With baseball season in already in full swing, my Facebook feed is full of the requisite “at the Jay’s game!” selfies as taken by people I barely talk to or know. It’s fine, whatever. I don’t really watch baseball but being at a game is pretty relaxing, especially when you have a beer on hand. I totally understand why the moment is Instagram selfie worthy.
But this one lady took the baseball selfie game to a whole new level at an Oakland A’s game earlier this week. She starts with a “hey, I’m dranking some beerz!” selfie, and a “Look how close I am to the field shot.” THEN SOMEHOW, SOMEHOW, SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE A SHOT OF HER BOOBS WHILE IN THE STANDS. YOU’RE SITTING BEHIND THE PLATE. PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU!
All GIFs via Buzzfeed
Apparently, the A’s won but who cares when shit like this is happening?
While we’re on the topic of selfies, why don’t you watch us Talking Sh*t on Selfies or check out the latest episode of #NoFilter featuring Lights?
I’m going to get something off my chest right out of the gate: I haven’t been a fan of baseball nor baseball videogames for the last decade or so. Watching the game can be downright boring, and playing a virtual representation seems to result in little more than timing mini-games and a few button presses.
Then along comes Visual Concepts’ MLB 2K10. For the first time since I last held aloft a piece of lumber, here’s a video game that actually made me feel like I was playing the game again. Everything feels crisp, clean, and connected – as if you are actually on the mound dueling with the batter, desperately trying to keep the sweat out of your eyes as you look down another full count with the bases loaded.
The presentation of the 2K10 is spot on, from the commercial bumpers during the telecast, to the voiceovers calling the shots during the games themselves. Having spent enough time running bases and trying to make double plays, I have yet to hear a repeat canned soundbite, which was a great surprise and welcome change from previous years’ entries. You get the best of both worlds from Visual Concepts’ setup – all of the stats and random personal facts that hardcore hardball fans crave, but enough of the “seen on TV” presentation that it flows wonderfully into you actually stepping into the batter’s box to see just how far you can crank that sliding fastball.
Your options for gameplay seems to have improved significantly as well. You can play any MLB game currently being played, or set up to be played on a specific day through MLB Today. It’s always fun to see if you can do a better job than the big boys at there own game (or feel as humbled as they do when things don’t exactly work out the way you wanted them to). Home Run Derby is included, and is pretty much exactly what it claims to be: hit homers, anything else is an out, get the most points. My Player is the heart of the game, and you’ll definitely find yourself spending the majority of time grinding away through this mode. You create a rookie phenom, pick your favourite franchise to be drafted into, and then set off to try to become an MLB legend. Read more…
Exhibit A: a hefty roly-polly fellow in baggy jeans and a t-shirt, a fitted cap flipped backwards, a microphone in hand and a childish 1000 watt smile.
This is the uniform for one of Canada’s leading sports personalities. Hard to believe?
Meet Cabral “Cabbie” Richards, The Score Network’s animated icon, who has sent a loud message out to the media industry: traditional reporting isn’t always successful, and that his new-school style of interviewing can trump those old-school classroom methods.
In his interviews with star athletes on The Score’s Cabbie on the Street, it’s always a challenge to pint-point exactly the recipe for his success. But narrowing it down, there’s one key ingredient that differentiates the 31-year-old from Cambridge, Ontario, from the rest.
Exhibit B: his swagger.
Check out some images from 2K Sports upcoming game, The BIGS 2.
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The Big Leagues just got BIGGER! Available on all major video game consoles, The BIGS 2 allows fans to experience heroic gameplay, legendary game modes and incredible player models. Elevating The BIGS 2 to new heights are bigger power-ups, amazing visual effects, and an all new Become a Legend mode. Featuring exciting player animations and pick-up-and-play controls, The BIGS 2 is scheduled to be available on July 7, 2009 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems, PSP system, and Wii home video game system from Nintendo.
It’s time for another edition of The Show ladies and gentlemen. Sony Computer Entertainment presents MLB ’08: The Show for all you diehard baseball enthusiasts out there. Available for the PS2 and the PSP as well, this is the yearly addition to the PS3′s baseball series and with every new version comes new tweaks and features.
This is a virtual game of baseball. The bare bones of it all are all the same as the previous year’s titles, the same as the real major league and the same as all the times people got together to play America’s favourite pastime, it is in the end, baseball. The Show brings extras to the game that you otherwise couldn’t experience by playing a real game, however. First is the ability to play in the major leagues of course, but deeper still the game offers different modes of play. Modes such as “Road to the Show”, which is basically a career mode. You get awards and penalties for the way you play and eventually (hopefully) make it to the Hall of Fame. The “My MLB Music” option gives players the chance to make their own baseball soundtrack using MP3s.
The Show also provides you with one of the most detailed character creation modes I’ve ever witnessed in a sporting game. It has everything from nicknames, to crow’s feet, to your batting stance. The only thing missing is choosing your own blood type. Other options include “Headlines”, which automatically creates custom newspaper articles about how your team and others in the league are performing with specifics from the games previously played. Big additions to this year’s title are the batter and pitcher analyses. With these, you can figure out the best way to play against specific opponents and even predict their next moves. Franchise mode allows you to control all of the aspects of your team, such as contracts and rehab. You also have access to all the requirements in a baseball game: season mode, manager mode and two player series mode. Of course, you can hop online and check out the MLB ticker for the latest updates, check out the leaderboards, get emails, and play against someone half way around the world. The online option even updates the current team rosters. As with all the game modes, there is also an overabundance of options to tweak every aspect of the game to create your perfect baseball experience.
The game sounds amazing for a Baseball title, with a standard yet solid soundtrack including classics and new rock anthems. Players also have the option of using their own MP3′s to create a soundtrack to their likings. The sounds of cracking bats, cheering fans and whizzing balls all sound superbly realistic and along with the realistic custom-feeling commentary, which is specific for each stadium and player, you rarely hear the same comments twice.
MLB ’08: The Show looks great. From the first time you pop in the game to the World Series winning home run, every aspect of this title looks detailed and polished. When the stadium first loads up, the attention to detail in every little facet of what you see is amazing. They even have the crowd attendance available for you to see. Each stadium is the splitting image of the real location, and if you’ve been to the stadium in real life, you could attest to this. The player models are outstanding as each player looks startlingly like his real life counterpart. When they come up to bat, they even have little information bubbles about their careers, as if you were watching the game on TV. The players move and act realistically as well. If you were to mentally take away the shiny polygon count of a player and replace it with skin, you would feel like you’re watching a game live on TV. Menu setup and option control are all crisp and easy to navigate. When playing a game, it is easy to call up the analysis menus and make split second decisions.
Controlling The Show is similar to the 2007 version in many aspects. One of the biggest improvements comes from the batting and pitching analysis. With the click of a button you can see what the trend of that pitcher or batter is, how they hit against specific types of pitches, and even predict how they will act in the future. This new feature creates a whole new level of competitiveness online. Knowing that the opponent can see your trends, it becomes more of a mind game than ever before. Or it can be the leg up you need to beat a computer opponent. Besides a few little tweaks and a plethora of customization choices, The Show keeps it as simple or as intricate as you feel comfortable with. Along with the long list of features, a little extra window caught my eye. There is a tab in the main menu that doesn’t really provide any real addition to the game but rather, it explains all the new additions to the game itself. Players who want to see the difference don’t have to test the game out for hours or rummage through the manual. They can go straight to this menu and read about all the new aspects of MLB ’08.
Well, there you have it. Another baseball game, another updated roster and tweaked features. A welcome addition to any sports enthusiast’s library or that of the casual gamer who hasn’t picked up a baseball title in a few years. MLB ’08: The Show offers up what players want and have expected year after year. With new additions and the always welcome online option, this title will definitely hold you over until MLB ’09 or even MLB ’10 comes out.
Graphics: 4.0 / 5.0
Gameplay 4.0 / 5.0
Sound 4.0 / 5.0
Replay value 4.5 / 5.0
