Today, Sony Computer Entertainment and San Diego Studios opened the 2015 PlayStation Experience in San Francisco by announcing the next installment of the mega-popular MLB The Show series for the 2016 season.
MLB The Show 16 will hit the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on March 29, 2016. Curiously, the PS Vita will not have a version of the game this year. The Show 16 will introduce new features to the gameplay and to the Road to the Show mode. As the official PlayStation Blog reveals, the biggest new feature in next year’s game will be ShowTime!
“In MLB The Show 16, you’ll experience baseball’s most epic moments like never before with ShowTime. Using ShowTime, you can slow down critical moments for maximum control. ShowTime offers gamers a powerful new tool to help them excel in those big baseball moments.
“You’ll be able to make diving plays, react at the hot corner, and step up for a clutch at bat with finer and more focused control.”
Essentially, it seems that bang-bang plays will now go into a slow-mo mode that will give the player an epic, life-like opportunity to make the big play. How this will affect the game flow has yet to be seen, but San Diego Studios absolutely knows what it is doing, and after 15 years, they are afforded the benefit of the doubt.
Also announced for MLB The Show 16 are tweaks to the Road to the Show mode. As the Official PlayStation Blog explains:
“We’ve also made the Road to the Show experience more personalized and rewarding in 2016. A revamped training system gives you the chance to unlock Gameplay Perks as you work your way through Road To The Show (PS4 only). You can also expect a more streamlined Road To the Show experience, as a new paradigm for base-running and fielding opportunities will maximize the time you spend in situations that matter. And for the first time ever in the MLB The Show franchise, you can play an entire series of Road To The Show games without ever having to navigate the main menu between games.”
Personally, I like the idea of not having to back out of a game to initiate the next game in a series. I usually sit down and play series in chunks (three game series with the Red Sox, four game homestand with Rangers), so this is a welcome change.
In addition, San Diego Studios announced that the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman, Josh Donaldson will be the cover star in 2016. In the past, MLB The Show has featured different athletes for both the U.S. and Canadian versions, but Donaldson, the 2015 American League MVP, was special enough to transcend both versions — the first player ever to do so.
Josh Donaldson is the first athlete to grace the cover of both the U.S. and Canadian versions of The Show.
Lastly, Sony announced that MLB The Show 16 will be available in different versions, with different retail bonuses on March 29, 2016. Taken from the Blog:
Finally, we’re excited to announce that PS4 pre-orders for MLB The Show 16 are now live! Those who pre-order the game will receive 10 bonus standard-item packs and a MLB The Show Player Rep Rookie Card when you pick-up or download the game. Those who pre-order at GameStop (or EB Games in Canada) will additionally receive five bonus item packs and those who pre order on the PS Store will receive three exclusive MLB The Show-themed PS4 Avatars (in addition to their 10 item packs and Rookie Card). Here’s a handy list below for how and where to pre-order:
- PlayStation Store: PS4 Standard Edition, PS4 MVP Edition, PS4 Digital Deluxe Editio
- Amazon: PS4 Standard Edition, PS3 Standard Edition, PS4 MVP Edition
- Amazon (Canada): PS4 Standard Edition, PS4 MVP Edition
- Best Buy: PS4 Standard Edition
MLB The Show 16 MVP Edition
Last year we released a limited 10th Anniversary Edition, and the feedback was so positive that we decided to craft a new MVP Edition for our fans this year. Priced at $69.99 ($89.99 in Canada), the MVP Edition contains more than $135 in content. It’s available for pre-order at retail and on the PlayStation Store now!
- Limited Edition Steel Book and Packaging ($5.00 Value) – for physical version only
- 5,000 Stubs ($5.00 value)
- 1 Sponsor Pack ($5.00 value)
- 10 Standard Packs ($10.00 total value)
- 31 PS4 MLB Themed Avatars ($31.00 total value)
- 1 Opening Day Pack ($25.00 value)
MLB The Show 16 Digital Deluxe Edition
For our Hardcore Diamond Dynasty and Road To The Show fans, we created a digital edition exclusive to PlayStation Store! The Digital Deluxe Edition is $99.99 ($119.99 in Canada) and it includes more than $200 in content, making it a must-have for the most dedicated fans of the Show.
- 11,000 Stubs ($10.00 value)
- 1 Sponsor Pack ($5.00 value)
- 20 Standard Packs ($20.00 total value)
- 31 PS4 MLB Themed Avatars ($31.00 total value)
- 3 Opening Day Packs ($75.00 value)
Once San Diego Studios announces more information — and screenshots — we will be here to cover all bases (pun fully intended) as the 2016 baseball season kicks off in February with the opening of spring training camps in Arizona and Florida. And we cannot wait!
MLB The Show 16 will be in stores (including the Playstation Store) on March 29, 2016 for the PS4 and PS3.
