Video: MLB The Show 2024: A Cubs-Centric Analysis

[Brandon Glick]

Brandon and Ethan discuss this year's version of the popular video game, and which Cubs are rated fairly or are being underrated by Sony San Diego Studios.

View full video

[cl smooth]

The daily 15K XP cap is frustrating. Other than that, the game is a blast!

[17 Seconds]

the cubs live series collection is so sad. then you look at the braves, dodgers, astros etc and wonder wtf Jed has been doing these past few years

[Brandon Glick]

22 hours ago, cl smooth said:

The daily 15K XP cap is frustrating. Other than that, the game is a blast!

They've definitely been encouraging some more micro-transactions on the periphery to get a better team, but beyond that, the game is as fundamentally solid as ever. Would love to see an actual update to franchise mode though once in a while...

[Brandon Glick]

22 hours ago, 17 Seconds said:

the cubs live series collection is so sad. then you look at the braves, dodgers, astros etc and wonder wtf Jed has been doing these past few years

As much as I agree on taking Jed to task, I'm not sure I'd give him the boot based on MLB the Show diamond dynasty rankings. ALTHOUGH, that would be an objectively hilarious reason for an exec to get fired.

[Rob]

I think The Show is one of those games I can only allow myself to buy every 3-5 years.

When I purchased it in 2022, I spent an ungodly amount of time trying to treat the game like the goddamn stock market. I spent as much time on my phone app buying and selling players as I did playing the game itself.

It'd have been smarter to become a doordash driver and use that income to purchase the packs I wanted. It certainly would have taken less time to get what I wanted. But I'm too stubborn about in game purchases to give them a dime for packs.

[cl smooth]

7 hours ago, Rob said:

I think The Show is one of those games I can only allow myself to buy every 3-5 years.

When I purchased it in 2022, I spent an ungodly amount of time trying to treat the game like the goddamn stock market. I spent as much time on my phone app buying and selling players as I did playing the game itself.

It'd have been smarter to become a doordash driver and use that income to purchase the packs I wanted. It certainly would have taken less time to get what I wanted. But I'm too stubborn about in game purchases to give them a dime for packs.

What’s great about the show then AND now is that you really don’t have to spend a penny to get a solid team. Just play the game, grind out missions and programs and you’re good to go. 
 

i am 6 live series cards away from 99 Ruth and outside of buying the digital deluxe version of the game, I’ve haven’t had to go the micro transaction route. 

Edited April 2, 2024 by cl smooth

[Rob]

17 minutes ago, cl smooth said:

What’s great about the show then AND now is that you really don’t have to spend a penny to get a solid team. Just play the game, grind out missions and programs and you’re good to do. 
 

i am 6 live series cards away from 99 Ruth and outside of buying the digital deluxe version of the game, I’ve haven’t had to go the micro transaction route. 

Oh yeah, I got everything. It was just a stupid grind. There's always one "fastest" way to grind out packs and stubs. In 2022, there was a repeatable three team conquest map. I played the Braves, the Guardians/Guardians (I can't remember which year they switched), and the Angels over and over and over and over and over and over again. But I got my five packs each time I finished the map.

Every time they'd release new content, I'd quickly sprint my way through it for the rewards. Then I'd get back to that three team conquest map. Over and over and over and over and over again.

And when it was time to take a break and drop a deuce, I'd sit on the toilet buying and selling players and equipment through the damn phone app until my legs went numb.

For reasons that are beyond explanation, I enjoyed that experience. But not enough to want to make it my life every year.

[Brandon Glick]

59 minutes ago, Rob said:

Oh yeah, I got everything. It was just a stupid grind. There's always one "fastest" way to grind out packs and stubs. In 2022, there was a repeatable three team conquest map. I played the Braves, the Guardians/Guardians (I can't remember which year they switched), and the Angels over and over and over and over and over and over again. But I got my five packs each time I finished the map.

 

1 hour ago, cl smooth said:

What’s great about the show then AND now is that you really don’t have to spend a penny to get a solid team. Just play the game, grind out missions and programs and you’re good to do. 
 

i am 6 live series cards away from 99 Ruth and outside of buying the digital deluxe version of the game, I’ve haven’t had to go the micro transaction route. 

Compared to the other sports games on the market, I think it's easy to say the Show is the best when it comes to actually rewarding you for playing the game (helps that it's not developed by EA).
 

Still, the grind to get good players is infuriating at times. It feels like the game doesn't really respect your time. Alas, such is the nature of "live service games".