Sony has a virtual monopoly in the baseball-sim market, but MLB: The Show doesn’t typically suffer from the same “roster update” charges that other sports game franchises do. Whether that will continue with MLB 15: The Show remains to be seen.
While it’s hard to decipher much from a 68-second teaser trailer featuring Yasiel Puig and a more cinematic look at the game, the presentation does get you excited if you’re a baseball sim freak like myself.
The trailer also heralds the arrival of a few features like year-to-year saves, which was announced with MLB 14: The Show. This means that you’ll be able to continue your franchise or your Road to the Show progress from last year’s game. Which is good for those of us who are two seasons deep. I would hate for those hundreds of hours to have been a waste.
This year’s edition will also see the debut of licensed accessories, which is… something.
Don’t get me wrong, while using Nike batting gloves and appropriately branded bats may add a little bit to the realism, it’s a little concerning that that is one of the headline features for the new edition of the game.
The one thing that makes everything alright, though, is the word: Legends.
I have no idea why SCEA put that word up on the screen during the trailer and there is no information in the notes about if that means that the game will include legendary players or even throwback teams, but for some (including me) that is the holy grail for a next-gen baseball game.
Back in the day, the EA’s Triple Play series and Acclaim’s All-Star Baseball were flush with baseball greats, but last year MLB: The Show cut out the handful of retro stadiums that had been a staple of the series in previous releases. This would be quite a turnaround. It would also be something that other major sports franchises for the NFL, NBA, and WWE typically include.
With all of that said, though, the word “Legends” could have been referring to a game player’s ability to continue the legend of their Road to the Show player or their franchise. I’m sure more details will tumble out about the game in due time to shed some light on what “Legends” means, but it really would be nice if MLB: The Show fans had something to look forward to besides branded cleats.
(Source: Sony)
