Trade talks and free-agent signings are at a fever pitch during this MLB offseason, and the hype for MLB 15 The Show is gaining serious steam as well. On Saturday, the debut sizzle trailer for the game was released at the PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas.
The event was put together to celebrate 20 years of the PlayStation brand. That celebration wouldn’t have been complete without serious representation from Sony’s monster baseball hit series MLB The Show. Here’s the latest trailer featuring cover athlete Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers:
As you may have seen from the tail end of the trailer, the release date is set for March 31, 2015.
For hardcore virtual baseball fans, that day probably seems like an eternity away, but most still have MLB 14 The Show to tide them over until then. Last season’s debut on the PS4 went pretty smoothly. It generated a Metacritic score of 83, and I rated it an 8.8 overall.
The fact that saves will carry over from MLB 14 The Show to MLB 15 only makes longtime and new fans more committed to the series. What’s new and in store for fans this time around?
Based on information that was revealed via Amazon.com, here are the new features up to this point:
- Licensed Equipment: For the first time ever, partnerships from various brands will bring accurate bats, gloves, cleats and batting gloves to the game.
- Year-to-Year Saves: Users who purchased MLB 14 The Show will be able to continue their Franchise and Road to the Show progress in MLB 15 The Show.
- Universal Rewards: Simply playing the game earns Stubs that can be spent on licensed equipment, Road to The Show improvements and virtual baseball cards.
- Legends: We’re introducing 30 Iconic MLB Alumni into our virtual player card pool, 1 representative for each team. These players span every historic baseball era of the last 70 years.
- Major Graphical Improvements: Visually, the introduction of real-time seasonal sun and shadows, revamped night lighting and enhanced player personality help make MLB 15 The Show the most authentic baseball experience yet (PS4 Only).
The licensed equipment can be seen in the trailer and will be a selling point for gamers who are sticklers for details in presentation.
The use of legends is also compelling. Obviously, the reveal of the legends included or the unlockables in the game is going to be a major deal. Theoretically, it would be cool to have access to players like Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas, Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds.
The exact legends haven’t been revealed yet, but one can only hope for a star-studded cast of guys.
One wish I’m still holding on to is the hope that the game includes a Create a Ballpark feature. At the PlayStation Experience, I spoke to community manager Ramone Russell about this concept. He was noncommittal about it making it into this year’s game, but it is something that appears to be on the developer’s radar.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed for Create a Ballpark, and hopefully this year’s game will be everything last year’s release was and more.
Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com