MLB The Show 20

Last updated
MLB The Show 20
MLB The Show 20 cover.jpg
Developer(s) San Diego Studio
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Series MLB: The Show
Platform(s) PlayStation 4
ReleaseMarch 17, 2020
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

MLB The Show 20 is a baseball video game developed by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball (MLB). The fifteenth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, it was officially released on March 17, but customers that digitally pre-ordered the game were given an early release on March 13. [1] Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Báez is featured as the cover star. [2] MLB The Show 20 is the final game in the series to be a PlayStation-exclusive, as its successor, MLB The Show 21 also released on Xbox. [3]

Contents

Upon release, MLB The Show 20 was generally well-received by critics, who praised the new fielding and hitting mechanics, and new features in the Diamond Dynasty mode, while criticism was given to technical issues at launch.

Gameplay

For the first time ever, Minor League Baseball players are fully licensed and have their names and likenesses featured in the game. In previous versions of the game, Minor League players were not licensed and were replaced with generic players. [4] As well, the team and logo editor that were previously exclusive to Diamond Dynasty were brought over to the game's Franchise mode. Matt Vasgersian, Mark DeRosa & Dan Plesac return as play-by-play commentators; Heidi Watney returns as sideline reporter and Alex Miniak returns as public address commentator.

Development

New features in the game included online modes such as "Showdown" and "Custom Leagues". "Showdown" is a mode that begins with a player selected in a draft, and it will use in the "Moments" mode. The "Custom Leagues" mode is another online-only mode that using the choice of 40-man live MLB roster or create a custom team from the MLB The Show's "Diamond Dynasty" mode.

Returning modes included "Franchise Mode" (in which the player can take control of any MLB team over the course of several seasons, but with the new customized team and logo creator and franchise relocation option, in which the player will create a team, the team's logo or relocate the team to designated location), "Road to the Show" (in which the user creates a new player and plays out his career through Double-A, Triple-A and the majors), "March To October" (in which the player will select the team for a full MLB season through the regular season, the All-Star Game, the playoffs, and the World Series), and "Moments" (which the user relive and recreate famous moments in MLB history).

In addition, the game featured real-life, fully licensed Minor League Baseball players for the first time in the series, unlike in previous games where the real players were not licensed and were replaced with generic players, in conjunction with Scott Spindler and his Ridin Rosters group.

The game features the new Nike uniforms for the first time, previous games formerly used Majestic Athletic as their uniform supplier.

The game also included real-life and authentic stadium advertisements for the first time, previous games in the series did not include authentic stadium advertisements and replaced it with fake brands. Advertisements for Chevrolet, Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, Citgo, Delta Air Lines, John Hancock Insurance, PNC Bank, and Wintrust Financial could now be seen in these selected stadiums within the game. [5]

Reception

MLB The Show 20 received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to Metacritic.

In its 8.7/10 review, IGN wrote: "MLB The Show 20 isn't the biggest upgrade the series has ever seen, but it's a solid one with a few good highlights and no real downsides." [9] Game Informer gave the game 8.75/10, praising its new hitting and fielding mechanics and new features in Diamond Dynasty, "Another good outing for the series, complete with additions across the board and gameplay that emphasizes skill." [7] GameSpot gave the game 8/10, praising the fielding and hitting mechanics, but criticizing the new custom teams and Online Leagues additions. [8]

During the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated MLB The Show 20 for "Sports Game of the Year". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Brewers</span> Major League Baseball franchise in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. The team's name is derived from the city's association with the brewing industry and has been used by several other baseball teams that have called Milwaukee home. Since 2001, the Brewers have played their home games at American Family Field, which was named Miller Park through the 2020 season and has a seating capacity of 41,900 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Loons</span> American Minor League baseball team

The Great Lakes Loons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Midland, Michigan, and play their home games at Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007.

<i>MVP Baseball</i> (video game series) Video game series

MVP Baseball was a baseball game series published by EA Sports, running from 2003 to 2007 with five games produced. In 2003, MVP became the official successor to EA's long-running Triple Play Baseball series, and it simulated Major League Baseball from 2003 to 2005. However, an exclusive licensing deal between Major League Baseball and Take-Two Interactive in 2005 prohibited EA Sports from making another MLB game until 2012. In response, EA made NCAA college baseball games in 2006 and 2007, but discontinued the series in 2008 because of poor sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Angels</span> Major League Baseball franchise in Anaheim, California

The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team has played its home games at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.

<i>MVP Baseball 2005</i> 2005 video game

MVP Baseball 2005 is a baseball video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It features the Boston Red Sox left fielder, Manny Ramirez, on the cover. The game features the full Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and Major League Baseball Players Association licenses. As with previous versions of the game, the announcers are Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, the real-life announcers for the San Francisco Giants.

<i>MLB 06: The Show</i> 2006 baseball video game

MLB 06: The Show is a baseball video game for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The game was produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, primarily by SCE's San Diego Studio, which was formerly known as 989 Sports. It is the first game in the MLB: The Show franchise.

Out of the Park Baseball is a text-based baseball simulation for career, historical, and fictional play.

<i>MLB 08: The Show</i> 2008 video game

MLB 08: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by San Diego Studio published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It is the longest-running officially licensed Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation systems. MLB 08: The Show is the third edition of the MLB: The Show series of video games. The game was announced for all three PlayStation consoles on December 11, 2007, and released on March 4, 2008 in North America. Ryan Howard, all-star first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, is featured as the game's cover athlete.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K9</i> 2009 video game

Major League Baseball 2K9, or MLB 2K9 for short, is an MLB-licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. The game was developed for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and Wii. The game was released on March 3, 2009, to mixed-to-positive reviews.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K11</i> 2011 video game

Major League Baseball 2K11 or, in short, MLB 2K11, is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. MLB 2K11 is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Wii.

<i>MLB 11: The Show</i> 2011 video game

MLB 11: The Show is a Major League Baseball video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by San Diego Studio. The game was released on March 8, 2011, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The game includes all 30 MLB teams, rosters, and stadiums from the 2011 season. This is the final installment in the series available for the PlayStation 2 and the PSP, and the first game in the series to be compatible with PlayStation Move for use with the PlayStation 3. It is also the final PlayStation 2 game to be published by Sony Computer Entertainment in North America.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K12</i> 2012 video game

Major League Baseball 2K12 or, in short, MLB 2K12, is a Major League Baseball licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K that was released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows on March 6, 2012. This was the last MLB game to be released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo DS and Microsoft Windows. The commentary is delivered by the trio of Steve Phillips, Gary Thorne, and John Kruk.

<i>MLB: The Show</i> Baseball video game series

MLB: The Show is a Major League Baseball video game series created and produced by San Diego Studio, a development team that is part of PlayStation Studios. The series has received critical and commercial acclaim, and since 2014 has been the sole MLB baseball simulation video game on the market for consoles.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K5</i> 2005 baseball video game

Major League Baseball 2K5 is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. MLB 2K5 is available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The previous game in the series made by Sega Sports was ESPN Major League Baseball back in 2004. Unlike the other "2K5" branded sports games, this was published by 2K, making it the first Visual Concepts-developed sports game not to be published by Sega, though Sega's logos are still seen in the background of menus and ballparks. The game included Web Gems instant replays, K-Zone pitching, Slam Zone hitting, and baserunner mode. The game was released in late February 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. The cover baseball player was New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Later that year, an upgraded version titled Major League Baseball 2K5: World Series Edition was released during the 2005 MLB postseason.

<i>MLB 15: The Show</i> 2015 video game

MLB 15: The Show is a Major League Baseball video game developed by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the tenth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, and was released on March 31, 2015, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

<i>MLB The Show 16</i> 2016 video game

MLB The Show 16 is a Major League Baseball video game developed by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the eleventh entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, and was released on March 29, 2016, for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It is the first MLB: The Show entry to not have a portable version, and is the final version available for the PlayStation 3. Then Toronto Blue Jays third baseman and 2015 American League MVP winner Josh Donaldson is featured on the main cover for the game. He also appears on the separate Canadian cover edition, making him the first player to be on both the American and Canadian versions of the game. Jung-ho Kang of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Wei-Yin Chen of the Miami Marlins appear on the Korean and Taiwanese covers, respectively.

<i>MLB The Show 17</i> 2017 video game

MLB The Show 17 is a baseball video game developed by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball (MLB). It is the twelfth edition of the MLB: The Show franchise, and was released on March 28, 2017, for PlayStation 4. The American cover features Ken Griffey Jr., while Aaron Sanchez is the cover athlete for the Canadian version, and Wei-Yin Chen is on the Taiwanese cover.

<i>MLB The Show 18</i> 2018 sports video game

MLB The Show 18 is a baseball video game by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball (MLB). It is the thirteenth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, and was released worldwide on March 27, 2018, for PlayStation 4. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is featured as the cover star for the U.S. version, while Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman is on the cover of the Canadian version. A limited number of people were invited to a closed alpha, which began on December 22, 2017, until December 26, 2017, to test the online servers. Those who pre-ordered the game received access to the game four days early, able to pick up their copy of the game on March 23, 2018.

<i>MLB The Show 19</i> 2019 baseball video game

MLB The Show 19 is a baseball video game by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball (MLB). It is the fourteenth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, and was released on March 26, 2019, for PlayStation 4. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper is featured as the cover star.

<i>MLB The Show 23</i> 2023 sports videogame

MLB The Show 23 is a baseball video game by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball (MLB). It is available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It is the eighteenth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise and was released on March 28, 2023. Miami Marlins player Jazz Chisholm Jr. is featured as the cover star, while The Captain Edition of the game features retired New York Yankees player Derek Jeter.

References

  1. ↑ "MLB The Show 20 Release Date, Top Features, New Modes and Cover". Bleacher Report. 2020-03-08. Archived from the original on 2020-03-09. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  2. ↑ "Introducing Our MLB The Show '20 Cover Athlete: Javier "El Mago" Báez". PlayStation.Blog. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2019-11-03.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Home -". MLB The Show. Archived from the original on 2021-03-29. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  4. ↑ Armstrong, Megan. "MLB The Show 20 to Feature Full Minor League Rosters for 1st Time". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  5. ↑ Becotte, Chase (13 March 2020). "MLB The Show 20: Tracking All the New Authentic Stadium Advertisements". Operation Sports. Archived from the original on 2020-06-14. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  6. ↑ "MLB The Show 20 critic reviews for PlayStation 4". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Kato, Matthew (March 19, 2020). "MLB The Show 20: Solid Contact". Game Informer . Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Wakeling, Richard (March 27, 2020). "MLB The Show 20 Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  9. 1 2 Moss, Gabriel (March 13, 2020). "MLB The Show 20 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ "2021 Awards Category Details Sports Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.