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MLB 12: The Show Attempts To Refresh Commentary And Presentation

By on December 9, 2011

For anyone who has played the MLB: The Show in its “09″ or “10″ iterations and turned off the commentary before their first seventh-inning stretch, you’re not missing out if you never let MLB 11′s voice work see the light of day either. With yet another year, the series’ commentary was plagued by issues of repetitiveness and flatness, and the overall broadcast presentation seemed somewhat lackluster. As detailed on the official PlayStation Blog, the development team at SCEA is attempting to target those areas in the upcoming MLB 12: The Show.

MLB: The Show’s community manager, Ramone Russell, sat down for an interview with the blog and said that gamers’ pervading complaints about commentary and presentation made it the “number one focus” this year. In terms of announcing, he described how the team is attempting to bring more “season specific commentary” to the table and have the announcers frequently delve in to conversation. “The commentators are going to talk about the MVP race, the Cy Young race, the series that you played in two days before, explains Ramone. “They’re going to talk about how your pitcher is having an awful year because he’s 5 and 15.”

To enhance the broadcast experience, MLB 12 will debut a feature called True Broadcast Presentation, which is designed to emulate signature patterns real life telecasts like camera cuts to, as Russell phrases it, “blur the lines” between reality and the video game. “When a batter strikes out,” he says, “the camera will cut and you will see his face, his anger.”

In the full posting, Russel also outlines new ball physics, uses for the PlayStation Move, a classified new online mode, and possible uses for the PlayStation Vita version of the game.

While many other sports games would likely envy having commentary and and broadcast as their number one complaints, it’s still nice to see that the overall trend in sports gaming is to strive to recreate the real life broadcasts. After all, the fan experience is increasingly taking the form of a television or computer screen, and even the best gameplay or graphics won’t distract from poor announcing.

What do you want to see be addressed in MLB 12: The Show? Is presentation the main thing that needs to be focused on? Let us know in the comments or join our great forum community.

In addition to being an editor for Stick Skills and a connoisseur of all things awesome, Brian is also studying business at Iowa State University. His Xbox Gamertag is Sidewinder57 and you can follow him via Twitter: @Brian_Sipple by clicking the little orange button in this box.
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  • Derek Speaker

    Fix the New York Mets’ uniform travesty. That’s all I ask.

  • Anonymous

    I think that in MLB the show they should put team specific announcers. Also, I like the new hit interface but the player should be able to use that right analog to hit the ball in different directions like the pitching interface where you can dictate whether you throw it out or in the zone. You should be able to pick to hit it to let or right field on the same button you swing with. That would add more strategy to the game and make it easy and fluid to play.

  • Anonymous

    Fix the Dodgers owners situation. Put mark cubans money as the budget for franchise mode. haha ok no

  • http://twitter.com/jordancurbeam1 jordan curbeam

    MLB 12 the show. You should make it look real & 2012. You could do rain delays on season mode. On 3 or 5 weeks you could do fireworks night after the game.

  • http://twitter.com/jordancurbeam1 jordan curbeam

    You could do opening day thing. And do interviews after & before the game. Go backstage with the team before they come out to play ball.

  • http://twitter.com/jordancurbeam1 jordan curbeam

    And all the team intro before the game

  • http://twitter.com/Josh236B Josh Butensky

    Rain Delays and Double Headers would be a nice addition in Franchise Mode

  • http://twitter.com/jordancurbeam1 jordan curbeam

    MLB 12 the show. You should make it look real & 2012. You could do rain delays on season mode. On 3 or 5 weeks you could do fireworks night after the game.You could do opening day thing. And do interviews after & before the game. Go backstage with the team before they come out to play ball. And do interviews after & before the game. And all the team intro before the game
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    Reply

  • Jeremy Roney

    Baseball is about stats and the history of iconic players. Ex. Seeing one of your fav baseball players getting close to Babe Ruth’s RBI’s, Hits, Homeruns, etc.. and displaying it in the game like in real life. Albert just passed Babe Ruth (watch him climb up to the top and see who is front of him).

  • Jeremy Roney

    Another idea have a Top 50 minor league players and Top 10/20 organization minor league players. Then have the announcers talk about that in the game as well.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Matt-McCann/100002487591844 Matt McCann

    Refine pure analog hitting. It feels more realisitic and enjoyable but i find it extremely hard to consistently time the release point of the pitcher, which means that i hit way too many ‘okay’ contact ratings. Maybe add a setting where you only have to time the swing, ie the stride auto but timing manual. Also, aim swing inside and outside by holding left stick, not using right stick.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1357281224 Jonah Trosky

    it would be cool if you could add better commentators.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/KFLYXUT7MAETQCBUD2CC7CS444 Justin

    I just feel that its time for new announcers. The game is almost perfect.. but listening to the same announcers every year makes you think you are playing the same game. We have been listening to the same ones for 10 years.. Dave Campbell and Eric Karros are terrible, and Vasgersian is way outdated. These guys dont even do real games… I would love to hear Marty and Thom Brennaman!!

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