Major League Baseball 2K12
Major League Baseball 2K12 or, in short, MLB 2K12, is a Major League Baseball licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K Sports that was released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Wii and Xbox 360 on March 6, 2012. The commentary is delivered by the trio of Steve Phillips, Gary Thorne, and John Kruk.
| Major League Baseball 2K12 | |
|---|---|
 Cover featuring Justin Verlander | |
| Developer(s) | Visual Concepts |
| Publisher(s) | 2K Sports |
| Series | 2K Sports Major League Baseball series |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, Cloud (OnLive) |
| Release | March 6, 2012 |
| Genre(s) | Sports (Professional baseball) |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers is the game's cover athlete.[1] Verlander won both the AL Cy Young Award and the AL MVP Award in 2011.
Features
The following features have been confirmed:[2]
Modes
- The Perfect Game Challenge is a competition where players will compete to pitch a perfect game in MLB 2K12.
- MLB Today Season Mode
- Franchise Mode is a mode where a player can play through multiple MLB seasons with one team, all while signing free agents, making trades, drafting players and setting rosters for that team and its minor league affiliate teams. However, it is not as in depth as MLB Today Season Mode, and more than one game may be played in a day in Franchise Mode. You can edit your players abilities in all areas unlimited times, making it possible to make your entire team perfect.
You can also edit their contracts, so you can say you will pay them whatever they want just to sign them and then lower their salary as much as possible. These things can be seen as good or bad. They are good for players who will do anything to win, but you don't have to do any of it if you consider it to be "cheating." You are also free to change the difficulty level and/or sliders as much as you want to, or not at all, during a franchise.
Changes from previous installments
- MLB 2K12 makes pitcher and batter interactions more realistic than ever before, as certain pitches will decrease or increase in effectiveness against certain players, depending on their strengths and weaknesses.
- MLB 2K12 has a new throwing system and variation and realism in the hits.
- MLB 2K12 features improved gameplay from the previous installments, including improved AI, as well as improved graphics and lighting.
- MLB 2K12 features all of the real life MLB logos, uniforms, and ballparks.
Reception
Major League Baseball 2K12 received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. IGN.com gave it a 7/10, saying,"MLB 2K12 represents a year in baseball that's about minor polish rather than major innovation. Certain elements of the evolving formula from 2K10 and 2K11 find great success this year, but overall 2012 marks a standard year for a good game of baseball."[3] GameSpot gave it a lower rating of 5.5/10 commenting that "it's hard to recommend this brand of baseball."
The game was again compared unfavourably with its rival, the MLB: The Show Series.[4]
End of the Series
2K Sports gave many signals on May 22, 2012, that the game would mark the end of the MLB 2K Series. The game was left off the list of games for 2K's 2013 fiscal year, which was the same way they signaled the end of the NHL 2K Series (although it returned on mobile devices in 2014) and the College Hoops series.[5] A spokesman for Take Two commented, "Our legacy Major League Baseball agreement will sunset in fiscal 2013. MLB 2K12 is our last offering under that agreement. At this time, we have no further comment." [6]
However, on January 9, 2013, 2K Sports eventually announced that they had reached an agreement with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and Major League Baseball Advanced Media to release Major League Baseball 2K13. The game was released on March 5, 2013.[7] MLB 2K13 was the final installment of the series.
Soundtrack
The following soundtrack was confirmed on February 17, 2012.[8]
| Artist | Song |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Just for Show |
| Bass Drum of Death | Get Found |
| Explosions in the Sky | Trembling Hands |
| G-Side | Put Me in the Game |
| Grouplove | Colours |
| JEFF the Brotherhood | Shredder |
| My Morning Jacket | Holdin' On to Black Metal |
| Pretty Lights | Hot Like Dimes |
| Skrillex | Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites |
| Telekinesis | Please Ask for Help |
| The Cool Kids | Boomin' |
| The Joy Formidable | Austere |
| The Vaccines | If You Wanna |
References
- Schramm, Mike (November 6, 2011). "MLB 2K12 names Tigers' Justin Verlander as cover Athlete". Joystiq. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- Steve_OS (February 2012). "MLB 2K12 Screenshots (Hi-Res) - OS Exclusives and One Sheet". Operation Sports. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- Eykemans, Peter. "Major League Baseball 2k12 Review". IGN. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
- Djordjovich, Marko. "MLB 2K12 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
- Pastapadre (May 22, 2012). "MLB 2K Series Left Out of Take Two Lineup Listing – Could Signal Cancellation". Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- L. Patterson, Eric (May 22, 2012). "Has Take-Two Interactive Killed The MLB 2K Franchise?". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- "2K Sports Announces Major League Baseball® 2K13 and Return of the Perfect Game Challenge". 2K Sports. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- Pastapadre (February 17, 2012). "Soundtrack for MLB 2K12". Retrieved December 6, 2012.