IGN's review is up for MLB too. The reviewer said he had more fun with MLB than MVP and ESPN. But the number rating was higher for MVP. He loved the create-a-player career mode.

Yeah the career mode is cool. I complained too much about the manager, and they released me :lol:

Another little thing I noticed is that the other games (MVP did last year, not sure about this year, but ESPN did the past 2 years) will show McGwire as the single season HR champ (since Bonds isn't in the MLBPA) and MLB 2006 shows nobody as the record holder, but still has the number 73 to beat. I'd rather have the actual record then a name up there.

Yeah, I'm thinking I might have to pick this one up.

I'd definitely pick it up, it's very fun and addicting. I am going to pick up MVP 2005 today at TRU for $20, so I'll divide my time between the two games. I am trading ESPN in, the bugs finally got to me.

Actually takes a good part of the beginning of the season (maybe 8 weeks) to start taking into effect. Also go to the next game 'without news' for proper stats. Mine all work fine now after


AGAIN!, go to the forums at operationsports.com and the sliders are all set up now to play this game correctly.

There may also be a fix for MLB on the freeze ups there as well. It sacrafices the presentation but many have started to be able to play without any problems.

I heard that if you get the freezing in MLB, you can reduce the chances of it happening again by not skipping through all the cut scenes super fast.

For example, your batter walking to the plate, a replay you really don't want to see, etc. Instead of skipping it right away, wait a second or two and then skip it. Or the forementioned turning off the presentation will work as well.

I skip through them fast, and still (knock on wood again) haven't had a freeeze. I have a newer PS2 (the models right before the slims) so maybe it has to do with that.

One thing that bugs me about MLB 2006 (besides the loooooong load times, that is) is the fact that you have no control in season or franchise mode on what jersey to wear. Supposedly you can choose in exhibition, but I want the ability to choose no matter what. I guess the computer just randomizes the days when you wear your regular, alternate, or throwback jerseys.

ESPN is only $15 this week at Circuit City, so I figured that I'd pick the PS2 version (price matched at Best Buy).

I don't have online capabilities or any of the hardware necessary to download updated rosters, so I'm going to have to manually change them. I don't follow baseball all that closely and am pretty ignorant of the latest trades (maybe an understatement: I was taken aback when I saw a picture of Sosa in an O's jersey the other day). Is there a good site out there that lists all of the pre-season trades and such so far? Thanks.

Know what bugs me? The fact that they call the game "2006" when the season that this game is based on ends in 2005. Why do they do this?

It's because all the other sports do a year ahead usually. Like NBA Live 2005 came out in 2004. NHL 2k5 came out in 2004. Baseball was the only one that came out the same year usually, and MLB is the game that has always been ahead.

I just suffered my first 2 freezes with MLB. Both during batter walk ups. I think I might turn those off.

But that's completely retarded! Why should they have the game be a year ahead? The football games technically shouldn't even be a year ahead. This year's Madden should be "2005", not "2006". The only football games played in 2006 will be the playoffs and the superbowl.

MLB calling their game "2006" is even more retarded, since there won't be ANY baseball games for this season played in 2006.

Blame EA for the year issue.

They were the first to put the following year in the title of a baseball game. Perhaps, like with a magazine on the newsstand, they thought to use the date of the 'expiration'. Or perhaps, it was just marketing, in the hopes that it would seem so futuristic and high-tech.

But whatever the reason, all their competitors followed suit. There's no way you can put out 'Our Baseball 1998' at the same time EA releases Triple Play 99. People would think EA's the only current offering.

Eventually, somebody in power at EA decided that having the future year in the title made no sense. Unlike NHL, NBA, and the NFL, the season obvious doesn't cross over into the next year.

So, EA was the first to get back 'on schedule'. They had to issue one release without a year. That turned out to be MVP Baseball. Then Sega followed suit with "World Series Baseball" on Xbox.

Neither of the others (Acclaim with ASB, Sony with MLB) went along with this new "plan". Given their underdog status, perhaps each thought it was worth keeping as an attempted advantage in consumers' perception.

So I had another freeze on MLB. It's getting to the point where I save after every two games. The thing is, I haven't played a full game yet. I have basically batted the entire time. The longer you play in a game, the better your chances of having a freeze. All 3 freezes have been when the batter walks up to the plate. I tried turning it off (it even says it's off in the options) but they keep walking to the plate.

You can turn off presentation all together, but what fun is that? This freeze thing is really making me want to get rid of this game.

I still have yet to play a full game of MLB 2006. I was having the game of my life the other day, and it froze in the 9th inning.

There are so many awesome things about this game, yet they're cancelled out by the freezing issue.

Is this with the cut scenes turned off? I picked this up last week but haven't opened it yet. I was wondering if I should bother with all of these problems. And I have a launch PS2 as well. All signs point to SCREWED.

I keep them on many. The cut scenes are one of the main selling points for me, though. I just only play offense, and mostly my created players at bats.

Someone said turning the diagnostic tool on works, but I still got freezes. The longer you play a game, the better your chances of a freeze.

Hmm. Well. I'm still really looking forward to developing my created players so I might as well go ahead and crack the seal and press my luck.

No whammies. No whammies. No whammies.

I'm not going to buy any other baseball game this year unless Pennant Chase for the 'Cube blows me away. And in another couple of months I'll be starting my Masters program. So there's never a better time than now. It's about time I stopped trying to win the NCAA Tournament with Hawaii in NCAA 2k5 anyway.

It is very stupid, but I guess the marketing plan was that, for whatever reason, people would think Baseball 1998 was the game to get to get the correct 1997 season. In a nutshell, it's catering to dim bulbs who apparently are fans of baseball yet are completely oblivious to when baseball is actually played during the year.

The haves went back to accurate years in their titles, the have-nots are still a year ahead.

I just picked up MVP 2005 for Xbox (finally) and wow, I am liking it. You guys were right, it completely owns 2k5 in every area except presentation.

I wish 989 and EA would join up and make a great game. Some of the things MLB 2006 has done would be great in MVP 2005. Too bad they won't be making a game for awhile.

I am going to get rid of MLB 2006. I love everything about the game, I am just tired of the freezing. Nothing worse then having an awesome all around game only to have it freeze on you.

It seems like MVP does the little things right. In MLB, I'd have a player injured, and he'd be back the next day. Every time. Guaranteed. In MVP, the batter hit a comebacker that nailed my pitcher, and it BROKE HIS NOSE! Out for 3 games. That is realism.

Oh and the amount of jerseys is staggering. Plus the mini games rule. I'll be playing this game for a long time :D

I'm picking up MVP for the PSP, but I'm very tempted to get Pennant Chase when it comes out. Well, depending on the cost. If Nintendo charges $50 forget it.

It'll probably be $50. It better not be good, then I might have to buy that too :(

Yep, MVP is darn good. The gameplay is much better than ESPN. Yep, I had my pitcher fracture is forearm with a hit right at him....Bonderman's out 45 days :( Time to bring up Justin Verlander :)

I suck at both of the pitching mini-games :(

I just bothered to look up cheats for the XBox MVP 2005 and I had a great time this morning playing with classic ballparks, legend team etc. First time I've picked up the game in awhile.