MLB 14: The Show is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita in spring 2014, Sony and San Diego Studio announced.
Detroid Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera is the cover athlete of the upcoming baseball game. This year, rather than having the fans vote, the cover star was voted by the baseball players themselves.
A number of advancements are being made this year. These are “just a few,” according to Sony sports product marketing manager Tyler Vauhty:
- We know how much time and effort our fans put into their Seasons, Franchises, and Road To The Show players. So beginning with MLB 14: The Show, you can now carry over your saves to future versions of MLB: The Show. MLB 14: The Show lays the foundation for year-to-year saves, meaning you never have to worry about starting your Franchise or Road to the Show seasons over!
- Thanks to the power of PS4, MLB: 14 The Show is going to be the most beautiful baseball product we’ve ever created.
- For some of you, full 9-inning baseball games may be too long for your liking, so we’ve created an all-new Quick Counts option, which utilizes generated pitch counts allowing gamers to play through full games faster than ever. Realistic statistics in this shortened gameplay experience have not been compromised. Users will now be able to play a full 9 inning game in less than 30 minutes, essentially cutting traditional game times in half.
- We think Road To The Show is the deepest, most realistic single-player experience in sports video games, and we’re making it even better. A few of the new features include a new advancement system, new intuitive player creation process, and all new pre-draft prospect showcase.
- And finally, what makes baseball great are those “big moments.” The power of PS4 will allow gamers to share those moments using the new “share feature” by capturing and publishing their most thrilling baseball moments, from hitting a game-winning grand slam, to picking off a runner at first for a crucial win in a World Series game.
Several graphical enhancements are also being made. Sony released a few scoreboard screenshots to showcase this.
“You’ll notice how different types of materials such as metal, wood, and steel properly reflect the sun,” Vauhty said on the PlayStation Blog. “The shinier materials such as metal will give you more of a direct or tighter reflection. This is immediately noticeable on the team name plates. In contrast, the more matte surfaces such as the wall above the scoreboard won’t reflect as much direct light as seen in the photo.
“With the added horsepower of PS4, we can create more detailed representation of elements within the stadium. With the added memory, we can increase the texture size, and use higher resolution normal maps to push the illusion of reality.”
Over at the PlayStation Blog, Sony has set up a hover comparison between the scoreboards of MLB 14: The Show on PlayStation 4 and MLB 13: The Show on PlayStation 3.
Watch the debut teaser trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery.
