Acrobatic plays are the norm in previous MLB games? Has this changed?
We added hundreds of new fielding animations. We added a lot more “casual plays” rather than “high energy” animations.
Framerate and online lag was a big issue with 2k9. Has this been fixed?
We knew that there was definite room for improvement with the framerate and lag. We definitely made sure that we got the framerate up, because that’s part of the overall experience. Any time you get lag then that can take away part of that control. We optimized the game as much as we could to avoid this. We spent a lot of time on AI tuning this year and making it as realistic a game as possible.
Ben: How difficult was it to implement the MLB Today feature into the game?
I don’t know if “difficult” is the right word. It was challenging, but we were able to take what NBA (NBA Today) did and move it into MLB. If you’re out of the loop for a couple of days, then you can fire up your console and get updated with what’s going on in real life. The commentary will also reflect what has happened lately. If your favorite team just came off the sweep then the commentary will mention that.
Any thought of using MLB Today for Franchise play? The gamer would follow along with the season?
We talked about that but it’s a tricky thing. It ends up breaking down because you’re going to want to do things that will diverge from real life, like making trades. All of that dynamic commentary is happening will affect everything that’s happened in that season.
Can you give us more details on the $1million contest?
Yeah, it’s a really cool idea. Pitching in 2k10 has really changed this year and is actually much more fun than it’s ever been. There’s so much more control, so there’s more of a challenge in pitching a perfect game. It made sense to promote this new system with a contest where gamers win something cool. We came up with this idea of winning a million dollars for pitching a perfect game. We’re looking forward to seeing someone get that money.
Do you expect anyone to do it during the deadline? Why will it be difficult?
We do expect someone to win it, but it will be hard to do. It may not happen right away, but it will happen sooner or later. The demo is already out on Xbox Live, so people can start practicing now on how the pitching mechanic works. Pitching and Fatigue plays a bigger role this year and the pitching mechanic will change a little bit and your timing will get thrown off as your player begins to tire. If you think you’re doing awesome in the first few innings then that won’t be the case later on.
Will players who liked 2k9 like 2k10?
That’s a pretty broad question, but we all think the game has improved by leaps and bounds. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing a baseball game. The mechanics are similar as 2k9, so you’ll be reasonably familiar with this new game.
Sean: Is there a cap on the number of players you can edit?
Nope. No cap.
What kind of music can we expect this year?
You can actually check out the entire list at 2ksports.com, but here are some of the bands we have. Jet, Iggy Pop, Black Crows, Social Distortion, Pearl Jam. We even have a song by Tantric which was chosen by Evan Longoria because he actually uses that in real life when he comes up to bat.
Is zone hitting in the game this year or is it all just timing-based?
To make all the physics as realistic as possible we had to focus on zone hitting but the timing is dynamic, but I don’t think you’ll miss it.
How has trading cards been changed for 2k10?
We really liked what we did last year so we wanted to build on that. We changed the players and cards, and the way you unlock them, but it’s mostly the same as 2k9.
What have you done to make the game fun for those who have never picked up a baseball game?
The hardcore guys will appreciate the depth that has gone into this year’s game, but anyone can just pick it up. In order to test that theory I had people play games only using the base swing. The buttons are laid out like a baseball diamonds, and the mechanics are simple, but it takes a lot to master the game.
What kind of guy was Longoria when he was helping you?
Part of the reason we picked him was because he was really interested in the process. We sat down and played some games with him. It was really fun to watch him come up to bat as himself. We got to spend a lot of time picking his brain, like what he thinks about certain pitchers and certain features that were going into the game. It was all really cool.
How will the $1 million winner be picked? By achievement or other sources?
It’s actually a pretty in-depth process. We have a lot of safeguards in the game to determine the legitimacy. There is an achievement tied to it, and basically people will have to record their game and send it in to us.
Will the Classic control mode ever be phased out?
No. Everyone has a different style of play that they prefer, so we’re going to leave those in.
What extra work was done to squash bugs?
The QA department did a really good job. They played the game day and night, so having everyone engaged helped knock out a lot of sneaky issues. We feel pretty confident about the quality of MLB 2K10. The existing fans should love it, and this is the game to pick up even if you’re never played a baseball game in your life.
