Now this is something a little bit different than I normally do from my MMA content and other things I do for the Daily Goat but I am a very avid video game player as well.
I have always been an Xbox player and so not being able to play MLB The Show which is probably one of the most favored sports games when comparing the big four every year. This year had a huge curveball by the developer of the game as San Diego Studios announced that they had inked a deal with Microsoft and that the game would become what is known as “cross=platform” with people who use Xbox and Playstation to face each other in online gameplay.
Once I heard the news I immediately pre-ordered the game which was back in early February and since the game released it has been probably around 95% of what I have spent my free time gaming on. I think one of the highest positives about the Show for years is that by simply just playing the game you can unlock some very high level players without ever spending a single penny of real money. I say this because “pay-to-win” has often been a criticism of game such as Madden and NBA2k with their online “Ultimate Team” modes where players try to create a squad with the best players whether overall or their personal preference.
I do not have the time as some to not spend any money so so far sitting about 3 weeks since the game released on April 16th, I have spent just $25 dollars on the game. I have spent a lot of time playing the “Ultimate Team” mode which is MLB The Show is known as Diamond Dynasty for those who have not either played the game or do not really much about it.
I think overall the game has a lot to offer for a lot of different types of baseball fans, and what I mean is there is a created player mode known as “Road to The Show” in which your created character can work their way up into the Majors after starting in the team’s Double-A affiliate. This mode is a great solo mode and their is a lot to do with building relationships with teammates, and staying in good favor with the organization because there is a risk of being traded.
I have played a little bit of this mode and I am still in the Double-A because I don’t spend a lot of time focusing in this aspect of the game but it definitely is a lot of fun. Their is also two different Franchise style modes where someone takes over control of an entire team for however long they want and try too establish a World Series winning franchise through trades and possible redesigning of stadiums. March to October is similar to the regular franchise mode but someone just plays in the key moment of any team to try and help them advance to the World Series just through different moments through a season.
Image: From IGN
There is also some modes to improve someone’s timing for both hitting and pitching in custom practice, or the home run derby mode. Also, there are three different styles players can use to pitch or hit depending on what their preference is as well as a multitude of different camera angles to enhance their overall gameplay. Now the online modes Diamond Dynasty as well as Custom leagues is where players from the different platforms can face off against each other.
The online modes is where I have spent a lot of my time and that is where I see my first complaint with this new format for gaming. The servers for all three weeks the game has been out have been the most erratic and odd for any game I have played in recent memory. There has been so many new players because of the new cross-platform experience that I don’t believe San Diego Studios were ready for that there has been almost daily server maintenance. I have had a couple of games not count towards my overall online record because the connection for everyone gets shut off due to the severs not being able to handle this amount of new players.
The issue with the severs stems from Microsoft giving away the game for free with their subscription service Gamepass, which meant a lot of players never spent the 60 or so dollars for the game. The whole cross-platform idea came with the release of Sony and Microsoft’s newest consoles the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X&S respectively. The game is also available on the PlayStation 4 & Xbox One. Many online forums have a lot of people complaining about the server issues because it is seriously hampering what would be a very solid overall game if the servers could just be stabilized.
Image: From Playstationlifestyle.net
Although it has been somewhat of a bumpy rollout, I think this game is extremely important for the future of not only The Show going forward but cross-platform gaming in general. I have had the opportunity to face several Playstation players in online gameplay and it provides a different opportunity rather than facing off against people on the same console. The cross-platform approach has not be done by much larger studios such as EA or 2k with arguably more popular games such as Madden and NBA2k. The smaller studios such as Epic Games with Fortnite and now San Diego Studios with the Show are leading a new wave for gaming.
The ability to play cross-platform I think is something many avid gamers can enjoy without having to purchase multiple consoles to play with friends on different systems. I know I have several friends who play on Sony so for a long time now I have not been able to face off against them unless we were on the same console. I think San Diego Studios being able to stabilize the servers might actually put some pressure on EA Sports and 2k to figure out a way to bring this to light in order to not lose contracts with the major sports. People having an opportunity to play on a game that does not feel pay-to-win and having a cross platform experience as well is going to bring in a lot of money for San Diego Studios because it is something new and something gamers have advocated for a long time.
Another positive with MLB The Show that I just mentioned is its ability to not just have a “pay-to-win” environment. This means that those who spend a ton of money on the game, don’t only have the best overall cards in the game and absolutely destroy those who cant afford to spend hundreds on a video game in micro-transactions. The Show rewards those who also take the time and effort to play the single-player modes online and the rewards for grinding out a lot of challenges and missions are overall really high level cards. This year already people who have spent a total of $0 dollars on the game have a 99 overall Chipper Jones, which some players who spend hundreds do not even have.
I think this is another benefit to putting the Show on a much larger platform this year is that fans are starting to realize even more so that Madden and 2k’s rewarding of those who spend a lot of money, is not the right way to go about thing and there needs to be some sort of balance. I really hope that seeing the Show on Xbox starts putting the pressure on EA and 2k to finally make significant changes to their games and overall be beneficial to the gaming experience especially with these new generation consoles that have come out.
Cross-Platform gaming for major sports games is going to become a thing very soon because I feel as though a smaller studio such as SDS is going to make EA and 2k alter their games to start actually catering to their large casual fanbase and make the games more enjoyable with these new generation consoles and how important keeping a strong fan base is to putting out a quality product year after year.