but I also had a hell of a lot of trouble getting a decent lag free online game. Although I have to say it helped my K/9 ratio!
BigJonStudd @ Dec 22nd 2008 8:03PM
Please include Home Run Derby since it is always on the PS2 versions. It shouldn't be that hard to include. Derby is fun when you have a bunch of friends over and some aren't that into games but have no problem hitting a button to swing and see if they hit a bomb.
scoobywhoproductions @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:16AM
I loved last year and was the best MLB game ever but PLZ add more climbing the wall animations,Collisions and more highlight than just homeruns.... and charging the mound PLEEAAASSEE that was my only major complain
dead @ Dec 22nd 2008 8:38PM
awesome! i actually think the "mlb: the show" games are the best sports games out there. great graphix and great presentation. matt vasgersian was/is great.
Jorge @ Dec 22nd 2008 10:28PM
My thoughts exactly. I have 08 and if they don't include the Homerun Derby, I probably won't upgrade. That is one feature that I really hope makes it into the PS3 version.
SaveFarris @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:08PM
Actually, the best part will be ... trophies!
King_Castillo @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:31PM
Is it just me or do the graphics look pretty similar?
Hopefully they'll work on it more cuz although 08 has great graphics, i'd im always up for an improvement!
Please add collision detection or somethin, I dont wanna see my players go through other players and walls like ghosts anymore!
Besides Homerun Derby, changing my team's new designated minor league clubs, and that extended Road To The Show.. im set!
Oh and... Billy The Marlin FTW!
ROC EAGLES3 @ Dec 23rd 2008 9:15AM
FEATURES
• Road to the Show 3.0 (All platforms) – Once again MLB 09 The Show is the only game where fans can play offense and defense from a custom-created player’s perspective. This year, Road to the Show includes interactive training, a new steal/ lead-off system, updated presentations, and coach interactions. Interactive training will consist of a set of mini-games designed to improve a player’s ability and performance in various areas of baseball.
• Franchise Mode 2.0 (PS3/PS2) – Adding to one of the deepest franchise modes available in any sports title, MLB 09 The show adds the long awaited 40-man roster. Franchise Mode improvements will offer Salary Arbitration, Waiver Transactions, and September call-ups.
• Online Season Leagues (PS3) – Online Season Leagues are now available, allowing players to hold fully functional drafts and utilize Flex Schedules, providing fans the opportunity to play games ahead in the schedule.
• Training/Practice Drills (PS3) – Players have the ability to choose from a number of different Training/Practice drills, providing players the chance to polish and improve existing skill sets.
• Details & Subtleties – As the leading MLB simulator, MLB 09 The Show takes pride in the details, with realistic stadiums and signage, wear and tear on field, dusk to night lighting transitions, and stadium Jumbotron animations. The crowd atmosphere is even more dynamic, where crowd rivalries and weather appropriate clothing are updated and fans will reach up for foul balls and home runs. (PS3)
• Additional Animations – MLB 09 The Show has boosted the number of overall animations with more than 700 new gameplay animations, more than 400 new presentation animations, and more than 150 personalized pitcher and batter animations.
• Custom Music, Fan Yells and Chants (PS3/PSP) – Using the “My MLB Music” feature, players can store their favorite music for play on MLB 09 The Show. Edit tracks to assign batter walk-up music or record your own voice and assign it to play for the player and situation of your choice.
• Replays to Hard Drive via Replay Vault (PS3) – Store highlight reel replays to your PS3 hard drive as a movie file, and enjoy the ability to playback clips at your leisure. Additionally, players can access an “end of game” replay to see the most exciting and important plays of the game.
• Mascots (PS3) – This year every team mascot is available, performing signature moves during each game to pump up the crowd and rally the team.
• Roster Vault (upload/download/rate) (Franchise) – Players can create the ideal roster offline by adjusting player attributes, appearance, accessories, etc. and save them to a Memory Card, Memory Stick, or PS3 Hard Drive. Once online, players can upload them to allow others users to download, use, and rate the roster.
• Updated Fielding Control – Fielders will now have more dynamic reactions and take different routes to run down hit balls. New “hotshot” plays are included, and depending on a player’s attribute level, they can misplay balls and drop a ball too hot to handle. Additionally, players can experience more realistic barehanded flips and the ability to dive with the ball in the fielder’s bare hand for the putout.
• Legend Mode – A fifth level of difficulty is now available for players seeking the ultimate challenge.
• Progressive Batting Performance – Reward players for superior performance and penalize them for hitting slumps. Specific to each individual batter, players are rewarded with 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.
• Post Game/In Game Pitcher and Batter Analysis – Available both in-game, post-game, and throughout Road to the Show, the Pitch Analysis is a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played. Gamers will be able sort by pitcher, LHB or RHB, pitch type and result. This feature is also available for Batters, and the batter analysis allows for a breakdown of how a batter has performed based on LHP or RHP, Pitch Type, and result.
• Pitch Grips – MLB 09 The Show details various pitch grips and arm angles that a pitcher has when throwing each pitch. 17 different pitch types including four fastball variations (four-seam, two-seam, cutter, split), six breaking pitches (10-4 curve, 12-6 curve, slider, sinker, slurve, screwball), four change-ups (straight, circle change, palmball, forkball), and three specialty pitches (knuckle, knuckle-curve, and Gyro).
• SCOUT [SportsConnect Online User Tracking] – 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.
• In-Game MLB Live Scores – Gamers will get up-to-date reports on what is going on in the Majors including scores and notable status, such as HRs, complete games, etc.
• Online League Play – Create leagues with up to 30 teams with full stat tracking, point benefits and rewards. Gamers can customize leagues including choosing players, teams, length of schedule, and much more. (Note: There are no cross platform leagues available.)
• SportsConnect Headline News – Stay on top of news around the league and receive all current happenings in sports today. Information is updated a few times each hour with news, trades, and events from 31 different feeds, each containing 25 unique items. Select General MLB headlines for updates from the entire league so news is not missed while online with MLB 09 The Show.
• Key modes – Rivalry, Career, Season, and All-Star game are once again available to provide players a chance to challenge friends or the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a variety of settings.
• 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.
• 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) – A pitcher’s “pitch comfort” will be predetermined based on a best to worst pitch scenario. 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.
• Release Point Pitching – 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 pitch history and correctly guessing which pitch and location that the pitcher will throw next. If a correct pitch is selected, the power attribute is increased to give the batter a higher chance of hitting one out of the park.
• PlayMaker Fielding – Based on fielding attributes, but it’s ultimately up to each player to decide how to play to each team’s strengths and weaknesses. Excellent fielders will track down the ball for you while sub-par fielders will require some concentration.
• 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 to for other users to try and let the online community be the judge on finding the perfect game.
• Unrivaled Player Creator – An infinite amount of options for creating players including everything right down to your own face with EyeToy® (PS2 only). But it doesn’t stop there. You can also adjust your personal rituals, swings – even emotions as you create Mini-You.
• MLB® Player Motion Captures – MLB 09 The Show features authentically captured motions from dozens of professional athletes including David Wright, Ryan Howard, David Ortiz, and more.
• Revamped Umpire Personalities – 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.
• 3-Man Booth & Progressive Commentary – Rex Hudler, Matt Vasgersian, and Dave Campbell return to provide the most comprehensive commentary available. Additionally, the game’s Progressive Commentary system changes dialogue by adapting to current actions and situations.
Fane @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:34PM
...and your point is?
You could have just put a link. Then, you would have had space to COMMENT.
Hotrod @ Dec 23rd 2008 7:18AM
I just stared at that picture for about 15 seconds trying to figure out if that was a actual photo or a game screenshot.
PSRT @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:40AM
Are their wrists gonna be effed up again?
...and why don't I see this amazing graphical prowess y'all speak of? Those screens were nice, but they weren't all that much of a jump up from 08 (except for the Fenway bleacher shot, which was totally rad).
TJ @ Dec 23rd 2008 10:12AM
please tell me it will have weather this year! i want rain and wind
kwick7 @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:58PM
They BETTER add PS3 Eye support for using your face in the game.
RocketMan @ Dec 23rd 2008 3:39PM
How come they don't upgrade NBA 09 with this kind of stuff, as in better graphics and way more depth.
Fane @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:37PM
I wonder how long it will take me to become tired of the constant "Yankees suck!" chant which I will inevitably create.
p.s. The Yankees suck. HARD. :)
AaronBelfast @ Dec 24th 2008 6:56PM
I love baseball, too bad I live in Europe.
ERIC @ Dec 26th 2008 12:54AM
WHY THE GAME HAVE TO BE NETWORK PLAY ONLY THATS SUCKS
danny @ Jan 19th 2009 11:17PM
everyone here is worried about the most meaningless things, how about gameplay? no one seems to care about the actul gameplay anymore. these guys are worried about taunts and and and graphics and hair...i mean honestly hair...? how about timing on the swings and how bout when you guess a pitch correctly it lights up and shows you exactly where its going to be...thats the dumbest part of the game i can deal with everything else but the hitting, you can pull an outside change up, and take an inside fastball deep to right...makes no sense, mvp developed the best hitting ever. i can only hope they make another baseball game or someone copies their hitting and pitching
monkeyboy @ Jan 25th 2009 11:26AM
I get what you are saying about the game play that inside fast ball going the opposite way always annoyed me too but it does happen in baseball, just look at Jeter he has made a carer out of doing just that.
danny @ Dec 29th 2008 2:44AM
ea sports mvp is by far the most realistic game hitting wise than any other, mvps guess a pitch feature is ridiculous, and a joke
danny @ Dec 29th 2008 2:45AM
im sorry, i meant to put mlb the shows guess a pitch is ridiculous.
daveofferson @ Jan 5th 2009 7:23PM
I dig this series as much as Madden in its prime. Good stuff all around, with only minor quibbles.
I'm very interested in the pitch grips feature. I would have gone batty for this when I was a kid.
monkeyboy @ Jan 25th 2009 11:22AM
The All-Star baseball series was the best ever for front office gaming. They had every rule from The rule 5 draft to not being able to sign and trade. Until The Show takes a look at that series it will never be complete.
tom @ Feb 16th 2009 9:58PM
i went into gamestop and reserved mine today i cant wait until it comes out it is gonna be awesome but the worker in gamestop told me to reserve it because they are almost full with the games reserves so if your thinking of buying it the first day without reserving it don't count of receiving a copy!!!!!!!
mark @ Mar 2nd 2009 6:54PM
For years I've been wishing you could continue a career with an existing player rather than always having to create one on your own. For 2010 please let us pick up a player's career, try to save it, improve it, etc. Also why can't we be relief pitchers?? We're only given the choice between starters and closers.
someghostpony @ Mar 2nd 2009 6:56PM
For years I've been wishing you could continue a career with an existing player rather than always having to create one on your own. For 2010 please let us pick up a player's career, try to save it, improve it, etc. Also why can't we be relief pitchers?? We're only given the choice between starters and closers.