Introducing "WWE '12" - The Smackdown Vs. RAW Series Is Dead

[sat10]

Trailer:
[video=youtube;eqR8Z1xRA-I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqR8Z1xRA-I&feature=player_embedded[/video]


For years now it seemed like everyone but THQ could tell that the SvR games were becoming stale. With each game the folks at THQ and Yukes would try to rejuvenate the series by incorporating new modes and features but the core wrestling mechanics would remain as disjointed and buggy as ever.
It was clear that the series would need an extensive makeover in order to become relivant again and finally, after what seems like a lifetime of waiting, WWE ’12 has steps up to the titantron!
Although the debut trailer about is devoid of any gameplay (or relevant information), it does signify that change is on the way!


Today IGN revealed several tidbits of information regarding WWE ’12, the highlights of which are listed below;

• There’s a new animation system, new blending methods, something called “Predator Technology”
• When you’re getting up from any move, you’re going to have a window to strike before you’re even to your feet.
• [Wrestlers] don’t warp to the center of the ring for a 5-Knuckle Shuffle and similar moves anymore; the move happens where it happens.
• The game, according to THQ, has been taken apart and put back together.
• here are no strong and weak grapples — the moves you’re pulling off are dependent on how worn down the opponent is.
• If you’re up against a lightning quick high flier, you can work the legs so the opponent can’t get around as quickly and can’t zip up the turnbuckles. Work the head, and the opponent is going to be a groggy mess.
• Get an opponent to tap [with] the new “Breaking Point” submission system where players tap buttons in a tug of war mini-game.
• Epic brawls are going to look like the epic brawls you see on TV — The new camera angle [is] more pulled back.

As great as all this sounds, the thing that I’m most excited about about is the new Wake-Up Taunt system. IGN’s Greg Miller explains it brilliantly….

You know how Randy Orton pounds the ground before he goes to hit his Finisher on TV? That can happen in the game now. You knock your opponent down with your Finisher primed, hit the taunt button, and you’ll get a celebration that ends with the opponent getting to his feet in the perfect setup for your big move. The opponent gets a chance at reversing it, but it really brings together that TV style presentation THQ’s been working on for the last few years.

Add all these things together and it sounds like WWE ’12 is going to be the best wrestling game we’ve had in a long , long time.

EXPERIENCE THE NEW WWE! – WWE Action is redefined with new Predator Technology! This new system delivers a fresh and strategic gameplay experience that looks, feels and plays better than ever before. the gameplay you have demanded is finally here with the most fluid WWE action and realistic animations to date in a WWE videogame, improved A.I. and an all-new Breaking Point submission system!

DYNAMIC TV PRESENTATION – Witness the most electrifying presenation in all of sports entertainment. A dynamic new broadcast camera system and badder visual presentation replicate everything you see on WWE’s television broadcasts. New rendering and lighting technologies will provide the most realistic WWE Superstars, WWE Divas and WWE Legends and best-looking in-ring action to date.

CREATE AND SHARE YOUR WWE – WWE ’12′s best-in-class creation suite gives you the ability to create Superstars, entrances, finishing moves, storylines, Highlight Reels and all-new capabilities never before seen in a WWE videogame! Go online and upload your creations to share them with the WWE Universe and download creations from others to add to your own experience.

WWE UNIVERSE 2.0 – Take control of your WWE career in a bigger, badder and better WWE universe. Your actions determine your destiny and shape your experience, as storylines, matches, alliances and rivalries are built based on your decisions.

ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA – The Road to WrestleMania is fraught with action, drama, challenges, storyline twists and truns, and surprises. Which road will you pick, and what story will you tell, on your way to the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment?
​

The game is set to be released on November 22nd (25th in PAL territories) for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.


Sources:
The Smackdown Vs. RAW Series Is Dead. Introducing
E3 2011: WWE '12 Rises - PlayStation 3 Preview at IGN

 

[Average Joe]

• When you’re getting up from any move, you’re going to have a window to strike before you’re even to your feet. Used to be able to do this on the N64 games.....
• [Wrestlers] don’t warp to the center of the ring for a 5-Knuckle Shuffle and similar moves anymore; the move happens where it happens. - Not a big deal really
• there are no strong and weak grapples — the moves you’re pulling off are dependent on how worn down the opponent is. This sounds ****.
• If you’re up against a lightning quick high flier, you can work the legs so the opponent can’t get around as quickly and can’t zip up the turnbuckles. Work the head, and the opponent is going to be a groggy mess. This sounds alright
• Get an opponent to tap [with] the new “Breaking Point” submission system where players tap buttons in a tug of war mini-game. New? Really? Button mashing....hmmm how fun oO)
• Epic brawls are going to look like the epic brawls you see on TV — The new camera angle [is] more pulled back. Nobody will care about this

So over all, they have changed the name and F all else. Theyre really running out of ways to update the game....

 

[icemecha]

• When you’re getting up from any move, you’re going to have a window to strike before you’re even to your feet. Used to be able to do this on the N64 games.....
• [Wrestlers] don’t warp to the center of the ring for a 5-Knuckle Shuffle and similar moves anymore; the move happens where it happens. - Not a big deal really
• there are no strong and weak grapples — the moves you’re pulling off are dependent on how worn down the opponent is. This sounds ****.
• If you’re up against a lightning quick high flier, you can work the legs so the opponent can’t get around as quickly and can’t zip up the turnbuckles. Work the head, and the opponent is going to be a groggy mess. This sounds alright
• Get an opponent to tap [with] the new “Breaking Point” submission system where players tap buttons in a tug of war mini-game. New? Really? Button mashing....hmmm how fun oO)
• Epic brawls are going to look like the epic brawls you see on TV — The new camera angle [is] more pulled back. Nobody will care about this

So over all, they have changed the name and F all else. Theyre really running out of ways to update the game....

You really can't judge it before they have shown any gameplay.

 

[Alcaraz]

I always bought SVR but hardly ever got into it as the game modes were quite boring after a while, I dont have high hopes for this one either but if THQ says that they have gone right into modifying the fundamentals of the game then I will look out for this one

 

[Average Joe]

You really can't judge it before they have shown any gameplay.

Yeah I can. Theyre making out as if some of this stuff is new. Striking on the way to standing up was done years ago. WCW vs NWO Revenge had it for example.

And the submission system sounds like the system for putting people out of the ring in a Rumble. Nothing to brag about. You know theyre struggling when theyre bigging up a camera angle.....

 

[icemecha]

Yeah I can. Theyre making out as if some of this stuff is new. Striking on the way to standing up was done years ago. WCW vs NWO Revenge had it for example.

And the submission system sounds like the system for putting people out of the ring in a Rumble. Nothing to brag about. You know theyre struggling when theyre bigging up a camera angle.....

I get where your coming from, but you could say the same thing about a few games.

 

[Average Joe]

Yeah I agree mate. But they should look at the things they have taken OUT more than new camera angles. Off the top of my head I can think of things that used to be in Smackdown games.

The manager mode was great, I spent about 200x more time playing that than I have with this road to wrestlemania **** (a choice of 5 wrestlers.... wtf) Making your own roster and shows to get ratings was good fun, it had some problems but nothing un-fixable.

Lumberjack matches (was on the WWF Attitude game years ago) was brilliant. Throwing your opponent out the ring to be set upon by a bunch of guys waiting was an awesome twist to the gameplay. I think the First Blood match is no longer on the games either

Throwing weapons, a small thing but was pretty funny to do in a vs match with your friend.

I quit match, special ref (brilliant with some friends for a slow count ) Casket match / Buried alive, triple threat tournado tag matches


I dont really watch it on tv and mainly buy the games for multiplayer as theyre a laugh after a few beers. But I dont see how they can brag camera angles up etc when they could be giving people a much better game

 

[icemecha]

Yeah I agree mate. But they should look at the things they have taken OUT more than new camera angles. Off the top of my head I can think of things that used to be in Smackdown games.

The manager mode was great, I spent about 200x more time playing that than I have with this road to wrestlemania **** (a choice of 5 wrestlers.... wtf) Making your own roster and shows to get ratings was good fun, it had some problems but nothing un-fixable.

Lumberjack matches (was on the WWF Attitude game years ago) was brilliant. Throwing your opponent out the ring to be set upon by a bunch of guys waiting was an awesome twist to the gameplay. I think the First Blood match is no longer on the games either

Throwing weapons, a small thing but was pretty funny to do in a vs match with your friend.

I quit match, special ref (brilliant with some friends for a slow count ) Casket match / Buried alive, triple threat tournado tag matches


I dont really watch it on tv and mainly buy the games for multiplayer as theyre a laugh after a few beers. But I dont see how they can brag camera angles up etc when they could be giving people a much better game

True but i am glad they are changing the camera angle it's frustrating at times.

 

[Donnelly1]

Will probs get it cause i get everyone but hope o see an improvement.
not a big fan of the road to wrestlemania, I'd prefered the old career mode and even the general manager mode was great.

 

[Shay Given]

Sounds wrose than last year
Bring back backstage, going to new york plaza etc.
Bring back GM mode.
Just bring back one of the good games in the series (there is about 2)

 

[Donnelly1]

Sounds wrose than last year
Bring back backstage, going to new york plaza etc.
Bring back GM mode.
Just bring back one of the good games in the series (there is about 2)

Why did they ever take it out? It was the mode I enjoyed most.

 

[Average Joe]

Same here. Drafting the best rated guys and getting them in matches while trying to keep them from fatigue and injury, creating fueuds etc. Was so annoyed when they removed it! Was the only thing woth playing single player for for me!

 

[iNickStuff]

The SmackDown vs. Raw series has been dead for a long time now, even so that the last two installments of the game have been frustrating, thoroughly undesired and short-lived. Hopefully now, with WWE '12, there will be a galvanising in the series, and we can see the game come toe-to-toe (no pun intended) graphically and have the same dynamic system with other developing games. No clunky grapples to the opponent, no warping towards certain stages of the ring - no repititive, tedious, boring and **** cut-scenes that show over and over and over again.

But this, for me, is like Call Of Duty or FIFA to others. I buy it every year for the £40 or so that it is because it's I hope that it will be different from the next and better than the last. My interest in WWE games is undiminished, so I hope that this one will live up to something it should have three or so installments back when it started to repeat itself like a broken record player.

 

[Average Joe]

I dont like the grapple system these days. I much prefered when it was a move set to a button like *grab+down+X = DDT*. Hate using the sticks.

I want more legends (although some creations on there are top notch and downloadable for free), more match types, GM Mode and general improvements on movement etc

 

[sat10]

and don't the screenshots look 'not so different' from the SvR series? so thats not really being changed either... i hope they are not just trying to sell the game by giving some small improvements fancy names and making a big deal outta them.. and even if its considerably better than the previous games, i don't think its gonna be to the WWE series what FIFA 10/11/12 has been to the FIFA series...

Personally though, i'll be getting the game just to make Zack Ryder the WWE Champion... WWWYKI!

 

[Average Joe]

and don't the screenshots look 'not so different' from the SvR series? so thats not really being changed either... i hope they are not just trying to sell the game by giving some small improvements fancy names and making a big deal outta them.. and even if its considerably better than the previous games, i don't think its gonna be to the WWE series what FIFA 10/11/12 has been to the FIFA series...

Personally though, i'll be getting the game just to make Zack Ryder the WWE Champion... WWWYKI!

Sadly I think thats exactly what theyre doing. Give me more modes over gfx any day!

By the way, that screen shot of Cena hitting a guy...Anyone else think he looks more like Matt Damon? Maaat Daaaaamonnnnn

 

[AnIrishTrueBlue]

This will be the first one I buy in 4 years

 

[sat10]

if the trailer is anything to go by, i hope they are bringing that old career/story mode back...where you have to go from small-time to the top...build a legacy..of sorts..with a created/amateur wrestler..that, imo, would be way better than Road to Wrestlemania.

 

[Raphael.]

Sounds good. I hope they bring back some matches like Special Ref .. Lumberjack etc ...
RTWM needs to be totally revamped... this years ones were poor, also they should try and make WWE Universe mode more like GM but still keep the authenticity of this new mode.
I think a big deal they need to address is minitrons (Screens around the main one with all the graphics when wrestlers are entering) ... I think they should full set with the wrestlers graphics instead of the lower minitron. I also think they should have create a minitron for caws ... and and option for when you have a belt ... instead of having to use a champion entrance just have it so that it is around their waste or on their shoulders, it ****** me off making my caw having an uber entrance but having it spoiled because he is champ.

The new features sound good, I cant wait to play as Alberto del Rio (My fave superstar) and Ricardo Rodriguez announcing. Although saying this I think they should have Triple H, HBK, and Y2J who have left on the game somehow ... Triple H and HBK are still on the rosters so they could have them normally and have Y2J as an unlockable. Buying the SVR 11 game really got me back into WWE ... hope WWE 12 is awesome.

 

[brayoz]

There are some rumors, which are about the fact, that Vince want's to merge SD and RAW together, so that's the reason of changing the name of game series and canceling the Braggin Rights PPV (old Survivor Series), where as we know, wrestlers from SD and RAW fought against each other for the supreme domination in WWE