Online Home Run Derby Finally Coming to MLB 12: The Show – But Not for Everyone

Though it was never really pushed in their marketing efforts SCEA advertised an Online Home Run Derby mode for MLB 12: The Show yet it was missing at release and ever since. The company avoided responding to consumer and media inquiries on the subject.

A recent patch however alluded to a “new mode” being added and that is in fact the Online Home Run Derby. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as the advertised mode being made available to all. Instead the company has tied it into a promotion with Taco Bell. 

Within the Taco Bell mobile app (iOS – Android) is an MLB 12: The Show Home Run Derby mini-game. That must be played against a Facebook friend in order to activate the Online Home Run Derby in the PS3 game. So for anyone who chooses not to go this route (and they really shouldn’t have to), doesn’t have a Facebook account or an iPhone or Android device, they are apparently out of luck at least for now.

It appears as though this is being promoted as “early access” to the Online Home Run Derby which is especially ironic considering it should have been available on March 6. It seems to reason that it’ll go live for everyone then at some point this summer with July 9 being posted as the last day to get the mode through this process. It’s unclear then if it’ll roll out to all the next day or if the wait will be even longer. By then MLB 12: The Show will have been out for four months without completely providing the mode they advertised prior to release.