Joystiq

MLB 13: The Show review: Five-tool player

David Hinkle — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST

Baseball has roots as deep and interwoven in the culture of America as any other tradition, a pastime that Baseball legend and Hall of Famer Ted Williams says is "the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer." MLB 13: The Show is beyond a good performer, setting the bar that much higher with utilitarian improvements that push to evolve the solid core experience rather than simply offering new modes of play or flashier presentation.

MLB 13: The Show is, like its predecessor, the best baseball video game to ever hit the market. Developer Sony San Diego is the die-hard fan rocking the nosebleeds, calculating pitcher ERA and WHIP in a crummy little note book at each and every home game. Their care and diligence has paid off yet another year, as MLB 13: The Show is, in a word, excellent.

MLB 13: The Show champions the best parts of iterative development, a triumph that doesn't feel like a rubber stamp sequel despite the lack of any one dramatic improvement or addition that I can point to as this year's theme. Instead, the tweaks and changes in MLB 13: The Show come from practical points of view, changes that mean to build even more upon the series' flawless foundation.

Gallery: MLB 13: The Show

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MLB 13: The Show review: Five-tool player originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirates' Andrew McCutchen wins MLB 13 The Show cover athlete vote

Mike Suszek — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was announced as the winner of the MLB 13: The Show cover athlete vote held on the MLB's official site. McCutchen garnered over 100,000 votes in the five-day poll.

Second place went to New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who received just under 90,000 votes, while Detroit Tigers third baseman and triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera got third with 76,000 votes.

MLB 13: The Show is set to launch March 5 for PS3 and Vita.

Pirates' Andrew McCutchen wins MLB 13 The Show cover athlete vote originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Jan 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB 12 The Show gets price cut, predicts playoffs

Mike Suszek — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST

With the tail end of baseball season in full swing, Sony dropped the price on MLB 12: The Show to $29.99 for PS3 and $19.99 for Vita. Baseball fans that aren't ready to call it quits can take advantage of the game's cross-platform features at a combined $50, less than the PS3 version launched at in March.

Sony's San Diego studio also teamed up with ESPN to simulate this year's MLB playoffs in MLB 12: The Show, and has the Washington Nationals facing the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The Orioles haven't been in the world championship since 1983, and the Nationals haven't appeared in the World Series at all. Those hoping for an interesting end to the MLB playoffs should keep their fingers crossed for Sony's simulation to come true.

MLB 12 The Show gets price cut, predicts playoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LittleBigPlanet Karting gets player tested

Mike Schramm — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST

Sony's San Diego Studio recently held a game jam to do some hardcore testing on the Create tools for the upcoming LittleBigPlanet Karting, and apparently it went pretty well because the studio has announced the game's going into beta soon. The beta test for the title will start next Tuesday, July 10, and then go through the end of the month.

You can read some impressions from the game jam over on the forums, including some breathless (we imagine) excitement from the game's fans and players on how the title worked and what they made. Codes will go out soon to selected players, and the game itself is due out later on this year.

LittleBigPlanet Karting gets player tested originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB 12: The Show (PS3, PS Vita) review: Ahead in the count

David Hinkle — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST

Baseball is a polarizing sport. Either you love the drama of every at-bat, every line drive and double play, or you think it's boring as all get-out. It's a tough experience to translate into a game, especially in a manner that's, you know, something you'll want to keep playing.

The MLB: The Show series by Sony's San Diego Studio has been the top baseball sim for several years and a solid exclusive to Sony's platforms. But this year is a big one: Sony's launched a new handheld, the PlayStation Vita, and it's debuted MLB 12: The Show on the platform, hoping to achieve parity between the handheld version and the PS3 game, the latter of which certainly hasn't been neglected this season.

Once again, Sony's knocked it out of the park.

Gallery: MLB 12: The Show

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MLB 12: The Show (PS3, PS Vita) review: Ahead in the count originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest revealed for PlayStation Move

Justin McElroy — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:01:00 EST

Well, this is ... odd. Sony just announced a new Move-centric action game from the developers of Sports Champions: Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest. It's an action game, featuring a skeleton lead character, and it's got "Medieval" in the name. But it's not, as the coolest among you may be suspecting, a continuation of the MediEvil franchise. Baffling.

It looks neat though, and with a release window of fall 2011, that's a lucky thing.

Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest revealed for PlayStation Move originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLB 11 includes one-button 'Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes' mode

JC Fletcher — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Sony's San Diego studio is taking a rare step to allow gamers with disabilities to play MLB 11: a one-button gameplay mode. In the "Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes" mode, AI handles the fielding, and players only have to press one button in order to swing the bat or pitch, allowing gamers who might not be able to throw a baseball to wield a baseball-style Dual Shock with ease.

The mode was inspired by Hans Smith, a baseball superfan with cerebral palsy, whose limited mobility made it impossible for him to play real baseball and difficult to play video game baseball. Sony San Diego added him to last year's MLB game as an avatar and went one step further this year, with the disability-friendly gameplay mode.

"Some organizations for disabled people aren't available to everyone -- you have to live in a big city," Smith told ESPN. "Plus, you still run the risk of getting hurt. But with a virtual organization, you can adjust the settings to whatever you want. If you can't do anything but push one button, then you can control everything else via the artificial intelligence. This levels the playing field for people who are otherwise outside the sports arena."

MLB 11 includes one-button 'Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes' mode originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch: Another ModNation Racers track gets built

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:32:00 EST

With all the LittleBigPlanet news that's been spreading as of late, you haven't forgotten about ModNation Racers, have you? "Play, Create, Share" jumps into the world of kart racing. One of the big draws of ModNation Racers is the ability to create courses far more quickly than the average LBP level, while still being able to control minute details. At E3, the San Diego Studio created a level in front of a live audience in just a few minutes. Here, the process is accelerated down to a ninety second trailer.

The game certainly has our interest piqued. We're certainly eager to get our hands on the upcoming beta.

Watch: Another ModNation Racers track gets built originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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