Bitmob's Aaron Thomas and his friend, Shanker Srinivasan, journeyed to 2K Marin's studio in Novato, Calif. to play the part of Cubs and Athletics fans, respectively. Going into it with the same kind of "I can do that!" attitude we all have about voice acting, they quickly found how hard it was to be convincing when you're reading 300 lines of dialogue and cheering on phantom players - some of whom are long past dead.

Says Thomas:

After Shanker lit a fire under the Oakland A's, I went back into the studio to cheer for some all-time greats. It was a little weird to scream words of encouragement to Ty Cobb, Dizzy Dean, and Honus Wagner, but I quickly got back into character. I was perhaps a bit too excited when I saw Andre Dawson's name appear on screen. "The Hawk" is my favorite player of all time, but because I never was able to see him play in person, this was as close as I'd ever get to cheering him on. I think I did him justice.

When recording jeering and heckling, the two were reminded that as an E-rated game, wirty-dords were off limits. So was anything impugning the integrity or competence of an umpire. But that didn't kill their creativity.

"I mocked a pitcher's base running skills; Shanker screamed for a player to drop a pop-up. I told the opposing team that payback was coming after they hit one of our players; Shanker informed the opposing pitcher that he had seen Girl Scouts with better arms."

Unfortunately, after signing his contract to appear in the game, "2K Sports basically owns me now," writes Thomas, "but I do get my name in the credits, so that's pretty cool."

Check the whole thing out, it's a very cool read.

My Day as a Voice Actor For MLB 2K10 [Bitmob]

Mauer, the Twins' catcher, follows the 2008 A.L. MVP Dustin Pedroia, who appeared on the cover of MLB 09 The Show. His appearance coincides with a new "catcher mode" in which players may call pitches and defenses, the same as Mauer and other backstops do in real games. SCEA's blog also said players may expect 11 new stadiums, daytime transitional lighting, improved pick-off capabilities to cut down on excessive stealing, better online performance to compensate for lag, plus online season leagues.

According to ESPN.com, which posted a first look at the game yesterday, MLB 10 The Show will even feature manager-meltdown animations, one recreating minor league skipper Phillip Wellman's infamous blowup from 2007 - complete with the military crawl and hurling the rosin bag grenade-style.

2009 American League MVP Joe Mauer Named Cover Athlete for MLB 10 The Show [SCEA Blog]

Kotaku broke the news that Tampa Bay's Longoria was 2K Sports' selection, a week before the official announcement. 2K Sports submitted six designs - three poses over two different backgrounds - for fans' approval. The fielding pose showed more of Longoria's face than two of him hitting, which is probably why it was selected.

Additionally, 2K Sports released the following promotional video, in which Oakland's Andrew Bailey (the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year), Detroit's Justin Verlander and Seattle's Félix Hernández discuss how they'd pitch to the cover boy. MLB 2K10, which releases March 2, will be focusing more on pitcher versus batter matchups, but hasn't said yet whether that will be realized in background calculations or with some new gameplay feature.

Ten days ago Kotaku obtained and published a confidential marketing survey showing that Longoria, the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year, was 2K's choice. Today's announcement confirms the decision but also shows the covers leaked out were mock-ups and not at all the final design.

"Being on the cover, right now, it's a process, and we're working on the game and trying to get things going, we're focused on bringing out the best in it." Longoria told Kotaku today. "I won't get to step back and really appreciate this until down the line, when maybe a 10-year-old kid brings a 2K Sports box to the field and asks me to sign it. Then it'll hit me."

Longoria's selection is somewhat of a departure for the series; from 2002 to 2008, its cover athletes were all New York players, including the Yankees' then-first baseman Jason Giambi, and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter three consecutive times each. Last year's cover athlete was Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants, still a large-market franchise in close proximity to 2K's Marin studio.

In Longoria, MLB 2K10 is selecting an up-and-comer from one of baseball's smaller market clubs - albeit one that stunned bigger spenders in 2008 to win its division and the American League pennant. Longoria has been selected to the AL All-Star team in both of his first two years in the league, and two weeks ago picked up his first Gold Glove award.

His role is not purely promotional; Longoria, an avowed sports gamer going back to Ken Griffey Jr. Major League Baseball on the Super Nintendo, will consult on the game's development and work on components such as its situational authenticity.

"When we met with Evan at the (2009) All-Star Game, we hadn't gotten to the short list about who we wanted on the cover," said Chris Snyder, the 2K Sports director of marketing. "When we met with him, he said he loved the (MLB 2K9) commercial with Tim Lincecum, but he said, 'You know, in it, I hit this home run and Torii Hunter robs me. Can we maybe cut back on that a little?' He was joking, but we caught notice of the fact that he paid close attention to detail, that he saw it was him in the footage int was Torii who robbed him."

Below is a gallery of all the cover options. Don't vote on them here in our comments; head over to the 2K Sports official site if you want to be heard. The game is scheduled for a March 2010 release.

"The quote is classic Greinke - honest, surprising, funny - and probably as good a way as any for him to mark a day on a national stage," writes The Kansas City Star. It'll also boost his nerd appeal - already stratospheric, since he toils for a small-market franchise where statistical analysis is the only thing keeping a fan interested as the team approaches its inevitable mathematical elimination.

Unfortunately, the Star goes no further in sourcing out Greinke's online life. What class? What level? Has he done nothing but grind since season's end? Actually, considering who is his girlfriend, I hope the answer to that is yes.

Greinke Proves He's the Best in the Game [Kansas City Star, thanks mrlogical]

Image via Beyond the Box Score

In that image you can see the four different designs survey takers were asked to consider. All have the 2K Sports 10th Anniversary branding which has graced the boxes of NHL 2K10 and NBA 2K10. This tipster sent us other screenshots - including one of the NDA (which of course the tipster broke by sending this) so I'm inclined to believe this is real.

Update: Another reader points out that the top two boxcover examples appear to be taken from Longoria's appearance on the cover of the May 18 edition of ESPN the Magazine. Based on additional screenshots and other information we have, I still believe this is a real survey, even if the top two examples are not original box art. As I wrote earlier, it's not confirmation of the official cover athlete or the box's final design. But asking survey takers how the box cover makes them feel about purchasing the game is a strong indication 2K Sports has settled on its man.

Second Update: The company responsible for administering this survey for 2K Sports complained to Kotaku and Gawker Media about this leak, and asked that the post be taken down. While we respectfully decline, we view such communication as confirmation that the survey and its subject are real.

Longoria is a two-time all star in as many seasons in the league and was the 2008 rookie of the year on a Devil (whoopsie!) Rays team that won the American League pennant. He just picked up his first Gold Glove.

It looks like this video (NSFW language), posted by Infinity Ward, just went up. I'm not sure if Hamels is one of the celeb voices in the game or if they're just being timely with his appearance in the World Series (pitching Game Three tomorrow, no less). That is his voice however. And he tosses in a "what the fuck" for good measure, I guess because Chase Utley wasn't available.

Fighting Against Grenade Spam PSA [YouTube]

Pasta Padre, on the ball as ever, speculates "no." Even though we're about four months away from the game's typical release date, "from a public relations standpoint 2K cannot feature Phillips in the game," he says, and I agree. Phillips is a recidivist philanderer, and the latest ESPN scandal is top-of-mind for baseball fans. If his only television appearance in 2010 is on a gaming console, it makes his dismissal more conspicuous by half, and it's 2K's problem to manage, not ESPN's.

Problem is, what can 2K do about it? It's one thing to not give Phillips any extra work. But his dialogue library is already in the game. To remove him entirely at this stage? Wow. Especially - as Padre correctly notes - Phillips' contribution was one of the few positives in last year's poorly received title.

Right now it is 11:30 U.S. Mountain time, so I don't expect this to be answered, but I have emailed 2K Sports to see if they want to swing at this. If they answer, it'll likely be updated in a new post tomorrow.

It's almost impossible to imagine that hanky panky in Bristol, Conn.. could actually send a game in Novato, Calif., down the toilet. But this is not a welcome development for them, either.

Steve Phillips News Affects MLB 2K10 [Pasta Padre]

The Mariners right fielder said, "Oh, I've been indebted to Dragon Quest — especially when I got injured. That was true as well when I played in Japan. The last time I got hurt in Japan, that's all I did, play Dragon Quest."

Wonder if Ichiro suddenly gets injured when new Dragon Quest games come out. Probably not, but still!

Ichiro Interview [YouTube] [Pic]

San Diego Padres pitcher Heath Bell bought Wii Fit for his 11-year-old daughter, originally, but hijacked the game for himself as part of his off-season training routine. Bell tells the Journal that the game makes him a better ballplayer with its balance-focused exercises.

I'm just happy to have an alternative to senior citizens and the Wii Fit girl as motivation to play the game. Also, Bell's story inspires me to keep an eye out for a "pro training" mode in Wii Fit Plus.

Go watch Bell shake his butt (sorta):

A Pitcher's New Core Routine: A Videogame and a 'Hula Hoop' [Wall Street Journal]

Hell, yes it is. I've seen unranked and untelevised N.C. State and North Carolina squads get into a helmet-swinging brawl in 1993. Clemson and South Carolina's fourth quarter throwdown 11 years later - including cops on the field - left both schools sitting at home instead of going to bowl games. And we'll all be dead a long time before there is ever again anything like the unforgettably amazing Miami-Florida International gong show of 2006, which showcased state troopers, 13 ejections, a kickoff from the 10-yard line, and running back A'Mod Ned on crutches, striding forth into the maw of disaster.

Really, though, the answer here is so obvious as to be not worth asking: There's no way in hell the NCAA would license a product that featured fighting, no matter how awesome. And you can forget about it in Madden, too. Football is the most institutionally conservative and image-conscious of the major team sports, and clearly prefers to keep its violence well regulated and between the lines. Anything else is left for games like Blitz: The League.

Two licensed sports games, however, do acknowledge illegal or semi-legal aggression in some way: baseball has its beanings, and hockey, well, need anyone say more. In fact, the physicality is going into new realms in this year's NHL 10, says producer David Littman, himself a former professional hockey goalie who had brief appearances in the NHL.

But the violence isn't a gratuitous minigame, Littman said. It's intended to function as hockey fighting does in the real world: A means of policing opposing players' conduct, responding to intimidating tactics and relentless checking, or to fire up the home crowd and inspire solidarity on your team.

"For me, fighting has a place in hockey because it does have a calming influence," Littman says, making a case that many have - without fighting in hockey, massive guys with sticks would seek dirtier, and more injurious, means to dissipate aggression. "We have that authenticity in this game. If you're being checked all over the ice by the other team, and being run out of your own building, you can bring out your fourth line, start a fight, win it, get the crowd back into the game, and it takes away the effects of that intimidation."

Is the NHL cool with this? Absolutely, Littman says. "We work very closely with them [and the NHL players' union] throughout the development process, on what goes in the game," he said. "It's their names on the box with us, too. And we go through yearlong approval processes with them. They're very happy because of our sales and quality, but at the same time they have to protect their names. We worked with them all year, particularly on fighting this year, and no doubt, fighting is a hot topic. There's always controversy, but that was something we worked with them all year on."

In fact, the eminent Edmonton enforcer Zack Stortini was brought in to consult with NHL 10's developers on how to build a first-person fighting engine. His guidance is what tied the fighting to in-game performance boosts, Littman said.

"When you fight in our game, the lines get their energy back, you hear the commentators talking about that, you see the crowd on its feet, banging on the glass," Littman said. "That comes from Zack. He said that there's nothing like being at home, and you've showed the other team that your team's not gonna take it on your home ice."

NHL 10's openness about aggression is authentic to something else: The league's posture on fighting. It's always a prickly subject, because the lessons of hockey's fisticuffs are much more subtle than the beating one sees on a screen. It's also not tolerated in any league other than the North American professionals; in all other ranks, fighting players are ejected, not sent to the penalty box for five minutes.

But the league has repeatedly refused to crack down on fighting with the intent of its elimination, tacitly acknowledging its fundamental relevance to the game. Officially, the league considers the issue from the standpoint of player safety. And if that's its only concern, the fighting in NHL 10 is no problem, because no one is ever injured at the end of a brawl.

"It's a safe way to fight," Littman said. "You can punch people and get punched and you're still sitting on your couch, no bruises. I played professional hockey and was in a lot of fights. To be honest, fighting isn't really where you see the injuries happen."

If bench-clearing brawls are authentic to baseball, MLB has clearly said no thank you to the idea. Then again, it's a league that fines and suspends nearly all of its combatants. Drill a guy in the back in MLB 09 The Show and he'll glare at the pitcher, mouth some unpleasantries and argue with the catcher. You can put a fastball right in his earflap and the reaction is similarly sanitized - he trots down to first no problems. Do this repeatedly and someone might charge the mound. But the animation ends just as the batter breaks out of the catcher's restraint and, it is implied, goes for the pitcher.

This is similar to how beanings have been handled in other licensed MLB games, meaning that league has probably drawn a clear line to developers. (On Tuesday I emailed the game's publicity representatives to talk about beanings and fighting; unfortunately, no one could be made available for comment by the time this was published.)

Interestingly, the NHL games carry a slightly higher age-rating than their colleagues. NHL 10 and NHL 2K10 are both rated E10+, whereas Madden, MLB 09 The Show and others are all E. And there's only one reason: the fighting.

"We have to weigh the pros and cons of that," Littlman said. "Really, I don't think too many 8-year-olds are buying $60 video games. Their parents can for them, sure. Have we ever thought about taking fighting out? The answer is no, because we are striving to be authentic to hockey." Also, fans would desert the game.

And anyway, Littman points out, a concerned parent worried about video game athletes setting a bad example for their youth hockey players can just deactivate the fighting in the game's options.

Stick Jockey is Kotaku's column on sports video games. It appears Saturdays at 10 a.m. U.S. Mountain time.

The New York Times reports that Sabathia spent part of an almost three-hour rain delay at Yankee Stadium yesterday playing RBI Baseball. That would be the classic NES Game, though there was no word as to which platform he played it on.

Sabathia pitched as 1980s Minnesota Twins curveball specialist Bert Blyleven.

While it's not rare to hear about an athlete playing a video game, it's not as common to hear that the rich and famous are enjoying the classics. Another sign that a generation that grew up with games is sticking with them.

It's also a sign that baseball players like playing baseball games while waiting out a delay to play more real baseball. Keeps them in the right mindset?

Yankees Beat Athletics for Seventh Straight Win [NY Times] [PIC]

Of course the sport of baseball is one of the most stick-shaking intensive pastime in the world, so the mini-games still feature liberal amounts of batting, along with what looks like climbing and a bit of rope sliding. It certainly looks interesting, though I am not sure if it's interesting enough to keep me occupied. As my recent impulse purchase of MLB 09 for the PlayStation 3 proved, it takes a lot to keep me interested in a sports title, no matter how good it is. What I need is a game that combines baseball with first-person shooter and role-playing game elements. A turn-based battle against a dragon on the way to third base would keep me glued to the screen for hours.

The Nintendo Fan Network kicked off in 2007, giving DS-holding visitors to Seattle's Safeco field access to game stats, video, and remote food ordering during the home games of the Nintendo-owned Mariners. Now Nintendo has teamed up with ESPN to deliver even more convenience to Mariners' fans, with the addition of sports news, ESPN columns, closed-captioning for PA announcements, and a special ESPN Zoom photo matching game.

"ESPN has a long heritage of embracing emerging media platforms to deliver unique experiences to fans," said John Zehr, senior vice president, digital media production and product development. "Our collaboration with the Nintendo Fan Network is a direct extension of the ESPN mission to enliven the sports experience, no matter how or where fans are consuming sports."

In celebration of the Nintendo DSi, the first 150 fans attending each Mariners home game will receive a free DSi rental in order to partake of the special features.

I really wish they would roll out this sort of feature at more ball parks, but I suppose Nintendo would have to buy more teams before that could happen. Oh well.

Having broken Willie Mays' record for the youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a single season, I can't think of anyone more appropriate to represent 2K Games' arcade-style baseball sequel than Prince Fielder. And by that, I mean I can't actually think of anyone else. As far as Major League Baseball is concerned, I'm still a couple of seasons behind. They need to release those DVD box sets faster. Fielder certainly seems happy though.

"I've been playing baseball video games for as long as I can remember. All of my idols have appeared on a video game cover, and now to have that same opportunity is truly an unbelievable feeling," said Fielder. "I can't wait to see myself in The BIGS 2. I'll be the guy crushing mammoth home runs into the stands."

Until 2K Sports announces Sitting On Your Ass Yelling At Cats 2K10, I will remain sadly unaware of just how much of a thrill it is to appear on a video game cover. Here's a video.

Yes, the speedy Scout is finally getting his due next week, and Valve has launched the official website for the class update, with daily updates leading up to the big day. Today's update features a new weapon for the Scout in the form of a baseball bat called The Sandman, which allows the Scout to smack foes from a distance with a baseball, dazing them for a period of time that increases the farther the ball travels, giving the player time to run up and give their opponent a few whacks about the head.

Brilliant! Being incredibly fond of those speedy little guys, I'm officially clearing my calendar for next Tuesday, at least for the half-hour it takes me to realize that I suck no matter what weapon I am holding.

"We are excited to partner with GamesCampus in offering fans this interactive baseball gaming experience," said Alex Pigeon, VP of international at MLBAM. "The ability to utilize current or historical teams and ballparks along with simulated on-the-field management will be an engaging way for players to interact with the game."

The press release speaks of a casual online baseball experience with 3D, cartoon-rendered graphic style that allows you to create your own team and play against the computer or other players from around the country. Exciting news for baseball fans and people who just like hitting things with bats alike. I wonder how much they'll charge for hot dogs?

GAMESCAMPUS.COM AND MLB ADVANCED MEDIA SIGN LICENSING AGREEMENT FOR A FREE ONLINE BASEBALL GAME

MLB Dugout Heroes will include MLB Licensing with All Major League Clubs and Ballparks

San Jose, Calif. (November 18, 2008) - San Jose-based online game publisher, GamesCampus (www.gamescampus.com, run by OnNet USA), announced today that it has signed an online interactive licensing agreement with MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, granting it the right to incorporate official Major League Baseball league and club marks and logos, MLB ballpark images and more in its upcoming micro-transaction based online baseball game, MLB Dugout Heroes. It will be a free PC-based baseball game, expected to be available in North America for the 2009 baseball season. Interested parties can visit http://MLBDugoutHeroes.gamescampus.com for more information and to register to receive updates as they become available.

"It is an honor to be working with MLBAM to bring baseball fans a fully licensed online baseball experience," said David Chang, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, GamesCampus.
"Baseball fans are so passionate about the teams they enjoy following, and now they will have the opportunity to play as their favorite team in a high-quality online game experience.

The multi-year agreement gives GamesCampus the rights to all current and historical Major League teams, ballparks, All-Star teams and jewel events such as the home run derby. GamesCampus will also have rights to the official 2009 Major League Baseball regular season game schedule, enabling fans to simulate real seasons through actual game and series matchups.

Fans can expect a casual online baseball experience with a three-dimensional, cartoon-rendered graphic style and easy to pick up and play mouse-only controls. The game will offer four different modes of play for fans to choose from: tutorial, practice, single player and multi-player. Fans will be able to experience the fun of strategically managing a Major League Baseball club by forming a team, fostering its players and making all of the base-running, batting and pitching decisions - providing true interaction with on-the-field baseball play. With realistic character motions and unique verbal exchanges occurring between pitchers, batters, and color commentary, MLB Dugout Heroes will offer a truly unique and engrossing baseball game play experience - free of charge.

"We are excited to partner with GamesCampus in offering fans this interactive baseball gaming experience," said Alex Pigeon, VP of international at MLBAM. "The ability to utilize current or historical teams and ballparks along with simulated on-the-field management will be an engaging way for players to interact with the game."

For more information about GamesCampus or the upcoming baseball game, please visit www.gamescampus.com.

###

Rather than the boring old 'actual baseball' stance taken by so many baseball games, MLB Superstars is a series of mini games featuring Wii-ified versions of Major League players and teams.

The 'over half a dozen' (which I assume means 'seven') minigames include Baseball Pachinko, Baseball Golf and rhythm game Mascot Dance — featuring team mascots, er, dancing.

MLB Superstars will be out later this Fall from 2K games.

MLB Superstars Announced For Nintendo Wii [Yahoo! Games]

Whatever it is, ESPN has just won the rights to take its baseball 'content' and pump it out through new distribution channels. As well as the ESPN website and the obligatory voguish handhelds via the iTunes store, the sports network will also be bringing baseball footage to Xbox Live.

ESPN will be simulcasting Sunday/Monday/Wednesday Night Baseballl and special events as well as selected show footage and game highlights. The network is also committed to developing interactive services based around its baseball content.

ESPN gets digital rights to put baseball on more devices [USA Today]

EA Sports exits diamond, dropping NCAA Baseball game [Sports Business Journal, via MCV]