00:08Hey everyone, Chris Gill here, Gameplay Director at San Diego Studio, and welcome to another
00:13season of Fielding Feedback, the series that highlights upgrades inspired by you, the players.
00:18Let's get into some of the awesome new features that make MLB The Show 26 our most immersive
00:23and realistic gameplay experience yet. This year is all about putting more power into your hands,
00:31and our new automated Ball Strike Challenge System is a great example. If you think the
00:36ump missed a strike, challenge the call. Each team is allowed two challenges per game. If
00:41a challenge is successful, the team retains the right to use it again. But unsuccessful
00:46challenges are lost for the rest of the game. So don't burn all your challenges too early,
00:50or you could get squeezed in the clutch. Speaking of clutch, this year we're making
00:58sure that clutch matchups between pitchers and hitters are as realistic as possible by incorporating
01:03accurate pitch usage rates for every MLB pitcher based on real-world MLB stats. The lower the
01:10usage rate for a given pitch type, the harder it is to locate, giving hitters the ability
01:15to punish lazy pitchers who spam the zone with seldom thrown pitches. Good pitchers don't need
01:20spam when they're cooking. You know it's been said that the best pitchers in baseball have a clutch
01:27gene that allows them to block out the noise and throw their best pitches in the biggest moments.
01:32This year, we're giving you a taste of how that feels with Bear Down Pitching. The Bear Down feature
01:38lets you throw pitches with a little extra accuracy and velocity in key moments. How fast you gain Bear Down
01:44momentum and how many pitches you can save up are based on your pitcher's clutch attribute, but when
01:49you use your Bear Down pitches is up to you. Will you go after a big bat early or save
01:55your Bear Down pitches
01:56for more strategic, high leverage situations? Choose your moments wisely because even high-rated clutch aces
02:03are only allowed to store a few Bear Down pitches at a time. Meanwhile, strategic hitters can also gain
02:11an edge in the clutch by taking advantage of expanded pitch history customization options for in-game scouting.
02:17You can now filter pitch history by specific counts, performance against lefties versus righties,
02:23and you can even track a pitcher's tendencies against specific hitters. And because our CPU pitchers mimic
02:29MLB pitchers by mixing speeds, working both sides of the plate, and leaning on their go-to pitches,
02:35these tools are just as valuable in offline modes as they are in online.
02:42This year, we're super excited to debut two new zone hitting options to help you lock in at the
02:47plate and put the barrel on the ball. First, we've added a new hitting mechanic called Big Zone Hitting.
02:53Instead of having to line up your PCI directly on the ball, like zone hitting, you simply choose the zone
02:58where you think the ball will cross the plate. If you choose correctly and time up your swing,
03:03you'll make solid contact. The higher your contact attribute, the more solid coverage you will have
03:08within that zone. Next up is Fixed Zone Hitting, a new feature that lets you focus on a specific
03:14part of the plate and keep your PCI there for the whole at-bat. Couple that with our brand new
03:20PCI
03:20sensitivity feature in Ambush Hitting, which was introduced last year, and you now have more
03:25opportunities than ever to define and refine your personalized approach at the dish.
03:34On the defensive side of the Diamond, we've worked hard this year to differentiate between the good
03:39fielders and the gold glovers. As a result, we've created reaction attributes for breaking on the ball
03:44in every direction, forwards, backwards, left and right. We've also added new attributes for pitchers
03:50and given catchers a pop time attribute. We are constantly integrating real-life player data to
03:55add value to these attributes, as well as enhance card variety and heighten realism throughout the game.
04:04Because gameplay is so important to us, we've once again added close to 500 new gameplay animations to
04:10the show, emphasizing the visual quality of plays on the field. Wait until you see all the new throws you
04:16can make in the infield. The arm angles, the off-balance throws, turning double plays has never been more fun.
04:21We also gave our catchers a complete overhaul. With most catchers now setting up with one knee down,
04:27we made sure that making throwbacks, backpicks, steel throws and blocks are more realistic than ever.
04:34Infielders have new ways to rob hits, outfielders have new ways to rob home runs.
04:47At the end of the day, we make this game for you, the community. And that's why gameplay this year
04:53is
04:53more realistic than ever in MLB The Show 26. Stay tuned for the next episode of Fielding Feedback,
05:00where we'll break down everything that's new in Road to the Show. For MLB The Show 26, this is Chris
05:05Gill,
05:06Gameplay Director at San Diego Studio. See you next time.
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