Unlike the silliness of the term ‘AAA’ in video games AAA in baseball means the last step before the big leagues. And that is exactly where my right handed pitcher is during his climb to The Show – the PS4 MLB 15 version. I haven’t played a baseball game since 2012 and even back then I was very enthused with the RPG elements. No different here. Part of the reason why I bought the PS4 was so I could play the uncontested champion of baseball games and I am really glad to be back into it.
“Road to the Show” is the only game style I have played. It’s perfect, since you only control the plays your player is involved in. That still means 6 (ahem) to 9 (yay!) innings of pitching, depending on how I am making out. My son made a second baseman and it’s funny to see that he can be done a full game in 6 plays. Three at bats, and three fielding situations. This makes the long, 162 game season far more manageable. I couldn’t imagine having to play all of those innings. It also lends perspective on how much players make. Robinson Canoe, the top paid 2nd baseman this year would have made around $25,000 per play in that same situation.
One clever thing they did (in Canada, anyway) was nationalize the cover. I am pretty certain the catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays was not the cover star in Texas. Still, there was Russell Martin staring at me at my local Best Buy.
It is subtle touches like that that I really appreciate as a consumer. This wasn’t needed to make me buy the game, but by putting my favourite team’s best off season acquisition (and a Canadian player, to boot) on the cover really shows they are making the effort to talk to me as a consumer. Now, if only he could raise his batting average above .200 once we get out of April. Still, this is why baseball is awesome. He has another 140 games to fix that.
The game itself honestly didn’t blow me away as I first expected. The visuals are good, the baseball play is very solid (which is the most important) and they did put a lot of effort into making things more realistic. This is especially true that each stadium now has a sun cycle and shading that mirrors the actual ball parks. That is very cool, but I don’t notice a lot of it as a pitcher. For me I am just really excited to get back into a baseball game and especially one that I get to choose where and how to improve my player.
I was drafted by the Washington Nationals and I already asked for a trade. I don’t think the GM was very happy with me for doing that (probably not common for a minor league player asking for a trade after their first year) but hey, I eventually plan to hire Scott Boras so this is in line with expectations and behaviors from that camp. I’m in the middle of spring training of my second year and they have me middle relieving. Middle relieving!! Clearly they didn’t watch my four complete game shutouts with the Syracuse Chiefs. I will be a starter in the bigs, and I will get a Cy Young to my name. It just may take time, patience, and a beginner pitcher game options setting.
*as per the ‘Read the post and get $$$’ tag, I won a Google Play $15 card in the USA on my trip! Unfortunately, I live in Canada so I can’t redeem it. If you want to win the $15 card, just make a comment below and I’ll randomly draw from the group! Baseball related comments – why you love (or hate) the game, your favorite team, etc.
Well hell…I hate baseball! I understand it’s more of a strategists game. I am not a chess player, so yea not for me. But if you are offering loot for comments, well there is my 2c
The one thing about baseball that even drives me nuts (as someone who loves the game) is how slow it is played. The constant player readjustments of batting gloves between pitches, etc. This makes it a great game to go sit and enjoy and drink beer at, but harder to watch on TV with much enthusiasm.
There is a feature for my team where they replay games called “Jays in 30” and they show the defining play at every at bat – the walk, the strikeout, the hits, the outs, etc, and they get a full game in in 30 minutes (instead of 3+ hours they normally take).
I had this GC sitting in my wallet for too long, figured this was as good a way to give it away as any!
Send me your email address or phone number and I’ll send you the picture of the card with the back scratched off (since i already did that). my email is chris at ihaspc.com!