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- WWE 2K14 Preview (Operation Sports)
2K Sports unveiled their inaugural effort at professional wrestling in WWE 2K14 after acquiring the WWE license during the THQ liquidation earlier this year. 2K has retained Yukes as part of the development of the game and the transition in publishers appears to have went smoothly as the game feels better than ever.
Of course the big reveal was that, for the first time in the Smackdown/Smackdown vs. Raw/WWE series, the Ultimate Warrior will be a playable member of the roster. The details are that the Warrior will be available by preorder only. This is a big deal to fans of the series as he's always one of the first made create a characters you see going into the Community Creations. The Warrior will be sporting his Wrestlemania 6 outfit with the face paint on his chest, big hair and trademarked tassels around his arms.
I spoke to the Ultimate Warrior about how he felt about being in the game finally, he stated "I just want people to have fun with the game, when you sit down you're just there to have fun".
I also had to ask Warrior how he managed so much energy throughout his career, he replied "I remember feeling that way, I always got spooked on because I would look drained by the end of the match, some would say even by the time I got to the ring. I gave that much, I would challenge myself, telling my heart, go ahead *Explicative* explode. That's what people want to do to be the best at something".
It was an interesting interview to say the least, but he's fired up about adults and kids of all ages to be able to use him in the game.
The match pacing is a big deal to the series. New this year to change up the pacing is that the strike animations are now faster, which allows you to pull of combos better and the moves themselves look smoother throughout a match. The strikes also are more difficult to counter, but cause less damage than a normal move would.
The reversal system has also been refined, in the past games in the WWE series you would reverse a move into another reversal, it felt stiff and sometimes not as much fun. That old pacing has been changed to when you do a reversal, it's straight into a move. It looks and feels so much better than the old system and gives reversals a reward for pulling it off.
Comebacks have been changed around some as well, where last year they were a set of signature moves for a wrestler, this year they tie in the actual signature and finisher of the wrestler performing the comeback move. This new dynamic adds to the comeback series of moves.
Also added are catapult finishers, which are similar to the catch finishers of last year (which still also remain in the game) but now you can do them on offensive side instead of the defensive side. I did both The Rock's and Shawn Michaels' catapult finishers, which look incredible. They are very easy to pull off, pressing LB/L1 then pressing Y/Triangle while they are in the air. There are 10 new ones, and everyone who had a catch finisher last year has a catapult finisher this year. This new addition will come in handy when you know your opponent has a finisher stored as they will have to think twice about just barreling after you.
The OMG moves, which was a big inclusion last year, has also been updated. Seven new OMG moves were added, including character specific ones. We were shown the DDT on the ring apron, ring post boot from the outside and a character specific on in John Cena performing a two wrestler Attitude Adjustment which leads to both wrestlers taking significant damage. As seen in the first trailer, Ryback can do a double shellshock. Also, we were told that a double choke slam is in the game as well.
The new OMG moments will be further revealed as we get closer to launch.
There are many little things which have been refined and updated by the team at 2K as well, not the least of which was animation quality, match feel/speed, and the in game navigation system. The navigation system isn’t touched, but the actual navigation of the individual wrestlers was and it’s much improved.
One of the little changes I saw is there is now a hesitation to running instead of immediately entering into a full sprint. Other things I noticed are animations look better, and wrestlers will now fidget (grab their wrist tape, mini-taunt, or motion to the opponent) through a match.
You can see some of the influence a game NBA 2K has on the series with the little additions that have already been put into the game. WWE Designer Cory Ledesma mentioned that the team took several cues from another 2K title stating, “We (WWE team) very much pay attention to a game like NBA 2K to get ideas for the little things".
The playable roster at the preview event included the coverman for WWE 2K14, The Rock as well as Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Steve Austin, Randy Savage, and the Pre-Order bonus, Ultimate Warrior. After trying all of them, I noticed new nuances with each one, including the OMG and Comeback moments mentioned above.
One word which kept coming from Cory Ledesma and the Ultimate Warrior which rang true throughout the presentation and interviews was "fun". They are striving for a true to life presentation of a WWE event, but keeping it fun for the player as well. From the demo we saw at the preview event, 2K has succeeded at that so far.
WWE 2K14 releases October 29th on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, and The Ultimate Warrior is only available as a pre-order bonus on both platforms.
- WWE 2K14: A Taste of Immortality (IGN)
Ultimate Warrior returns to WWE... sort of!
The “Immortal” Ultimate Warrior, one of the most iconic and legendary wrestlers of all time, has returned to the storied saga of WWE - at least in video game form. Despite that, Warrior remains vague on what else his future holds. Will he return to WWE TV programming? Would he accept entry into WWE’s Hall of Fame? Many answers will only be provided in time. Perhaps it’s fitting that the same could be said about WWE 2K14. After playing basic matches for a couple hours, I have a better sense of how this iteration of the Yukes (and former THQ) franchise will fundamentally play, but no details on new modes, match types or other sweeping changes the developer might be plotting.
The impossible has become possible.
As anyone might expect from an annualized franchise, WWE 2K14 doesn’t shake up its core formula too much. This is the same light-and-heavy grapple system revised and re-introduced in WWE ’12, and works with a slower, simulation gameplay style that focuses on limb-specific targeting and true-to-life emulation versus more ‘arcade-like’ play.
In fact, only one change made this time around significantly affects the tone and feel of the game. The game’s designers have made some very smart alterations to the reversal system. Attacks now reverse into other attacks, instead of non-offensive holds, pushing a fight along rather than giving an opponent a chance to escape or overcome your counter. As fun as some of the ‘back-and-forth’ countering could be, that kind of exchange could easily consume a match, turning something clever into something dull and drawn-out. Reversing an opponent still transitioning into an actual attack will still result in your character moving into a similar transitionary state, which is very much like the product we all see on TV. It sounds small, but the overall pacing of a match is significantly improved as a result.
Now THAT is a coat.
A few more adjustments have been made to affect the pacing and play of a match. Wrestlers now move slightly faster, with more fluid movement animations, and a running speed that accelerates across the length of a ring. Melee strikes also execute with a bit more speed. It’s all a bit subtle, but does allow for an increased match tempo. There’s a fine line somewhere in here between what has traditionally defined wrestling simulation and something better defined as a more accessible arcade/action game. So far 2K14 feels like it’s finding a sweet spot, but rookies rapidly firing off punches and kicks might find their clunky tactics more effective this time around.
As always, new moves and options for combat are being added to the game. ‘Catch Finishers’ are being expanded (ten have been added so far), and can now be used offensively - toss an opponent to the ropes (or wait for them to run at you), shove them into the air, and hook them with a finishing move like the Rock Bottom. Environmental ‘OMG’ moments will also return, expanded by seven, including situations that are exclusive to specific characters and others that can be executed by anyone. During my play time I saw a wrestler pull off a brutal DDT on the edge of the ring apron, and another Superstar kick his opponent’s head into a ring post. There are even scenarios where you can assault more than one opponent - Attitude Adjustments, Shell Shocks and Chokeslams can now be executed on two enemies simultaneously.
'OMG' moments are certainly becoming brutal.
Warrior aside, 2K has confirmed six Superstars for this year’s game: ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, John Cena, The Rock, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Dolph Ziggler. Traditionally WWE games have their rosters confirmed just prior to August’s Summerslam preview - we’ll see what details are in store for us in the imminent future. Only basic one-on-one and Triple Threat match types were demonstrated, and arena selection was incredibly limited as well. In short - most of the fine print many hardcore WWE fans crave has been purposefully hidden... for now.
The good news so far - fundamentally this is the strong style of gameplay we have seen developed and finessed over the past couple years. The bad news - we literally know nothing else about the game. Do the folks at 2K and Yukes have a single-player mode that matches last year’s excellent Attitude Era creation? Will major changes be made to Universe Mode or the Creative Suite? We’ll have to wait and see. For now, 2K14 isn’t revamping too much. Provided other areas of the game hold up, that’s actually fine by us.
- First Hands-On Reveals Polish And Speed For Wrestling's Finest (Game Informer)
Yesterday, we shared surprising and exciting information about the inclusion of Ultimate Warrior in WWE 2K14. For the first time in the history of the Smackdown/Smackdown vs. RAW/WWE series, this electrifying personality will enter the ring. At a preview event in New York City, I also got to talk to the man himself about what this means for him and for the series.
Before I sat down with the legend, I was given access to multiplayer matches with a small selection of superstars. Included in the limited roster are The Rock, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and Ultimate Warrior. Even though WWE 2K14 looks similar to last year's release under THQ, matches feel smoother and faster.
Senior gameplay designer Bryan Williams told me that the over 200 animations have been rebuilt from the ground up for a more fluid feel. For instance, superstars now accelerate into a run rather than going from standing to full speed instantaneously. Strikes have been sped up to make them the fastest moves of the game, whereas some grapples could beat punches and kicks in previous years. This also makes them harder to counter.
Small "fidgets" have been added to idle animations to create a more lifelike impression, which goes along well with the less robotic movements. Short taunts, attire adjustments, and other minute gestures add color and texture to the on-screen action.
Reversals have also seen a major overhaul. Instead of possibly endless chains of counters that swap priority back and forth, successful reversals now immediately transition into moves. This makes for fewer disruptions in the action and more evenly paced bouts.
The tweaks and polishes are joined by advancements in features introduced last year. "Catch Finishers," which could only be activated while on the receiving end of an Irish whip or when an opponent leapt from the top rope, now allow players to catapult an opponent into the air offensively. I tested this out with Shawn Michaels, landing a Sweet Chin Music as Steve Austin dropped toward the mat. This makes running toward a foe who has a stored finisher especially risky. Ten of these have been added for 2K14.
Last year's "OMG! Moments" have been reinforced with seven new examples of brutality. For instance, outside the ring, players can be positioned near the post. Using a stored finisher will launch your character into the groggy superstar, sandwiching his head between a foot and the unpadded metal.
In triple threat matches (or other multi-superstar bouts), some superstars can use a single stored finisher to inflict huge damage on two opponents. We were shown John Cena performing a double Attitude Adjustment. Not only does this make economical use of the most powerful moves in the game, but it creates a critical window to pin one foe while the other is struggling to recover. Other examples include Ryback's double Shellshock and a Double Chokeslam for some big men.
Comebacks have been revamped, and instead of lengthy windups and chains of more mundane moves, they are now linked signature moves ending in a finisher requiring only two button presses mid-execution. These are some of the most visually stunning moments I saw, and I can't wait to see more of the roster in action.
I asked Williams how it was working with 2K Sports after so many years of publishing under THQ (he has been working on the series for a decade). "Honestly, my day to day hasn't changed at all," he told me. "But 2K is pushing us in all the right ways. They've spared no expense. They wanted to be in business with WWE and with us."
After chatting with the team and playing the gameplay slice, which had the trappings of a traditional demo (something the series hasn't seen in years), I was shown into a room to speak with Warrior. In our 15 minute conversation, we chatted about his appearance in the series and what it means for his beloved character to return to the fold.
"The video game thing is humbling to think that what I did back then, the character, still makes an impression on people," he said. "It's a rocking character, man. It's a comic book character. It's over the top and serious and cryptic and misunderstood and goofy and wild."
He hasn't played the game before, but he still recognizes the significance of his inclusion in WWE 2K14 and is grateful for the fan support. He continues to be a consummate performer, and his primary concern is the enjoyment of those that are engaged with the Warrior character. "I want people to have fun with the game," he told me. "When you sit down to play the game, you're just there to have fun and get caught up in something. It's ok to have a fantasy or day dream."
WWE 2K14 arrives on October 29, 2013, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The Ultimate Warrior character is available for those that pre-order.
- WWE 2K14's transition from THQ to 2K has had limited effects so far (Polygon)
This year's WWE game, WWE 2K14, could have been a casualty of THQ's bankruptcy filing last December.
But instead of going through the drawn-out bankruptcy auction process — like Deep Silver's Metro: Last Light, Ubisoft's South Park: The Stick of Truth and many other titles formerly owned by THQ — the WWE license was handled separately, which allowed development of WWE 2K14 to stay on schedule. And from what we played yesterday, 2K Sports is right on track to deliver a game that will offer the usual iterative improvements, even if it doesn't evince the new publisher's influence just yet.
According to representatives for 2K Sports, our first hands-on session with WWE 2K14 was meant to give us a taste of the gameplay tweaks that Japan-based developer Yuke's is making this year. "Tweak" is the appropriate word, since most of the changes we noticed are subtle; the minor alterations carry over the vision that the now-defunct THQ laid out with WWE '13 last October.
Reviewers and fans criticized WWE titles in previous years for their plodding pace, stiff animations and molasses-slow wrestler movement, which made for games that didn't deliver the look or uptempo feel of a real wrestling match. Yuke's ratcheted up the perception of speed last year with a new reversal mechanic and revised, broadcast-style presentation elements such as camera cuts that showcased moves.
The studio is continuing along those lines in WWE 2K14 with new animations that make the characters look more lifelike. There's actually an acceleration to the run animation this year, so your wrestler won't immediately go from a standstill to a sprint when you pull the left trigger. Wrestlers also have small idle animations, like adjusting a wristband, that are meant to lend them some more humanity. Strikes such as punches are now the fastest attacks in the game, and rightfully so — it didn't make sense that they could be beaten by grapples in previous WWE games.
Reversals were the biggest change Yuke's made last year, an addition to the series that turned out to be a double-edged sword. The reversal animations provided much-needed fluidity in WWE '13, and created back-and-forth reversal contests that turned matches into thrilling affairs. But that seesaw battle caused frustrations for both hardcore and casual players, according to WWE franchise creative director Cory Ledesma.
"The hardcore guys," said Ledesma in an interview with Polygon, "they [knew] the timing so well in the reversal [that] they would just go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth." Two skilled players could get locked in a long chain of reversals, which was problematic because they'd see the same reversal animations repeated and because the sequence would kill the pacing in a match. Casual players, on the other hand, were always at a disadvantage against more experienced players and even the WWE '13 AI, both of which could easily reverse their reversals.
WWE 2K14 still features reversals, but in most cases, the chain ends at one: You reverse an attack, and it goes directly into a move. Certain moves, such as transitioning between positions during a grapple, will open up possibilities for back-and-forth reversals. But much of the excitement this year comes from spectacular new animations for catching airborne or running opponents in finishers. These are superstar-specific moves, like catapulting an opponent into the air after an Irish whip and catching them in The Rock's Rock Bottom or John Cena's Attitude Adjustment.
We played two one-on-one matches of WWE 2K14 and a Triple Threat match with one AI opponent, and immediately noticed that reversals don't dominate the flow of a match quite as much as they did in WWE '13. Ledesma also pointed out that this improves online play, because reversals are difficult enough to time properly before network latency is factored in; the developers have also baked in the ability for them to fine-tune the timing windows, which will allow them to account for lag if it's a problem after launch.
The developers never stopped working on WWE 2K14
While reversals are less important this year, we saw a higher prevalence of double-team moves in the three-player match; those moves happen organically, without any special prompts, which makes it even more impressive when combatants actually manage to pull them off. The quick strikes also change things up because they're tough to reverse, so they allow one wrestler to actually put together a sustained stretch of attacks, which is something you'd see in a real match.
But we didn't catch any massive changes in the ring; at this point, WWE 2K14 plays like an evolved version of its immediate predecessor. In that light, it would be easy to assume that THQ's bankruptcy proceedings threw a wrench into the game's development cycle. But according to Ledesma, that's not the case.
"Amazingly enough, we worked throughout that whole time," said Ledesma. "I think maybe we were only down half a day as we moved offices, or something like that; it was a really, really seamless transition."
Ledesma explained that he and the old THQ Fight Team, the franchise's Los Angeles-based production staff, felt an obligation to keep working on this year's game and let the chips fall where they may. (Take-Two announced in February that it had signed an exclusive five-year licensing agreement with WWE.)
"We felt a commitment to ourselves to continue to work on the game"
"We've obviously been working together as a team for a very long time, so we felt a commitment to ourselves to continue to work on the game and to make sure the quality stands up. We knew that the game was going to get done; it was just a matter of [waiting for] the situation to unfold and to finalize itself," said Ledesma. "And we knew that it wasn't going to take a very long time, and it was a very quick transition, and so we wanted to make sure that production didn't stop because it can be very detrimental, obviously — even just missing a week, how much that impacts the schedule."
As for 2K Sports' impact on the series, Ledesma said it will "start to manifest itself this year and then just steamroll every year after that," but acknowledged that "it takes a while to finally start to get wholesale changes into the game." And in response to a question about some fans being disappointed that 2K kept Yuke's on instead of bringing in a new studio, he noted that the developers are thrilled to be working under 2K because it's clear that the company is "fully behind" the WWE series — which wasn't necessarily the case before.
"I don't want to get too much into what happened at THQ or to, kind of, stomp on that grave too much," Ledesma began. "But of course, you've always got to fully support a product in order for it to reach its potential, and I think that just maybe wasn't happening [at THQ] as much as it should be.
"And so I think everyone looks at the new setup as an opportunity to really fully meet [the franchise's] potential."
Ledesma also pointed out if 2K had dropped Yuke's — and the studio's accumulated years of work on the series — shipping a game this year would have been highly unlikely.
"It's a really challenging thing for a developer to do, and I don't think people will ever appreciate it until the day comes when there isn't a wrestling game, or someone has to start from scratch," he said.
With 2K Sports serving as the new sheriff in town, some fans are likely expecting a lot, while others may be content with a game that maintains the status quo. And it's possible that the publisher is saving major changes for the franchise's next-generation debut, which appears to be scheduled for 2014. Yuke's struck a chord with the Attitude Era mode in WWE '13, and it remains to be seen whether the studio can deliver something as fresh this year.
WWE 2K14 will be released Oct. 29 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
- An Ultimate Revelation for WWE 2K14 (Gamespot)
Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro steps into 2K's virtual squared circle to get its take on the WWE universe and some of its legends.
Growing up, the Ultimate Warrior was one of the first wrestlers I ever gravitated toward. I came in to the WWF's '80s boom a bit late, so by the time I was watching with any regularity, the Warrior had already arrived on the scene and begun ascending toward the federation's upper echelon. I loved the character for his insane, nonsensical promos, which often sounded more like the threatening ramblings of a genuine psychopath than a wrestling promo. In the ring, he was fast, absurdly powerful, and wildly unconventional. For a hyperactive 10-year-old kid, he was basically the best thing.
Flash forward 21 years, and I'm standing in a hotel conference room in New York City, watching a demonstration of WWE 2K14, the latest game in what used to be THQ's long-standing wrestling game franchise, and the first under the banner of new publisher 2K Games. Before the demo, we were told that the Warrior would be making an appearance both in the game--a first for this particular lineage of games--and in the room. The Warrior's history since that period between the '80s and early '90s is a murky and often troubled one, marked largely by spats with WWE and WCW management, as well as some controversial comments out of the ring. I didn't really know what to expect when presented with the man I briefly idolized as a kid, who was now in his early 50s and long removed from any interest in the wrestling industry. When he did finally make his way into the room to say a few scattered words thanking the developers--as well as us writers for "doing what we do"--I was confronted with both a decidedly less imposing image of a man neither as large nor as threatening as the screaming, wild-haired creature portrayed in the video game, and the still-intimidating presence of a man who may have been the most intense personality I've ever found myself sitting across from for any length of time.
If I'm harping on the Warrior aspect of 2K's first showing of WWE 2K14, that's because he was by far the most central element of the presentation. The demo we were allowed to have hands-on time with featured only a couple of match types and seven wrestlers (which also included Stone Cold Steve Austin, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and the game's cover athlete, the Rock). Longtime series head Cory Ledesma walked us through some of the new mechanics and tweaks featured in 2K14. Among them, animations have been changed to make character movement look decidedly less robotic when walking and running; the OMG! moments--finisher-type environmental moves that debuted last year--have been expanded upon to add several more, including a few character-specific ones, such as Ryback performing the Shell Shocked on two opponents at the same time; lifting finishers have been added for a variety of different wrestlers, meaning you can now toss opponents into the air and land an Attitude Adjustment, or Rock Bottom, or Sweet Chin Music with even more fanciness; and reversals, which could often devolve into long strings of repeated grapple moves in last year's game, have been fixed to allow for better in-game pacing.
Those changes are all good ones, by the way, especially the reversals. Now when reversing a move, you have the option to go into another grapple position, as you could before, or just hit a quick move like an arm drag or Russian leg sweep. "Real" WWE matches don't tend to get bogged down with people switching positions constantly, and this new system allows for a quicker pace more befitting of the televised product. Strikes have also been sped up, making them more difficult to reverse effectively. If anything, they were maybe a bit too fast in the early build I got to play, but not unbearably so.
But while each of those changes does something to noticeably build off last year's game--which was the best in the series in quite some time--none of what was shown yesterday offered up an all-encompassing, immediately exciting talking point like WWE 13's Attitude Era tributes. Granted, 2K's team is a ways away from showing off everything the game has to offer, and many more wrestlers and modes have yet to debut. Plus, you have to consider the turmoil the developers and producers of the game went through earlier this year, as the license (and related employment) was handed between their bankrupt former publisher and their new home at 2K. For their part, both Ledesma and senior game designer Bryan Williams seemed pretty excited about where they ended up. Both remarked that really none of what was planned for 2K14 prior to the changeover had to be adjusted to changed. "I was technically 'out of work' for like a week," said Williams. "It slowed things, but once we were back on the horse, and built that momentum back up that we had before the work stoppage, it's been full-go ever since."
The WWE games have featured plenty of classic wrestlers before, but outside of an appearance in WWE All-Stars, Warrior has never been in anything modern.
That's certainly encouraging news for fans who worried the changeover might have negatively impacted the positive momentum the series has enjoyed in the last couple of installments. And in playing 2K14, it's safe to say that those who enjoyed last year's gameplay will like the changes made here. But again, the demo was scant in features, and in absence of a big, marquee feature to show, the load was put on the debut of the Warrior. The WWE games have featured plenty of classic wrestlers before, but outside of an appearance in WWE All-Stars, Warrior has never been in anything modern. So of course 2K would want to trumpet the man's arrival, even if by doing so, they left themselves in the awkward position of having video game writers try to ask questions of a man who neither cares much for video games (he very quickly noted in his brief speech that he'd never played a single one), nor seemed particularly interested in talking about wrestling. My attempt to interview him (which you can listen to here) resulted in 10 minutes of rambling, occasionally wistful, and periodically hostile answers that lived up to the man's post-'90s reputation.
It was a strange juxtaposition, playing the fully formed character in the game, then proceeding to talk to the man who embodied him, who couldn't have seemed more removed from that persona he actively referred to as a "character" and "intellectual property." Most wrestlers, even later in life, like to continue playing up their in-ring personalities and previous feuds as if they were still ongoing. By contrast, Ultimate Warrior, despite having legally changed his name to Warrior some years back, seemed to treat his wrestling years with a mixture of mild fondness and moderate exasperation. When I asked him about career highlights, he began rattling off names of guys who had treated him well during his time in the business (Andre the Giant, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, and the Undertaker, among them) and touched on a few moments like his championship win against Hulk Hogan, before just kind of trailing off. He came off like a man who pursued pro wrestling as an interesting challenge, but refused to let it be the defining element of his life.
So, you know, maybe he's not the best ambassador for sports entertainment, nor the video games based on them. Still, I enjoyed playing as Warrior in WWE 2K14, because I enjoy playing these games in general. What little we were shown of 2K14 looked like a natural extension of what WWE 13 offered, and in seeing the tasseled, neon-colored Warrior return to the ring in digital form, I definitely found myself feeling nostalgic for the days when I watched him pummel Hogan, and send Randy Savage packing in a career-ending match at Wrestlemania VII. It's a strong realization of Wrestlemania VI-era Warrior, even if his hair might seem a bit more hilariously huge than was ever accurate (or humanly possible). I made the mistake of briefly joking about that during our interview, to which Warrior replied, "Are you playing a game for the f*****g hair?" before telling me not to nitpick like an Internet commenter.
As much as these games may be about the modern WWE product, they're also effective nostalgia delivery systems, and WWE 2K14's roster is shaping up to be as good a nostalgia machine as any of the other recent sequels in the series. The representatives at 2K seemed certain that more on the game would be revealed around SummerSlam, which arrives on pay-per-view next month. I expect we'll hear more then about whatever 2K14's next story mode and other assorted features will entail.
Until then, rest comfortably in the knowledge that 2K is evidently treating the developers of WWE 2K14 well, and the work that was put into the game prior to the THQ changeover was not lost. 2K is treating this like a fully formed sequel, and not a transition year marred by inter-publisher dealings. We haven't seen much yet, but what I did see at least gives me some hope that that's the truth.
As for the Warrior? When I got up to exit my interview with him, he turned to me and very excitedly exclaimed, "Make sure you put it in your write-up that to get me, they gotta do the preorder. All right?" This, after 10 minutes of mostly evading or half-answering what questions I had. This was the thing he was energized to talk about. Though I realize this was probably the one point he was told to emphasize by 2K's media team, as I walked out of the room, all I could see in my head was Warrior, in full regalia, standing in the middle of the ring, hissing the words "Preorder me, warriors!" into a microphone. At that moment, I think a little Warrior-sized chunk of my childhood finally died. Maybe it's for the best.
Edited by Andy Badwool, 17 July 2013 - 01:15 PM.
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