new interview

We would especially like to Thank Ms. Helen Jones and Mr.Bryan Williams of THQ

1.) Will the Next Gen Consoles PS3 & 360 offer any new features that other current Gen consoles don't? [E.g. Custom Tracks or Downloadable Superstars, Downloadable content, etc.]

While we aren’t quite ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet, I can tell you that we definitely have some cool things planned for both the PS3 and 360. Keep checking ProGam3s.com for all the latest information!

2.) What is the major change we are going to experience in this installment of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008?

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 marks the introduction of the all-new Superstar Fighting Styles, which promise to radically alter the way in which you play the game. Also brand new to this year’s title is the Struggle Submission System, which completely revamps submission gameplay. The days of furiously mashing away on buttons to submit an opponent are long gone! In place of button mashing, all submission moves will now be controlled by the right analog stick. ECW will also be making its presence felt throughout the game. In addition to being heavily featured on the roster, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 will contain ECW arenas as well as the first ever ECW Extreme Rules Match.


3.) Are there any improvements made to the AI & Submission system? Explain.

That would be an enthusiastic yes on both accounts. The overall opponent AI has seen a significant upgrade in terms of its level of competitiveness and overall behavioral patterns. The one component of the game that has unarguably benefited the most from these AI improvements is the tag team match. As favorable as our media reviews were for last year’s WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, we were raked over the coals pretty hard about our less than intelligent AI, most notably the tag team partner AI, which, more often than not led to bouts of serious frustration and in some cases, losses. I can honestly say in good conscience that this will not be the case in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008.

In regards to the submission system, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 marks the arrival of the all-new Struggle Submission System. This new submission system will forego the use of mindless button mashing in favor of a more organic control scheme utilizing the right analog stick for applying and relieving pressure during submission hold situations. Animation will play a very large part in communicating the different states to the player, enabling us to tell a story without the use of any HUD elements. Last year, Environmental Grapples and Ultimate Control Grapples, both of which featured full analog control, were introduced into the game, and we felt that the next logical step would be to incorporate analog functionality within our submission gameplay as well.


4.) Another big question which is about the Animations & moves. Are they redone all over again?

Significant inroads have been made in terms of improving and enhancing our animation. This includes all aspects of our animation from improving blending techniques, transitional animations and basic navigational movements and of course our robust collection of bone crunching grapple moves. This is step one in our ongoing progress to radically overhaul our animation system.

5.) With the animations being re-done and 8 fighting styles being introduced will there be more moves in SVR 2008 than any other Smackdown game?

It’s true that due to the introduction of the new Superstar Fighting Styles feature and the new additions made to our roster that a lot of moves have been added to the move set.

6.) Past Smack down games had a large quantity of moves and just recently from SVR 2006 to SVR 2007 228 moves were removed and 38 were added but 190 moves go unaccounted for which is really uncalled for to have more and more moves removed when moves should be added.

Wow! I’m sure that if everyone on staff put their collective heads together you guys can up with a more productive use of your intern’s time. What poor intern was assigned that task? In all seriousness, the SmackDown vs. Raw franchise has been around since the original Sony PlayStation, making WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 the ninth iteration in the series. From the very beginning of this series our wonderful developer, Yuke’s, created each animation by hand, including the grapple moves of which you speak. As the series has progressed and evolved over the years, and so to has technology. For the past four of five years now, we’ve made a concentrated effort to make a transition away from hand-animated moves in favor of incorporating motion captured animation. As it relates to our game, motion captured animations generally appear much more realistic and natural compared to moves that have been animated by hand. Time is another factor. The amount of time it takes to create grapple moves by hand is incredibly time consuming, and with the SmackDown vs. Raw franchise being an annualized title, continuing down the path of relying on hand animation was not a feasible option. Our developers at Yuke’s can process and implement approximately 25 motion captured moves in the time it takes to create one move by hand. This is a winning situation for both our developer, who is able to implement more moves at a much faster rate, and the fans, who are treated to beautifully rendered grapple moves. As the Creative Manager on this franchise, my main responsibility is to ensure that we ship a SmackDown vs. Raw title that is representative of the WWE brand, loads of fun to play and a beauty to behold on screen. Believe me when I tell you that grapple moves aren’t pulled from the game on a whim. If a grapple move has been “removed,” it has either been replaced by a better looking animation or the grapple move in question simply wasn’t up to our stringent expectations of quality. With all that being said, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 will feature the deepest, most hard-hitting collection of wrestling moves in any wrestling title.


7.) I read in a recent article that THQ/Yuke's listen to focus groups and often quiz players on how to improve the future Smackdown games. Could you clarify which focus groups and how does one become a part of it?

From visiting message boards to conducting internal and outside focus group tests, our job as a team, on the developer and publisher side, is to give fans what they want. Long before I became a Creative Manager on this game, I was a fan myself and continue to be a huge fan. Without getting into any specifics, like any other fan of this franchise, I have a bunch of suggestions and issues that I’d like to see addressed in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. Luckily for me, I’m in a position to do something about it.

8.) Will you be able to go backstage like in some of the previous games (during a match, not backstage brawl and parking lot brawls), and if so how many backstage arenas will be available?

You’ll have to pick up the game when it’s released this fall. I don’t want to give everything away in this interview.

9.) Now as we know that the game will have 8 Different Fighting Styles and each wrestler will have different style so how would it help in the improvement of the game.

Each fighting style (Powerhouse, Technical, High Flyer, Dirty, Showman, Submission, Hardcore and Brawler) will have a special exclusive ability as well as unique abilities and properties. The Superstars on the roster will be assigned two fighting styles: a primary fighting style and a secondary style. The primary fighting style will grant the practitioner use of both the unique and exclusive special ability, while the secondary fighting style will allow the practitioner to use that style’s unique set of abilities. Each Superstar on the roster will be assigned a default combination of fighting styles, but players will be able to edit the fighting styles of both the WWE Superstars as well as their own created Superstars by visiting the game’s Create A Move-Set mode. Do you want to play as a speedy cruiserweight soaring through the air, or do you want to play as a muscle-bound powerhouse, dominating your opponents with your massive strength? Maybe you would like take after the Legend Killer, Randy Orton, and adopt a dirty style of fighting? We are giving that choice to players for the very first time in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. How do you want to play?

10.) As we all know that this Smackdown is going to have 3 brands in it, Smackdown, Raw & ECW. Approximately how many superstars are we going to see in the game?

The roster this year will be split up between the three brands, so players can look forward to mixing it up with Superstars from RAW, Smackdown and ECW. The roster will consist of approximately 50 playable WWE Superstars and Divas.

11.) What improvements will be made to the online mode?

Multiplayer, both online and offline, is an extremely important element to the game and has been chiefly responsible for the franchise’s ongoing success. With that being said, it should go without saying that WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008’s online feature set will be extremely robust and expansive. However, as much as I would like to, I can’t disclose any specifics at this point in time. It’s still early yet and we don’t want to give away all of our secrets too soon. Don’t you worry, though, as more information regarding our plans will be coming your way very shortly.


12.) What improvements are made to the current features and tell us about the new features.

The ECW Extreme Rules Match makes its historic debut in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. This isn’t simply a repackaged hardcore match, either. The ECW Extreme Rules match will be unlike any other match type in the game. The match harkens back to ECW’s original run, where the crowd was just as much a participant of the match as the actual Superstars in the ring. Players will be able to directly interact with members of the crowd sitting in the front row. The frenzied crowd will hand you weapons and will even lend assistance to bludgeoning your opponent. The match will also contain exclusive weapons that players will be able to choose before the match. That’s right ? before the match even starts, players will be able to select the weapons they would like involved in the match. Improvements have also been made to the Ultimate Control Grapple system, which we’ll be talking about later this year.

13.) GM Mode is another concern; we heard that GM-Mode and Season mode is combined. Please explain how it will work.

It was felt amongst the group that combining General Manager and Season Modes together was inevitable and was the next logical step in the evolution of both modes. Its effect on the game will only be positive, as our new WWE 24/7 Mode (the combination of General Mode and Season Mode) will be the ultimate WWE single player gaming experience yet, and I say that without any exaggeration. Players who may not have been so keen on General Manager Mode needn’t worry, as we aren’t forcing players to play as the GM nor will we force diehard GM mode players to play through the mode as a Superstar if they don’t want to. We pride ourselves on the amount of freedom and choice we provide to the players, and we aren’t looking to strip any of that away with WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008.

14.) Are you going to reduce loading screens because there are too many loading screens in the previous game and many fans have problem against it.

Yes! Fear not dear gamers, the load times will be improved significantly from last year.


15.) In conclusion what message do you have for the Fans who are reading this interview?

For anyone who was a fan of WWE programming in the booming 80s, is a current fan of WWE programming now or is a fan of good video games in general, then you owe it to yourself to pick up WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 this fall. I say this without any hubris or exaggeratory claim. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is without doubt the best in the franchise’s history. We’re going to make history with this one!

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