<s>
Major	B-Application
League	I-Application
Baseball	I-Application
2K9	I-Application
,	O
or	O
MLB	B-Application
2K9	I-Application
for	O
short	O
,	O
is	O
an	O
MLB-licensed	O
baseball	B-Application
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
published	O
by	O
2K	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
and	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
features	O
were	O
implemented	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pitching	O
had	O
been	O
simplified	O
from	O
2K8	B-Application
to	O
"	O
2-step	O
pitching	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
hold	O
and	O
gesture	O
"	O
,	O
eliminating	O
the	O
third	O
"	O
Release	O
Timing	O
"	O
step	O
of	O
2K8	B-Application
,	O
simplifying	O
the	O
motion	O
while	O
retaining	O
the	O
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
Franchise	O
mode	O
include	O
adding	O
a	O
new	O
revamped	O
trade	O
simulator	O
and	O
over	O
200	O
individual	O
MLB.com	O
headlines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
updated	O
with	O
an	O
MLB.com-licensed	O
in-game	O
"	O
Virtual	O
Director	O
"	O
website	O
featuring	O
a	O
presentation	O
style	O
similar	O
to	O
NBA	B-Device
2K9	I-Device
,	O
where	O
the	O
user	O
may	O
check	O
up	O
on	O
league	O
events	O
,	O
trade	O
rumors	O
,	O
player	O
and	O
team	O
performances	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
improved	O
upon	O
2K8	B-Application
's	O
Inside	O
Edge	O
scouting	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
,	O
like	O
its	O
NBA	B-Device
2K9	I-Device
counterpart	O
,	O
will	O
not	O
feature	O
online	O
play	O
or	O
Living	O
Rosters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
MLB	B-Device
2K6	I-Device
,	O
2K9	O
will	O
not	O
feature	O
the	O
2009	O
World	O
Baseball	B-Application
Classic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Topps	O
Trading	O
Cards	O
system	O
from	O
2K8	B-Application
has	O
been	O
improved	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Home	O
Run	O
Derby	O
mode	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
revamped	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
previous	O
MLB	B-Application
titles	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
no	O
pre-rendered	O
cutscenes	O
;	O
all	O
cutscenes	O
are	O
done	O
in	O
real-time	O
with	O
in-game	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
implements	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
Trophies	O
,	O
while	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Achievements	O
are	O
represented	O
as	O
trophies	O
in-game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
versions	O
are	O
not	O
as	O
fully	O
featured	O
as	O
on	O
the	O
primary	O
platforms	O
,	O
but	O
have	O
their	O
own	O
platform-specific	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
version	O
takes	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	B-Device
Remote	I-Device
,	O
with	O
"	O
Wii	B-Device
Remote	I-Device
pitching	O
"	O
(	O
players	O
use	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	B-Device
Remote	I-Device
to	O
control	O
every	O
pitch	O
)	O
and	O
"	O
Wiimote	B-Device
hitting	O
"	O
(	O
players	O
use	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	B-Device
Remote	I-Device
and	O
Nunchuk	O
for	O
hitting	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
place	O
their	O
hits	O
in	O
relation	O
to	O
their	O
swing	O
timing	O
,	O
swing	O
speed	O
and	O
swing	O
angle	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
allows	O
a	O
player	O
to	O
control	O
up	O
to	O
4	O
different	O
franchises	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
and	O
will	O
allow	O
PS2	B-Device
online	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
version	O
features	O
"	O
True	O
to	O
Form	O
Fielding	O
"	O
,	O
featuring	O
improved	O
fielding	O
control	O
and	O
single	O
player	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MLB	B-Application
2K9	I-Application
has	O
a	O
new	O
broadcasting	O
team	O
with	O
Gary	O
Thorne	O
providing	O
the	O
play-by-play	O
and	O
Steve	O
Phillips	O
filling	O
in	O
the	O
color	O
commentary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
four	O
personalities	O
are	O
regular	O
ESPN	O
Major	B-Application
League	I-Application
Baseball	I-Application
broadcasters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Then-lead	O
developer	O
Ben	O
Brinkman	O
's	O
claimed	O
that	O
MLB	B-Application
2K9	I-Application
represented	O
the	O
final	O
act	O
of	O
a	O
planned	O
three	O
year	O
development	O
cycle	O
for	O
2K	O
's	O
baseball	B-Application
series	O
for	O
next	O
gen	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
restated	O
the	O
"	O
three	O
year	O
plan	O
"	O
in	O
a	O
January	O
18	O
,	O
2008	O
podcast	O
with	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Brinkman	O
walked	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
series	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
MLB	B-Application
2K8	I-Application
,	O
handing	O
the	O
reins	O
back	O
to	O
Visual	O
Concepts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
second	O
patch	O
has	O
been	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
on	O
April	O
1	O
,	O
2009	O
and	O
for	O
PC	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
April	O
3	O
,	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
high	O
expectations	O
for	O
MLB	B-Application
2K9	I-Application
resulted	O
in	O
disappointment	O
,	O
as	O
2K9	O
actually	O
received	O
worse	O
average	O
reviews	O
than	O
its	O
derided	O
predecessor	O
,	O
2K8	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
in	O
its	O
4.5	O
of	O
10	O
review	O
complained	O
,	O
"	O
Either	O
MLB	B-Application
2K9	I-Application
shipped	O
in	O
a	O
half-finished	O
state	O
or	O
the	O
developers	O
have	O
never	O
seen	O
a	O
baseball	B-Application
,	O
much	O
less	O
thrown	O
one	O
around	O
,	O
"	O
citing	O
bizarre	O
gameplay	O
and	O
noting	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
"	O
crammed	O
with	O
bugs.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
1UP.com	O
in	O
its	O
scathing	O
D+	O
score	O
review	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
-	O
and	O
a	O
lower	O
D	O
score	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
-	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
...	O
game	O
that	O
tries	O
so	O
hard	O
to	O
prove	O
that	O
the	O
series	O
is	O
progressing	O
,	O
but	O
ignores	O
fixing	O
the	O
issues	O
that	O
have	O
plagued	O
it	O
for	O
years	O
:	O
poor	O
defense	O
,	O
sloppy	O
animations	O
,	O
and	O
catering	O
to	O
the	O
home	O
run	O
...	O
"	O
IGN	O
in	O
its	O
6.8	O
of	O
10	O
review	O
stated	O
,	O
"	O
Major	B-Application
League	I-Application
Baseball	I-Application
2K9	I-Application
fixes	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
issues	O
from	O
the	O
past	O
and	O
sets	O
the	O
groundwork	O
for	O
a	O
great	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
are	O
far	O
too	O
many	O
bugs	O
to	O
recommend.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
panned	O
in	O
its	O
6.5	O
of	O
10	O
review	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
laundry	O
list	O
of	O
annoying	O
little	O
problems	O
is	O
too	O
substantial.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
6.4	O
of	O
10	O
review	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
version	O
had	O
some	O
diametrically	O
opposed	O
criticism	O
of	O
2K9	O
,	O
stating	O
it	O
was	O
too	O
easy	O
to	O
strike	O
out	O
hitters	O
with	O
too-precise	O
pitching	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
laughable	O
"	O
franchise	O
mode	O
that	O
featured	O
1	O
year	O
,	O
$40	O
million	O
salaries	O
for	O
players	O
like	O
Danys	O
Báez	O
and	O
no	O
online	O
play	O
despite	O
promises	O
for	O
one	O
after	O
2K8	B-Application
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
2K8	B-Application
,	O
a	O
more	O
"	O
baseball-lite	O
"	O
version	O
of	O
MLB	B-Application
2K9	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
called	O
Major	B-Application
League	I-Application
Baseball	I-Application
2K9	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
All-Stars	I-Application
,	O
which	O
features	O
fantasy	O
elements	O
such	O
as	O
power-ups	O
and	O
fantasy	O
stadiums	O
.	O
</s>
