It’s that wonderful time of year again, my friends: spring training is under way, and anticipation for the 2008 baseball season is at a fever pitch. Right now, baseball’s 30 teams are warming up for the 162-game grind in sunny Florida and arid Arizona. Of course, it was a blustery 20°F outside and the icy wind coming off the Hudson River lashed my face as I walked back from class last Friday. But it’s comforting to know that in about a month, the grueling marathon that is the MLB season will be upon us.
With it will come the requisite burning questions, such as “Will this year be the year for my team?” and “Am I going to get to set foot in the original House That Ruth Built for one last hurrah?” You may be answering “no” to both of those questions and many more, but don’t get down on yourself because life seems to get in the way of baseball. As always, you can count on video games for escapism and living vicariously; after all, let’s face facts: you’re no Joba Chamberlain, and throwing a pitch as hard as you can doesn’t make it a “fastball” if it’s floating into the strike zone at the highway speed limit.
2K Sports is hoping that you’ll step into the digital version of the national pastime that they’ve crafted in MLB 2K8, the only officially-licensed third-party baseball videogame in town. The game has gone gold (industry lingo for “it’s done and we’re ready to produce discs”), and you’ll be able to pick it up in stores for the PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, and PSP starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4th. In case you’re on the fence, check out my notes on the game from Ben Brinkman himself, the game’s executive producer, as well as the official press release from 2K Sports after the jump.
2K Sports Announces Major League Baseball® 2K8 Has Gone Gold
Let’s play ball! 2K Sports today announced that the highly anticipated baseball simulation title, Major League Baseball® 2K8, has gone gold and is now ready for production for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Wii™ home video game system. Available on March 4th in retail stores nationwide, Major League Baseball 2K8 offers dedicated fans the opportunity to enjoy exciting and expanded features to provide the most fun and realistic baseball simulation experience available.
Major League Baseball 2K8 will revolutionize player control this year with brand-new pitching, fielding and baserunning, as well as a completely overhauled batting interface. To bring fans closer to the action than ever before, Major League Baseball 2K8 features authentic Major League Baseball and Minor League™ stadiums that have been completely redesigned for accuracy, complete with the detail and specific architecture of each ballpark and city.
Jon Miller and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, the best announcing duo in baseball video games, are back in the booth to deliver the deepest commentary available, providing insightful analysis of each ball and strike. Other in-game features include a totally unique trading card system, robust Minor League system including 90 playable minor league teams, all-new Signature Style™ animations complete with home run celebrations, and much more.
Major League Baseball 2K8, rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, will be available in retail stores March 4, 2008, for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, PSP (PlayStation Portable), and Wii.
For more information about Major League Baseball 2K8, please visit www.2Ksports.com.
