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After Game 1, MLB 09's World Series predictions look good
At first, we doubted MLB 09's simulation of the World Series between the NY Yankees and the Philadelphia ... Phillies (a bit redundant, no?). However, the Phillies' dominant performance in Game 1 of the series made us reconsider our position.According to the San Diego Studio-developed baseball game, the World Series will last all seven games this year, with Philadelphia ultimately the victor. So far, MLB has correctly predicted the victor of Game 1.This may be upsetting to New York fans, especially as the Yankees are the heavily favored team in this match-up. However, video game AI has had a pretty successful track record so far. Look at Madden, which has managed to correctly predict the winner of 6 out of the last 7 Super Bowl games. We'll find out soon enough if MLB has the same accuracy.
Rumor: Best Buy offering new PS3 buyers a free game to discourage Slim trade-ins
In order to dissuade recent PS3 buyers from returning their systems in exchange for newer, slimmer ones, Best Buy is reportedly offering a free game to customers who come in for such an exchange. According to our tipster, who snapped the picture above (Kotaku also claims to have verified the story), Best Buy sent out an internal memo instructing employees to try to convince customers not to return their recent purchases for Slims with the offer of a free copy of either inFamous, Killzone 2, or MLB 09. The memo also states that there is no official "street date" for the system, so it could be out on the shelf already. Is a free game sufficient salve for the burn of just missing out on a Slim? Or will irate customers with valid receipts ignore the offer entirely in pursuit of a less monolithic console? If you are in the position of having just bought a PS3, do let us know if this sends you scrambling back to Best Buy in search of some kind of better buy. And if you're a high-level Sony executive, don't (try to) hide your immediate plans from your consumers. As it turns out, people like being informed about the things they're planning to buy. Nobody would have bought a PS3 in the last couple of weeks if we had known about the Slim, and there wouldn't be any emergency programs like this as a result of it. %Gallery-70349%
MLB 09 The Show performs 45% better than 08 edition
Hardware numbers were down in March 2009's NPD figures. Yet, Sony has something to smile about. PS3 was able to secure three of the top 10 software sales in March with Resident Evil 5, Killzone 2 and MLB 09 The Show.MLB 09 The Show is Sony's exclusive first-party baseball title and it sold an impressive 305,000 units on PS3 alone, making it the best-selling sports game of the month. As the #6 selling game of the month, The Show franchise has grown significantly. Patrick Seybold of SCEA told us that "MLB'09 The Show saw an increase of more than 45% growth from its 2008 version in North America."With Killzone 2 selling over a million copies worldwide, Sony can at least tout their growing software sales. See Seybold's full statement after the break.
Dustin Pedroia dons the mo-cap suit for MLB 09 The Show
Click for high-resolution gallery. Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is the cover athlete for this year's PlayStation-exclusive baseball series, MLB The Show. In addition to posing for the cover of the upcoming games, Pedroia donned a motion capture suit to help create a realistic look and feel for the game.You can see him striking a pose, donning a glove, and wielding his bat in our gallery below. MLB 09 The Show arrives on every PlayStation system (PS2, PSP, PS3) next week.%Gallery-45943%
PSP version of MLB 09 The Show features big league presentation
It may be on a handheld, but the upcoming PSP version of MLB 09 The Show is no visual slouch. A newly released trailer showcases some solid graphics and terrific presentation -- as expected from Sony's premiere first-party baseball game.%Gallery-44443%
Trophies: MLB 09 The Show
1 Platinum6 Gold7 Silver16 Bronze Difficulty: Very Difficult Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 75 hoursDLC Trophies? No View Trophy List Read More About the Game %Gallery-39949%
MLB 09: The Show, on non-PS3 systems
Yeah, we know MLB 09 The Show looks good on the PS3. But how does it look on the other PlayStation platforms? Sony's first-party baseball game boasts some strong visuals on both the PSP (pictured) and PS2. The PS2 version is particularly impressive, especially considering the age of the platform.Which version will you be picking up? PS3? PS2? PSP?%Gallery-44443%%Gallery-44446%
Baseball gets dramatic in new MLB 09 The Show trailer
MLB The Show is quite possibly Sony's best first-party sports game. This year's edition includes the incremental improvements that's expected of sports games. However, 09 will also be the first game to feature the new Yankees and Mets stadiums. This new trailer will certainly excite baseball fans, with its dramatic cuts and music.
MLB 09 training vid preps for the season
Baseball season will be starting up again in a few months, and along with it comes another annual helping of SCEA's MLB 09: The Show. Before you plan on heading out to that baseball diamond for the big time, you'll need to dust off those cleats and put in a little Spring Training. The Show 09 has you covered, as its "Road to the Show" career mode has been revamped with newly designed training schemes. As seen and explained in a video clip after the break, there are two training modes this year: Batting and Base Stealing. The latter is all new and depending on the actions you make, characters can increase stats in Base Running Ability, Base Running Aggressiveness, and Speed. Batting practice has also been revamped from previous versions to reflect this freeform 'level up' system – it's no longer subjected to the coach's discretion. You can choose whatever sort of area you want to focus on. The only downside? There's no Pitching or Fielding training this year. Those skills will, however, be worked out in MLB 2010. Um ... great.
MLB 09 gives early look at new Yankees Stadium
The Yankees' new stadium isn't open quite yet, but through the magic of the PS3 and MLB 09: The Show, you'll be able to take a look. MTV Multiplayer has an exclusive trailer, highlighting the design of the new stadium. But wait, there's more love for NY baseball fans. Multiplayer will also be showing off the first video the Mets' new stadium, Citi Field, later today. Video can only be played in the US. Videos are inaccessible to those in Canada and the UK.
Red Sox Dustin Pedroia declared MLB 09 cover athlete
Boston Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia will grace the cover of MLB 09, appearing exclusively on PS2, PS3 and PSP. The 2007 American League Rookie of the Year helped the Red Sox win their seventh World Series Title that year. "Dustin Pedroia has made a tremendous impact on an already storied Boston Red Sox organization and was an integral part to their 2007 World Series victory," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. "We are excited to have him become part of our MLB franchise, represent MLB 09 The Show, and join the impressive roster of MLB stars who have served as previous cover athletes."This is the first video game to don Pedroia. Previous MLB cover stars include Vladimir Guerrero, David Wright, Eric Chavez, Troy Glaus, Shawn Green, Adam Dunn and teammate David Ortiz.
MLB 09 The Show announced, heads for home on PS3, PS2, PSP
Sony has come back from the concession stand with those nachos you asked for, as well as news that MLB 09 The Show will ship for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and PSP in time for Spring Training, which officially kicks off on February 25, 2009. The latest in what Sony describes as the "longest-running, officially licensed" game about America's favorite pastime will bring a number of new features to the ballpark, including interactive training and coaching, fully functional drafts and support for a full 40-man roster in Franchise Mode. Players will also be able to edit music and assign specific tunes for batters as they walk up to the plate, while the previously revealed support for custom chants and cat calls will fulfill the need for a catcher, and not a belly scratcher. MLB 09 The Show for the PS2 will also include an exclusive custom player creator, while the PSP's smaller strike zone will have to make due with just the "core gameplay features" found on the PS3 version. Don't be sad, PSP owners, you can still read up on what you are missing out on with support for online news feeds. That's almost a feature, right?
MLB The Show returns in March 2009
Another year, another year of sports games. MLB The Show returns to PS3 next year with a slew of new features. MLB 09 The Show will look even better than last year, thanks to added detail. Stadium crowds will be more interactive and varied than ever, and you'll see transitional lighting on the field as the day turns to dusk. An expanded Road to the Show and Franchise mode can also be enjoyed.09 will also add online season leagues, training/practice drills, and a new ability to store replays onto the hard drive. The most important addition of all, however, are the mascots. Each team's mascot will be represented in the game.Check out the first screenshots of MLB 09 for the PS3 here.%Gallery-39949%
MLB 09 supports Rock Band mic, headsets for heckling
There's more uses for your Rock Band mic than simply belting out off-tune renditions of Lump or clubbing your roommate as he reaches for a bite of your chili dog. ESPN reports that next year's MLB 09 The Show will allow players to record cat calls to be yelled out from the stands using a microphone or wireless headset.Calling the feature Trash Talk 2.0, the article reveals that the game will mix your recorded chants or insults so they sound as if they are a part of the crowd and not just coming from a single overzealous fan with a booming voice. With this, virtual baseball competition will likely get a bit more personal when MLB 09 The Show arrives on March 3.
