Wrestling Games

[Mazto]

We are getting fuckin' Twitter talk for the whole match aren't we?

 

[Danville_Wrestling]

I wouldn't be shocked if it is social media related since a) that's what the WWE talks about constantly now and b) that'd fit Punk's thing about "joining in a bigger movement" or whatever.

 

[KingPK]

They just need to make WWE All-Stars 2 already. Or at least take the faster-paced gameplay from it for this game.

 

[vivisectvi]

Yes!

 

[Mattdotcom]

Going by the clips in the teaser and seeing Attitude Era Taker, Mankind, and Austin, I'm kinda thinking they'll do this like NBA 2K12 and offer the modern roster with tons of classic guys. I mean, I guess they did that in WWE 12 but this time they'll probably try to pretend like it's a new feature.

 

[Baby Shoes]

I had read before this one is supposed to focus heavily on the Attitude Era. I know JR is doing some commentary, I remember seeing the New Age Outlaws are supposed to be in it and I think X-Pac too.

 

[2GOLD]

Finally, the dreams of making X-Pac the new Shawn Michaels can be realized by gamers everywhere.
I mean, in theory the concept is sound. New roster mixed with the Attitude rosters, it has potential. But they just seem unable to handle and fix their own game and the rush to get out a game a year always seems like it is too much for them.

Two years to get this released? I'd buy it.
6 months of rushed programming to get it out by November? Fuck that.

 

[HSJ]

From the clips, I think it may take from the WWE Legends of Wrestlemania game where you can relieve epic feuds (Punk/Jericho, Mankind/Austin, Mankind/Taker HIAC, Mark Henry/Big Show ring breaking).

 

[MillenniumMan831]

I hope this somehow leads to the Nation techno theme getting released in full.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

 

[MillenniumMan831]

That IGN article was a little underwhelming to say the least. It's not as if the stars of the Attitude Era aren't in every WWE game anyway.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/05/29/igns-exclusive-debut-of-wwe-13

Continuing its focus on refining and evolving its products, the development team has kept what worked and throw out what didn’t, going so far as to discard the entirety of the ambitious, yet flawed, single-player design from WWE ’12. Much as Punk’s vision for the WWE looked to wrestling’s past to empower its sports entertainment future, THQ looked to the past for its future - it is bringing the Attitude Era back to video games, bigger and louder than ever.
The foundation of WWE ’13 is firmly rooted in its predecessor. The game’s mechanics, visuals and controls are fundamentally the same as they were last year. Matches still have a heavy emphasis on momentum, forcing players to escalate the quality of their grapple-based moves, from standard to stunned, as they wear down their opponent. ‘Breaking Point’ submissions, limb-targeting systems and time-based pinning are all back, with many subtle tweaks, including continuous refinements to animation and move fluidity, along the way. In many respects, WWE ’12 found a great balance between showcasing the technical elements of wrestling while preserving the engaging, accessible element necessary for video game fans. If it’s not broken, it doesn’t need fixing... Just a ton of adjusting.

That said, THQ’s additions to WWE ’13 are still numerous and significant. The biggest of these deals with context-sensitive power moves that enable players to recreate some of the most memorable and spectacular moments in WWE history. These actions, which range from literally breaking the ring with super heavyweights to bulldozing a rival through the ring barrier to catching a finisher in mid-air, can only be enabled by certain wrestlers in specific locations and instances. Much like the appearance of a ‘Finisher’ icon, an ‘OMG!!’ logo will appear above a character’s head when they are capable of executing these devastating maneuvers, which can quickly change the tide of a match - or even end it. The developers are also in the process of creating specialized visual and audio methods of presenting these moments, ensuring they feel as significant in the game as they do on television.

Anyone who has watched wrestling for any period of time understands that different broadcasts require matches of different lengths. The amount of time superstars might have to compete on an average two-to-three hour Monday Night RAW, for example, differs greatly from what would be possible on a three or four hour Pay Per View. In the past, wrestling games didn’t take this concept into account. WWE ’13 does.
Alongside selecting arenas, characters and the number of finishing moves available at the start of a match (a new option, which can range from 0 to Infinite), players will be able to adjust a setting called ‘Match Experience’. Three settings - “Quick”, “Normal” and “Epic” - will affect the overall pacing of a fight, independent of AI difficulty. Factors such as momentum, damage, enemy aggressiveness and even kick out and reversal rates will be affected. The difference can be staggering. Quick matches feel lightning quick compared to epic ones, where superstars seem to have limitless stamina - and health. Best of all, this concept will make its way into the single player campaign as well.

Match Experience modes and Spectacular Moments are some of the flashier ideas that will accompany a still-in-development overhaul of the overall audio experience, which will attempt to better capture the atmosphere of a live event, including the reactions of WWE’s own announcers to some of the stunning developments that happen on television each and every week.
All of this is in addition to the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of subtle tweaks the game’s designers make day in and day out. WWE ’13 is currently still in an "Alpha" state, meaning the team has another six or so weeks to tune and tweak features before it goes into an aggressive three-month campaign to eliminate bugs. That means more moves are being added. Better weight detection is being implemented, so the smaller Rey Mysterio can’t body slam the 500 pound Big Show. In fact, super heavyweights like Mark Henry or Show now have different frames to better capture their enormous size. Pinning is now not only influenced by damage, but the power of the move that was previously executed. Non-tagged partners can now be controlled. Replays are being adjusted to be more relevant.
THQ’s ambitions don’t stop there. Not satisfied to continually perfect its core game mechanics, the developers took another hard look at its approach to single player campaign design, the focus of much criticism for WWE ’12. The team decided to do something rather bold, particularly given the ambitious, original storyline it crafted for existing and created stars last year. Rather than continuously iterate on the same concept in hopes of finding a sweet spot, the team threw everything out, and started from scratch. In doing so, the designers were free to consider any idea. Given the changes going on in the modern day WWE, it seemed only fitting that THQ turned to one period of time for inspiration. The wrestling revolution that forever changed the perception of sports entertainment. The Attitude Era.

The Attitude Era symbolizes all that can be rebellious, shocking and brazen about wrestling. In many ways it embodies the best of the industry, and was responsible for some of the greatest personalities and storylines of all time. During the late '90s, the WWE lived on the edge, and sometimes crossed the lines of decency, to beat its competition. The result was a period of unprecedented success.
As much as the modern era of the WWE is forging its own path, it owes much to the stars that emerged some 15 years ago. The Attitude Era created a new world for the WWE. It rewrote the rules. It’s unlikely the company, or the sport, will ever see such radical thinking again. Born mostly out of necessity, those in charge seemed to literally do anything and everything that came to mind, at first in hopes that something would work, and eventually to keep that momentum going.
The ‘Road to Wrestlemania’ experience for WWE ’12 attempted to tell an original storyline focusing primarily on three wrestlers - Sheamus, Triple H and a created wrestler of the player’s choosing. In an effort to dictate the overall narrative, many matches ended through scripted cutscenes that took control away from the player. Whether because of the limited character selection, or the fact that the storyline removed match control from the player, many were averse to the entire concept. It turns out THQ has been listening. ‘Road to Wrestlemania’ is dead. That's where Attitude Era Mode comes in.
Despite the fact that the Attitude Era is a well-documented part of history, THQ’s goal here is not to reinvent the past, to change things just for the sake of doing so. This single-player mode is an abridged recreation of a memorable time in sports entertainment, allowing players to journey through various storylines as eight of the most popular superstars of that time, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The chapter-based saga moves through WWE’s struggle and eventual triumph during the so-called “Monday Night Wars,” which saw the company on the brink of defeat at the hands of a powerful rival, WCW. Told from the perspective of the WWE during that period, matches and in-game cutscenes are supplemented by superb video packages assembled by WWE’s own editors. These short vignettes put matches, feuds and larger industry developments into perspective, not only keeping the overall story going, but giving a bit of a history lesson in the process.

THQ isn’t simply relying on the allure of legendary stars to boost its Attitude endeavors. It has learned from previous ‘Road to Wrestlemania’ efforts. Seeing this new mode in action proves that. First off, the vast majority of matches are just that - matches. While there is certainly a desire to stay true to history, and tell the stories the way they played out on television, the developers of WWE ’13 are mindful that wrestling fans want a fun game first and foremost. Therefore each match is broken down into a series of main or side objectives, which are clearly labeled when on-screen, can be easily accessed, and will disappear from a list when they are completed.
In general, main objectives are simple (pin your opponent, grab the title), allowing players to advance the storyline simply by winning matches. However optional side objectives are more meticulous by nature, setting more specific victory conditions - asking players to put an opponent through a table, for example. Those looking to get the most out of WWE ’13 will want to pay attention to all the game asks of them. A wealth of bonus material can be unlocked by completing all side tasks, and there can be several per match. The developers have even included a few ‘hidden’ objectives, opening up further rewards if players decide to pursue a more comprehensive strategy for beating the mode.
There’s an emphasis here on the core game experience, without the clutter and complication that can arise by trying to dictate the conclusion of a match, robbing players of the feeling of victory or control. Backstage sequences were particularly guilty of this, placing players in odd environments that the game’s mechanics poorly supported. There’s some good news on this front: they have mostly been removed, with the exception of a few matches that take place outside the ring.
WWE ’13 is such a massive product that describing gameplay changes and a radically overhauled single player concept just scratches the surface. THQ has yet to fully reveal the Attitude Era mode, which has substantial depth. Universe Mode hasn’t surfaced. Create-a-Superstar has its upgrades. New matches, rings and moves are on the way. And all of this is to say nothing about the roster, which contains stars from the past and present, including a formidable array of wrestlers from the late ‘90s. THQ’s revolution may have started last year, but if WWE ’13 is any indication, the publisher is continuing to radically reinvent the way it approaches its sports entertainment video games. Wrestling fans couldn’t ask for more.

I liked WWE 12 (I never had a match breaking glitch and I don't care at all about whether the servers are working for online stuff) so I'm sure I'll like this too.

 

[Sabre]

About the CM Punk cover. I notice a blurry GI Joe and Pepsi logo. I wonder if THQ/WWE forked out the royalties to have them in.

fake edit: Seems THQ announced they have created modified versions of the copyright logos.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

The Cobra logo is just an outline and the Pepsi logo is all one colour in the image I'm looking at.

Sold.

I like the idea of epic matches with lots of stamina, short matches where you can select to start with finishers from the get go, etc.

 

[Sabre]

Alot of these "new features" were available back on the ps1 days with "select to start with up to 5 finishers" etc. A roster upgrade with quicktime events does not warrent a new game every year.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

But you couldn't select infinite! And my understanding is the "epic" setting would mean you don't just win in 2 minutes after hitting a finisher (I'm always let down when my PPV matches go that way but I'm too frustrated with reversals to set a higher difficulty).

 

[Broward83]

So "Attitude Era" Undertaker has the Hells Gate as a finisher.

I know it's a small thing to gripe about..but jesus christ..if you're going to sell a game on the whole "Attitude Era", at least make the wrestler's true to that era in more than just look / intro alone.

 

[Haws Bah Gawd]

So "Attitude Era" Undertaker has the Hells Gate as a finisher.

I know it's a small thing to gripe about..but jesus christ..if you're going to sell a game on the whole "Attitude Era", at least make the wrestler's true to that era in more than just look / intro alone.

Give him that sick leglock he was using for a short time around 1998. The one he broke Vince's leg with.

 

[Danville_Wrestling]

It's pretty cool the Raw is War and old WWF logo are in the game (although why it's not the blocked WWF I have no idea - guess we don't want the fans to be confused!). However, I'll have to wait on some reviews before giving this a look.

And since we're doing Attitude Era/classical WWF, we better get some divas from that period if they insist on putting divas in this game. Better see some Sunny, Jackie, Marlena, etc.

 

[Baby Shoes]

Don't know where the information came from but I saw a little snippet that this will be the biggest roster yet at 77 - 38 Superstars, 7 Divas and 32 Attitude Era Legends.

Here's hoping we get Blue Meanie!

 

[Danville_Wrestling]

That's an interesting breakdown, but I'm thinking they might cop out and give us doubles of characters (i.e. the Undertaker or Kane) or just use the Attitude Era for legends, so we'll see guys like Edge that were in the Attitude Era, but didn't make a big impact on the company until later.

I'd love to see Gangrel, just for the cool entrance. I'd love Owen to be in the game as well, but it's not going to happen (ditto Jeff Jarrett). Ken Shamrock would be a fun addition as well. I'd mark out for NOD Faarooq.

 

[Haws Bah Gawd]

I demand Daddy Jeff in his "Don't Piss Me Off" shirt.

 

[Sabre]

Its quite sad that this years "new feature" is a WWE Attitude add on, which EVERY FUCKING GAME has had since the start of including legends back in HCTP.

More proof that WWE relies on the old guns to shill a 2012 product. I await WM 29 with glee as to what Attitude era promotion/returns it is going to have.

 

[Master Thrasher]

Too bad they haven't added WCW stars. I'd like another game with DDP, Goldberg, Kanyon, Raven, etc in it.

 

[Danville_Wrestling]

Its quite sad that this years "new feature" is a WWE Attitude add on, which EVERY FUCKING GAME has had since the start of including legends back in HCTP.

More proof that WWE relies on the old guns to shill a 2012 product. I await WM 29 with glee as to what Attitude era promotion/returns it is going to have.

Unfortunately this is true. It's also an implicit recognition that their current roster is so weak they can't attract the hardcore fans to buy the game on that alone.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Also they don't realize that gamer geeks are better at making old characters and sharing them than they are.

 

[KOAB]

People actually buy these games at full price still and don't wait until they severely drop in price a few months later?

Holy shit

 

[Sabre]

I wonder what the pre order bonus will be. Probably lesnar.

 

[Danville_Wrestling]

I wonder what the pre order bonus will be. Probably lesnar.

Maybe half the moves they'll take out!

I'm with you independent. Unless I have a gift card, I always wait for sports titles to depreciate in value and then buy. I did that with NBA 2k12 and any of the other games I own (which admittedly aren't many).

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

What if they have a WWE Live feature that simulates Raw and SmackDown every Monday and Friday but it's only good for on year, like MLB 2k12?