This post is attacking the fixation of the community using the PCI (visible) and to a lesser extent, the use of buttons for hitting. The use of Zone with buttons is the most effective way to hit, not because of a steep learning curve to be effective, but due to the ease of tracking a cursor to the ball. It's not terribly difficult to learn, with 5-6 hours of play time and reasonable plate discipline, a player can become very proficient. Your average should rise significantly, likely in the range of 50-75 points.
The removal of the PCI from the screen (not visible) is long overdue, the heavy reliance on this makes the game unrealistic and holds some irony, due to the focus on a cursor instead of the high detail and graphics within the game. No visibility of the PCI will widen the learning curve significantly and won't result in the developers constantly tweaking player attributes to balance with user input.
It is a very touchy subject within the community, because everyone enjoys their crutches. NBA 2k is a good example of a sports game that tries to institute more user input into the game, while making the game more immersive. They do it more specifically with their shot meter; the players that remove the shot meter (crutch) receive a wider window of error.
As far as button hitting, this feature should have been removed from the game entirely long ago or heavily nerfed. The default or highest difficulty/highest reward should be hitting w/stride (analog) with zone (w/o the PCI visible).
