Review
21 CommentsMLB 13 The Show review: come together
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 15, 2013 03.15.13
Sony San Diego has tuned the hitting just right Beginner Mode functions as training wheels for baseball, easing players in by gradually ramping up the challenge of hitting. It gives you the basic tools you need in order to be successful, and it takes place in a standard game rather than some sterile practice setup, so you can learn by doing. The system is valuable even for experienced MLB The Show players, who can use it to shore up their fundamentals. Sony San Diego also made another, much more significant accessibility-oriented design change: The studio opened up the timing window for hitting across all difficulty settings, so it's easier to make contact with the ball more regularly. I can't overstate the impact of this change on my experience. I was able to improve...
Deals
15 CommentsSony offers $10 PSN credit for every $50 spent in March
By Samit Sarkar on Feb 26, 2013 02.26.13
A number of major 2013 games are launching in March, and Sony is sweetening the release schedule with a cash back offer: For every $50 you spend in the PlayStation Store next month, you'll get $10 back in PlayStation Network credit. The offer is valid to PSN users in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and although Sony's advertising it as taking place in the month of March, it has already begun. PlayStation Store purchases from today, Feb. 26, through April 1 will count toward the promotion. That also applies to renewing an annual PlayStation Plus subscription for $49.99: According to Pierre Gravereau, senior manager of digital distribution, you won't need to spend the extra penny to get $10 back. And there doesn't appear to be a limit to the amount of cash back you can accumulate. So if...
Report
5 CommentsMLB 13 The Show devs aiming for a better game through greater connectivity
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 29, 2013 01.29.13
Chief among the new features in MLB 13 is Postseason Mode, which allows you to fill out a blank 10-team playoff bracket however you like — "you can do all [American League teams] if you want," community manager Ramone Russell told Polygon during a recent demo — and play through it. Sony San Diego focused on delivering the feel of a postseason game, which is markedly different from that of a regular-season matchup, primarily through presentation touches. The version of MLB 13 we played was missing much of the Postseason presentation. But as soon as Russell loaded up a game in Postseason, the crowd's higher decibel level was immediately apparent, along with different, more stirring music. An overlay with team statistics set up the matchup, and a cutscene showed the starting pitchers...
News
14 CommentsMLB 13 The Show on PS Vita missing some features because they 'won't fit'
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 24, 2013 01.24.13
MLB 13 The Show will be available on PlayStation Vita — it's the franchise's second year on the platform — and that version is still missing a few features from its bigger PlayStation 3 sibling because they literally "won't fit" on the PS Vita cartridge, according to developer Sony San Diego. One of MLB 13's major new features is Postseason Mode, which lets people play through a customizable playoff bracket. It includes numerous presentation elements that differentiate postseason games from regular-season games, including graphical overlays, different camera angles, new cutscenes and playoff-specific commentary. All those features, especially the audio, take up a lot of storage. According to Sony San Diego community manager Ramone Russell, a PS Vita game can be no larger than 3 GB...
News
2 CommentsMLB 13 The Show's Home Run Derby mode playable across PS3, PS Vita
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 14, 2013 01.14.13
MLB 13 The Show players will be able to play the game's Home Run Derby mode online across PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, developer Sony San Diego announced today. Up to eight players can participate in one online match of Home Run Derby, whether they're playing on the console or handheld. They won't have to take turns hitting; all players will bat simultaneously, with each being able to see their opponents' attempts as colored arcs running from home plate to the ball's landing spot — whether that's inside or outside the park. They'll also be able to keep track of their competitors' progress thanks to a real-time in-game scoreboard for the Derby round. Sony San Diego first took the Home Run Derby mode online last year, in MLB 12 The Show. In addition to making it available...
News
9 CommentsAndrew McCutchen graces cover of MLB 13 The Show
By Tracey Lien on Jan 13, 2013 01.13.13
Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen will be gracing the cover of MLB 13 The Show after winning a popular fan vote on the MLB website. McCutchen received 108,148 votes, beating CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees, who came in second place with 89,056 votes and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, who came in third place with 76,740 votes. Players also had the option to vote for Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. The results from the vote can be viewed here. MLB 13 The Show is coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita this March.
Report
2 CommentsMLB 13 The Show devs hope to ease you in with Beginner Mode
By Samit Sarkar on Dec 27, 2012 12.27.12
The developers are taking a two-pronged approach to that problem in MLB 13 The Show. First up is a gameplay tweak: They're making hitting easier across all difficulty settings, opening up the timing window for making good contact. That means that you'll encounter fewer frustrating instances of making what you thought was solid contact, only to foul the ball off. During a recent hands-on session with MLB 13, community manager Ramone Russell pointed out that MLB The Show fans found that specific issue disheartening because hitting was already so tough. Not taking advantage of a hittable pitch felt like missing out on one of a precious few great opportunities you might have in an at-bat, and the handful you might get in an entire game. So in general, if you square up on the ball and put...
