I'm currently downloading and will fire it up as soon as I can.

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Navigate to Insider content/Previews > MLB® The Show™ 21 Tech Test

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On February 23rd at 10am PT, return to the MLB® The Show™ 21 Tech Test in the Xbox Insider app and select Show in store to participate

let us know what you think...sounds dope.

This if the first baseball game I've played in give or take 15 years. So, I'm feeling it. It's much more advanced since the last time I played a baseball game. I've been Team XBOX since 2002 and it seems like Sony has had the MLB license on lock for almost since then, so I never got the chance to play MLB The Show.

Because of my relative unfamiliarity with this game, I can't tell you if it's "good" as compared to previous generations. But I do love how much customization is available to you. Specifically with respect to batting, fielding and pitching control mechanics. You can play the way you want to. That wasn't available the last time I played a baseball game.

Finally, the cross platform play is a game changer. I look forward to more game companies doing it.

Bottom line is, I enjoy the game a lot. Can't wait to cop in April.

I’ve been Sony, for a while...but, the last one of these I played was The Show ‘18.

I’m definitely gonna try it.

this game is definitely my favorite fantasy draft franchise simulator of any sports game. Madden is just annoying but The Show has a lot better management aspects with better gameplay.

looking forward to put a giant Pyramid in the customize a ballpark feature, and have read RTTS has a lot of great improvements. it appears a game studio finally heard people that they dont all buy imaginary cards in these money grab game modes. perhaps im missing fun in nba2k, madden, and the show, with these card options but im all about franchise mode in these games.

It’s a hard transition from power swinging at everything to being more cautious.

since I've played a baseball game and I suck. I'll keep grinding it out and see because I would love to get into baseball but always fall off.

while I was out of town. Got home, Sunday and installed it. Quickly realized I can't fuckin hit. I started a season with the Cardinals. Lost the first game of the season to the Reds. Gonna stick with it, though.

Is to put the controller down. Seriously, just don't touch it. Play Conquest (if you're playing Diamond Dynasty; if not, just take your players' stats less seriously in Franchise) and never, ever swing until you have two strikes. Queue up Defector or the Washington Post or OKP or whatever and read some articles. If you've got nothing to read, just watch the pitches closely. Just like real life, you really just have to get familiar with what pitches look like, and ESPECIALLY when playing the CPU you have to get used to the fact that this game is really going to simulate how bad some of these pitchers are. You're going to see a lot of shitty pitches, even shitty pitches that accidentally become good pitches. You just gotta take, take, take until you start getting comfortable. It happens faster than you'd think, too - the only reason it took me like four years to get more than decent at this game was I refused to stop swinging at everything.


Another great example of how bad pitching can be is to go into Diamond Dynasty and do a Moment challenge that doesn't require anything more specific than "get on base X number of times". Don't touch the controller at ALL and there's a more than 50% chance you'll complete the challenge on your first try since the difficulty is on Veteran. Part of the paradox of batting you have to get used to is that a walk is a successful AB, and so the easier the batting difficulty is not only are your hits more likely to hit the dirt but the pitcher is more likely to be wild and put you on base for you. In some ways, Rookie and Veteran are actually HARDER than All-Star for me now because the pitchers are so, so shitty.


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not gonna lie, it’s gonna be tough to put into practice, cuz right now I am swinging out of my shoes. I do see what you mean, though. Right now, games pick up in the 6th inning. I knew I wasn’t coming back to win so I just watched a couple at bats and the majority of the pitches were legitimately balls.

Which is worse that what I played on when I was on PS4 for the last two years.

I'm playing franchise, and my only goal is to get up to Veteran difficulty. You definitely have to learn how to take pitches and watch the strike zone.

But I got frustrated cause EVERY damn ball I did hit was straight to a waiting outfielder or infielder. Couldn't hit the gaps or hit HR's for the life of me.

So currently I use pulse pitching, upped my sliders two notches for contact and power. Playing with the Nats, i can score maybe about 5 runs a game. I usually come on late like in the 6th inning.

I find taking is also useful because you definitely have to run up the opposing pitcher's count so they get weary and you get better pitches to hit.
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"To Each His Reach"

but.....

Fuck aliens.

thanks because I suck so bad.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I haven't played a baseball game since the OG Xbox.

worst thing: I enjoy watching CPU play each other. doing this causes my team to ground into a double play every single inning and score 1 run. EVERY GAME!!!! even tho my roster is ranked 1 in contact and 2 in power. my weakness is pitching but if you watch the CPU play the entire team sucks.

Pinpoint Pitching is AWESOME. I really enjoy this pitching style, i used to always do pulse. Pinpoint is amazing.

that said, most pitching battles require this maddening sequence of 5 foul offs in a row after you've delivered really good pitches, and then you walk them on a pitch a hair off the plate, or a strike the ump missed, or you give up that homerun.

a lot of warning track outs. it seems like hitting timing is *meaningless*, as i get at least 7 warning track outs per game and I have "Good" contact. I use analog hitting and ill get a double in the gap on "Early" contact, but it is pretty annoying constantly getting Good contact on hits that just end up being warning track fly outs.

this game just wants to walk you and strike you out swinging at balls. i am not patient enough to play this game without getting mad as hell that i keep swinging at balls, but they DONT THROW STRIKES. you just have to be in a zone mentally to hit a lot of pitches in a row on these higher difficulties.

injuries are absurd. you cant disable injuries bc then you dont earn XP. Tim Anderson, my 3rd pick in my fantasy draft, got hurt for 2 months in the second week. in the third week, my 2nd SP tears his bicep and is out for 3 months. and then my third baseman breaks his leg and is out for even longer. what the fuck kind of baseball simulation is this when half your team gets hurt.

all in all, hitting home runs, coming back while losing, closing a game, is extremely fun. i consider myself good at this game and that is why it makes me so mad most of the time bc I am chasing bad pitches, or im swinging "Good" and just popping out constantly. a lot of annoying shit in the game, but its still one of the best sports sims out there. havent touched diamond dynasty much.

players out here breaking legs…wtf. I currently use pulse pitching. Pinpoint felt a little too much for me when I was first setting it up.

i had to go to youtube and watch someone explain it, and then it makes sense and works the best.

its a bit tougher than Pulse but i think if you keep trying it out you'll eventually love it.

oh by the way. Michael Conforto injured his elbow sliding into 2nd base, out for 1-2 months.

I wanted to wait until it went on sale and I was so busy earlier in the year with w new job. Now that' I'm settled in, I have a little more free time.

I like the game, but can't hit for isht. Like some folks have said, it does get easier later in the game. Once the 6th inning hits, I can put a few runs up. I really need to be more patient at the plate.

I still have the darndest time with baserunning. I keep forgetting the controls and have dudes NOT stretch singles into doubles like they should and then other guys on base running too far and getting thrown out.

Also, I cannot throw a base stealer out at second to save my life. When the camera angle switches to the the 3rd person, over the shoulder catcher view, the throw meter hesitates and I don't get the throw off in time.