MLB 09: The Show
Encyclopedia
MLB 09: The Show is a baseball
simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
for the PlayStation 2
, PlayStation 3
, and PlayStation Portable
systems. It belongs to the Major League Baseball
game series on the PlayStation
systems. MLB 09: The Show is the fourth edition of the MLB: The Show series.
The game is a baseball simulation in which, depending on the gameplay mode, the player controls one or all of the players on a Major League Baseball
team or some select Minor League Baseball
teams. Depending on the gameplay mode, the player may control a team for a single game, season, or franchise, and can also create a player and control his career.
MLB 09: The Show improves and adds many features to the previous 08 edition. The franchise and career modes are improved with Road to the Show 2.0
, which updated the popular mode with an all-new steal and lead-off system, and more interaction with the player's coaches; Franchise 2.0 adds several new features to its career mode including salary arbitration, waiver transactions, September call-ups, and the 40-man roster. Also receiving an update is the game's online league play, including flex scheduling to allow players to play out-of-order games, and Roster Vault option to allow gamers to create their own custom rosters and upload them online for other gamers to use. The game also allows players to store their favorite songs to their PlayStation 3 and assign them to be played at various points in the game. Players may also create custom chants.
Among the in-game improvements include "Hotshot Fielding", which allows more dynamic fielder reactions and animations, as well as improved bare-handed flips, "Progressive Batting Performance", in which player abilities improve or regress depending on how the gamer plays. With "Multi-Branch Fielding", players can now take full control of fielders and break out of any animation in the process, while "Adaptive Pitching Intelligence" (API) allow catchers to call the game based on individual strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher and analyze tendencies of batters. The game also accurately graphically reflects the pitch being thrown on the pitcher's hand, and includes 18 different pitch types including six fastball variations (four-seamer, two-seamer, running fastball, cutter, splitter, sinker), five breaking pitches (10-4 curve, 12-6 curve, slider, slurve, screwball), four change-ups (straight, circle change-up, palmball, forkball), and three specialty pitches (knuckle, knuckle-curve, and the vulcan changeup). The "Pitch Command System" (PCS) affects a pitcher's ability to throw a specific pitch change depending on how often the pitcher throws it. Umpire personalities have been tweaked further as well.
The game also features pitch analysis, a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played, which allows gamers to be able to sort a pitcher by LHB or RHB, pitch type and result. This feature is also available for batters, and the batter analysis allowed for a breakdown of how a batter had performed based on LHP or RHP, Pitch Type, and result. SportsConnect Online User Tracking (SCOUT) allows gamers to set their game preferences, store them on the server, and then allow the system to look for a Quick Match with an opponent that fits their criteria.
The game also features live MLB updates in-game, as well as SportsConnect Headline News. In addition, SportsConnect provides weekly roster updates that can be downloaded onto the console.
second baseman
Dustin Pedroia
, who was the American League
MVP
of the 2008 regular season. He made appearances in several Dear PlayStation commercials with Kevin Butler
debating whether he could hit a pitch.
Songs can also be added from the player's hard drive into the game.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
systems. It belongs to the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game series on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
systems. MLB 09: The Show is the fourth edition of the MLB: The Show series.
The game is a baseball simulation in which, depending on the gameplay mode, the player controls one or all of the players on a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team or some select Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams. Depending on the gameplay mode, the player may control a team for a single game, season, or franchise, and can also create a player and control his career.
Gameplay
Be-a-pro mode
The usage of be-a-pro mode is a repackaging of the player-lock feature with a primitive evaluation system added to rate the player's performance...
, which updated the popular mode with an all-new steal and lead-off system, and more interaction with the player's coaches; Franchise 2.0 adds several new features to its career mode including salary arbitration, waiver transactions, September call-ups, and the 40-man roster. Also receiving an update is the game's online league play, including flex scheduling to allow players to play out-of-order games, and Roster Vault option to allow gamers to create their own custom rosters and upload them online for other gamers to use. The game also allows players to store their favorite songs to their PlayStation 3 and assign them to be played at various points in the game. Players may also create custom chants.
Among the in-game improvements include "Hotshot Fielding", which allows more dynamic fielder reactions and animations, as well as improved bare-handed flips, "Progressive Batting Performance", in which player abilities improve or regress depending on how the gamer plays. With "Multi-Branch Fielding", players can now take full control of fielders and break out of any animation in the process, while "Adaptive Pitching Intelligence" (API) allow catchers to call the game based on individual strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher and analyze tendencies of batters. The game also accurately graphically reflects the pitch being thrown on the pitcher's hand, and includes 18 different pitch types including six fastball variations (four-seamer, two-seamer, running fastball, cutter, splitter, sinker), five breaking pitches (10-4 curve, 12-6 curve, slider, slurve, screwball), four change-ups (straight, circle change-up, palmball, forkball), and three specialty pitches (knuckle, knuckle-curve, and the vulcan changeup). The "Pitch Command System" (PCS) affects a pitcher's ability to throw a specific pitch change depending on how often the pitcher throws it. Umpire personalities have been tweaked further as well.
The game also features pitch analysis, a breakdown of all the pitches thrown during the current game being played, which allows gamers to be able to sort a pitcher by LHB or RHB, pitch type and result. This feature is also available for batters, and the batter analysis allowed for a breakdown of how a batter had performed based on LHP or RHP, Pitch Type, and result. SportsConnect Online User Tracking (SCOUT) allows gamers to set their game preferences, store them on the server, and then allow the system to look for a Quick Match with an opponent that fits their criteria.
The game also features live MLB updates in-game, as well as SportsConnect Headline News. In addition, SportsConnect provides weekly roster updates that can be downloaded onto the console.
Cover athlete
The cover athlete of MLB 09: The Show is the Boston Red Sox'sBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...
, who was the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the 2008 regular season. He made appearances in several Dear PlayStation commercials with Kevin Butler
Kevin Butler (character)
Kevin Butler is a marketing character used by Sony Computer Entertainment America as part of their It Only Does Everything and Long Live Play advertising campaigns for the PlayStation 3 in North America...
debating whether he could hit a pitch.
Reception
The PlayStation 3 version of MLB 09 The Show received generally favorably reviews upon its release. For instance, its score on Metacritic was 90 out of 100, which Metacritic equates to "Universal acclaim." The game's main competitor, MLB 2K9, scored lower, with a 64% Metacritic average.Soundtrack
| MLB 09: The Show Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Song |
| Darker My Love Darker My Love Darker My Love is an indie psychedelic rock band based in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of 5 members. Tim Presley, a former member of the band The Nerve Agents and also a visual artist responsible for much of the band's imagery, formed the band in 2004 and contributes vocals and guitar... |
"Two Ways Out" |
| Eagles of Death Metal Eagles of Death Metal Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Hughes stated that a friend was introducing Josh Homme to the death metal genre... |
"Wannabe in L.A. Wannabe in L.A. "Wannabe in L.A." is the first single from the Eagles of Death Metal's third studio album Heart On. It reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.Hughes credits inspiration to the song on drummer Joey Castillo:... " |
| Hockey Hockey (band) Hockey is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon.-Members:Until October 2010, the band consisted of singer Benjamin Grubin, guitarist Brian Stuart White, bassist Jeremy Reynolds, drummer Anthony Stassi and touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver, and have been compared in their sound to bands... |
"Work" |
| Van Halen Van Halen Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart... |
"Humans Being Humans Being "Humans Being" is a song recorded and contributed by the rock band Van Halen for the film, Twister. The song's lyrics proved a major source of contention, as Eddie Van Halen felt compelled to rewrite Sammy Hagar's lyrics, calling them "cheesy"... " |
| Ming | "El Barrio Boricua" |
| Night Horse Night Horse Night Horse is a five-piece hard rock band residing in Los Angeles, CA.-Biography:Night Horse began in late January 2008. Their early work was under the moniker The Mother Fucking Razorbacks, a name that Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead coined after meeting them in front of Hollywood's Hustler store. ... |
"Shine On Me" |
| Rise Against Rise Against Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it... |
"Collapse (Post-Amerika)" |
| Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham... |
"Kashmir Kashmir Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range... " |
| The Blue Van The Blue Van The Blue Van are a blues-rock band from Denmark consisting of Steffen Westmark , Søren Christensen , Allan Villadsen , and Per Jørgensen .-History:... |
"Man Up" |
| Spoon Spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients... |
"Don't you Evah" |
| The Parlor Mob The Parlor Mob The Parlor Mob is a rock band founded in New Jersey in 2004 and named after a notorious 19th Century gang. The band consists of singer Mark Melicia, guitarists David Rosen and Paul Ritchie, drummer Sam Bey and bassist Anthony Chick.-Formation & Capitol Records:The original members of The Parlor... |
"Everything You're Breathing For" |
| The Stills The Stills The Stills were a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2000. The band consists of Tim Fletcher , Dave Hamelin , Olivier Corbeil , and Liam O'Neil , Gregory Paquet .-History:The band members have known each other since the age of... |
"Rooibos" |
| TV on the Radio TV on the Radio TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music.... |
"Golden Age" |
| Valencia Valencia (band) Valencia is an alternative rock/punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are currently on hiatus.-History:Valencia met by playing local shows together around the tri-state area in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school, high school, and... |
"Safe to Say" |
| Zodiac Death Valley | "Methadone Mambo" |
| Kaiser Chiefs | "Never Miss a Beat" |
Songs can also be added from the player's hard drive into the game.