Game Of The Year In 2027
-
MLB The Show 27 could be the best sports game ever made if SDS simply keeps up with the times.
It is time for a major leap forward in graphics, presentation, crowd reactions, and stadium atmosphere.
Baseball can be electric, emotional, tense, and sometimes a grind. The game should reflect all of it. Where is “New York, New York” after a Yankees win? Where are the Bleacher Creatures chanting each player’s name? Where is the Sausage Race in Milwaukee, “Sweet Caroline” in Boston, ceremonial first pitches, pregame shows, scoreboard traditions, unique crowd chants, and unforgettable closer entrances?
I understand that music licensing can be complicated, but some traditions are worth paying for, while others could be recreated or recorded specifically for the game.
In 2026, players, uniforms, stadiums, lighting, weather, and crowd environments should look immaculate. Broadcast cutscenes should be so realistic that, at times, it is difficult to tell the difference between the game and a live television broadcast.
Gameplay and game modes obviously need continued improvement, but presentation is what creates immersion. Give fans a game that makes us say, “Wow, now that is baseball.”
Make us feel like we are standing in the batter’s box, hearing the crowd build, living the biggest moments, and experiencing the personality of every stadium.
MLB The Show should not just simulate baseball. It should capture everything that makes baseball special.
Hopefully, SDS has been listening. Let's see what 2027 can bring us!
-
They won't do it because SDS would have to hire a coding team of sufficient depth and talent to facilitate it. But, the single best avenue to restore MLB The Show to the pinnacle of sports video games is to redesign the game engine so that all play outcomes are a direct result of the actual physics of virtual object interactions.
Meaning, the nature of the control pad inputs of a human pitcher defines how the pitch will perform. The human inputs on a control pad as batter will define how the bat interacts with the pitch. In short, all the visuals will be a direct reflection of the organic interaction of the virtual objects in the game. No more precanned video segments brought up by the game code to reenact what some random number generator routine spit out.
If the virtual bat contacts the virtual ball then the action plays out precisely how it would in real life if a real bat contacted a real ball the same way. Fielding and throwing would play out the same way, all consistent with the setup of the weather, including temperature, wind, and humidity. Rain would interact and play its role realistically as well.
Impossible? No, by no means impossible. Just play the latest CFB releases and one can see this is already being done quite realistically in their game engine named Frostbite. So, it would simply require that SDS (and in turn Sony) devote the human resources needed to make it a reality. Again, that's why it won't happen.
