Last Friday, we headed to the PlayStation Lounge to talk to cover athlete and Jays outfielder Jose Bautista about MLB 13: The Show. The previous night, he left the game early with a twisted ankle, and we noticed him limping around while going back and forth between interviews at the Lounge. A lot of the usual stock questions were being asked by the networks:
How’s the season going so far?
Are you adjusting to the Toronto weather yet?
Can you sign my jersey? (this really happened… #amateur)
Hearing the same questions over and over gets boring really quick. So we decided, fuck the stock questions… time to have some fun. After the interview was over, he said he had a lot of fun with this. So here you go:
#PoppedAHomerImSweatin.
Big thanks to Janine Smith and Ari Xenarios for the invite to the PlayStation lounge.
A new roster update dropped for MLB 13: The Show this morning, and there are a ton of changes. First of all, the following the players are now added to the game:
Aaron Hicks (MIN), Alejandro Sanabia (MIA), Alfredo Marte (ARI), Angel Sanchez (CHW), Brad Peacock (HOU), Brandon Maurier (SEA), Brendan Harris (LAA), Chris Valaika (MIA), Edgar Gonzalez (HOU), Ender Inciarte (PHI), Evan Gattis (ATL), Greg Burke (NYM), Hector Rondon (CHC), Hyun-jin Ryu (LAD), Jackie Bradley (BOS), JB Shuck (LAA), Jedd Gyorko (SD), Joe Ortiz (TEX), John Maine (MIA), Jon Garland (COL), Jose Fernandez (MIA), Josh Fields (HOU), Josh Wilson (ARI), Juan Gutierrez (KC), Julio Borbon (TEX), Justin Sellers (LA), Kevin Slowey (MIA), Khris Davis (MIL), Kyuji Fujikawa (CHC), Leury Garcia (TEX), Matt Tuiasosopo (DET), Miguel Tejada (KC), Nick Noonan (SF), Nick Tepesch (TEX), Ryan Pressly (MIN), Scitt Kazmir (CLE), Scott Rice (NYM), TJ McFarland (BAL), Wilkin Ramirez (MIN)
Now, for a list of all of the changes:
Alex Burnett moved from Twins minors to Blue Jays minors
Bartolo Colon moved from A’s minors to A’s starting
Brent Lillibridge moved from Cubs bench to Cubs position
Brian Matusz moved from Orioles relief to Orioles starting
Brian McCann moved from Braves position to Braves minors
Chad Billingsley moved from Dodgers starting to Dodgers minors
Chien Ming Wang moved from Free Agent to Yankees minors
Clint Robinson moved from Pirates minors to Blue Jays minors
We’ve previously reported on how sports gaming companies run their social media accounts during big news in their respective sports. The Madden team is quick on the ball, posting screenshots of athletes in their new jerseys after a trade has been announced, and the NHL team is starting to do the same. If you follow MLB: The Show’s Twitter account, you probably noticed their awesome social strategy this past week. They’re doing a bunch of giveaways today, but the big thing that’s catching eyes is their Vine approach. Here’s how it works:
The MLB: The Show team surprised a number of their fans on Twitter with custom created baseball cards, using the popular social app called Vine. These cards are animated in a six-second video clip, and are based off the likeness of the fans’ Twitter avatar. They also feature the fan playing for their favorite team (see the example of Twitter user Jack Pattillo, fan of the Texas Rangers below).
This is the first time I’ve seen something like this, and it’s an awesome way to create hype, and to add a sense of community to your brand.
If you want a chance to have your own baseball card created by the Show team, follow their Twitter over at @MLBTheShow.
A new roster update is out for MLB 13: The Show, just in time for the baseball’s opening day. Justin Hampton and Rafael Perez have been added to the game, and there are 250 player moments in total for this update. Some of the roster changes include:
Adam Eaton (ARI): Sent down to the minors
Aroldis Chapman (CIN): Moved from starting to closer
Ben Francisco (NYY): Traded from the Indians to the Yankees
Brennan Boesch (NYY): Traded from the Tigers to the Yankees
Brett Lawrie (TOR): Sent down to the minors
Chris Snyder (LAA): Traded from the Nationals to the Angels
David Ortiz (BOS): Sent down to the minors
Derek Jeter (NYY): Sent down to the minors
Derek Lowe (TEX): Signed to the Texas Rangers
Gerardo Parra (ARI): Off the bench, now a starter
J.A. Happ (TOR): Brought up from the minors
Jason Giambi (CLE): Sent down to the minors
Jason Motte (STL): Sent down to the minors
Jeff Niemann (TB): Moved from starting to relief
Johan Santana (NYM): Sent down to the minors
Jonathan Broxton (CIN): Moved from closer to relief
Jonny Venters (ATL): Sent down to the minors
Jordan Scahfer (ATL): Brought up from the minors
Jose Iglesias (BOS): Brought up from the minors
Kyle Lohse (MIL): Signed to the Brewers
Lyle Overbay (NYY): Traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees
Maicer Izturis (TOR): Off the bench, now a starter
Mark Teixeira (NYY): Sent down to the minors
Mike Carp (BOS): Off the bench, now a starter
Mitchell Boggs (STL): Moved to the closer position
Phil Hughes (NYY): Sent down to the minors
Rick Ankiel (HOU): Off the bench, now a starter
Ricky Romero (TOR): Sent down to the minors
Roberto Hernandez (TB): Moved from relief to starting
Ronny Cedeno (HOU): Traded from the Cardinals to the Astros
Stephen Drew (BOS): Sent down to the minors
Vernon Wells (NYY): Traded from the Angels to the Yankees
Yuniesky Betancourt (MIL): Traded from the Phillies minors to the Brewers
Pop the game in, a message will prompt you to download the updated roster.
Sony has released a title update for MLB 13: The Show, which includes numerous fixes to art, online play, backend functions, and several hiccups. Below is a breakdown of all the fixes and changes, via MLB The Show Nation:
- In offline and online games, there was an occasional hitch/millisecond delay just as the pitcher would release the pitch. This was reported with a frequency ranging from approximately 10%
- 40%. The title was writing data to the HDD at this point, causing the brief, but noticeable hiccup in the gameplay. When the title writes to the HDD has been adjusted, and this hitch/delay will no longer occur.
- Franchise Fantasy Draft blank screen in Standard Def only. This was reported with a 100% frequency. In a Franchise mode, when performing a Fantasy Draft, the first round worked correctly. Every round after the first round would have a blank list of available players and drafted players. User could scroll through the empty list and choose players, but the player names were invisible. This was standard definition only. This has been fixed.
It’s been a couple months since the launch of Franchise Mode, and while we’ve started a great following on Twitter, our Facebook page is looking like a dead zone. So why not head over there and like our page for a chance to win the new MLB 13: The Show for the PS Vita. The contest starts now, and closes when we announce a winner on Friday evening (around 5:00pm ET).
Last week we got a copy of MLB 13: The Show from Sony, and we’ve been on it non-stop. With the game now on shelves, here is our official review for the game:
It can get pretty lonely at the top. When you’ve been on top of the mountain for too long, it can be easy to become complacent. This is not the case for the king of console baseball gaming. MLB 13: The Show has taken everything its fans have come to love about the franchise and expanded upon it with new gameplay features, presentation tweaks, and an attention to detail that’s been unrivalled since modders started tricking out the PC version of MVP Baseball 2005. This year’s instalment of MLB: The Show is glorious in just about every facet of its existence.
First and foremost, MLB 13: The Show simply looks amazing. The series has consistently produced a highly polished product, but the implementation of the new TruBroadcast Presentation 2.0 has given The Show a sense of realism that’s rarely approached in the realm of sports gaming. Whether it’s a glimpse at any one of the new cut scenes or just the highly detailed player models, MLB 13 offers the most realistic and immersive simulation experience yet. In total, MLB 13 features upwards of 1500 new animation sequences between its regular in-game mode and Road to the Show mode. No longer will Opening Day, the All-Star Game, and the postseason come off feeling like a regular season game in mid-July.
Both Road to the Show and Franchise mode have undergone an overhaul of sorts. The former has scaled back the in-game commentary, limiting it to before and after significant achievements, opting to let the natural sounds of the game take over while the user’s player is at-bat or in the field. RTTS also features new streamlined controls, which provide users with a more fluid experience. Franchise mode sees numerous tweaks and adjustments to its management component, such as the inclusion of the new CBA “qualifying offer” system and a renewed focus on scouting and player development.
In addition to the new presentations and various changes to the game’s franchise and RTTS modes, MLB 13 also includes a variety of minor changes that all help to enhance the gaming experience and have built upon the greatness established through past years’ efforts. We’ll highlight a few here:
Commentary has received a much needed boost in the form of Steve Lyons joining Matt Vasgersian and Eric Karros in the booth.
The new button accuracy meter for fielding aims to cut down on errant throws by giving users complete control over arm accuracy and strength.
A new “postseason mode” lets gamers jump right into the playoffs without having to take a team through a 162 game schedule.
Lastly, “beginner mode” attempts to attract less experienced gamers by offering simplified controls and an auto-adjusting skill level mechanism.
While there is another baseball video game out there, the Show has no competition on the console market. MLB 13: The Show is worth owning a PS3 on its own, and I’m being as genuine as possible. As an Xbox owner who recently picked up a PS3 for this exact purpose, I will commence kicking myself for all the hours I’ve wasted over the past four years by playing a far inferior game.
In Closing: we had our testers rank the game on a scale of 1-to-10 in the areas of graphics, presentation, controls, and replayability. The verdict: 9.2/10
