Major League Baseball 2K8
Third seventh-generation entry in the 2K baseball series.
Major League Baseball 2K8 is a licensed baseball simulation video game co-developed by Blue Castle Games and 2K Los Angeles, published by 2K Sports for multiple platforms. It was released on March 4, 2008, and a demo featuring the 2007 World Series opponents was made available the following day on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Blue Castle Games (PS3, Xbox 360)
- 2K Los Angeles
- 2K China (Wii)
- Publisher
- 2K Sports
- Series
- MLB 2K
- Released
- March 4, 2008 (NA)
- Genre
- Sports
- Modes
- Single player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2
- PlayStation 3
- PlayStation Portable
- Wii
- Xbox 360
Facts from the source article.
New features
Ben Brinkman revealed several new features for MLB 2K8 in a January 18, 2008 podcast. These include 90 playable real-life minor league teams and players with major league experience, along with 20 authentic minor league stadiums. The game introduces 2K Cards, unlockable trading cards, and a new pitching system controlled by analog stick movement. Swing Stick 2.0 revamps analog batting to produce varied batted balls such as Baltimore chops and bloops. A new ball-throwing system also uses analog stick input, and fielding tweaks include revamped double play animations. Additional features from the official site include downloadable minor league stadiums, revamped baserunning with improved AI, and Signature Style animations. The PS2 version lacks these new features, being a reskinned Major League Baseball 2K6 with updated rosters. Some Wii discs have a franchise mode glitch where the season becomes 15 games after the first year, fixable by creating a new franchise each time the original is loaded.
Licensing issues
Barry Bonds is absent from the game due to his lack of MLBPA licensing, replaced by left-fielder Joe Young, whose name references Hall of Fame quarterbacks Steve Young and Joe Montana. Randy Carter is said by some to represent Roger Clemens on the free agents list. Several regular MLB players, including Kevin Millar and Brendan Donnelly, are missing because they crossed picket lines during the 1994 work stoppage, preventing MLBPA membership; they appear under aliases such as Kyle Morgan for Millar, with identical profiles. High-profile prospects like Jay Bruce (James Bale), Evan Longoria (Eric Lincoln), Colby Rasmus (Clint Rents), and Fernando Martínez (Felipe Marrero) are also under aliases until they gain major league experience, while Geovany Soto appears under his real name. Japanese league rookies Kosuke Fukudome and Hiroki Kuroda are replaced by Kazuhito Fortunato and Hideo Kajita. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kyle Drabek, then with the Philadelphia Phillies, is replaced by Kirk Darby.
Development and history
MLB 2K8 is the third seventh-generation console baseball game in the 2K Sports Major League Baseball series and the second lead-developed by Ben Brinkman for 2K Los Angeles. Brinkman described it as the middle act of a planned three-year development cycle for next-gen systems, with MLB 2K7 as the first stage. In an IGN interview, he stated that MLB 2K7 was the first step in reinventing the 2K Sports baseball brand, focusing on returning to stable ground and delivering a game players could enjoy for an extended period, achieved despite a short development timeline.
Reception
According to Metacritic, the PlayStation 2 version received generally favorable reviews, while other console versions received mixed or average reviews. In Japan, Bethesda Softworks ported and published the PS2 and PS3 versions on November 13, 2008, and the Xbox 360 version on November 27; Famitsu scored the Xbox 360 version with three sixes and one five. 411Mania gave the Xbox 360 version 7.7 out of 10, noting year-to-year improvements but citing bugs, framerate issues, and graphics needing updates, and recommended it for Xbox 360 baseball fans while stating it would not challenge The Show on PS3. USA Today scored the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions 7 out of 10, praising control innovation but warning that bugs could bench future releases. Maxim gave the same versions 6 out of 10, describing the game as having all necessary ingredients but feeling overworked, like a team that fails in the clutch.
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