Changing the rules of the game
By Andrew Reiner | Game Informer Magazine (MCT)
“MLB 14: The Show”
Platform: PlayStation 3
Genre: 1 to 4-Player Sports (8-Player Online)
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Sony San Diego Studio
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
In 2008, Major League Baseball recognized umpires weren’t enforcing the 12-second time limit between pitches. All 30 teams were warned that this hard-and-fast rule would be in full effect for the upcoming season. The reason? Game times were running longer than normal, and fans and sports writers alike balked at the idea of spending more time at the ballpark. “Clubs and fans share the common objective of seeing a game that is played as sharply and crisply as possible,” commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement at the time. “We have reminded our staff and our umpires to enforce the rules in order to achieve the progress we need in this area.”
Flash forward six years: That desire to shave down the amount of time it takes to play a game of baseball almost seems comical. Pitchers and batters are not penalized for dillydallying, and the expanded use of instant replay — in which managers can challenge calls – has slowed the sport even more. Games are longer than ever.
In “MLB 14: The Show,” developer Sony San Diego is channeling Selig’s 2008 mindset to reduce the amount of time needed to complete nine innings. Since this series already gives players the option to bypass the off-action moments — such as players adjusting their batting gloves, or managers yapping it up in the dugout — cuts had to come from the game itself. Sony’s solution is essentially abridged baseball. For every second you save, you see less of the game.
I’ve had numerous debates with myself over what kind of baseball fan someone must be if they don’t want to watch every pitch. Most of baseball’s strategy and drama comes from the batter and pitcher match-ups. Players develop an understanding of how the pitcher attacks, changes speeds, and the break of his pitches — and every pitch matters. “The Show 14” makes a fairly good argument that you don’t need to see every pitch to derive enjoyment and intensity from a game of baseball.
A new option called Quick Counts simulates a count every time you step into the batter’s box. These counts are generated using two years’ worth of statistical data from MLB.com, and also factor in the developments of the current game and situation in that at bat. If a pitcher is cruising, you often step to the plate with the count in his favor or even. This comes in handy when pitching. Rather than having to work an entire at bat against Chris Davis in a tight-scoring affair, you may strike him out with just one pitch. Conversely, if your hurler struggles, you often have to work out of three ball counts.
Playing a full game with Quick Counts activated results is a much faster experience – my shortest games were completed in just under 30 minutes, and the longer, higher scoring affairs were around 40. Full games in “The Show 13” range from 60 to 75 minutes.
The second feature that speeds up play is called Player Lock. In its intended form, Player Lock lets you role-play as one player throughout an entire game, taking all of his at bats and fielding opportunities, just like in Road to the Show mode. Player Lock can be turned off at any point during the simulation, or reassigned to different players. If you want to make sure your team wins a close game, you can enter the substitution menu and Player Lock the closer. This new option isn’t without its problems. Interrupting the simulation when you want to can be difficult, and a fair amount of time is spent in menus clicking and unclicking players.
Player Lock is the fastest way through games, but you sacrifice control over the game to speed it up significantly. As a batter, my game times were around 10 to 15 minutes. Player Lock can be used with Quick Counts to reduce a game’s time to five to seven minutes.
I enjoyed using both of these new features in a limited capacity, but felt robbed of having the full baseball experience I’m accustomed to. These features are great if you want to fly through franchise mode, or only have a little time on your hands for video game baseball.
If Quick Counts and Player Lock still demand too much of your time, and you only have a minute or two at your disposal, you may want to mess around with Community Challenges. These user-created situations are usually quite short, pushing players to record the final out in a game or attain a specific result, like a strike out or hit type.
“The Show 14” is another pennant-winning effort for Sony San Diego that showcases improvements both on and off the field, and opens avenues for players to digest baseball in different ways. Best of all, the progress you make in this year’s game won’t be lost when spring training rolls around next year. Your Franchise and Road to the Show saves will carry over into “The Show 15,” allowing you to pick up right where you left off.
