I thought the commentary in the 2K9 demo was fantastic. I'm a big Gary Thorne fan, though, because he always keeps me calm as I watch Daniel Cabrera implode.

Do the initial motion (i.e. back for a fastball) and hold the stick there while the yellow circle fills. When it's close to full, move the stick in the intended direction (i.e. up for a fastball). After that, nothing matters. Release whenever you want.

Right with you. Bought a PS3 last week after reading some initial impressions about 2K9. I just couldn't do it again.

I convinced myself that I was buying a Blu-ray player and my girlfriend would enjoy LittleBigPlanet, but in reality baseball was the overriding factor that pushed me over the fence.

But now that I have it, it's awesome to play some of the games I've been missing out on, like LBP and Metal Gear Solid 4.

I only played the demo, but I found that the marker seems to be the spot where the ball will land, not where the fielder should stand. It's an annoying change from previous versions of the game, but once I figured that out I was able to catch balls in the outfield a little easier.

But on screaming line drives, it's still going to be a problem.

This is frustrating. I broke down and finally bought a PS3 and The Show, but I still feel awful for people (including a close friend of mine) who can't afford to spend $500 to play a good baseball game.

The 360 is a fantastic console, and its owners deserve better.