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Smackdown VS Raw 2009 (Some surprises :D)

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IGN: Let's get to Nintendo. Let's start with the Wii a little bit. It was something completely new for you guys last year to go first to Nintendo -- let alone the Wii -- and try to do this whole new feature set. Coming away from that, how did you guys feel the Wiimote controls kind of worked out?

 

Ledesma: You know, we were very excited. The biggest thing we were excited about was really building the Wii from the ground up. It gave us the opportunity to not just do a straight port but to come up with gameplay and controls that fit the Wii console. That was something that we consider a very big success. Of course, you know fans want every single feature under the roof in the game and they want all the bells and whistles. We want to deliver that, but our first year execution, we were just extremely happy that we got the opportunity to build from the ground up and that we were able to take advantage of the Wii remotes and nunchuks and create gameplay that was arcadey, fast and very interactive -- that used the controls very well. So, from that standpoint, we thought it was a very big success, and we were very happy about it. From the standpoint of about how many features we had in there, you know, it was a year-one game. We knew that it might be a tad feature light, but that only gave us tons of room for improvement in the future years.

 

IGN: Well, definitely. Here we are, sophomore year, what did you guys keep? What did you dump? Did you add a lot of stuff to it this year coming into SmackDown vs. Raw 2009?

 

Ledesma: Yeah, actually we're adding a ton of stuff this year. That's kind of the goal this year is to beef up the feature set so that it's comparable to the other SKUs. We want to definitely add a whole bunch of match types. The player can play more than just six or seven match types. They now have a big list of match types that they're able to play -- and not only play, but experience with the Wii controls. We didn't just want to port over match types. We really wanted to create match types from the ground up that utilized the unique Wii controls. We are planning on having matches like the cage match and the ladder match and matches like that. We're planning on using Wii controls for all of those matches -- when you climb the ladder, you can picture yourself using the Wii nunchuk and remote. When you climb the cage, you can picture yourself using those controls. Definitely beefing up the match type list was a big emphasis for us this year. We wanted to make sure that the player had a wide assortment of matches that they can enjoy using the Wii controls. So first and foremost, that was definitely our biggest improvement.

 

IGN: OK. Definitely.

 

Ledesma: We also wanted to add other modes that were not in the game such as Create-An-Entrance and stuff like that to make sure that the players were able to access all the other modes that they were used to in SmackDown vs. Raw but weren't able to enjoy on the Wii. So, you can see the rest of the feature set fill out with a lot of those same features.

 

IGN: Now, I know from the announcement that you guys were talking about interactive entrances and victory scenes. How does that work?

 

Ledesma: Yeah, we really like these features. It's just getting you one step closer to feeling like you are the Superstar. We were kind of messing around with that a little bit last year where you were able to control the taunts with the Wiimote and nunchuk and you were able to act out all the taunts. That was a ton of fun, and we really just wanted to blow that out even further. Now during the entrances, you actually control the Superstar's taunts throughout the entrance.

 

IGN: Really?

 

Ledesma: So, at the stage, you get to decide what you want to do and there's a couple different options, and each option is unique for each superstar.

 

IGN: So, this doesn't mean that if I choose Rey, I have to jump off my couch in the very beginning with my fireworks does it?

 

Ledesma: [laughing] That's what we want you to do.

 

IGN: OK.

 

Ledesma: But we really wanted to carry that over into the entrances and victory scenes. Also, you do get the feedback that the entrances are kind of just -- you watch them once or twice, you get the feel of it, and then you skip them from here on out. But for the Wii, we want you to go ahead and experience the entrances and really not skip them over and really be able to have some interactivity in there so you can control the entrances and not only that, we give you in-match rewards for how well you did during your entrance as far as pumping up the crowd.

 

IGN: Oh really. What are those?

 

Ledesma: So those are just bonuses that you get depending on how successful you were in executing your taunts. We give you momentum bonuses that will impact you in the beginning of the match.

 

IGN: Oh, interesting.

 

Ledesma: So we also wanted to add a gameplay element to it as well and not just acting out the motions but also based on your success with them we also get rewards for it in-match.

 

GN: Alright.

 

Ledesma: Basically, the player has a couple of different points throughout the entrances where they are able to take over interactive control. They also have a freestyle area on the ramp where they are able to do a lot of different motions all at once and kind of freestyle and do as many motions as they want, and we have a bunch of interactive points where you're able to take over control and execute the taunt you want.

 

IGN: Will something flash on the screen that actually lets me know that it's time to act like an idiot?

 

Ledesma: Absolutely. We have a little timer that goes off and tells you when you're able to perform your taunts and we also have a help prompt that explains to you how to perform each of the individual taunts. So just to give you some examples: Cena -- you're able to do his Marine salute on the ramp, you're able to go into the ring, you're able to grab his hat and toss it into the crowd. You're able to do cool little taunts like that. You do them all with the Wiimote or the nunchuk.

 

IGN: Great. Now, I'm looking over the fact sheet here and I'm seeing -- it's probably a typo -- but it says right under Nintendo Wii "online gameplay."

 

Ledesma: Crazy, huh?

 

IGN: Is that right? I mean, they told you you're developing for the Wii, right? Nobody wants that there.

 

Ledesma: I know, crazy.

 

IGN: How's it going to work?

 

Ledesma: We are going to take our first step into delivering online gameplay for the Wii. The feature will feature just gameplay and rankings. It won't feature anything as far as brand new features, but the player will be able to go online, battle other players across the country with the Wii game and be able to be ranked throughout. This is kind of our first stab at doing online for the Wii, and we're really excited about it. We want to have fans develop a community online and especially for the Wii because it's really starting to catch up with the other SKUs. We want to be there right at the beginning and help Nintendo develop that community.

 

IGN: Now, I know again it's so early as far as the planning phase, is this going to be something that makes use of your current Nintendo Wii friend code or are you going to need -- kind of like Super Smash Brothers Brawl -- an in-game friend code?

 

Ledesma: [laughs] Yeah, we're not detailing out everything just yet. We will in the near future, but as far as those details, we're just kind of leaving it blank for now.

 

IGN: Well, no sweat. Tell me a little bit about how Road to Wrestlemania works. Is it similar to the other ones as far as having storylines or is it completely different?

 

Ledesma: No, it's going to be very similar to the core SKU experience. We just wanted to let users know that "Hey, they're not going to be cheated out of the full story-mode experience." They're going to get the full thing on the Wii version as well. We will have some small things that are exclusive for the Wii as far as how you can utilize the controls and maybe the Wii speakers and stuff like that, but all in all, it's going to have the same stories and the same mode in both SKUs.

 

IGN: OK, what's happening on the DS? I know last year it was touch screen, swinging around, hitting everything -- is it similar to that? I know I saw some talk of the d-pad.

 

Ledesma: I'm really excited about the DS, but real quick before we jump over to that, I just want to point out one other feature on the Wii that we're excited about. I was talking about the interactive entrances, but we're doing something different on the interactive victory scenes.

 

IGN: Oh, really?

 

Ledesma: What we're doing there is after the match, after you've beaten your opponent you have a couple different options of how you kind of want to end the match -- what kind of taste you want to leave in the opponent's mouth. You have a couple different options -- you can do stuff like decide to shake his hand and tell him it was a good match or you can go ahead and beat on him a little longer with the chair or you can go ahead and knock out the referee. We're giving you a lot of different options, so now the victory scenes become an interactive moment in the game. It's not just watching some canned theme play out. You actually take over control of what you want to have happen in the victory scene. So, say you and I are playing, Greg.

 

IGN: Uh-huh.

 

Ledesma: Of course you know I whoop you like --

 

IGN: WHAT?!

 

Ledesma: And then I can choose to go ahead and smack you across the face to really just leave that bitter taste in your mouth at the end of the match. That kind of taunting and trash talking going on in the game will be alive and well on the Wii even into the victory scenes. It's something that we're really excited about, something we've had in past SmackDown games that fans really liked and were really excited for being able to do stuff after your victory scene. We think it fits the Wii perfectly because it's all interactive and you control yourself with the controls. That's just another feature I wanted to highlight.

 

IGN: No, definitely. Is that another thing that would pop up in the match as far as a prompt, or would I just know from past experience that if I waggle it this way or hit the d-pad that way that would happen?

 

Ledesma: What's really cool is that we're experimenting with a couple of different things, but you're able to free-roam/move around the ring.

 

IGN: Oh, wow.

 

Ledesma: Basically when you interact with certain elements within the ring or outside of the ring, it will trigger the opportunity for you to make a decision. So say I walk up to the referee, it will then trigger an option for me to do something with the referee.

 

IGN: I see.

 

Ledesma: If I go hop out of the ring and I go walk into a weapon, it will now let me pick up that weapon and go beat up on the guy. It's going to be context sensitive and you're going to be able to use elements of the environment to go ahead and trigger these moments.

 

IGN: Sounds great.

 

Ledesma: Yeah, it's really cool. So, now we can get back to the DS.

 

ONLINE MODE... MAH GAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWD!!!

 

And there's more:

 

IGN: This is the second time around for SmackDown! on Wii, and when I talked to you last year in Detroit for Wrestlemania 23 there was a lot that you were experimenting with. What did you learn from the first time around, and what have you taken from that first experience in creating a game from the ground up on Wii?

 

Chihaya: First of all, what we thought was important to achieve last year was the fact that our primary user was a "light user" on Wii, and we thought that translating our core game, which is of course so complex and so deep, over to the platform and these light users was a primary objective. Having done that in the first year, we look back now and see that there were things we needed to add, such as more overall strategy, and we realize that light user doesn't necessarily mean "no strategy" either. Light user of course sounds casual, but game strategy can certainly go hand in hand with that, so this time around we're trying to add even more depth and strategy into the package this year.

 

IGN: We have to say that looking even at Nintendo's titles on Wii right now, and the majority of other games on the system, there aren't many out there that are extremely motion-driven. In this situation, Yuke's has a huge amount of motion control, with even more now in the interactive entrances and finishing sequences. How is it to work so in depth with motion-driven gameplay? How does that change development from something like this compared to a more traditional gaming experience?

 

Chihaya: I think the biggest difference is that we want to put interactivity into every move, and every action in the game, whereas on the core SKU we just get the animation in there, and are done with it. As far as entrances for example, we have to look at how the user will want to play out these entrances, almost like it's an interactive toy. How do we want users to relate to it? How do we want them to control and interact and enjoy it. Taking that mentality and bringing into the game is certainly one of the most unique aspects of it.

 

IGN: Last year SvR was very focused on using just the Wii remote and four main directions, but using those in every instance. Are you incorporating nunchuk this time, or if not, how are you maximizing what you're going to get out of the Wii remote?

 

Chihaya: Yes, exactly how you mentioned (nunchuk control). One of the things we realized though is that when you're using just the Wii remote, it can be really hard for the sensor to pick up exactly what the user is doing, so what we've done is taken a series of tests and found out that it's easier for the game to pick up what you're doing if you've got both the nunchuk and Wii-mote doing the actions, so that it can check if you've done both together, one to the front and one to the side, or a varying level of motion that way. So we're getting better results doing it that way, and internally we've actually constructed a simulation environment where we can have all different types of people come in and play with the controllers, and their different play styles are all spit out onto a graph, and we can see tendencies and exactly how people play the game. We've had guys that are hardcore gamers come in, women, and even kids so that we can get data on how they use the nunchuk and Wii-mote, and then see in turn how the game is interpreting what they do. Then we've been trying to use that data and find the best control scheme that makes sense, but also the one that has the best response and makes the best feel for the game. We feel pretty confident that the game's response is much better this year, and we hope your readers will find it to be a much stronger experience because of it.

 

IGN: As a brief aside on that, how much collaboration is there with Nintendo directly on something like this? Everyone is trying to use motion in games, but your team really is using to a very high degree, and it's in an environment that is less controlled. Games like No More Heroes will ask for a motion, and then check for it. In this situation, the game is trying to watch exactly what players are doing. That is no easy process.

 

Matsubara: Regarding the motion implementation, we actually haven't been collaborating with Nintendo at all. The reason I feel that we're getting strong results is because we're basing the core gameplay on the 360 and the PS3, and then taking those designs and we've been able to port over pieces and still make it work on Wii, and really focus on the motion aspects of the game in a big way. It's not like we don't collaborate with Nintendo at all though, because we do talk with them in a big way regarding the use of Mii characters and online integration. There has been a lot of communication in that way, and there's a lot of information going back and forth in those sections.

 

IGN: I was going to bring that up, but this is a perfect transition! Our readers are wondering if we're ever going to see more Mii usage in the game, or the ability to actually climb in the ring with Mii characters and wrestle with them. Is a lighter version/mode of SmackDown using Mii characters to fight something you'd like to try out?

 

Chihaya: Well to be honest with you, we can already do that in our builds of the game internally at Yuke's, and we've all put our own Miis in to the game and when we test it out, we test it with our own Miis in there fighting. However, there are a couple of hurdles in getting that into the game. Those hurdles are both the WWE, as well as Nintendo, and both are completely legitimate. On the WWE side, does Vince McMahon want a really cute Mii fighting against the Undertaker or something like that? I'm not exactly sure. On the other side, the Mii is a very important aspect for Nintendo, and they like to monitor the way the Mii is used in Wii games, so they might not want to see a Mii getting hit over the head with a chair or something like that.

 

IGN: Well if you want to send me that copy, I'll be happy to play with it.

 

Chihaya: (laughs)

 

IGN: So moving into what was originally called Success Mode on Wii, and what is now being changed back over to Road to Wrestlemania this year to fit better with the other versions, is that something THQ wanted to do specifically, and is anything we saw in Success Mode going to stay in Wii's version of Road to Wrestlemania?

 

Matsubara: Yes, I imagine that our fans are a little stressed out that our single player experience has been changing over the last couple of years, but I think that what we've done with the Road to Wrestlemania mode this year will be closer how we really want the single player experience to be, and that's why I think it was great to have Cory announce that feature today. One of the most important objectives of the single player experience is to allow the user to experience the life of one of the WWE superstars, and with the way we've changed up the Road to Wrestlemania mode this year we'll be able to provide them with that experience. Hopefully it will be the best experience they've had thus far.

 

IGN: Will you still be using things like Mii icons and IR pointer functionality for the Wii version of Road to Wrestlemania? Any other Wii-specific options for that mode you can talk about?

 

Chihaya: For the Wii version of Road to Wrestlemania we are planning a few things that you can only do on the Wii. I can't give any specific details right now as to what they are, but I can tell you that people who buy our Wii version will have lots of special surprises to look forward to in that mode.

 

IGN: Details on Wii's online have been pretty sparse so far, but it has been confirmed. Can you tell us anything about it? Will there be random and friend matches, and is the main goal to get all the single player content and all the added matches this year into the online mode as well?

 

Matsubara: As much as possible, yes. Our goal is to get everything that's in the main game into online, but just like last year when 2008 was our first project on Wii, this year is the first online experience, so there are going to be some unforeseen hurdles that we're going to need to get though. So while the goal is to get everything in, the main goal for us is to make online for Wii as fun, as functional, and as solid as we can. First we're going to focus on making it a great core feature, and then we'll work on adding as many modes as we can.

 

IGN: As a final note, is there anything you'd like to say to WWE fans that are looking forward to your game again this year?

 

Chihaya: For me personally the thing I'm most excited about is watching what types of videos come out on YouTube for our game after it's released. This year we've added so many areas where the user can create their own content (Editor's note: In reference to create-a-finisher on 360/PS3, create-a-fighter on 360/PS3, create-a-fighter on Wii, and create-a-fighter on DS) that I really want to see how our fans play the game. More than ever now players have the opportunity to create things that even we didn't imagine were possible, so I'm asking the users to create as much as they can, and surprise us.

 

Matsubara: For me it's getting as many online features in as possible for the Wii, and making it as fun as we can. There's a huge group of Wii online players, and I really want to give them the best experience possible, and just imagining the groups of people that will be at their homes with their family gathered around and watching a match against someone else and truly enjoying the game together is really something I enjoy. That's what I want to focus on.

 

IGN: Thank you so much for your time, and we'll see you next year in Houston for Wrestlemania 25, if not sooner.

 

Both Interviews can be found here:

 

http://wii.ign.com/articles/862/862621p1.html

http://wii.ign.com/articles/863/863047p1.html

 

Well, there are good news and bad news, i like the online mode, i kinda hate the fact that we will not receive the Create a Finisher mode, who looks cool, but they're putting some good things and some Pary elements (like the Entrance), i like the fact that there will be more Modes, more Matches and not an Horrible "Season" Mode...

 

Overall, im happy, and maybe i'l buy this one :)

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Now this sounds like what i've been waiting for... if only they would make the gameplay feel more like Day of Reckoning...or better the holy grail of No Mercy (if only) then it would certainly woop some candy ass.

 

I never got SDvsRaw08 on the Wii, I figired it wouldn't be a fully realised game feature wise, and reading this and seeing what their adding that wasn't there last year is amazing.... how was there no Cage or Ladder matches? How was there no Create-an-Entrance? Holy crap.

 

But certainly gonna look forward to this after reading that, and online, THANK GOD, when this is out i hope with can set up like an N-Europe Championship, man i've got ideas flooding in.

 

Is there an estimated release date?

 

 

Oh and just for anyone who did get 2008 for the Wii... i might be tempted to get it i see a good deal on it, but just wondering... what is the CAW mode like and can you use MP3's for entrances?

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2008 is Awful for wii, bad "Season" Mode (there's no storylines, you only fight randomly), few matches, bad CAW, and no, you can't play MP3

 

But i guess this one is worth the buy :)

 

And yeah, a Tournament would be cool, and i would defeat everybody in my way :D

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sounds good, i think warzone was on a par with no mercy, both excellent games on n64

 

ever since ive been looking for a great wrestling game,

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2008 is Awful for wii, bad "Season" Mode (there's no storylines, you only fight randomly), few matches, bad CAW, and no, you can't play MP3

 

 

Ah good, now i won't get implusive in the event i spot a good pre-owned deal, cheers

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Sounds like it could be quite good. I just wish that the guy from THQ didn't sound like such a moron, the way he speaks is like a horny teenager. I didn't like the way he described using the remote in cage and ladder matches. From what he said it sounded like they wanted to make you mime a climbing action with the controller, shaking it to knock an opponent down would be feel quite natural, faux climbing with it would just feel wrong.

 

I don't know how create an enterance would work either. I wish they'd just come up with a detailed, open and entertaining story mode. Perhaps integrated into online so that their is a true virtual federation in which to fight in, but I guess we could set up our own N-Europe one anyhow.

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I think it's really sad that DOR2, a game which came out in 2005 on a weaker console, has better graphics than this still.

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i kinda hate the fact that we will not receive the Create a Finisher mode

 

Looks like I'll be getting this for the 360. :indeed:

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svr 2007 wasnt too bad (360) but they took a step backwards with svr08 so hopefully they will learn from mistakes

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Looks like I'll be getting this for the 360. :indeed:

 

Yes, if you want the Create-A-Finisher, then you would like the 260 :X

 

But, it looks shitty to me anyway, its just mixing 500 animations, i don't know, its a hit or miss, no doubt about it, lol

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Yes, if you want the Create-A-Finisher, then you would like the 260 :X

 

But, it looks shitty to me anyway, its just mixing 500 animations, i don't know, its a hit or miss, no doubt about it, lol

 

If I was to say "I wasn't expecting it to be anything like that." then I would be a lying toerag. :wink:

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The health meter in the Wii version is really bad. You cant work on your enemies body parts to weakend them. A match also ends in like 1-2 mins which havent been fixed yet since the last version.

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Kayo, you're talking about 2009 or 2008?

 

If you're talking about 2009, i guess i'l have to wait one more year before buying one Wrestling Game to the Wii :'(

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^^ me too... I find it funny that even the last gen PS2 versions are more in-depth than the Wii version.

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I'll wait for more info on this before deciding. I didn't get 2008, and from the sounds of it, that was dodging a bullet.

 

I like the idea of having control during the entrances to make gestures, and the little post match offering. If they are health bars, I hope they are not the beat em up kind, and they will be recoverable. I would like a body part style one though. I remember playing GV WWE games and loved working on a wrestler leg them making them submit.

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shocking isn't it..It's amazing that pro evo can get it right with very little ommitted yet this should be a more obvious playstyle and in it's second year is still loooking dodgy.

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Just read that the Create-A-Finisher option which is included in the PS2, PS3, PSP and Xbox 360 version, wont be on the Wii. Makes sense right?

I was mostly looking forward to this and now Yukes f'd it up again. I sometimes think that devs doing multiplats doesnt want to sell much on the Wii version by removing simple options/mods (which on the PS2, PSP) just to not make the game too good.

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do people still actually care about this series? it has been full of average games for good few years now. every year they say the A.I is gonna be excellent etc and ever year it is still a joke.

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do people still actually care about this series? it has been full of average games for good few years now. every year they say the A.I is gonna be excellent etc and ever year it is still a joke.

 

And what other wrestling game do you suggest we purchase, hmm?

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And what other wrestling game do you suggest we purchase, hmm?

 

Whatever happened to TNA iMPACT, anyway?

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And what other wrestling game do you suggest we purchase, hmm?

 

exactly, its unfortunate that they don't give the Nintendo console it's own brand anymore, Day of Reckoning was so much better than the SDvsRAW brand, just wish they'd at least make the Wii versions play more like DoR at least.

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