MLB 2K9

[*In a Nutsack]

Okay, so I started a franchise with the Royals the other night after trying a fantasy franchise with them.  Weird thing, but when you do a fantasy draft in franchise mode and sim the draft (after you make your first 30 or so picks...the rest get seriously mundane), the game hiccups and doesn't recover, causing you to restart your console.

Anyway, I swung a deal for Ricky Nolasco and Jeremy Hermida, giving up Jose Guillen and Kyle Farnsworth.  I also nabbed Josh Willingham from Washington for David DeJesus because my lineup was very lefty heavy.  For some reason, Mike Aviles is really good.  I also traded for Bobby Crosby to play super utility (whenever Teahan isn't DHing) and Saltalamacchia to play catcher in place of John Buck.  Also...David Price is now a Royal.  I think I had the trade restriction thing off, but whatev.  I'll restart after the patch (hopefully there will be a patch).

Anyway, I started to enjoy the game a lot more.  Hitting is actually kind of fun and I don't hit a jillion HRs a game.  I actually score with doubles in the gaps and singles as well as HRs.  Pitching...okay, pitching is fun but it's well documented that the CPU swings at everything.  However, if you purchase scouting reports and execute your pitches well, you tend to get good results.  I have not executed my pitches well as virtual Carlos Quinten and virtual Jim Thome (the White Sox were the Royals' first opponents) are impossible to get out.

My Royals are 1-2, but there are some fielding issues--like the outfielders going into slow motion and hiccupping, causing their tracks to the ball to be delayed and skewed; pop ups to the catcher are impossible to gauge and catch as I've missed two in a row; the thing where the SS throws a perfect strike to 1B and somehow is pulled off the bag.

I hope there's a patch soon to fix the fielding things.  I don't know if much can be done about the CPU swingfest.  Overall, this game's decent enough to keep me interested.  That's far less than what I was expecting, though.

[Kermit, B.]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it more, IAN.  The cursor hitting is the best I've ever played.  I really hope 2K puts out a patch soon, because I have a feeling there are a fair number of people trying the game, seeing the quirks, saying "Fuck this," and giving up on it.  If they could just fix a couple of the nuisances, it would go from a very solid baseball game to a good one.

[*In a Nutsack]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it more, IAN.  The cursor hitting is the best I've ever played.  I really hope 2K puts out a patch soon, because I have a feeling there are a fair number of people trying the game. seeing the quirks, saying "Fuck this," and giving up on it.  If they could just fix a couple of the nuisances, it would go from a very solid baseball game to a good one.

In the beginning I was just disgusted with it.  After settling down I can see some progress and promise.  Surely the fielding quirks will be patched as that's just too obvious to just let well enough alone.

The franchise is well done and the roster management is much easier this time around.  I still wish I could have full editing power over the players like in the past.  I hate those generic batting stances.  I'll raise my glass to a patch, if it comes.

[Kermit, B.]

Has anyone seen this happen?  Because it's hilarious.

[*In a Nutsack]

Has anyone seen this happen?  Because it's hilarious.

Well, it IS Corey Hart.

The guy said "Who puts a 'Manny Being Manny Button' in the game?"  Awesome find.

[PenFoe]

Okay, so I started a franchise with the Royals the other night after trying a fantasy franchise with them.

You know what would be sweet? If you all picked a crappy team and did this as a group.

IAN has the Royals, BK can take the Giants, Yeti will be the Nationals and Weebs can take take the AL All-Star team but only use the bench guys.

[Philberto]

Okay, so I started a franchise with the Royals the other night after trying a fantasy franchise with them.

You know what would be sweet? If you all picked a crappy team and did this as a group.

IAN has the Royals, BK can take the Giants, Yeti will be the Nationals and Weebs can take take the AL All-Star team but only use the bench guys.

I don't have this game. 2k9 is the game of the poorfolk. Slak and I are in the ELITE class of video game society

[Slaky]

Okay, so I started a franchise with the Royals the other night after trying a fantasy franchise with them.

You know what would be sweet? If you all picked a crappy team and did this as a group.

IAN has the Royals, BK can take the Giants, Yeti will be the Nationals and Weebs can take take the AL All-Star team but only use the bench guys.

I don't have this game. 2k9 is the game of the poorfolk. Slak and I are in the ELITE class of video game society

Ooh, that sounds like the opposite of where we should be aiming to be.

[Simmer]

Has anyone seen this happen?  Because it's hilarious.

"Wait.  What?  A BARREL ROLL?"

[Andy]

I saw a good animation last night.  Nick Swisher lost a pop-up in the sun, covered his eyes with his glove to try to find the ball and it fell right next to him.  At least I think it was an animation done on purpose.

[Weebs]

I saw a good animation last night.  Nick Swisher lost a pop-up in the sun, covered his eyes with his glove to try to find the ball and it fell right next to him.  At least I think it was an animation done on purpose.

I saw one today where Hunter Pence and Kaz Matsui should have collided with each other trying to catch a pop up.  Instead, Pence went right through Matsui and just froze.  Oh, what a game!

[TDubbs]

I saw a good animation last night.  Nick Swisher lost a pop-up in the sun, covered his eyes with his glove to try to find the ball and it fell right next to him.  At least I think it was an animation done on purpose.

I saw one today where Hunter Pence and Kaz Matsui should have collided with each other trying to catch a pop up.  Instead, Pence went right through Matsui and just froze.  Oh, what a game!

No way!  It's almost like they're not real people.

[Pre]

No way!  It's almost like they're not real people.

I really wish you had something else in your life other than to sit around and shit out
the same tired comments in a pathetic attempt to someday get invited to eat at the
cool kids table.

[PenFoe]

No way!  It's almost like they're not real people.

I really wish you had something else in your life other than to sit around and shit out
the same tired comments in a pathetic attempt to someday get invited to eat at the
cool kids table.

Pre, to be fair, he does watch every single show on TV, as evidenced in the Boobtube thread.

[Kermit, B.]

The second patch is coming, and it will address the CPU aggression, among other things.  I bet it's out by Opening Day.

To confirm what many of you have suspected by my other postings, we are going to have a second update be released in the coming weeks and a first one on PC that will encompass the day one update that was released on the consoles. There is no set date (we will make every effort to get it up pre-Opening day but let me confirm that when I can) but I hope to have a better idea of when that will be late next week. The patch will address many issues, but most notably the AI batting aggression and the ease of home runs in online mode and certain difficulties. Those are the only ones I can confirm at this time. Thanks to those who posted in the Patch Fix List, I will be closing that list now. Please let me know if you have questions about the patch and I will do my best to answer them.