MLB: The Show was the pinnacle of baseball gaming this past generation.

#1 True or False: Baseball is the best represented sport as far as simulation realism goes in sports video games.

Robert Kollars: True. This is not to say that some other titles representing their respective sport are far behind, but The Show is just a bit closer than FIFA, NBA 2K, and NHL at this juncture.

Caley Roark: True, easily. Though I think FIFA, NHL, and NBA 2K are closing the gap. But for this generation, I don't think anything got closer than The Show.

Ben Vollmer: True. Just looking at MLB: The Show, there hasn't been a better on-field simulation all generation. FIFA and NBA 2K have certainly come close, but The Show achieved greatness the moment it was put on the PS3.

Matthew Coe: True and I'll tell you why. It has nothing to do with MLB 2K or MLB: The Show for me. It has everything to do with Out of the Park Baseball 14 and earlier. OOTP models so many of the little, intricate details which the console games don't include. OOTP can be downright intimidating. You can literally play any season from any year from the 1800s to present with any franchise. Customization is off the charts. Statistical modeling is outstanding. Being on Xbox 360, I haven't missed not having a high quality baseball game to play, and it's a complete credit to OOTP and it's yearly iterations. That said I am extremely excited to see what Sony has in store for next-gen MLB: The Show.

Andre Harrison: True*, While I'm inclined to agree with this, I also think that baseball's one of the less complicated sports to get right. Taking nothing away from what The Show has done. It's a cut above any sporting simulator out there.

Will The Show be forgotten by time because of it's niche market?

#2 What will MLB: The Show's legacy be on this previous generation?

Robert Kollars: Not many sports titles have been designated a system seller, and MLB was exactly that. Designed so well that other developers openly heaped praise upon it.

Caley Roark: The Show will be looked upon by those invested in the genre as the best and most consistent series of the generation. For mainstream users, however, it will generally be underrated, due to its console exclusivity and lack of Madden-esque hype.

Ben Vollmer: The Show will be remembered as the best sports video game of generation seven. Not only did it bring lifelike gameplay to the PS3, but it put a continued emphasis on gameplay and simulating the real life sport of baseball. It's been an extremely consistent series that should be remembered as one of the pillars of realistic sports gaming.

Matthew Coe: It depends on who you ask. For Xbox 360 owners it will be the one sports game that we wished we could play year in and year out. For PS3 owners, I imagine it will be revered as the best simulation sports title of the generation. For some others, I'd guess that the game will be seen as a "niche" title thanks to baseball video games not selling like Madden or NBA 2K. Consistent greatness is what I'll remember.

Andre Harrison: One of the great sporting legacies on this console generation. Constantly improving, all very strong games.

The Major League Baseball 2K series had plenty of reasons to be loved...and hated.

#3 Name the three best baseball games from this past generation.

Robert Kollars: 1)MLB The Show 13 2)MLB The Show 12 3)MLB Power Pros

Caley Roark: I'll avoid naming three versions of The Show: MLB: The Show 13, MLB Power Pros, The Bigs 2 (and I'll toss in Pro Yakyuu Spirits 13 as a special nomination).

Ben Vollmer: 1)MLB: The Show 2013 2)MLB: 2K7 3) MLB: The Show 2011

Matthew Coe: Remember I never got to play MLB: The Show ... 1) OOTP 14 2) MLB 2K11 3) OOTP 12

Andre Harrison: MLB The Show 13, MLB Power Pros, MLB 2K11 (Yes, seriously. I enjoyed it!)

If MLB 2K is off the table for next year, is anyone else going to be stepping up?

#4 Will Microsoft see a baseball game on its consoles next Spring?

Robert Kollars: Initially I thought this would actually happen, but it seems obvious now that the answer is no. It is hard to imagine that the Xbox One would go two years in a row without a baseball title, and I don't believe it will - look for someone to step up in 2015.

Caley Roark:Nope, unless we are talking some kind of downloadable game. I don't think we'll see a full-featured MLB game on Xbox One next year.

Ben Vollmer: It's hard to see a baseball title making it's way to the Xbox One this Spring. That said, I honestly believe that we'll see one in 2015. Microsoft is fully aware that it is losing console sales on the sole fact that it doesn't have a baseball game to play. If I had to guess, Microsoft will publish a game at some point if no one else steps up to the plate.

Matthew Coe: The answer for XBox One baseball fans is unfortunately no. As Caley said, barring an unlicensed downloadable title, Microsoft will see it's first year without an MLB product on an Xbox console. My gut says EA might step back in by 2015, but it's tough to say for sure.

Andre Harrison: I'm not confident on this. Not even heard a whiff of there being one in the works even as a port, and the Spring's much closer than people realize. Either we get a late version nearer the Autumn months ala FIFA and NBA, or we get one in it's proper seasonal slot in 2015.

Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2013 is a game many haven't gotten to play, but it's an incredible sim.

#5 What was the best overall feature implemented in baseball games this previous generation?

Robert Kollars: I would have to go with 2K's analog pitching and hitting. That development group may have struggled with certain aspects of the game, but they knocked this aspect of the game out of the park.

Caley Roark: I like 2K's pitching system, but I think the best feature was the refinement of The Show's physics system--it is a key part of that series ongoing success.

Ben Vollmer: For me, it would have to be the ball physics introduced in MLB: The Show 2012. For a hardcore baseball fan like myself, there's nothing more fun to watch than your ball slicing out of play, or taking a funny hop in the infield. It was just another aspect of The Show that made it the best sports video game of the generation.

Matthew Coe: I'm going to have to go with 2K's analog pitching. Analog pitching was implemented so well that it made a couple of otherwise bad baseball games in the 2k series playable. This was a revolution in pitching controls that we will continue to see in every major baseball release in the foreseeable future in some form or fashion, no matter who is making the game.

Andre Harrison: I love MLB 2k's pitching system, but I have to say the physics of The Show's engine. Consistently great.