2K Sports' Major League Baseball 2K franchise hasn't been good in a few years, so developer Visual Concepts knew it had to up the ante if the game was going to compete with Sony's stellar MLB The Show series. We haven't had many details on the gameplay of MLB 2K10 -- until now, that is.

The three-minute video above explains how Total Control Pitching and Total Control Hitting will work. Both pitching and hitting use the right analog stick. The pitching is almost identical to the system that MLB 2K8 employed -- different sequences of gestures on the right stick correspond to different pitches. I hope it's more forgiving than the pitching in 2K8 was. At least this time, you'll choose the pitch first with a button press; that should let the game know what kind of gestures to expect.

The hitting also looks largely similar to analog stick hitting of MLB 2K games past, but this time, you have the option of a defensive swing to fight off a pitch, in addition to the standard contact and power swings. The video closes with a quick look at the new Batter's Eye feature, which flashes the strike zone and tells you what kind of pitch is coming if your hitter's Eye rating is high enough. It looks rather obtrusive; if you ask me, the Hitter's Eye in EA Sports' MVP Baseball 2005 was better because it was more subtle.

In any case, there's also plenty of gameplay footage to gawk at here, and it looks much better than it has before. Major League Baseball 2K10 will be out on March 2nd for PS3, 360, Wii, PC, PSP, and PS2.

Fans. They're never happy with anything, are they? Sega announces Sonic the Hedghog 4, a 2D retro experience that people have been clamoring for since the move to 3D, and people still manage to find things to complain about. Some of the complaints I already addressed, but by far the most controversial issue seems to be the fact that Sonic himself doesn't look old school enough. 

Internet justice to the rescue! Fans have set up a petition (470 sigs and counting) in a bid to make Sega change the current Sonic design to something more reminiscent of the Genesis era. Apparently, people aren't fans of the sleeker modern Hedgehog, and want the old pot-bellied guy back on their screens. Sega's bound to ignore the outcry, but it never hurts to try I suppose. 

As possibly the biggest (or only) Sonic fan on Destructoid's staff, I personally have never had an issue with Sonic's current look. I might be in the minority, but I've always kind of liked the way he looks these days, and I don't think character design has ever been the guy's biggest problem. Still, if people are determined to find things to whine about before we've seen more than a teaser trailer, I guess this is as good a subject as any. 

Bring the classic Sonic to Sonic the Hedgehog 4 [GoPetition via GoNintendo]

Because the 2004 Xbox title Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball needed a sequel, it's getting one this year, thanks to Majesco.

The publisher has announced that Greg Hastings Paintball 2 will be hitting Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii this September. The game features both single and multiplayer gameplay modes and events based in real-life paintball fields. The game also has a new feature called the "Cheat Meter," which lets you wipe off pain splatters before getting caught. Is that something people do?

Also on tap is downloadable content, because once you get a taste of Greg Hastings Paintball 2, you're going to want more. The game is being developed by Super X Studios who have previously developed a photo safari title for the PC, as well as an outer space screen saver.

Ah, Level 5. I like those guys. I'd like them to make more games. Less portable ones would be nice. Oh, and U.S. releases would be fantastic. You know. Just whatever. If you're listening.

They are working on some Wii and PlayStation 3 games, though. Akihiro Hino, Level 5's president, said that his company has some PS3 and Wii titles in development at a company meeting. Of course, no names of titles were given. We'll have to wait until later this year. Maybe they'll have something at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show to put in their inexplicably large show floor booth.

We know that a sequel to White Knight Chronicles is coming to the PS3. Other than that, it's anyone's guess.

Speaking of White Knight Chronicles, I'm currently playing it for a Destructoid review. I didn't love it at first, but it has grown on me. Nothing fancy, but I'm enjoying it. Look for our review soon.

Level 5 Developing Unannounced PlayStation 3 And Wii Titles [Siliconera]

We all know by now that Australia gets the short end of the stick when it comes to Nintendo releases. The country can wait up to a year after the North American release before getting a sniff of a new Wii or DS game. Frustrated gamers may be tempted to pirate these titles, but Nintendo, fresh off winning $1.5 million from one Aussie pirate, has claimed that piracy affects Australian release dates. 

"Nintendo Australia is always pushing for games to be released here at the same time as the rest of the world, so we were pleased to get New Super Mario Bros. Wii before anyone else," explains Nintendo of Australia. "Unfortunately, due to to the actions of this individual, future release dates may be affected for Australia, which is disappointing for us."

Now, I fully understand that it must be insulting to have New Super Mario Bros. Wii ripped and uploaded in Australia when it was one of the few games to be released on time in the country, but I have to call bullsh*t on this statement. Nintendo has a long history of delaying Australian games while giving no justifiable reason for it. To retroactively try and shift the blame onto pirates is a bit of a pathetic move, in honesty. 

Australian gamers are frustrated with Nintendo and its long history of shafting the territory. I don't think any smart Aussies are going to fall for Nintendo's buck-passing.

Nintendo Stomps Aussie Mario Pirate [GameSpot]

A person in Australia fudged with the wrong game maker. He ripped and uploaded New Super Mario Bros. Wii a week before it was even available in that country. Naturally, he was busted and was taken to court. Now that Federal Court has awarded Nintendo $1.5 million dollars in damages to compensate for loss of revenue.

Speaking of revenue, they've sold 10 million copies of the game.

And Nintendo on why you shouldn't pirate their games:

“Fewer sales of Nintendo’s hardware and software systems means fewer resources that Nintendo, its licensees, developers and publishers have to create and market new video game products which is ultimately to the detriment of video game enthusiasts. When there is a decrease in game development, there is also a decrease in the number of jobs in the industry. The existence of piracy jeopardizes the strength of the video game industry overall.”

Nintendo Awarded $1.5 Million In Piracy Suit [Edge]

While it's true that about 100 million people watch the Super Bowl every year, soccer is easily the world's most beloved and most watched sport. Madden might be tops in America, but EA Sports' FIFA series far outstrips it in overall sales -- because people outside of this country buy it. The latest iteration in the franchise was FIFA 10, which launched in early October everywhere except for North America.

In the four months since its release, FIFA 10 has sold an astounding 9.7 million copies worldwide across all platforms. Let me break that down for you: on average, that comes out to more than 75,000 sales per day. That's a hell of a lot of folks in their living rooms yelling "GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!"

FIFA 10 received high praise from critics -- it holds Metascores of 91 and 90 on PS3 and 360, respectively. And obviously, that has translated into a boatload of units moved, so while EA might be conservative in their forecasts for the rest of their 2010 fiscal year, they've at least got something to be ecstatic about.

If cheering wasn't your thing, you might want to consider All Star Karate by THQ. It's the publisher's new title in the "All Star" franchise, following the popular (no, really) All Star Cheer Squad.

The Wii title puts players in the role of a young martial artist in training who, in an attempt to save an old man from a group of ninjas, has to fight head-to-head against a karate master. What... the... ? Yeah, so in a Karate Kid inspired "twist," you're trained by the elderly karate master in an effort to earn a black belt. The game will feature full support fo the Wii MotionPlus (if you choose), and will let you use your choice of the Wii Remote/Nunchuck combo or two Wii Remotes.

All Star Karate is scheduled to ship this spring, so you might want to wait before starting sh*t with any neighborhood ninjas. Because, you know, this game is gonna make a man out of you. Or a tough pre-teen. Or something.

It's already been confirmed that Burnout developer Criterion has its hands in the Need for Speed franchise. But if Burnout's fast pace and twisted steel isn't your thing, don't worry -- Electronic Arts has confirmed that it has not one but two Need for Speed titles in the works. 

Holiday of 2010 will see the release of Criterion's Need for Speed title, referred to by EA Chief Operating Officer John Schappert on today's financial call as an action title. Early 2011 (January-March) will see the release of a second Need for Speed title, this one a simulation title, possibly a follow up to last year's Need for Speed: SHIFT.

You can can play both titles, no one's stopping you. But if you had to choose, what would you prefer? A Need for Speed simulation title or a Need for Speed action title?

If you're an avid Electronic Arts fan and just have to have everything they own, you might want to tighten your belt for the next year. There's a lot of games, and in the publisher's fiscal earnings details released today, release windows for some major games were revealed.

Of note, Visceral's Dead Space 2 is confirmed for an early 2011 release, along with a new Spore title, the Epic Games/People Can Fly shooter, a new Dragon Age game, and an unannounced action title. Yes, I meant to write a new Dragon Age.

Hit the jump for a full breakdown of EA's key titles for its fiscal year 2011 (via Shacknews).

[These posts on No More Heroes 2 are purely speculation. I have no idea what the team at Grasshopper Manufacture intended for the game to mean; I can only speak to what I've taken away from it, so if you don't enjoy potentially bullsh*t interpretations of the meaning of a videogame, then stay away from this post. --Jonathan]

Here it is, the second and final post from me about the bosses of No More Heroes 2. Honestly, I'm worried that it's sort of stupid to put these posts out so quickly after the game's release, as I feel that I'm far from really figuring it all out. I've already had a few new ideas about the first nine bosses that I wish I'd written in the other NMH2 boss analysis post, and since I'm about to dive into writing this next post, I'm still trying to figure out what the last nine bosses mean to me.

These next nine are especially hard to describe, because they rely on atmosphere and context a lot more than dialogue or physicality to get their messages across. I better not starting thinking about that now, though, or I'll run the risk of getting a sudden case of writer's block and never finishing this thing.

I'm just going to jump into it, figure it out as I go along, and hope it makes sense to somebody. That's probably what Suda51 would do, and it seems to be working for him. So hit the jump and see what I poop out. Oh, and watch out for spoilers and stuff.

We've been chatting with 2K Marin creative director Jordan Thomas ahead of our upcoming BioShock 2 review, as you may have guessed from the truckload of stories we've posted. We had to ask the question everybody asks -- could BioShock work on the Wii? Thomas' answer was that it absolutely could ... if motion controls were more subtle. 

"Speaking only for myself, I don’t think BioShock is about interface," he tells us. "It’s more about choice and expressivity -- made immediate and spectacular enough to encourage experimentation. If motion controllers are subtle and varied enough to translate gestures into all the forms of input our simulation demands, then it’s absolutely possible."

I'm not sure that "expressivity" is a word, but I like Thomas' thinking. Perhaps Natal or the Sony Wiimote will give BioShock the subtlety and variety it needs. Would you like to use your own hands to fling Plasmids around, or do you prefer your BioShock in a more traditional format?

Did you think that Traveler's Tales had done all it could do with the LEGO Star Wars franchise? If so, you have no idea how the videogame industry works, my friend. LEGO Star Wars III has just been announced, and it's taking us to the Clone Wars. 

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is coming to all the systems, obviously. DS, PSP, Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 all get their licks in. New battle modes will be included, as well as all the characters from the Clone Wars TV series. There will also be a few classic characters from the movies too. 

So, this is a thing that is happening. Good times.

In amazingly shocking news, it's been discovered that a game designer is designing games! Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo genius who's gone off the rails a bit, is making a new MotionPlus game. Of course, if we knew what the game in question was, this story might be halfway useful. We do not know what the game in question is.  

Surprisingly, this is about the best story this morning. This is what happens when there is a Super Bowl at the weekend. Bloody videogame PR people were too busy shouting "WHO DAT" to give us some actual good stuff to post. Now we're talking about Miyamoto making a MotionPlus game. No sh*t he is.

Miyamoto working on new MotionPlus game