THQ making new kind of WWE game

By Robert Purchese Published 28 July, 2010

Will be "less simmy", more WWE All Stars.

In 2011, THQ will introduce the West to a different kind of WWE game.

This, core games boss Danny Bilson told CVG, will be "less simmy" than WWE SmackDown vs. RAW and more like the newly revealed WWE All Stars.

"What we do have a plan for on [WWE SmackDown vs. RAW] is what you saw with All Stars. And next year you'll see another new extension there in another way that's just as exciting as All Stars, but a little different," Bilson said. "We're not talking about that yet."

WWE All Stars - in development for DS, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 - is aimed at a casual audience. Controls are accessible, graphics are stylised and action over-the-top. The game's due in the first-half of 2011.

What direction this new game will take we can only speculate. An RPG zero-to-hero story?

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (32) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Acrid #1 2 years ago

    "WWE All Stars - in development for DS, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360"

    Not on PS3?

  • kobashi #2 2 years ago

    Someone please beg spike to develop a new Japanese Pro-Wrestling game for the non WWE/TNA fans.

    This WWE crap has been going on for way too long with no quality rival games to go against it. Need a new Fire Pro and new King Of Colosseum game.
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/10 @ 10:40

  • smelly #3 2 years ago

    if it has REALLY OTT sillyness and special moves.. colour me interested.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #4 2 years ago

    All Stars is on PS3. Meant to change that. Whistle.

  • Eraysor #5 2 years ago

    To be honest I'd rather the game was completely over the top, as that's basically what wrestling is about anyway.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #6 2 years ago

    I'd love an outrageously stylised zero-to-hero RPG wrestling game. Always been a bit bemused at the simulation approach.

  • Anthony_UK #7 2 years ago

    Please let AKI have another go....

  • Gartt #8 2 years ago

    When did Hulk join WWE?

  • kobashi #9 2 years ago

    @Bertie

    Get hold of King Of Colosseum 2 on the PS2 and you will see why simulation is king! I guess I can understand why WWE fans would like an Over the top game as that is what they see on TV every week.

    For guys who only watch Puroresu we need simulation 100%.

  • Razz #10 2 years ago

    It would be cool if they went for a street fighter 4 style,i might be interested in something like that but I haven't bought a wrestling game since the snes era (wwf raw)

  • koopa #11 2 years ago

    I'll buy anything that lets me kick that retarded-Popeye John Cena's ass... Preferably with Jericho or Sheamus ;)

  • Sir_TimAlot #12 2 years ago

    No Wrestling game will ever surpass Wrestlemania 2000 on the N64, fact.

  • nuanimal #13 2 years ago

    "less simmy"

    As a former WWE watcher I did actually read that as "less slimey"

  • kobashi #14 2 years ago

    @Sir_TimAlot

    Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 on N64 already surpassed Wrestlemania 2000 and KOC 2 was a much better game than both N64 titles!! KOC 2 is the best 3-D wrestling game ever made.

    Nobody other game has been able to simulate the sport of pro-wrestling like they did.

  • PeacockDreams #15 2 years ago

    @Sir Timalot
    WWF No Mercy on the N64 was in every single way superior to WM2000, not dissing WM2000 but No Mercy came after it snd had a vastly superior career mode, create a wrestler mode and just generally had more bells and whistles on it, just like WM2000 was a step up from WCW/NWO Revenge, all three made by the same company but just gradually got better and better

  • tomjoadsghost #16 2 years ago

    looks kinda fun, maybe. im just hoping they're gonna pack it chock full of washed up 80s hasbeens.

    If comiccon is any thing to go by macho man is back in the weeniverse so fingers crossed.

  • LiamK #17 2 years ago

    Day of Reckoning was clearly awesome.

  • rosshuts #18 2 years ago

    Wait, is wrestling not real??? Just kidding, I loved the N64 Games for WCW and WWE. WM2000 was great although what annoyed me was that I was the WWE champion months before the Rumble was due in career mode. I didn't win the Rumble, but I was WWE Champ, IC and Euro champ going into WrestleMania 2000. I had defended and won my IC and Euro titles, but I didn't even have chance to defend my WWE Title and the Undertaker won it.

    Long story short, the dev's wanted you to win the Rumble and get your shot at the title at Mania and win. Sadly, they shouldn't have allowed you to get a shot at the title before then. I spent hours playing career mode and that's what I got at the end of my year in career mode. I even sent an email complaining and never got anything back from the developers and publishing house! I am still bitter to this day about that......

  • Rack #19 2 years ago

    An adventure game where all the fights were resolved based on your popularity with no player input would be amazing. You play as either a face trying to play up to Joe Six-Pack or a heel trying to insult them enough that they hate you.

  • Harmonica #20 2 years ago

    Maybe they could start by buying the likenesses for the actual wrestlers/better artists.. Cena and Rock look appalling in the screenshots, and I'm not just talking about the fact that they are about twice as large as they are/were.

    Anyway, 'less simmy' than the pretty un simlike curent WWE games means these are going to be shallow brawlers with little redeeming factors, wrestling is dead and the best games for it came out 7-10 years ago.
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/10 @ 13:49

  • BigJonno #21 2 years ago

    Last wrestling game I owned was Smackdown on the Playstation, although I may as well have owned the sequel because of the amount of time I spent playing it. Massive Smackdown sessions in my front room were a staple of my later school days.

    The first wrestling game I owned was the WWF game on the Spectrum. That was such a turd.

  • taurus82 #22 2 years ago

    I haven't enjoyed a wrestling title since Smackdown: Just Bring It!

  • WinterSnowblind #23 2 years ago

    When can we a more simmy game then? The GM mode features were the best part of the games, even as someone who hasn't watched wrestling since my early teen years, it was great fun being able to make a bunch of your own guys and then set up matches in a Football Manager-esque fashion, then actually be able to play the matches.. WITH friends!

    I'll never understand why these features were removed.
    The Smackdown games have steadily been getting worse and worse since 2006, and the new one looks like no improvement.

  • SeanLB #24 2 years ago

    WWE Go Karting, an indirect sequel to the legendary WWE Crush Hour. You heard it here first folks.

  • BabyJesus #25 2 years ago

    Another vote here for No Mercy being the best wrestling game I've ever played.

  • evaluna #26 2 years ago

    @Bertie "I'd love an outrageously stylised zero-to-hero RPG wrestling game. Always been a bit bemused at the simulation approach."

    Want! I was thinking about this the other day, loads of bizarre encounters and ridiculous quests feeding into an RPG type levelling game, with OTT wrestling matches inbetween. Would be awesome.

  • TaniumZX #27 2 years ago

    Rock 'n Wrestle

  • lavalant #28 2 years ago

    Less Simmy?? SVR was anything but Simmy, are they telling me they were actually trying to make a simulation game?? SVR fighters flew around the ring like weightless manikins and got up 2 seconds after every move. Reversal system was made for kids just like the whole game.

    Go play WM200 or No Mercy on the N64, AKI spent years developing their wrestling simulation engine and in 10 years THQ/jakks haven't been able to include an ounce of AKI's magic.

  • speed182 #29 2 years ago

    Looks shit!

    Smackdown Shut Your Mouth is THE best wrestling game.

  • smelly #30 2 years ago

    My ideal wrestling game:

    1. Have old school wrestling characters - ultimate warrior, randy savage, hulk, bush whackers, 123 kid, etc.
    2. Have rediculously over the top fighting, i want to see the entire ring shake when i slam someone
    3. power ups
    4. special moves (not realistic ones)
    5. random sillyness.
    6. build a character mode
    7. rpg elements
    8. bringin a character through the ranks up to top
    9. bra and panty matches.
    Edited by 1 at 28/07/10 @ 20:57

  • smelly #31 2 years ago

    2 negs? Should i have put the bra and panty match at number 1?

  • Harmonica #32 2 years ago

    ^ you missed out the bit where you put your (male) create a wrestler into the bra+panties match.

    No Mercy was absolutely brilliant, but in later years the Smackdown games actually ran with those ideas and improved upon them quite a bit, as well as just adding a better engine and graphics package.
    Edited by 1 at 29/07/10 @ 06:40