TNA Impact Trailer

[Godfatha]

The graphics look solid, but that's a cut scene and not real gamplay so who knows. Anyone have a release date?

Do we know that wasn't actual gameplay? It doesn't look like anything the Xbox 360 couldn't pull off in real time.

[Tarheels.]

According to the "interview" with Joe on the page, it will be on Next-Gen because he said "We're going to be pusing next gen limits with 60 frames per second" or something like that.

[VerbalPuke]

The presentation looked pretty nice, but again, that wont tell the tale of how good the game is.

The obvious question is the game play, that's the important thing. However, I'm looking beyond that for things like a good season mode. I wonder what sort of season mode will be implemented into the game? How about a CAW feature, can they make it as intricate and diverse as the Smackdown games have? Variety would be nice as well, I'm sure we'd all like to see Ultimate X and an assortment of other crazy TNA matches. How about defending belts in exhibition mode, a simple but pleasing feature.

Honestly, I'm more interested in the intagibles that this game will bring to the table.

[BATTLES]

I'm putting a lot of hope into the fact that Joe and AJ Styles seem so intent on making sure this game doesn't suck. The fact that Midway is producing it does not fill me with great confidence however. As for the trailer, I thought it captured the Impact Zone amazingly well and it looks magnificent. Even if the game sucks, it will be interesting to play something differerent (ie. 6 sided ring, playing with TNA talent.)

[Kaney]

I think the addition of a better fan interaction/chant system will be great for the game. Its definettly going to have alot of style and they plan on taking the best of TNA (X-Division, Ultimate X, Six Sides Of Steel) and putting it to good use in the game.

I really can't understand how you can be a mark for twenty seconds of footage for a game just because it's called TNA. They're planning on taking the best of TNA? So uh, they're putting gimmick matches into it?

I'll reserve proper judgement until I see more of the actual game, but I'm not impressed thus far. I hope it's good, I just haven't seen anything particularly interesting. I had no doubts prior to watching the trailer that Midway are capable of piecing together a watchable 30 second promotional clip. I want to know how well it plays. I have a feeling it'll end up more like Legends Of Wrestling than No Mercy. AJ Styles & Samoa Joe may be giving advice on the game; but seriously - they can't work miracles. They're pro wrestlers for Christ's sake. How do you expect their influence on a computer game to be anything more than nodding and making minor tweaks?

I'd heard AJ was part of the development process but when I first read it I just assumed he'd be doing mo-cap for the moves and whatnot. I really can't imagine Samoa Joe sitting down in a creative meeting helping to actually MAKE the game, but hopefully whatever input they do have helps. I'm not too bothered about the Midway factor since I was a sucker for those shitty Attitude/Warzone games, but it looks good enough. Lets hope they manage to bring the rest of the game up to scratch as well.

[bolleje]

The bad? The short video really doesn't show much...

The good? However, the things it shows do look great. I especially like it how AJ and Samoa Joe move like they really do. It's not just two guys walking the same way, it's a guy walking like AJ and one walking like Joe. Oh... and the chants are great too. Can't wait to hear 'Don't fire Eric!' :-D

What's wrong with Midway, though? Can't say I'm a big games-expert, but the only Midway-game I can think off that I played was Mortal Kombat Trilogy... and man that was great!

[Chasing Lamely]

Any word on if it'll have a season mode?

More importantly, any guarantees it's not written by Russo?

[bolleje]

Any word on if you can do intergender-bikini-matches???

just asking...

*** Dreams about Samoa Joe vs Sirenda in a bikini-match...

Edited December 14, 2006 by bolleje

[-A-]

Meh, the fact that Styles and Joe were involved in the process doesn't really assuage any of my Midway fears. It's not like a wrestling game developer has never had access to gamers, or wrestlers before - and I doubt that the addition of any two opinions really makes much difference to the game. Will be interesting to see the first actual gameplay videos, this one was absolutely pointless.

The game is supposed to be released late 2007/early 2008 to whomever asked.

Edited December 14, 2006 by Bah Hum-Judge

[zero]

I don't know why you guys keep bringing up Legends of Wrestling and Warzone/Attitude, those were Acclaim games, not Midway. My concern with Midway is that they have no history developing a real wrestling game and while they've improved in the past, a lot of their games are buggy, glitched messes.

As for Styles and Joe being on board, I think it can't be anything but good news. They play games and they can tell the developers what's right and what's wrong when it comes to the presentation of the game. Yukes nails presentation when it comes to the WWE games, and in all honesty, that's their biggest selling point. Midway needs to make a game that accurately presents the TNA product and with two top guys helping, I can't see that being a bad thing.

Edited December 14, 2006 by Zero

[Kaney]

I don't know why you guys keep bringing up Legends of Wrestling and Warzone/Attitude, those were Acclaim games, not Midway.

I never said I was perfect >_>

Yeah, I'm stupid. I just assumed it was Midway due to doc's post

[zero]

You're perfect to me, Kaney. You're perfect to me.

I was a bit dickish in the way I said it earlier, I was in a crabby mood, so I apologize. Anyway, it's a common mistake as Acclaim did many console ports of Midway arcade titles.

[DFF]

Here's a list of Midway games.

Can't wait for it to come out, just so that there's an alternative again. However, the video does suspciously remind me of WCW Mayhem (ie, very nice, flashy video - bloody annoying, fiddly game). Hope this isn't the same.

[zero]

And on the opposite side of the coin, I don't see how anyone can say this reminds them of WCW Mayhem... or any other game for that matter. It's a quick teaser, it does exactly what it's supposed to do, create a buzz for the game. You can't say if it looks good or bad though.

[Adam Ryland]

As for Styles and Joe being on board, I think it can't be anything but good news. They play games and they can tell the developers what's right and what's wrong when it comes to the presentation of the game. Yukes nails presentation when it comes to the WWE games, and in all honesty, that's their biggest selling point. Midway needs to make a game that accurately presents the TNA product and with two top guys helping, I can't see that being a bad thing.

Just guessing here, but I'd imagine that having AJ and Joe on board is merely a smart piece of PR on Midway's part - by repeatedly name dropping that two wrestlers who are likely to get a good reaction from the IWC (as oppose to Jarrett for example) are "involved", they've instantly created a positive first impression, a little bit of a buzz, and gotten some good will from fans.

I would seriously doubt that they would be playing the game and giving feedback, as by the time the product was at the stage where it's in any way playable, it'd already be quite far into the development process - they're not going to rip up the engine and start again, throwing away months of work, even if the wrestlers hated it. Similarly, I can't see them having much input into the initial design of the game either - I just can't see a company basing the entire engine around what two wrestlers, who happen to be casual gamers, say. If they were genuinely stuck for ideas, they'd go find a bunch of wrestling fans who have played lots of games and ask them. After all, AJ and Joe's actual ring skills aren't really relevant, it doesn't mean anything when it comes to game design. It's like designing Guitar Hero 3....would you really go and base your entire engine around Slash's input just because he's a legendary guitarist? Well, other than just for shit and giggles....

[zero]

I'm certainly not saying that Joe and Styles are sitting in a board room drawing up plans for the game engine, but I can certainly see them acting as a voice of people who play wrestling games. I'm sure they've said something to the extent of "more No Mercy, less Backyard Wrestling and Legends of Wrestling." The fact that AJ Styles said in an interview with IGN that he "hasn't like a wrestling game since N64," would lead me to believe that's the direction the game is going. All I'm saying is these guys can be there when it comes to the presentation aspect and knowing what the fans would like to see in the game. I understand they're just consultants, but their ideas could be a difference maker.

[Adam Ryland]

Oh, I understand that - I wouldn't be surprised if they did throw in a few suggestions if asked. All I'm saying is that if you look at it logically, all the signs are that it's primarily a publicity move. If they wanted a "voice of the fans", there's no reason to pick either of those two (other than for publicity reasons), because they'd have a far easier time actually getting a regular fan. Just basic logistics backs that up - as wrestlers, they're probably travelling a lot of the time, so they're hardly going to be popping in to see the development team, or anything like that. Whereas it'd be far easier to just hire a few fans to come in for a few days, pick their brains, and then continue.

I'm not trying to crap on this or anything, I hope this does turn out to be a good game, I was just trying to point out that it's probably not worth putting too much faith in "Joe and AJ are involved, so it's got to be good" line of thought, as it's far far more likely that they've had minimal input than they've played a major role. That's just my two cents, based on some logic and some understanding of how games are made.

[zero]

Oh definitely agreed on the publicity stunt part, but that's good as well. Creating a buzz not only will help generate some competition in the wrestling video game market, but the wrestling market itself as well. And I didn't mean that them being involved meant the game would be good, I just meant it would certainly do more good than harm.

[Herr Matzat]

The graphics look solid, but that's a cut scene and not real gamplay so who knows. Anyone have a release date?

Do we know that wasn't actual gameplay?

Edited December 15, 2006 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[Guest We Are Robots]

That list of games does not fill me with confidence for the quality of this title, although the games that I have played that are good are those aracdey sports titles, so maybe they'll pull it off. I'll definately be reading reviews before I touch it, though.