MLB 2K10 was released earlier this week and has already ran into issues with online play. In the recent developers’ conference call, which can be found here, they stressed the fact that 2K10 is not going to be like 2K9. I’m currently in the middle of reviewing the title and I have to say that this year’s title is certainly not like the previous year’s. For one thing, it works, and it is very clear that MLB 2K10 is a big improvement. However the one area that isn’t quite working up to potential is the online play. In the first few days there have been many reports of games suffering from lag, disconnect issues and now players are unable to connect to ranked matches. I myself have not been able to connect to a ranked match and have yet to try to play an unranked game. For the many people who are experiencing this issue, 2K has officially released a “workaround” to this issue while a patch is being worked on. This is what you will have to do:

“Workaround One” Most Effective

When attempting to connect, make sure it connects to the first attempt the game tries. If it moves to another connection, then simply cancel and try again. This may take a little bit longer (about 2 minutes) than connecting via workaround two.

“Workaround Two” Effective

When you select a ranked game, it will say “loading online roster” and then “restoring default roster” and move on to connect to a player. However, after it attempts to connect to another user afterwards, it will sometimes say “restoring default roster” a second time. If you see the “restoring default roster” a second time, then the glitch will happen. Simply press “A” to cancel the connection and try a ranked game again.

You should only see the game say “restoring default roster” once. Anymore than one time will cause the glitch.

Now I can’t say I’m surprised as NBA 2K10 also suffered from online issues so gamers can only hope that a patch for this issue is released much sooner than the first patch that hit the NBA title.

[Source: 2Ksports.com ]

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The Blur multiplayer beta is set to kick off next week but Activision doesn’t want you to forget about it so they released a gameplay trailer to keep the hype going. I’m not sure what will be included in the beta but Blur will be the first racing game to allow up to 20 players online at the same time with objective-based racing events. There’s no word on how many of the 50 licensed cars we’ll see in the beta but the trailer gives you a good idea of how intense the action is going to be. Check out the new trailer below!

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MotoGP has a long history of creating a very exciting motorcycle racing experience though in the recent generation the franchise has struggled. The previous title lacked any sort of depth and gamers were left with wanting much more. With MotoGP 09/10 developers Milestone look to change that. The upcoming racing title will feature a very robust career mode unlike any seen in the MotoGP franchise. Players will take control of everything on and off the track. With the game only a few weeks away, Capcom has announced that gamers will be able to test drive MotoGP 09/10 this Thursday March 4 when the demo goes live on the PSN and XBLA. You’ll be able to check out three modes- Championship mode, Time Trial and the all new Arcade mode.

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Spawn Kill and several other gaming outlets were recently invited to join in on a MLB 2K10 Developer Q&A session. Ben Bishop, Producer of 2K Sports, Jonathan Rivera, Gameplay Designer and Sean Bailey, also a Gameplay Designer for 2K Sports were all there to answer our many questions about the upcoming baseball sim. While there were a lot of questions about the additions to MLB 2K10, everyone seemed to just want to know one thing: Is it going to be like MLB 2K9?

Throughout the call no one from the dev team was shy about saying how disappointed they were with last year’s title and mentioned that MLB 2K10 is much improved. Though we didn’t get to have an open Q&A session at the end of the call the developers were able to give us some insight on what they did to make sure they don’t repeat the issues from 2K9.

Here are some of the highlights from the call and if you are interested in listening to the entire call we got that for you as well below the questions. Enjoy!

How much of 2K9 was used in 2K10 and was the game rebuilt from the ground up for the new release?

Sean: We completely rewrote everything from fielding, hitting, pitching, the physics, AI, camera views, swapped up all the animations. We had a lot of work ahead of us because I don’t think any of us were happy with last year nor should we have been. So rather than just trying to touch up last year’s game we just made sure the new game included all the fixes that frustrated people as well as a new, rewritten game.

What new additions were made to the franchise mode and how wide of a range of options are available to the player now?

Jonathan: The biggest new addition is the 40 man roster in franchise for September call up. The draft happens in the middle of the year. Another new addition is the trade finder. You can essentially add any player out on the trade block so other AI teams can make you offers for that player. In addition to that we have compensatory picks for free agents. So in the off season when you’re trying to sign a player you might risk losing a first or second round draft pick and if you lose a high rated player you will also get a compensatory pick.

Since gamers and industry critics have noted that early iterations of MLB series have struggled with technical issues surrounding pitching, hitting and gameplay, was this a primary focus of improvement for 2K10?

Sean: It’s almost an understatement to call it a primary focus of improvement. We didn’t just want to improve, we wanted to nail it. We knew that the core gameplay experience needed improvements across the board but when it came to pitching and hitting we really went beyond focusing on improving. We created an entirely new experience starting with the cameras, different strikes zones, different swing types, different analyzers, different replays and the physics were all rewritten. It was a huge primary focus of improvements.

Has there been improvement to the hitting component aside from the defensive swings? It’s either been too easy or too hard to make solid contact as the big hitters would almost always turn a fastball into a sure homerun and an average player could barely get it out of the infield.

Sean: It has been out of balance in the past. Aside from defensive swing we have made it all about the timing. The days are gone when you can simply hold the influence stick and just paint where you want the ball to go on every swing. It’s all about timing, which is very satisfying. The balls that are hit with more velocity in real life are the ones that are pulled or the ones that a right handed batter sends down the first base line weaker are late swings to the opposite field. The timing was done in a very realistic way that takes care of a lot of complaints of the past.

What determines whether or not the Batter’s Eye feature appears? Is it purely based on their real world skills or are there other factors involved such as the pitchers skills? How often can they see the Batter’s Eye appear in a game?

Sean: When this originally came up the problem we were trying to solve is we were trying to make certain players better in the video game that are good in real life at reaching base and getting walks but didn’t have that skill set in the video game. So what we did was come up with eye rating versus lefties and righties and the batters eye rating drives the frequency of the Batter’s Eye. So the guys that take a lot of walks they have a very high eye rating so they’re going to see it more often. It also helps if they have good timing.

Why did you add the My Player feature in this year’s game?

Ben: It really seems like across the board in all sports titles that are out there right now career modes in general are becoming the popular thing and something that people are expecting to see. It was a big focus for us to be able to add the mode this year. A lot of our early build up and planning went into making My Player in this year’s version. At the same time we had NBA 2K10 come out with My Player and so that was a basis for what we did too. We really felt like it was a hole that we needed to fill with 2K10.

In My Player can you give an estimate on how long it will take to get into the Majors?

Ben: That can really vary there is so much flexibility you can do. You have a lot of flexibility in terms of how you want to play the game. When you actually do play a game you are just playing the moment that your player is directly involved in. You can play though a game in 5 or 10 minutes depending on the situations you end up with. You can also simulate games entirely, you won’t get as many skill points through simulation but if you can do that. Simulating the game might take you a bit longer to get the call to the majors. Playing all the games can get you to the majors in as soon as 10-15 games.

Framerate and online lag was a big issue for last year’s title. What was done to fix the issue s for the upcoming game?

Ben: This was something that was important for us. We felt that there was room for improvement from 2K9. We definitely made sure that we got the framerate up to an acceptable level. That’s a huge part of making the experience good and you are in full control. If you get a little lag or framerate drops, it can take away some of that control from you. It was certainly important for us to make sure we were as optimized in those departments as we could be.

Is there a PC version and how did last year’s response to the PC version go?

Ben: We definitely have a PC version this year too. You will get all the same features you will get in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. I think a lot of the responses were similar across the board, just a lot of room for improvement and we definitely took a lot of the criticism to heart. The PC version just like the other versions is very much improved. The series in general is going much more in the right direction.

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The word “rapture” has several connotations. Its most popular usage is to describe those who are wrapped up in a state of bliss or overwhelming ecstasy. To devout Christians, it’s the second coming of Christ. To the thriving community of gamers who eagerly devoured the critically acclaimed (and smash commercial hit) BioShock, the word’s meaning is absolutely concrete. “Rapture” is synonymous with the bizarre yet profound adventure that continues to push the bounds of what gaming can accomplish; Andrew Ryan’s obliterated utopia — the fully realized dream of one man who believed in the power of the power of the self. Rapture. The name sends chills down one’s spine.

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At last year’s E3 there was one game that stood out and completely blew me away and it was from Disney Interactive Studios. Split/Second, the action racing game from Black Rock Studios is bringing us a racing game that we’ve never seen before. From the creators of Pure, Split/Second was awarded Best Racing Game  of E3 2009 from many critics.

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In Episode 02 of The Away Team, Eric (The Herp) and Gabe (Lethalwraith) talk about what we’ve been playing which includes Bad Company 2 and Tiger Woods Online. We will also be previewing MLB 2K10 and the first round of the closed beta for FIFA Online.  As always we’ll chat about recent news in the sports gaming world and share some of our opinions on in-game ad support in sports games. This is a very interesting topic which we hope to get Stephanie (Tigresa) involved in for a future podcast so we didn’t spend too much time on it. For those of you who are also playing Tiger Woods Online, we have a group created called Spawnkill The Away Team Cast if you are interested in joining.

Of course you can follow The Away Team on Twitter and for you iTunes users you can download and subscribe to the podcast here.  Enjoy the podcast!

@Theherp80 @Lethalwraith

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MLB 2K9 suffered from a large amount of issues. The game struggled in multiple areas including poor framerate, annoying bugs and lackluster game modes. With MLB 2K10, developer Visual Concepts is attempting to bring this franchise back to life. In this year’s title, gamers will experience the new Batter’s Eye system, a slightly tweaked pitching mechanic and franchise mode along the brand new MLB Today and My Player mode. From what I’ve seen, the new modes are very similar to those found in NBA 2K10 which worries me. Visual Concepts tried to add way too much to this year’s NBA title which left them little time to work out the numerous bugs. Let’s just hope that isn’t the case for MLB 2K10 because this year’s version is adding a lot of features 2K fans have been asking for.

All reports, from everyone who has played the title, seem to be indicating that the framerate issue has been fixed. I wouldn’t get your hopes up yet, since early builds of the game are missing some features here and there. Still, it’s a good sign that the issue was looked at. Poor framerate can ruin a baseball game, so let’s hope that it is actually fixed for the final product. Another complaint that gamers had about last year’s title was the exclusion of pre-loaded throws. In 2K10 you will be able to pre-load your throw to turn quick double plays or to quickly get the ball back from the outfield. This also makes the animation look smoother as you won’t see the players stand there for a split second before they throw the ball.

Pitching and Hitting has always been MLB 2K’s strong point and this year they aim to keep it similar to last year’s title with a few small changes. In 2K9, players would have to select a pitch by completing a gesture using the right stick which led to many issues of picking the wrong pitch. The pitching itself hasn’t gone away from the stick controls but in 2K10 you select your pitch using the face buttons and the new pitch analyzer will let you know exactly what went wrong with the pitch. This was done in an attempt to make the pitching more accessible which it definitely was not last year. I’m sure those new to the title will still struggle with the pitching but at least you will see exactly what you are doing wrong.

At the plate they have added a couple of new features. One of them is Batter’s Eye. Depending on the pitch type and the skill of the player, the pitch will flash above the batter’s box. The camera angle has been lowered just a bit which I don’t like but it was done so players can see the text and the pitch coming in. There’s also a defensive swing this year that can be pulled off by flicking the right stick left or right. The defensive swing and Batter’s Eye should give players a more realistic approach at the plate by having longer at bats and running the count full. Here is a 9 minute gameplay video that shows off some of these new features to MLB 2K10.

The two brand new modes to the game are MLB Today and My Player. These modes were in Visual Concept’s NBA title and now are making their debut in MLB. MLB Today is a mode in which users can play out the entire season based on what is happening in real life. The mode will display all the games that are being played on that day. It will also upload current stats and rosters to adjust the in the game rosters and player ratings. The menu screen will also display all the current box scores and stats in case you missed a game or two. I really enjoyed this feature in NBA 2K10 but I can’t help but wish they could take this mode and integrate it into a season or franchise mode instead of it being pretty much a quickplay mode.

My Player is a game mode that is just like the EA’s Be a Pro mode or like the rivals Road to The Show mode. You start by creating a player and picking a position. From there you will work your way through the minors to your ultimate goal of becoming a Major League superstar. You can choose to play any position including pitcher and even a catcher; though as catcher you aren’t asked to do very much. The first task as a minor leaguer is to perform in a clutch situation. As a batter you’ll be asked to drive home a run or get on base. As a pitcher you will be asked to not allow the tying run. If you are able to complete the challenge you will be awarded with skill points. These skill points are used to upgrade a particular attribute. They can be gained in a number of ways, through the various drills or through in-game actions. In-game skill points can earned for doing normal things in the course of the game. For instance getting a sac bunt down will net you 15 exp points, driving in a run or getting a putout will net you 25 exp points. You will also get goals for every at bat which will also get you more exp points if completed. As a pitcher it works the same way, getting exp points for things like strike outs, a shut out inning or getting a win or save. One of the issues with NBA’s My Player Mode was the fact that players can quickly upgrade their stats to become unstoppable but from what 2K is saying the skill points will be dynamic. If you are a power hitter you won’t continue to get points for bunting or things that a contact hitter would get.

The road to the Majors still seems a bit easy though. Every player will have a menu that will display goals you must complete to get the call to the majors. For hitters its things like batting average and having your contact at a certain rating but for pitchers it’s all about getting your pitches and stamina up to a rating of 60 or above. There are a minimum of games you must play in order to get the call but that’s only 5 starts for a pitcher and 15 games for a position player. This makes it seem like skilled players will find their created player in the majors pretty quick, which some people will like. I don’t like that because that’s not realistic at all. Even the most skilled players in the minors will most likely spend a year or at least half of the year there until September call ups. Although that is my goal to get to the Majors I want to take the realistic route. Of course it will all depend on the team you choose and injuries but we’ll see how long it actually takes in the final product.

A few changes have been made to presentation and franchise mode but those are very minor. Presentation wise they added the option to play Hurry Up Baseball, which skips all cut scenes and extra animations. This is said to cut down the play time by half. You can toggle this on and off during any point of a game. Franchise mode will see a 40-man roster in spring training and you will have to break that down to 25 before the season. You will also have the ability to control every team in the league to edit the franchise to mirror real life, which is nice to have but I’d rather have 2K do it for me instead of me having to do all the work. You can also seamlessly go online from franchise mode and have a friend play against your team. Seamless online integration was a new addition to most of the 2K sports games last year and makes its debut in this year’s MLB. In terms of online play, online leagues have been tweaked to give commissioners more options including the option to allow only strikes, which is interesting. There will also be a website to track your league stats and trades. Just like every multiplayer mode it’s only good if lag is not an issue, something that 2K Sports games have always dealt with.

MLB 2K10 is looking to bring a lot to the table especially after seeing the high scores their rival has gotten in the last two years. The problem is Visual Concept did the same thing with NBA 2K10 and that game was flooded with issues. Only time will tell if they learned from their mistakes or if they will once again release a game full of bugs. For now everything seems to be going in the right direction for the struggling franchise and gamers should be getting a look at what they have been working on when the demo releases this week. As always, stay tuned for our demo impressions later this week.

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The forthcoming ultimate collection of Resident Evil 5 (titled Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition) is set to include both new basic features for the main game and additional missions and characters to use in the updated Mercenaries Reunion gameplay mode. For everyone who already owns the bread and butter title, Capcom has released the new additions as downloadable content packs on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The first of the new missions hit the PlayStation Network just this Thursday. Titled Lost in Nightmares, this new chapter follows BSAA Agents Chris and Jill through the original Spencer mansion on a dubious mission with a not-so-dubious climax.

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The eyes of the internet, or at least those of us who grew up playing countless hours of Sonic games on our little black boxes, were on the video included below.  Supposedly, this video shows leaked gameplay footage of Sega’s upcoming Sonic game, Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, which was recently announced.

Even if this video turns out to be a fake, I’m still super pumped about the upcoming game.  My only hope is the price isn’t too steep.  For now, enjoy the video.

[Source: Gametrailers, via Joystiq]

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Big news from the Battlefield camp – they’re happy to announce that the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo is on pace to become the fastest downloaded demo in EA history. The demo continues to dominate PSN and Xbox Live with over 2 million demo downloads across the two networks in the first five days of availability. Electronic Arts has been aggressively promoting the sequel by holding multiplayer betas and offering the multiplayer demo a month before release which has obviously been getting them some attention.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to hear that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is already in the hands of almost 2½ million gamers, and it hasn’t even shipped yet,” said Patrick Bach, Senior Producer on Battlefield: Bad Company 2. “This massive rush to experience the game early is proof positive that action gamers are looking for more. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 delivers on every front. This is intelligent, strategic warfare that our competitors simply cannot replicate.”

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 complements the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer with a greater focus on squad-based multiplayer in which gamers must play as a cohesive team to be victorious.  The sequel builds on the successes of its predecessor, offering more weapons, more vehicles, more destruction, and more kills! Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is set to release on March 2^nd in North America and March 4^th in Europe for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The limited edition can be pre-ordered at no extra cost and if you get it from Amazon you can get a $20 credit towards a future video game purchase. We’ve gotten a chance to play through both the PS3 beta and the demo so be sure to check back for our BC2 Impressions.

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Perhaps, because it is a game about a mystery writer whose horrors come to life ala the pages of a Stephen King novel, it is only fitting that the game has long been shrouded in mystery.

Today, a bit more of the curtain was pulled back, as a new trailer was revealed for X10, along with more details about the sweet special edition.  The only downside?  It’s 360-exclusive, meaning those of you without one are either out of luck, or better put in your orders pretty darn quick to prevent yourselves from missing out on what could possibly be one of the best games of 2010.
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Now available for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero are three songs from alternative metal rockers Breaking Benjamin. The band made their debut in 2002 with their critically-acclaimed album Saturate. But you won’t be getting any songs from that album. Instead you will be getting a track off of their second and third album along with the band’s newest single. The Breaking Benjamin Track Pack features “Sooner or Later” from the 2004 album We Are Not Alone, “Until The End” from the album Phobia and “Give Me A Sign” from their recently released Dear Agony Album.

As an added bonus for downloading the new tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play with the band over Xbox Live on February 20th from 1-3pm EST. You will have to download the tracks in order to play with Breaking Benjamin and those who do you’ll want to look for their Gamertag: BBGWF.  Click here for more information on the Game with Fame featuring Breaking Benjamin.

The Breaking Benjamin Track Pack is out now via Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 440 Microsoft Points, from the PlayStation Store for $5.49 and the Wii Shop Channel for 550 Wii Points.  The three songs are also available for  individual purchase 60 Microsoft Points, $1.99 and 200 Wii Points each.

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The previously announced Left 4 Dead 2 DLC, The Passing, has been given a late March release window for both Xbox 360 and PC versions. In a nutshell if you haven’t already read about it is that it will consist of the new team of survivors (Rochelle, Ellis, Nick and Coach) meeting up with ye olde L4D crew (Zoey, Louis, Bill and Francis) who will be non-playable characters that you meet up with during the campaign. A new uncommon infected will be added to the new campaign as well called the Fallen Survivors. These are those genius rat-bastard humans who thought they were immune to the infection and… weren’t. Valve has mentioned these infected will drop items such as med-packs or ammo.

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So what does a storied Japanese role-playing game franchise have in common with the NBA? Nothing, but that was until today. Square Enix today announced the partnership with the NBA to promote Final Fantasy XIII during this year’s 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. As the “presenting partner” of the Celebrity Game, Final Fantasy XIII will have “prominent exposure” throughout the game, including a Center Court logo. As apart of this partnership you’ll hear the commentators constantly saying “Final Fantasy XIII releasing March 9th”. You’ll probably be watching a ton of Final Fantasy commercials to go along with that as well.

Square Enix isn’t only trying to promote their upcoming title to the television audience, as they will have a Final Fantasy XIII area at the NBA All-Star Jam Session where fans will be able to play the game before it comes out. This move is a bit surprising since the NBA audience isn’t the Japanese RPG playing type but it’s a great move by Square Enix to try and bring in new gamers into the franchise.

“FINAL FANTASY XIII, the next evolution in videogame entertainment, will appeal to first time players and series fans alike,” said John Yamamoto, President and CEO of Square Enix, Inc.,  “We are delighted to be the presenting partner at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and give fans a chance to experience the most highly anticipated game of the year before it launches on March 9.”

The 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by FINAL FANTASY XIII will tip off on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 p.m. EST (6:00 p.m. CST) from the Dallas Convention Center. So if you live in the Dallas area and can’t wait a month to get a chance to play the game you might want to head over to the Jam Session and get a sneak peak.

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