In the past decade, sports games have gained a negative reputation for several reasons. One major complaint from gamers is the lack of significant changes in each new annual installment, with the only noticeable updates being team rosters. Additionally, aggressive monetization practices have resulted in some sports franchises feeling like a drain on players' wallets. While Madden NFL and FIFA often receive criticism for these issues, MLB The Show stands out as a sports franchise that consistently strives to improve the overall experience year after year.
With MLB The Show 23, the series reaches new heights of innovation and experimentation. It introduces new single-player modes, fine-tunes gameplay mechanics, and makes significant changes to its multiplayer mode, Diamond Dynasty. Departing from its previous linear content system, developer San Diego Studio has implemented a season-based content release approach. However, after a few months, it is evident that this new system has its flaws. Many players are frustrated with the current pace of content releases and express concerns that the situation may worsen in the future.
MLB The Show 23's Diamond Dynasty Content Isn't Player Friendly
MLB The Show 23 revolutionized the accessibility of Diamond Dynasty, a card-collecting game mode in the sports genre. Previously, this mode was highly regarded for its affordability, catering to players who preferred not to spend money on microtransactions. By investing time and effort into gameplay, players were able to obtain some of the best cards in the game. This became a source of pride for Diamond Dynasty enthusiasts who boasted about building impressive teams without spending a dime. However, MLB The Show 23 has presented new challenges to this achievement with its introduction of the season-based structure.
MLB The Show 23 brought forth content seasons and card sets, each with its own restrictions. Players are now limited to using specific card sets during particular seasons. To compensate for the decrease in available cards once a set becomes obsolete, the game developers, SDS, have increased the availability of high-level cards. Regrettably, this strategy has resulted in a significant disparity in the accessibility of these powerful cards. In Season 2 of Diamond Dynasty, SDS has predominantly enclosed them within card packs, creating an imbalance that hinders players from acquiring them without making additional purchases.
These are cards that SDS more than likely knows players will want to use, and that would make great additions to any team, but they are often prohibitively expensive to acquire. Meanwhile, the cards that are available to earn for free are often lackluster compared to those in packs, compelling players to either open their wallets or grind for an excessive amount of time. This creates a system that feels contrary to Diamond Dynasty's previous design philosophies, alienating those who typically enjoy the game without spending any extra money.
Season 3 Of Diamond Dynasty Will Be The Most Important Yet
The Issue with Card Acquisition in Diamond DynastyThe fate of MLB The Show 23's Diamond Dynasty content hangs in the balance as Season 3 approaches. This upcoming season will bring about significant changes, as cards from Set 1 will no longer be accessible in competitive modes, except for those designated as Wild Cards by players. Effectively, this means that players will be limited to using only Set 2 cards, Core cards, and the newly released cards from Set 3. The direction SDS takes in delivering high-level cards, similar to Season 2, may cause some players to feel disenchanted due to the scarcity of freely available cards, potentially leading them to disengage from the mode's increasingly monetized nature.
MLB The Show's Diamond Dynasty has always stood out as a positive aspect in the realm of sports games that heavily focus on monetization. The thought of it following the same route as FIFA, Madden NFL, and other games that rely on continuous service would be unfair to the loyal fans who have remained dedicated for a significant period of time. With Season 3, it is hoped that SDS will acknowledge the dissatisfaction of its fanbase and provide more player cards that can be earned through gameplay rather than purchased. MLB The Show 23 can now be enjoyed on multiple platforms including PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.