Kotaku may have kicked off a fad last year, with our post on how to make your video game baseball presentation conform to real life broadcasting angles. MLB 2K11 directly cited the work as an inspiration behind its new broadcast presentation. MLB 11 The Show was assuredly thinking the same thing when it introduced realistic camera views into its game. So how do they look, side by side?
See for yourself in this gallery of all 30 Major League ballparks from both games. MLB 2K11's screens come from the Xbox 360 version of that game. MLB 11 The Show is, of course, a PS3 exclusive.
[Update] There were some strong complaints about the MLB 2K11 images being too dark. This is a limitation of my capture software, not of the game. The gallery has been updated with lightened images.
The realistic camera angles are the default setting, but are purely optional. You may change the view in your preferences (and some prefer to pitch with the ball coming toward you, a la RBI Baseball. Snobs like me, raised on Hardball!, do it this way.) You might want to keep that in mind as some angles make the strike zone smaller and more difficult to pinpoint, and others will actually have a pitcher obscuring part of the strike zone target (becoming transparent where he does).
If you'd like to see the original gallery of camera angles I did, check this post from last year.
Designers at Visual Concepts, the studio behind MLB 2K11, said they wanted to use the camera angles for added realism, and also to give players a displacing feeling of being on the road if they were looking at unfamiliar visual information.
Given the work I did last year, you know, it doesn't really feel unfamiliar for me.
Los Angeles Angels (Angel Stadium), MLB 2K11
Los Angeles Angels (Angel Stadium), MLB 11 The Show
Houston Astros (Minute Maid Park), MLB 2K11
Houston Astros (Minute Maid Park), MLB 11 The Show
Oakland Athletics (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum), MLB 2K11
Oakland Athletics (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum), MLB 11 The Show
Toronto Blue Jays (Rogers Centre), MLB 2K11
Toronto Blue Jays (Rogers Centre), MLB 11 The Show
St. Louis Cardinals (Busch Stadium), MLB 2K11
St. Louis Cardinals (Busch Stadium), MLB 11 The Show
Atlanta Braves (Turner Field), MLB 2K11
Atlanta Braves (Turner Field), MLB 11 The Show
Milwaukee Brewers (Miller Park), MLB 2K11
Milwaukee Brewers (Miller Park), MLB 11 The Show
Chicago Cubs (Wrigley Field), MLB 2K11
Chicago Cubs (Wrigley Field), MLB 11 The Show
Arizona Diamondbacks (Chase Field), MLB 2K11
Arizona Diamondbacks (Chase Field), MLB 11 The Show
Los Angeles Dodgers (Dodger Stadium), MLB 2K11
Los Angeles Dodgers (Dodger Stadium), MLB 11 The Show
San Francisco Giants (AT&T Park), MLB 2K11
San Francisco Giants (AT&T Park), MLB 11 The Show
Cleveland Indians (Progressive Field), MLB 2K11
Cleveland Indians (Progressive Field), MLB 11 The Show
Seattle Mariners (Safeco Field), MLB 2K11
Seattle Mariners (Safeco Field), MLB 11 The Show
Florida Marlins (Sun Life Stadium), MLB 2K11
Florida Marlins (Sun Life Stadium), MLB 11 The Show
New York Mets (Citi Field), MLB 2K11
New York Mets (Citi Field), MLB 11 The Show
Washington Nationals (Nationals Park), MLB 2K11
Washington Nationals (Nationals Park), MLB 11 The Show
Baltimore Orioles (Camden Yards), MLB 2K11
Baltimore Orioles (Camden Yards), MLB 11 The Show
San Diego Padres (Petco Park), MLB 2K11
San Diego Padres (Petco Park), MLB 11 The Show
Philadelphia Phillies (Citizens Bank Park), MLB 2K11
Philadelphia Phillies (Citizens Bank Park), MLB 11 The Show
Pittsburgh Pirates (PNC Park), MLB 2K11
Pittsburgh Pirates (PNC Park), MLB 11 The Show
Texas Rangers (Rangers Ballpark), MLB 2K11
Texas Rangers (Rangers Ballpark), MLB 11 The Show
Tropicana Field, MLB 2K11
Tropicana Field, MLB 11 The Show
Cincinnati Reds (Great American Ballpark), MLB 2K11
Cincinnati Reds (Great American Ballpark), MLB 11 The Show
Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park), MLB 2K11
Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park), MLB 11 The Show
Colorado Rockies (Coors Field), MLB 2K11
Colorado Rockies (Coors Field), MLB 11 The Show
Kansas City Royals (Kauffman Stadium), MLB 2K11
Kansas City Royals (Kauffman Stadium), MLB 11 The Show
Detroit Tigers (Comerica Park), MLB 2K11
Detroit Tigers (Comerica Park), MLB 11 The Show
Minnesota Twins (Target Field), MLB 2K11
Minnesota Twins (Target Field), MLB 11 The Show
Chicago White Sox (U.S. Cellular Field), MLB 2K11
Chicago White Sox (U.S. Cellular Field), MLB 11 The Show
New York Yankees (Yankee Stadium), MLB 2K11
New York Yankees (Yankee Stadium), MLB 11 The Show