Gaming News - December 2006

Foster City, CA (December 20, 2006) - Sony announced today the signing of New York Met Third Baseman David Wright as the cover athlete for the MLB 07 The Show.

From Sony:

In only his third year in the Big Leagues, Wright was named as the starting third baseman for the National League in the 2006 MLB All-Star Game. During the season, he collected 74 RBI before the All-Star Break, breaking the Mets record previously held by Mike Piazza, who had 72 RBI in 2000. Wright also participated in the Home Run Derby(R), reaching the final round and finishing second to Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies. He smacked 22 home runs in the contest including 16 in the first round, which is the third highest total in any one round in the history of the Home Run Derby. Wright ranked among the club's top three hitters in all offensive categories for the 2006 Mets, who were the top run-scoring team in the National League. Fans at Shea Stadium routinely greeted Wright's performances with chants of "M-V-P" as he finished the season as only the fourth Met in history to have consecutive 100 RBI seasons, joining baseball legends such as Gary Carter, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Piazza.

"David Wright is the heart and soul of an exciting New York Mets team and possesses the qualities that make him a fan favorite," said Scott Rohde, director, sports product development for SCEA. "We are thrilled that he has chosen to become the next cover athlete for the MLB franchise, represent MLB 07 The Show, and become a part of an elite fraternity of MLB stars." Wright chalks up his first cover for a videogame, an accolade that continues to be one of the most sought after status symbols for professional athletes. Wright joins an impressive group of previous MLB cover athletes and spokespeople including Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Oritz, Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, Oakland A's third baseman Eric Chavez, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus, New York Mets outfielder Shawn Green, and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Adam Dunn.

Widely considered the most authentic baseball videogame franchise available, MLB 07 The Show looks to build upon its critical acclaim by unveiling new franchise features and platform specific advancements. Across all platforms, the all-new Road to The Show mode introduces an innovative option that allows players to create their own player and play on offense and defense. To create a more realistic experience from the mound, the new Pitching Command System (PCS) delivers authenticity and strategy to pitch selection by offering players a predetermined pitch comfort level based on a best to worst pitch scenario, while Adaptive Pitching Intelligence (API) allows users to either shake off the catcher, or trust the calls he makes, which are based on batter tendencies and the pitcher's strengths. MLB 07 The Show also introduces new Umpire Personalities, keeping players on their toes as each ump will have his own unique animation and definition of the strike zone. It will be up to the player to determine each umpires tendencies, providing a more authentic experience from the diamond and requiring strategic thinking from the player.

Adding to its already robust online feature set, the MLB franchise will now include Online League Play, which gives gamers the ability to set up leagues with up to 30 teams, complete statistical tracking, point benefits and full customization, while the My Sliders feature allows users to create their perfect game settings and upload them to the MLB 07 The Show server for others to try out. Also, MLB.com Headline News now features a Live MLB Ticker that will show the live status of all MLB games going on around the league. Returning key features for the MLB franchise include the popular Career and Season Modes, Career Spotlight and Exhibition Mode. In addition, MLB 07 The Show provides fans with the features they expect in an unrivaled simulation, such as advanced batting controls, interactive hot and cold zones, player-scaled strike zones and release point pitching.

Along with all the key franchise features, returning gameplay favorites for PlayStation 2 include Rivalry Mode, which allows fans to set-up, track and maintain heated rivalries, King of the Diamond Mode, the classic playground duel where a pitcher and batter from opposing teams will square off head-to- head, the Home Run Derby and EyeToy(TM) functionality. For on-the-go baseball fans, MLB 07 The Show on PSP continues to be a fan favorite with its core features, ability to play anytime, anywhere, and multiplayer gameplay, either locally via Ad Hoc Mode or across the nation via Infrastructure Mode.