MLB 2K10 Developer Conference Game Summary

Every amateur dreams of getting called up to the big leagues, and this past Thursday, I got the call. A conference call that is, with some of the guys from Visual Concepts and 2K Sports. I got to sit in as a bench warmer in a Q&A session with Producer Ben Bishop and Gameplay Designers Jonathan Rivera and Sean Baily.

Questions were meted out by Chase from Access Communications. The following is a synopsis of the conference call. These are not direct quotations, but a summary in my own words. I will use [ ] to signify my own thoughts within the summary.

Ben Bishop (Producer):

Major League Baseball 2K9 is not the game 2K Sports and Visual Concepts wanted it to be…Visual Concepts was brought in late and didn’t have a full cycle to square up to the task. That is all changing with MLB 2K10.

This year’s MLB game has a new feel, building on feedback taken from every level (internal, pro players, reviews, forums and surveys, etc.), including Evan Longoria, this year’s cover athlete. Longoria is a big gamer, and worked with the team as they made adjustments throughout development.

Part of the new feel also owes to the plethora of new features and game modes. New for 2K10 is the “My Player” mode, which brings the missing career mode to the 2K Baseball series. “My Player” lets you create your own player and play your way through the minor league ranks, earning skill points and filling your “MLB ETA” meter as you play. These skill points let you level up your player’s stats, from power to Batter’s Eye.

Once you get the call to the Big Leagues, you’ll be playing your way toward the Hall of Fame! There are some out-of-game aspects that affect your career, but nothing as involved as more casual/flashy baseball games like The Bigs and The Show. One of the “My Player” features [I'm excited about] is the “Short Form” mode, which sims everything in the game, except for your player’s parts. This accelerated game mode lets you play a whole game in 5-10 minutes!

MLB 2K10 is also getting a revised version of the Dynamic Commentary system first used in the NBA 2K series. Dynamic Commentary works differently based on the game mode you are playing (D.C. is not used in online multiplayer).

In the Franchise mode and My Player modes, Dynamic Commentary will be based on the stats from your virtual seasons. Meanwhile you will get commentary based on up-to-date real world pre-game stats (and results for your current game in progress) in the new MLB Today mode.

MLB Today mode is like a game du jour…pick the team you want to play as, and MLB 2K10 sets up the game to match the real-world game conditions. Dynamic Commentary in MLB Today mode will let you brush up on your team’s real-life status, like how the Dodgers are one game away from sweeping the Giants in this 3 game series, player stats etc. [I wonder if anyone will be using MLB Today to choose bets,spreads, etc. by simulating the games? I'll have to try it out on a few match ups, see how accurately MLB Today predicts game outcomes]

Sean Baily (Gameplay Designer):

On the tech side, pretty much everything in the game has been re-written from scratch (AI, physics, animations, and the pitching and hitting systems). The framerate was a priority, and has been improved and stabilized.

For pitchers, you now pre-select your pitch type using the controller buttons, no street fighter moves just to choose what type of pitch you are throwing [that comes later]. How well you execute the corresponding street fighter style move for that pitch type determines the speed, and how accurately your pitch is delivered.

Visual Concepts has tried to create a pick up and play control scheme, while also delivering a realistic challenge that has some depth to it. Pitching is about making your motions accurately and batting is about timing, no more zone hitting… Both sides of the match-up have their own analyzer that helps you see mistakes in your inputs/timing [I don't find the Swing Analyzer all that helpful].

MLB 2K10 will be seeing some real battles at the plate. Hitters have some tools to extend at-bats, when they get in trouble. Defensive swings will help you stay alive, and contact swings will put the ball in play [if you are in the right neighbor with your timing]. The Batter’s Eye will clue you in to the incoming pitch. How often you get the Batter’s Eye depends on each player’s rating.

Jonathan Rivera (Gameplay Designer):

2K Sports wants MLB 2K10 to be the best baseball game out there, no matter what platform [and it's being published on pretty much all of them!]. A lot of work went into fine tuning the different aspects of the game, and improving acrobatics animations.

AI players are more casual and realistic in no/low pressure situations, and improvements were made in the Fielding AI. You are less likely to get two players trying to catch the same ball, for example. The new pre-loading system combines fielding & throwing into a smoother, more efficient motion.

Franchise mode has received some welcome upgrades, including a full 40 man roster and mid-year drafting. Trading of course is there, along with new compensatory draft picks. Another feature is “Super Sim” which lets you run entire games in simulation, in any game mode. If you don’t like how things are going, jump back in the game and take over. One downside to Super Sim is that you may not earn as many skill points (My Player mode), compared to playing out the whole game yourself.

The player ratings are built upon stats going back three years, with most weight being placed on the most recent season. Usually the system works pretty well, but sometimes pro players will give feedback and complaints if they feel they are being underestimated.

There are a few playable classic teams in the game, however there are no throwback stadiums. [It will be interesting to see what classic teams are available, and how they play in modern stadiums.]

Misc:

The $1M Perfect Game Contest: 2K Sports expects a winner on this contest. They are hoping the contest will drive people to experience and perfect the new pitching mechanic. Pitch count is going to be vital to finishing out a perfect game, as fatigue will really begin to affect your speed, accuracy, and composure.

People who like making custom players will be happy to know that MLB 2K10 doesn’t have a cap on the number of custom players you can create [available storage capacity will obviously be a limiting factor].

The Trading Card system is built on 2K9, with some minor adjustments for this years game.

This year’s game has a great soundtrack, lots of good songs

Every stadium’s Homerun Celebration has been recreated in-game, with the exclusion of the Milwaukee Brewers [betting this is due to ESRB rating restrictions]

Final Thoughts

MLB 2K10 releases tomorrow, on Tuesday March 2nd, 2010 [why is it that baseball games are the only sport games that are honest about their "year"?] Have you tried the demo yet? What do you think so far? Will you be picking up MLB 2K10 tomorrow, or in the near future?

Look for a full review in the coming weeks, and enjoy spring training! In the meantime, check out this trailer comparing MLB 2K10 to last year’s game (choose 720p resolution to get the best comparison quality):

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDSAiVT14Xw

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