Smackdown vs Raw 2010: It's Your World Now

[Hutch2004]

Would have thought there'd be a thread for this already. Here we go.

As noted earlier this week, WWE’s SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 has officially been announced. Here’s the full announcement from THQ that was sent to us:

WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 Prepares to Enter the Virtual Ring

John Cena®, Undertaker®, Randy Orton®, Edge® and Rey Mysterio® to Be Featured on Front Cover of Best-Selling Fighting Videogame Franchise

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) today announced that WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™. Joining the prominent World Wrestling Entertainment® roster of WWE SmackDown/SmackDown vs. Raw licensed videogames, which have shipped more than 47 million units worldwide since 1999, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is scheduled for release in Fall 2009.

In addition, five World Wrestling Entertainment® Superstars will be featured on the cover of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010. John Cena®, Undertaker®, Randy Orton®, Edge® and Rey Mysterio® will headline the new game, which promises to deliver player freedom never before experienced in the SmackDown vs. Raw franchise. More information about WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 will be unveiled surrounding SummerSlam®, live on pay-per-view August 23, 2009 from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

“John Cena, Undertaker, Randy Orton, Edge and Rey Mysterio are incredible WWE Superstars who represent the athleticism, creativity, individuality and strength of today’s live WWE programming,” said Brian Coleman, vice president, global brand management, THQ. “These powerful traits symbolize our vision to give players extensive creative freedom and make WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 the most authentic, entertaining and compelling simulation of live WWE programming to date.”

“The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw titles keep getting better and better, and we are honored to have such incredible classic Superstars as John Cena, Undertaker, Randy Orton, Edge and Rey Mysterio on the front cover of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 for all platforms,” said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. “Their intensity and commitment to wrestling excellence epitomize the spirit of this year’s videogame.”

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 will be supported through a look at SmackDown vs. Raw franchise history at E3 2009 in the THQ booth – number 5300 in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition, WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston™ is scheduled to sign autographs on Tuesday, June 2 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., while WWE Superstar John Morrison™ is scheduled to sign autographs on Wednesday, June 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

More information about the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw videogame franchise can be found at www.smackdownvsraw.com and www.thq.com.

So, the rumour is the "This is your world" tag line the game has been given means that the entire game is fully customisable. That's the rumour, though no solid information just yet. There's supposed to be a THQ interview at some point today giving a few more details, however.

EDIT: Here's the teaser trailer unveiled at E3. Not really anything interesting, no information at all really. E3 Teaser

Edited June 5, 2009 by Hutch2004

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

“The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw titles keep getting better and better,

[Hutch2004]

Well, the last one was definately better than the one before it. So..... that's.... sort of true.

[TCO]

To be fair 08 was so bad it wasn't hard to top it. The 24/7 mode that year was the worst version of the seaon/story mode in the entire series and the fihting styles wer flawed and over implemented.

[oldskool]

Why do I have the defeatist attitude that "It's your world now" is just tying into the new "WWE Universe" name for the fanbase?

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Until the point where I can customise it to the point where it plays like a WWE style version of Fire Pro Wrestling Returns, then I doubt this will interest me any longer than last years game, which was a week or two tops.

Though the potential for you to fully customise any match you want (I.E mix stipulations and rules to create match types) could be a big hook if they include such a feature.

Edited June 5, 2009 by T'Angelo Barksdale

[Hutch2004]

I'm hoping that's roughly what it'll be. Although actually, I'm almost certain the "It's your world now" is just the return of GM mode, or some form of it.

I'd love the ability to actually customise everything, be able to "design" my own arenas, my own titantron videos etc. Of course all the fanboys are ranting and raving about how it must mean wrestlers attires are changeable, which is obviously near enough impossible.

I'm unsure how the game could get any MORE customisable. In the last game we could alter movesets, entrances, custom music, rosters, stables, heel/face dynamic/create a finisher etc. I struggle to see what else it could add.

Sure it's just a "new" version of GM mode, in which case, colour me underwhelmed.

[Darnez FC Forever]

I'm hoping that's roughly what it'll be. Although actually, I'm almost certain the "It's your world now" is just the return of GM mode, or some form of it.

I'd love the ability to actually customise everything, be able to "design" my own arenas, my own titantron videos etc. Of course all the fanboys are ranting and raving about how it must mean wrestlers attires are changeable, which is obviously near enough impossible.

I'm unsure how the game could get any MORE customisable. In the last game we could alter movesets, entrances, custom music, rosters, stables, heel/face dynamic/create a finisher etc. I struggle to see what else it could add.

Sure it's just a "new" version of GM mode, in which case, colour me underwhelmed.

It was pretty easy in the Nintendo 64 Wrestling games.

[Dr. Rated-R]

I'm hoping that's roughly what it'll be. Although actually, I'm almost certain the "It's your world now" is just the return of GM mode, or some form of it.

I'd love the ability to actually customise everything, be able to "design" my own arenas, my own titantron videos etc. Of course all the fanboys are ranting and raving about how it must mean wrestlers attires are changeable, which is obviously near enough impossible.

I'm unsure how the game could get any MORE customisable. In the last game we could alter movesets, entrances, custom music, rosters, stables, heel/face dynamic/create a finisher etc. I struggle to see what else it could add.

Sure it's just a "new" version of GM mode, in which case, colour me underwhelmed.

It was pretty easy in the Nintendo 64 Wrestling games.

Which used extremely low resolution textures atop extremely low resolution models.

Christ, that press release said a whole lot of nothing. Either way, I'm excited to hear more. 2009 was easily the best WWE game since Day of Reckoning, IMO.

[Darnez FC Forever]

I'm hoping that's roughly what it'll be. Although actually, I'm almost certain the "It's your world now" is just the return of GM mode, or some form of it.

I'd love the ability to actually customise everything, be able to "design" my own arenas, my own titantron videos etc. Of course all the fanboys are ranting and raving about how it must mean wrestlers attires are changeable, which is obviously near enough impossible.

I'm unsure how the game could get any MORE customisable. In the last game we could alter movesets, entrances, custom music, rosters, stables, heel/face dynamic/create a finisher etc. I struggle to see what else it could add.

Sure it's just a "new" version of GM mode, in which case, colour me underwhelmed.

It was pretty easy in the Nintendo 64 Wrestling games.

Which used extremely low resolution textures atop extremely low resolution models.

Christ, that press release said a whole lot of nothing. Either way, I'm excited to hear more. 2009 was easily the best WWE game since Day of Reckoning, IMO.

Still, can't be too hard to place all wrestler attires in Create-A-Wrestler and then allow the changing of said attires.

[Adam]

Well, they managed to give damn near every wrestler an alternate attire in SYM, which was for PS2 and came out in late 2002. Of course the character models have improved no end since then.

If this game really is gonna be 'fully customisable', I might just be picking it up. Being able to mix it up and change the details of the game has always been a huge appeal for me.

[Fudge]

They better change that fucking camera outside the ring.

[ZJ Penn]

I think I missed it in the press release, are John Cena®, Undertaker®, Randy Orton®, Edge® and Rey Mysterio® going to be on the cover?

[Dr. Rated-R]

I'm hoping that's roughly what it'll be. Although actually, I'm almost certain the "It's your world now" is just the return of GM mode, or some form of it.

I'd love the ability to actually customise everything, be able to "design" my own arenas, my own titantron videos etc. Of course all the fanboys are ranting and raving about how it must mean wrestlers attires are changeable, which is obviously near enough impossible.

I'm unsure how the game could get any MORE customisable. In the last game we could alter movesets, entrances, custom music, rosters, stables, heel/face dynamic/create a finisher etc. I struggle to see what else it could add.

Sure it's just a "new" version of GM mode, in which case, colour me underwhelmed.

It was pretty easy in the Nintendo 64 Wrestling games.

Which used extremely low resolution textures atop extremely low resolution models.

Christ, that press release said a whole lot of nothing. Either way, I'm excited to hear more. 2009 was easily the best WWE game since Day of Reckoning, IMO.

Still, can't be too hard to place all wrestler attires in Create-A-Wrestler and then allow the changing of said attires.

You have to consider, though, that the wrestler's models are more than just "attires" now. In No Mercy and the like, you had a few size models and a bunch of clothes to put on them. If you stripped them all down to nothing, every wrestler looked the same. In the more modern games, little things like the freaky, bacon-esque muscle veins on Batista's arm, or Big Daddy V's ample mantitties, are applied to the individual models. Because of the tiny details like that, the wrestlers look as close to perfect as possible, but it also makes rendering custom attires for individual wrestlers an implausible, if not impossible, task.

I don't really see the point of an attire editor, to be honest. A more realistic alternative would be multiple preset attires for workers. You usually get a few here and there, but I'd like to see everybody get two attires. Two pre-rendered, nice looking alternate attires would be a hell of a lot better than anything an attire editor could create, with the possible exception of, say, Kane in Kelly Kelly's attire or other shenanigans.

[Scott McFly]

I think I missed it in the press release, are John Cena®, Undertaker®, Randy Orton®, Edge® and Rey Mysterio® going to be on the cover?

Yep, the cover of WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I hope this year they take away William Regal's sixpack, Chris Jericho's taut muscles and all the other ridiculous bodily "over muscling" which ruins all the attempts at making everything look "real".

Flat bellied Finlay?! Lost me right there lads.

[Hutch2004]

Didn't THQ say they made everyone look extra muscle-y because that's how WWE and the wrestlers themselves wanted to look in-game? I'd rather it be photo-realistic too, but don't count on it!

Extra attires would be damn near impossible with the models they use now, they're just too complex. But I agree, two attires for every wrestler would be great. Decent attires as well, not zombie Finlay and Santino or a Chris Jericho costume he hasn't used in five years.

[Cactus Drags]

Extra attires are certainly not impossible. Giving users the ability to create their own is probably a little far-fetched, but there's absolutely no reason why every guy on the roster shouldn't have 2-4 alternate attires. Hell, I'd be happy with even a palette swap for some of them.

[TKz]

Is it too optimistic to hope that they're changing up the gameplay? I'd love a system more like UFC: Undisputed in terms of movement.

[zero]

Saying anything is "impossible" when it could be done ten years ago is just lazy... which isn't surprising since we're talking about a THQ-produced game. It can be done, they just won't go through the headache of doing it since they know they can get away with shitting out a yearly roster update, removing some features, adding shit we never asked for and then call it a day. Obviously the games are more complex now, but so is the hardware and if I'm throwing down $400 on a console and $60 on a game, they need to fucking figure out how to give me something that's better than what I played in 1999.

I'm done excusing this franchise, every year I get my hopes up and every year I get a game that's fun to play for a week and then it just feels like I'm playing the same match over and over. I hope after sales of SvR09 tanked, THQ's finally starting to realize they need to do something to rejuvenate this dead franchise. Well, what I'm really hoping is that this is their last year with the license and WWE takes their business elsewhere for the 2011 game.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Zero