Major League Baseball 08 The Show to hit PSP
Ball smacking baseball simulation from Sony
This could be a bit like talking beach volleyball with Eskimos, but Major League Baseball 08 The Show is a game, it's published by Sony and it's coming out on PSP.
All of these facts mean we should cover it. Or try to. So here we go - MLB 08 The Show, the latest in a series deemed to provide the most authentic baseball experience - has been given both a release date and a cover star.
Presumably which sportsman gets to don the MLB's cover is big news in the US - as big as when Konami unveils the footballers who are going to grace Pro Evolution Soccer's cover.
We however find it difficult to get too stirred up by the news that this time the honour goes to Philadelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard, even though he apparently is the fastest player in MLB history to hit 100 home runs. His level of fame on this side of the water would probably fail to secure him a table at The Ivy.
Still, onto the game itself and MLB 08 - like last year's MBL 07 (which didn't actually get a release in Europe), promises a realistic and authentic experience. It's the only first-party baseball game that's officially licensed by the various baseball leagues, so is able to include all the players, including details such as their personalised batting stances.
A comprehensive Career Mode will enable you to create a player, play both offence and defence in games and work your way up the league. A new 'progressive batting performance' feature will reward players for good performance and penalises them for hitting slumps.
Online features are where the game seems to really shine though - up to 30 teams are playable online, there are customisable leagues and also a new system to let gamers set and store their game preferences on the MLB server then instantly jump into Quick Matches with opponents sharing similar settings when they sign in.
Sony has stated the game will be released this spring, but it's unclear whether it'll actually get a UK release at this stage. Of course, baseball fans keen to get their mitts on Ryan Howard and co can always go down the import route. We'll keep you posted on its progress nearer to release time.
