It goes deeper; pitcher/batter controls and interfaces have been redesigned for preference-based flexibility – Total Control has never been so sweet. Throw in game consultation and motion capture from more than two dozen Major League All-Stars, a new three-man booth with play-by-play from Hall of Famer Vin Scully,color commentary from ESPN’s Dave Campbell and San Diego Padres’ Matt Vasgersian, and you’ve got the most complete baseball game available this season.

Key Features:

All-New Pitcher / Batter Interface

• New Interface Cameras – Five camera options for the pitching / batting interface offer something for everyone. Choose from two pitcher cams, two umpire cams or the offset cam.
• New Interactive Hot / Cold Zones – Take hot and cold zones one step further with the ability to alter them. Turn cold zones hot and vice versa with your performance at the plate or from the bump.
• Double Switches – Effectively manage your lineup and put your weakest stick in the nine-slot when you take advantage of double switch opportunities.
• Player Scaled Strike Zones – MLB is the only game with scaled strike zones and proportionate to individual hitters.

Redesigned Pitching Controls

• New Pressure Sensitive Pitching – Rear back and throw from your heels when you jam on the “X”. Sometimes you’ll need a little something extra. But remember that too much velocity could have an impact on accuracy. Getting in a groove and hitting your spots is the key to being a successful pitcher.
• New Mound Visits – When pitchers start to get tired or begin thinking too much, it often helps to have someone settle them down. If your pitcher falls out of his groove, expect a trip from the infield, coach or manager.
• Total Control Pitching – An MLB 2005 exclusive that puts you on the pitcher’s mound as you try to work the corners controlling pitch type, location and velocity. With Total Control Pitching you can force hitters to chase your pitch.
• Pitch Outs – Learn the art of base running and how to defend it with a pitch out. Key running counts are 2-0 and 3-1 but when strong hitters fall behind in the count – look for speedy base runners to bail them out or swipe a bag.
• Bullpens – Proper bullpen management can determine the fate of a team. With MLB 2005 you need to know when you should get pitchers up to make relief appearances effective.
• In Game Scouting Reports – Everybody knows everything about everybody in the Bigs. With MLB 2005 and in-game scouting reports, so do you. Get tips on pitches and locations that have been successful in the past. Learn hitter’s tendencies and go after them aggressively.

Redesigned Batting Controls

• New Zone Control Batting – Total Control was designed for hard-core baseball fans and may be a bit difficult for some novice gamers. However, Zone Control should be right down Broadway. With Zone Control, you need only recognize one of four “zones” within the strike zone. The rest of the challenge is just timing. Look for a pitch in your zone and start hacking. And for beginners, MLB also has a batting option that is dedicated to timing alone.
• Total Control Batting – The only batting interface built to maximize risks and rewards associated with “guess” hitting. Guess pitch type and location; get locked on to a pitch and go yard. Guess wrong and it’s a long walk back to the bench.
• Hot & Cold Streaks – Link together three or more hits in a game and you’ll be in the zone with increases in batting attributes for contact and power. Conversely, if you’re struggling, attributes are decreased and you’ll be praying for a flare to get you back on track.
• Mound Charging – Not condoned by the teams, umpires nor the league, but it is part of the game. Batters beware; there are consequences for your actions. With this option exercised, you should expect an early trip to the showers and a possible suspension.

Fielding Controls

• New Pressure Sensitive Throwing – Get the most out of your arm slinging the ball around the diamond. But reach too deep and runners will advance from wild throws into the stands resulting in costly errors.
• New Cut Offs, Relays & Run Downs – Reduce your ERA. Hit your relay men and hold runners from extra bases. Know when to make a cut and learn how to effectively execute a run down. All three are critical components of eliminating scoring threats.
• Total Control Fielding – More realistic than ever before. Your momentum, arm strength and accuracy all play a part in your ability to dazzle from the field. Dive for balls in the hole and flip to second or make a backhanded stab and gun the runner at first with a jump throw.
• Individual Player Positioning – Position players exactly where you want without affecting the entire defense. Bring one outfield in to alleviate the threat of a slap hitter or move first and third to hug the lines.
• Catcher Back Picks – Gun down runners with strong-armed catchers when a leads get a little long or back runners fall asleep.
• Base Running Controls - Total Control Base Running – Freeze on a line drive, go half way on the fly, tag on a deep fly or gamble and take off for the dish. Adjust your lead on the base paths but be mindful of base running errors that can be costly – don’t run yourself out of an inning. - Base Running Windows – Get a detailed look at base runner leads and determine what kind of jump they can get for stolen bags or a hit and run. - Authentic Base Running Animations – Realistic base running angles, runners rounding bases and multiple slides will get you extra bags without breaking your momentum.

11 Extensive GamePlay Options

• New All-Time Greats – Play as or against the biggest stars ever to step over a foul line. See if you’ve got what it takes to mow down the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson, Reggie Jackson, or Stan Musial. If hitting is your thing, look down the barrel of guys like Cy Young, Satchel Paige, Mordecai “three finger” Brown, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale or Catfish Hunter. Baseball is timeless – now so is your roster.
• New MLB Online – Get your staff tough as nails and take them online to see what kind of damage you can do. Along with head to head gameplay and 32-team tournaments you’ll be treated to a host of new opportunities designed to keep you entertained for hours. From the moment you log on to 989SportsOnline you’ll see what it’s the leading sports game community. Complete with live sports tickers, message boards, chat, headset functionality and more. To top it off – it’s PC compatible so you’re always able to keep with the Jones’.
• New Franchise Mode – Redesigned from the ground up, Franchise Mode is all about becoming the next baseball mogul. Steinbrenner’s got nothing on you. You control the whole show. From player deals, television contracts and vendor negotiations to parking, tickets and concessions. Control promo-nights, player scouting and more. Your success or failure is all about the decisions you make.
• New Career Mode – Through the incorporation of the popular Spring Training Mode™, the all-new Career Mode is incredibly deep. Start your career in Create Player, get yourself signed and start your career in Spring Training. Prove yourself worthy and negotiate your contract to the bigs. Cooperstown is within reach.
• New Simulation Mode – Track games on a pitch-by-pitch basis as you watch the game unfold in front of your eyes. If the outcome is looking uncertain, jump into the game and take control of your team and their destiny. The first simulator of its kind in a video game. For the first time ever on in a baseball video game can you go head-to-head with a friend and go for the ultimate managerial duel. Get a buddy and go for the Little / Torre match up and see if you can avoid making crucial managerial blunders while taking your team to the Fall Classic.
• New Create A Player – Redesigned for increased depth, you now are able to customize virtually all aspects of a created player. From the height, weight and look right down to the player’s bio and profile. Don’t forget about the incorporation of Eye Toy. Likely the most in-depth player creator ever designed.
• Exhibition Mode – Choose any match-up you like. You have 33 teams to choose from. Go traditional with rivalries like the Yankees – Bo Sox. Or go for the improbable with the battle of Curse-town Rivals: Cubbies – Bo Sox. You create the match-up to see if you have a degree in the science of baseball.
• Season Mode – Challenge yourself to 162 games and see if you can win a World Series title the hard way. Deal with day-to-day match-ups, refine your lineup and play for the championship just like the pros. Grind out one season or carry it over from year to year and see how you fare with unlimited back to back seasons.
• Home Run Derby – You pick the lineup, you set the rules and you determine the modern day Sultan of Swat with the traditional homerun contest of Major League All-Stars. Complete with its own animation database for the most realistic aspects of the event.
• All-Star Game – Take your trip to Houston early and see who prevails for home field advantage in the 2004 Fall Classic.
• Playoffs Mode – If you don’t have the patience for a full season, don’t have the time for 162 games or just flat out don’t like to play unless a title is on the line, this is for you. Bypass the full season and nominate yourself as Mr. October. Play or sim the Divisional Series and the Championship Series and see if you can get a shot at a World Series ring.

Enhanced Presentation

• New Three-Man Booth – Hundreds of play-by-play hours from Hall of Famer Vin Scully, are supported with color commentary from ESPN’s Dave Campbell and San Diego Padres’ Matt Vasgersian. The new booth is designed around progressive audio for the most realistic conversational interaction.
• New Progressive Audio – As stats are tracked through the season, the commentary from the booth will change to reflect what current revelations occur within the game. Hear about comparisons of home/away, day/night, player streaks and more.
• New Network-Style Telecast – Dozens of camera angles give you in the best possible angle for every pitch, hit, out or dinger.
• Auto Action Replay – Highlight and save all the big plays, heroics, bloopers and blunders.
• Play Of The Game – At the conclusion of each game you can see the play of the game and save it to a memory card. Compile your own highlight reel worthy of sports segment airtime.
• Multiple Stadium Perspectives – Transporting you from the front gate to the field at any of the major league ballparks.

All-New Game Design

• New True Trajectory Ball Physics – Incorporating multiple levels of “True Trajectory” baseball physics for the most realistic feel from the batter’s box or the field. From the crack of the bat you’ll see screaming line drives, flares, bloops and caroms. From outfield cannons take notice of turf hops, short hops and bad hops.
• New Fielding AI – Incorporating better use of positioning, cuts, relays and backups to make big plays and better throwing decisions. Get too aggressive and you could get hung out to dry and forced to scramble for the nearest bag in a run-down.
• New Base Running AI – Base-running decisions are made on the fly. Runners react to the situation. Fly balls: tag up or go half way? Ground balls: advance or stay close to the bag? Freeze on line drives. Runners are now better equipped to make these decisions.
• Pitching AI – Designed with input from some of the greats from yesterday and today to keep hitters guessing and prevent you from sitting on one pitch.
• Batting AI – Sculpted with some of the best hitters in the game. Hitters are more focused to hit their pitch and avoid chasing balls out of the strike zone.

All-New Graphics & Lighting System

• New Unbelievable Ballparks – Scaled to replicate each modern-day ballpark to exact detail. All stadiums have been designed with city specific details including: haze, water effects, fireworks and animated objects throughout.
• New Player Models – Redesigned from the ground up to enhance the nearly picture perfect head scan technology applied to each Major League player. Complete with skin tones, facial hair, individual body styles, uniform wrinkles, creases and logos.
• New Animated Base Coaches – Take a glance at the coach as your rounding the bag to see if you need to stay close, take a bigger turn or take off for the next base.
• Authentic Sponsor Signage – True baseball signage for MLB affiliated sponsors throughout the stadium (i.e. MLB, MLBPA, Louisville Slugger, Bike, Franklin, Rawlings and more).
• Animated Umpires – Call balls, strikes, fouls and outs from the field, in full effect.
• Animated Crowds – Polygonal, fully animated crowd members with the ability to reach over railings. We can already hear the complaints about fan interference. It’s all part of the game.
• Real Time Scoreboards – Tally balls, strikes, hits, runs, innings and score in every stadium.
• Authentic JumboTrons - Capturing all the action and close plays in real time.

All-New Animation System

• New 60fps Baseball Engine – Smooth, fast and fluid. MLB 2005 makes the leap from 30fps to 60fps for the first time in franchise history. The result: seamless animations with unbelievable clarity and realism.
• Professional MLB Motion Captured Athletes – More than 24 professional athletes including Roger Clemens, Shawn Green, Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Hudson, Darryl Hamilton, Darryl Kile, Troy Percival, Brett Tomko, Mo Vaughn and more.
• 3,500+ Personalized Animations – MLB 2005 boasts more than twice the animations from the previous year and the most personalized batting stances, pitching motions, catching and throwing animations of any 2003 baseball video game.
• Motion Blending – Ensuring seamless integration of multiple animation sequences into fluid animated transitions from running to fielding to throwing. Because the new throwing system depends on a fielder’s speed, angle and momentum, the throwing animations will rarely be the same. Defensive animations have tripled with the new motion blending architecture.

MLB Authenticity

• Dynamic Scouting Reports & Player Attributes – Giving you the real time edge with player stats, in-game reports and hot/cold aspects for each player. Throughout the course of a season player attributes are impacted by any extended hot or cold streaks.
• 104 Statistic Categories – Research individual players and teams when you need more information to get a competitive advantage.
• Authentic MLB Trophies – Bring home some recognition with the Louisville Silver Bat, Cy Young, Rolaids Relief, MVP Awards, the World Series and more.