
MLB The Show 18 Held a Closed Alpha to Avoid Online Server Issues at Launch
"Really for us it was breaking down all those pain points we saw last year at launch."
MLB The Show 18 revealed its first gameplay trailer yesterday, but San Diego Studio teased that there were behind-the-scenes changes to make this year's title even better. Now, in conversation with GameInformer, the dev team revealed that part of those under-the-hood changes include a closed alpha which helped the team fix and hopefully avoid the online problems that's plagued previous MLB The Show games at launch.
"Really for us it was breaking down all those pain points we saw last year at launch," said senior producer Jason Villa. "There were certain numbers, there were certain gameplay situations that we knew were slower than desired. Something that comes to mind is game processing." By that Villa is referring to how the servers registered stats upon the completion of a game, something that caused problems with MLB The Show 17.
While the closed alpha tightened up the development schedule, this was something the team felt was necessary so as to not repeat one of big launch problems that followed previous games.
In addition to the alpha, the team plans on stress testing the game by 10,000 concurrent numbers over last year before launch. "One of the things in the pursuit of making the launch more successful is making the problems we may encounter at launch more visible, more solveable, more understandable," explained Villa. "There's less moving parts with our approach this year. Problems should be solved and understood a lot quicker than in the last few years."
Among other changes the dev team is making with the closed alpha is to help gather feedback on player's hitting, which hopefully with the data gathered will mean that it will not only feel more accurate but earned as well. "If I have end up having more hits than you or doubles or triples or home runs, it's explicitly because I am a more skilled player," said senior designer Lance Lahey.
Hopefully all the data from the alpha helps make MLB The Show 18 as smooth a launch as possible when the game launches on the PS4 on March 27.
In other news
Xbox Is Hosting a Space Jam Game Jam Design Contest
We got a real (game) jam goin' now.
EA Agrees to $1.2 Billion Deal for Codemasters, Take-Two Now Reconsidering Its Lower Bid
Two publishing giants want the makers of the Dirt and Formula One games.
Windjammers 2 Delayed To 2021 As Devs Explore Adding Rollback Netcode
In pursuit of a disc-flinging esports renaissance, Dotemu's leaving this sequel in the oven a bit longer.
NC Dinos Celebrate First Korean Series Title, Hoist Video Game Sword
You call a cup a trophy? This is a trophy.
Need help?
FIFA 20 Best Young Players: Hidden Gems and Wonderkids With High Potential
Here’s a list of the players that have the most to gain in overall rating.
Madden 20 Face of the Franchise Tips - Teams, How to Get Drafted, and More
Here's our walkthrough for Madden 20's Face of the Franchise mode, featuring all the NFL teams, how to get drafted, and more.
All the Best Madden 20 Offensive Money Plays
Here's our guide compiling all the best Madden 20 money plays in one place, so you know which run or pass play to call whenever.
Madden 20: The Best Offensive Playbooks to Use
This is our walkthrough of the best Madden 20 offensive playbooks you can always rely on.