Batter Up with Brinkman
We get the final dirt on MLB 2K7 before shipment, straight from producer Ben Brinkman.
Published: February 27, 2007
It’s reassuring, really. To know that in spite of cutthroat business tactics for exclusive sports rights that plagued the industry and the certain pressure that comes with cooking up a yearly sports edition on literally all consoles on the market (ok, so that Wii version’s in the works for ’08), the developer at helm is concerned simply with making a “really good game of baseball.” Such were the words of Kush Games producer Ben Brinkman, who, in a recent Q&A session, offered some last-minute insight into the making of Major League Baseball 2K7, the team’s latest and arguably most extensive hardball offering yet.
With the franchise making its bold entrance onto the PlayStation 3 this year, fans are presumably curious of what to expect from their beloved ball game now that it’s running on foremost hardware. In terms of visuals, Brinkman confesses to the team was “just scratching the surface of the PS3,” but should make for a noticeably prettier game. Lighting techniques, physics and gloss have all received the proverbial next-gen treatment in harnessing the power at hand. Kush was also able to get away with a lot less compression, which would normally result in more rigid-looking animations. With the mo-cap sessions now more intact, players in the game will move a lot more like they should. It should also compliment those 2,600 some new player animations rather nicely.
“There’s just so much that goes into a (real) baseball game, it’s hard to capture all of the details,” admits Brinkman. “The more you can do, the better the game and it creates a more realistic experience”
The complimentary eye candy is a touch nice, sure, but what the team seems particularly proud about on the PlayStation 3 is their execution of the SixAxis. This rests predominantly with battling. Fans might remember last year’s addition of the Swing Stick, where your at-bat performance was determined by your use of your right analog stick. Now imagine that same sort of control applied to an entire controller, where tilts and turns would result in bunts, line drives and even those powerhouse homeruns.
Thus produces the peanut butter and jelly combo of Swing Stick on SixAxis. As a whole, it’s said to be a lot more refined and user-friendly. In an effort to retain realism, power swings have been more believably toned down, so that you’re not soaring over the fences every time you connect (as rewarding as it may be). Additionally, a pull hitter (or a hitter who typically hits towards the same side of the field as he bats, i.e. a left-hander hitting into right field) will have an added boost if he takes on a pull pitch. It all makes for more realistic hit results that baseball diehards are sure to catch on to.
Signature Style has been something of a selling point to MLB 2K7, and luckily, Brinkman offered a few examples of what to expect from the captive authenticity. On paper, you know it as the added personal touches and characteristic movements for over 150 of your MLB favorites (amounting to over 300 unique animations of the sort). But who might be showing off these idiosyncrasies in the game? Well how about A-Rod’s signature clap of the hands? Or maybe Jeter’s familiar at-bat pose of sticking out his rump? How ‘bout Ichiro, how so brazenly points his bat at the pitcher as he steps up to bat? The initial reaction Brinkman hopes many players will have is in stepping up to the plate or hitting the mound with their favorite superstar, seeing their subtle traits and realizing “Oh yeah, they do have that.”
As for the Signature Style-worthy players whom the team didn’t get to, Brinkman suggests the team might get around to adding additional ones in downloadable form, though no promises. In terms of online play, what players can expect is another fine installment of what Brinkman called the “typical 2K Sports package” that people have known for years. Here are the head-to-head match-ups (with the added feature of pitchers who can pitch from the pitching view, hitters who can bat from the batting view), tournaments, leagues, and even new online cutscenes for a slightly spruced-up like. Graphics are not scaled down for online play, as Brinkman confirmed, so players can expect the same sharp look as their offline experience.
Concerning roster updates (since hey, everyone wants their teams to be accurately represented), expect to see them on all platforms, with the first hitting upon the game’s release (er, today), another before the season starts, and possibly one in June to account for all the free trade that goes on in May.
And then there the refinements to some of the core game elements that just make for a more accessible experience altogether. The Inside Edge scouting system is back in action, where “right off the bat” (not our pun, we promise) catchers will now call entire games for you. Franchise Mode also saw its fair share of polishing, as a highly intuitive interface makes getting to just about anything as easy as pulling down a drop-down menu. And then on the field, a brand new fly ball system (saving you the trouble of those last-minute scrambles), position-specific throws and nuances (since, let’s face it, your center fielder will be testing his arm’s limits a lot more than a shortstop), near flawless AI that still won’t hesitate to steal and extra base, and crowd chatter that’s as active as it’s ever been rounds out what, as Brinkman reiterates, comes down to a “good, fun game of baseball.”
The team has operated on the philosophy of taking the series “back to the basics,” and players can find out first-hand just how well it translated, as Major League Baseball 2K7 makes its multi-console strides into retail today. We’re fumbling around with the final PS3 version as we speak, so expect our full review shortly.
With the franchise making its bold entrance onto the PlayStation 3 this year, fans are presumably curious of what to expect from their beloved ball game now that it’s running on foremost hardware. In terms of visuals, Brinkman confesses to the team was “just scratching the surface of the PS3,” but should make for a noticeably prettier game. Lighting techniques, physics and gloss have all received the proverbial next-gen treatment in harnessing the power at hand. Kush was also able to get away with a lot less compression, which would normally result in more rigid-looking animations. With the mo-cap sessions now more intact, players in the game will move a lot more like they should. It should also compliment those 2,600 some new player animations rather nicely.
“There’s just so much that goes into a (real) baseball game, it’s hard to capture all of the details,” admits Brinkman. “The more you can do, the better the game and it creates a more realistic experience”
The complimentary eye candy is a touch nice, sure, but what the team seems particularly proud about on the PlayStation 3 is their execution of the SixAxis. This rests predominantly with battling. Fans might remember last year’s addition of the Swing Stick, where your at-bat performance was determined by your use of your right analog stick. Now imagine that same sort of control applied to an entire controller, where tilts and turns would result in bunts, line drives and even those powerhouse homeruns.
Thus produces the peanut butter and jelly combo of Swing Stick on SixAxis. As a whole, it’s said to be a lot more refined and user-friendly. In an effort to retain realism, power swings have been more believably toned down, so that you’re not soaring over the fences every time you connect (as rewarding as it may be). Additionally, a pull hitter (or a hitter who typically hits towards the same side of the field as he bats, i.e. a left-hander hitting into right field) will have an added boost if he takes on a pull pitch. It all makes for more realistic hit results that baseball diehards are sure to catch on to.
Signature Style has been something of a selling point to MLB 2K7, and luckily, Brinkman offered a few examples of what to expect from the captive authenticity. On paper, you know it as the added personal touches and characteristic movements for over 150 of your MLB favorites (amounting to over 300 unique animations of the sort). But who might be showing off these idiosyncrasies in the game? Well how about A-Rod’s signature clap of the hands? Or maybe Jeter’s familiar at-bat pose of sticking out his rump? How ‘bout Ichiro, how so brazenly points his bat at the pitcher as he steps up to bat? The initial reaction Brinkman hopes many players will have is in stepping up to the plate or hitting the mound with their favorite superstar, seeing their subtle traits and realizing “Oh yeah, they do have that.”
As for the Signature Style-worthy players whom the team didn’t get to, Brinkman suggests the team might get around to adding additional ones in downloadable form, though no promises. In terms of online play, what players can expect is another fine installment of what Brinkman called the “typical 2K Sports package” that people have known for years. Here are the head-to-head match-ups (with the added feature of pitchers who can pitch from the pitching view, hitters who can bat from the batting view), tournaments, leagues, and even new online cutscenes for a slightly spruced-up like. Graphics are not scaled down for online play, as Brinkman confirmed, so players can expect the same sharp look as their offline experience.
Concerning roster updates (since hey, everyone wants their teams to be accurately represented), expect to see them on all platforms, with the first hitting upon the game’s release (er, today), another before the season starts, and possibly one in June to account for all the free trade that goes on in May.
And then there the refinements to some of the core game elements that just make for a more accessible experience altogether. The Inside Edge scouting system is back in action, where “right off the bat” (not our pun, we promise) catchers will now call entire games for you. Franchise Mode also saw its fair share of polishing, as a highly intuitive interface makes getting to just about anything as easy as pulling down a drop-down menu. And then on the field, a brand new fly ball system (saving you the trouble of those last-minute scrambles), position-specific throws and nuances (since, let’s face it, your center fielder will be testing his arm’s limits a lot more than a shortstop), near flawless AI that still won’t hesitate to steal and extra base, and crowd chatter that’s as active as it’s ever been rounds out what, as Brinkman reiterates, comes down to a “good, fun game of baseball.”
The team has operated on the philosophy of taking the series “back to the basics,” and players can find out first-hand just how well it translated, as Major League Baseball 2K7 makes its multi-console strides into retail today. We’re fumbling around with the final PS3 version as we speak, so expect our full review shortly.
