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Quote:

Originally Posted by KingofOldSchool

I can see his entrance going like this.

His music hits

The camera moves around trying to find where he is at

A closeup of The Sandman around a few fans

Sandman walks down the steps in the arena

Sandman gets on top of the barricades and pops open a beer and smashes it on his head

Sandman 'assaults' a female fan

Sandman gets in the ring

Fixed.

And if it's true that every commentary team is going to be involved, I swear to god if every second word out of Joey's mouth is 'OH MY GOD' or 'CAAAAAAAATFIGHT!' during a Divas match, I'm going to snap the disc.

Damn, gonna be weird having someone other than Jeremy doing the SD coverage. Gonna have to start checking the XBox/Wii/PS Smackdown 08 pages separately, cause as it sounds, there is gonna be a new guy handling updates for each system.

Oh, and I'm hearing that Playstation Magazine has also mentioned 10 guys on screen. That's two mags confirming it now, who knows.

If that's the case I will except nothing less than a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match.

Now is the 10 guys on screen include the ref or not?

I'm assuming it doesn't include the ref. A theory I have is that the ref and commentary teams might not be on screen at all while 10-man matches are going on (think JBI where there was no ref for 8-man battle royals)

I'm wondering...since Chris Benoit was, in all likelihood, in the game only to be removed...any chance they'll just cut Sabu and RVD out while they are at it to make the game "more up to date"?

Part of me thinks they will, and another part thinks they won't, we'll just have to wait 3-6 weeks till the roster is revealed.

Yeah...even if they are removed, I bet they'll still be unlockable via cheat device ala Big Show/Ken Shamrock in SD2

Benoit will be gone, I think Sabu and RVD will still be around to keep up the ECW numbers.

I hope so, ECW without RVD and Sabu would be rather pointless. The only Original on the ECW roster would be Dreamer (though you gotta figure Sandman and Lashley will be fixtures on ECW in season)

I won't believe this until IGN or THQ/Yukes confirm this, but according to a german magazine thats being released in a few days, this game have a create-a-move setting.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8954/scanzc4.jpg

To enlarge just click anywhere on the pic. Sorry, I don't speak German so I can't translate it.

I hope so, that'd make things a little more interesting :yes:

Create a Move would be interesting, but I can't imagine how it would be pulled off. Unless it's something like a People's Elbow or Five Knuckle Shuffle, where, for example, you could run the ropes and hit a Senton or carry them to the ropes and hit a Super Powerbomb. Or even adding a taunt before a move, like instead of doing the "get up" thing before a Spear you could pray and do it or add a wave before a Powerbomb. I suppose it would involve taunts, actually. (It's getting late and I'm rambling, I know...)

Or they could have meant Create a Taunt like from JBI.

Also, get rid of the hardcore matches with the weapons randomly placed outside. Either add a dumpster or a shopping car or some shit or just enable more random weapons to be pulled out from under the ring. That Sledgehammer is so fucking lame.

Actually, there's going to to be a mini-window when you look under the ring for a weapon where you have a set amount of time to choose a weapon, before you randomly get one.

They always say that Create A Move is in EVER year, and it ALWAYS turns out to be create a move-SET. I'm betting that it turns out to be that.

I agree with the hardcore match thing, its pretty pointless when you only have the same five weapons to play around with, atleast let us go backstage or something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark-Slicer Diago

Actually, there's going to to be a mini-window when you look under the ring for a weapon where you have a set amount of time to choose a weapon, before you randomly get one.

I was talking more about the pre-set Sledge and chair that are always on the outside but that should be awesome.

Info coming in at 10PM EST tonight.

I'm hoping it'll be something that we didn't already know...but I doubt it.

Same here Vito, most of the early news we already know from magazines. Now if we get the roster already, that would be sweet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark-Slicer Diago

Same here Vito, most of the early news we already know from magazines. Now if we get the roster already, that would be sweet.

Yes, it would be, but I doubt thats gonna happen before late August.

I just want confirmation on CUSTOM MUSIC.

Then I will be happy. :y:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Mac

I just want confirmation on CUSTOM MUSIC.

Then I will be happy. :y:

Yeah, I understand you could possibly have some entrance themes for created wrestlers in the 07 version on your 360 HD and then conveniently play the track instead of the usual in-game audio during the entrance, but that's not really full-on custom music to me, more like NEO-custom musicm if that.

Yeah I want Enter Sandman playing in Sandman's enterance.

Me too, but why doesn't Vince just ask Triple H to talk to Motörhead about using there version of Enter Sandman if Metallica won't let him use it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22

Info coming in at 10PM EST tonight.

I'm hoping it'll be something that we didn't already know...but I doubt it.

I heard they were going to announce that John Cena will have new shoes in the game.

We paid a visit to THQ's Southern California headquarters last week to see the E3 build of the company's star pinup, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. Guiding us along was the newly-promoted Creative Manager Bryan Williams and his boss, the Senior Creative Manager (and familiar face to the IGN faithful) Cory Ledesma.

"This year it's all about playing like your favorite superstar," commented Williams. "Fighting styles and character-specific moves are what we really want to stress and that's a big deal for us. We have new strategies that haven't been in the game before and cool match-specific advantages based on style."

Bryan isn't kidding. When we selected the freshly-announced ECW legend Sandman and put him up against the smirk master Randy Orton, we could see the advantages of being a "Hardcore" wrestler in an ECW Extreme Rules match. Sandman's proficiency with weapons helped us own Orton all over the squared circle, while putting chairs on our opponent's neck or pulling off conchairtos added a little extra oomph.

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/ar...054582-000.jpg

As wrestling fans might expect, the Extreme Rules match is a heck of a lot of fun. Before a bout, users can select which weapons they want to bring with them as part of their setup menu, but that doesn't mean that they'll just appear randomly. Now when you reach under the ring, you can choose one of your items from an analog-controlled wheel; there's no randomization anymore. Even better is that there are new weapons joining old favorites; namely barbed-wired boards and breakable guitars. Expect nine weapon types in all.

Another new touch this year is the ability to interact with fans on all four sides of the ring. But grabbing signs or taking weapons isn't all you can do with them; they can also grab and interact with championship belts or the superstars themselves -- they can even your wrestler on the back or hold an opponent for you so that you can get in a couple of cheap shots in.

Perhaps the more important fix, though, is found with the gameplay itself. Yuke's has made a number mechanical tweaks for fluid action. The ability to run, for example, has been moved off of the buttons completely and is now performed by holding a shoulder button in conjunction with the left analog stick. Exiting the ring and jumping over the apron have been moved to a single button push as well.

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/ar...052738-000.jpg

"We wanted first-time players to be able to do what they want without having to learn a number of complicated maneuvers," remarked Ledesma. "In the past, we had something like three different buttons you had to push to dive out of the ring on top of somebody; that's hard for beginners. Now, if you want to jump onto your opponent just hit 'Square'' (or X on 360) and you can."

After playing with the new controls ourselves we can attest that the single-button system keeps the matches fluid and fast-paced. It also helps that the new submission system is analog-based as well. How much pressure you apply and how quickly you pump your arms around someone's neck is now entirely up to you -- as is your defense to it, as escaping a grapple is handled with the analog sticks as well. All in all, it's definitely an improvement over last year's edition.

Other new additions worth mentioning include a revamped finishing system that a gives you the option of storing a finisher for use as a style-specific finisher later on. So if, for example, you have a stored finisher with a brawler, when you activate it you'll throw a number of irreversible strikes -- or if you mount a dude on the mat, you can use UFC-style ground and pound punches and head-butts.

There are a bunch of style-specific moves like those mentioned above for other classes too. Showmen can steal an opponent's taunt at any time to increase his momentum, for instance, and is the only class that can perform turnbuckle taunts for himself. Technical guys can reverse any strong grapple as long as they haven't suffered from any limb-specific damage, while high flyers can use quick little evasive rolls to avoid bigger opponents. The whole system works pretty well and to help keep things even for everyone, THQ has even added the option of throwing strikes, even when you're the one caught in a grapple.

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/ar...050442-000.jpg

One of our favorite new improvements is the streamlining that's been done to the menus and match selections. Examples include a "Quick Play" option that will take you into a random match type with random wrestlers via the push of a button (similar to what's found in sports games), while the "Choose Manager" and "Choose Title Bout" option has been removed completely. But don't panic about those last two just yet -- the ability to have a manager escort you down the isle (they come out with you during your entrances now, by the way) or defend a belt is still in there -- now they're just options to choose as part of the match selection process; the days of going into a separate menu for everything are long gone.

Of course, the expected visual enhancements have been made to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions to boot. Crowds look a lot better thanks to depth of field effects, new lighting effects, better 3D and redone faces. Entrances look great too, with a large helping of them having been redone with new mo-cap and other effects (Cena salutes as he comes down to the ring, Sandman bashes his head in with a beer as he moves through the crowd, etc), and hair looks much more realistic. Mo-cap touches the moves themselves too -- Undertaker has a new tombstone (finally), Orton has a redone RKO, and a number of general moves have benefited from the same treatment (scissor kicks, ref arguments, win poses, etc).

THQ has also confirmed that the last-gen versions of SmackDown will be pretty much identical to the PS3 and Xbox 360 version; but system-specific differences are a possibility according to the team (though not confirmed, they were dodgy on that one). At the very least, PS3 fans can rest easy as both the Xbox and PlayStation SKUs are being development simultaneously -- unlike last year when the PS3 version was so severely behind eventually leading to its cancellation.

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/ar...048660-000.jpg

As for the rest of SmackDown, THQ isn't showing us yet. Most of the roster is still being shrouded in secret and the create modes are being held back for another day. We did learn that there will be a new interface in these modes, however, and there are some more announcements expected in the coming months (such as the completely new soundtrack),

How will it all turn out? The world is watching...

credit - Jeremy Dunham, ps3.ign.com

Thanks for posting.

But yeah...nothing new. :(

That info was apparently for the PS3/360, here the Wii.

On the eve of WrestleMania 23 in Detroit Michigan, THQ gave us a brief first look at WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Nintendo Wii. During the demo members from game developer Yukes took the stage and demoed a quick match between Triple H and John Cena, complete with full Wii motion control for taunts, strikes, and grabs. Now nearly halfway to WrestleMania 24, THQ has again opened its doors to us, showcasing a slightly more in-depth WWE experience, and from what we've played thus far Wii owners may want to take note, as WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is no penny-pinching Wii-make.

For our Pre-E3 demo of the game we had a chance to go hands-on with the latest build of the game, again in a Triple H vs. John Cena match-up. This time around, however, controls were far more involved, using Wii motion at nearly every turn. Players will select their fighter, enjoy in-game intro cinemas complete with the same motion-capture animations as the 360 and PS3 versions, and step into the squared circle. Player control is handled with the analog stick, while basic Will-mote motion takes care of directional strikes. A simple forehand swing will result in, you guessed it, a forehand swing. Backhand strikes (from left to right for a right-handed player) will perform a chop, while swinging up does a powerful upper attack (for Cena it's a dropkick, while Triple H does a big boot), and a swing down does a lower attack such as a mid-section kick.

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/ar...958211-000.jpg

As for more intricate attacks, players will need to combine motion with button holding. For a quick grapple, hold the A button and motion in one of the four classic directions. Each of these moves will execute a faster, lighter hold - including things like hip tosses, snapmares, or through clotheslines. These holds are meant to be set-ups for stronger offense later, so you'll generally want to weaken an opponent with strikes, move in for a few quick grabs, and then move on to the good stuff.

To execute the larger grab maneuvers - including things like power bombs, sidewalk slams, DDT's, the fireman's carry, and the like - players will hold the B trigger and grab with any of the four directions. From there, these larger attacks act entirely on user motion, so to pull off a powerbomb you'll need to actually flick up with the Wii-mote, wait until your opponent is in position, and then slam down (again with the Wii-mote) to send him to the ground. At any time during holds, however, your opponent can try to wiggle out of your offense by waggling the Wii-mote and nunchuk, so you'll need to execute the moves decisively and effectively to pull off the attack. The balance between strike, light grapple, and hard grapple, as well as the speed and precision of the game reminded us heavily of No Mercy and WrestleMania 2000 on N64, as it had the same risk/reward feel. Pull off a heavy move too soon, and you're going to get beat by a quick slap to the face, and nobody ("And The Rock means nobody!") likes that.

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/ar...958977-000.jpg

Where the Wii version really breaks the mold, however, is in basic ring control, and it's something that wrestling purists may find to be a bit too basic at times. Analog control is used for navigating the ring, but aside from that many of the actions are context-sensitive. If, for example, you want to do a running clothesline with Cena, you won't actually press a "run" button and then time your strike. Instead, you line up your opponent, motion towards him, and Mr. Chain Gang himself will sprint towards the enemy, pulling off the intended attack once he reaches him. It works, but it's also a give-and-take experience, as it means no running attacks from long distances (attempt the attack from more than a few steps away and he'll strike at shadows), and no free-running when navigating the outside of the ring. THQ is still playing with the idea of adding a run button, and while the running attacks work great in the context-sensitive form, we'd suggest putting in a general "run" trigger as well for more general ring navigation.

That being said, a few of the situation-specific actions work great as well. When throwing a player into a turnbuckle, for example, the default attack will be something like the ten-hit combo or a lift onto the top rung of the post. When nearing the ropes you'll need no button to exit either; simply press towards the ropes for more than an instant, and your player will exit the ring. Likewise, position yourself near an opponent that's outside the ring and deliver a cinematic diving attack by simply swinging your arm to initiate the attack.

Yes, it's a bit shallower than your standard WWE experience, but it also plays into the whole "arcade" feel THQ is going with this time around, and in that sense it works. IGN Wii Editor-in-Chief Matt Casamassina may not be a wrestling enthusiast, but when we climbed into the ring with SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 on Wii he could still give me a decent run for my money with just a basic knowledge of the Wii controls; a far cry from the multi-page instruction booklet needed to comprehensively enjoy the other console counterparts.

Outside of the general gameplay, SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 still delivers a very strong Wii effort considering it's the first WWE title of the system, and it's still only 40% finished. The general graphical presentation is pretty solid, already comparable to Day of Reckoning 2 for GameCube (better in some cases, worse in others), as it has a more complete environment at the sacrifice of some jaggies on character models. In general though, it's a solid first outing, and it houses some of the better character models we've seen on Wii thus far. The screens really don't do it justice, as the game definitely has an edge on some of the PS2 content we've seen thus far.

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/ar...957508-000.jpg

Moving away from graphics, the game will also include all the venues and as many of the match types as possible (something Yukes is working hard to achieve for this ground-up effort on Wii), and includes the same robust create-a-wrestler feature as its console counterparts. In addition, many of the animations in the game are made specifically for Wii, while the others borrow from some pretty impressive mo-cap. The action is faster, the crowd and lighting effects are already very promising for being less than half finished, and its just plain fun to kick the crap out of people with Wii motion.

As a final note, SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 still has some room to grow, but already shows some serious promise. Things like the taunt system (pulled off by holding C and doing wrestler-specific motions) are already extremely entertaining, as you actually need to do Triple H's "suck it" motion or classic "You Can't See Me!" hand gesture of Cena to pull off taunts, and seeing the person physically do it in front of you certainly ups the competitive feel in the room a bit. In addition, some of the ground attacks or turnbuckle punches are pretty brutal as well, with Cena actually straddling a downed fighter and having each hand's swing convert directly into a punch, or the lifting of both hands to do a grab and head-butt, but we want to see more of that. 90% of the game's moves will be pulled off with motion control according to THQ, and we of course want to see as many of them as possible make full use of both controllers in a deep, entertaining way. As it stands right now, things like powerbombs or powerslams check only for Wii-mote gestures. It'd be far more intuitive and realistic to make use of both hands for the attack.

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/ar...956742-000.jpg

Other than that, it's just about making sure the game is simple, but not overly-simplified. Things like grabbing weapons or pulling off finishers, for example, can only be done at specific times. In the case of a finisher it's normal, as previous SmackDown vs. Raw games require you to build up finisher icons in order to pull them off, but it's even more specific in the Wii version. After enough damage on the other player you'll have the chance to pull off a power move (which would be something like the five-knuckle shuffle for Cena), which then, and only then gives way to the match-ending finisher (the FU or Pedigree, for example). Yes, it makes the game more streamlined, but combine things like that with the limitations on grabs and strikes and you start to go down a slippery slope. SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Wii is definitely a game with tons of promise; it just needs to walk that line between being "pick-up and play" friendly and still having the depth necessary for a true WWE wrestling game. The motions are fun, the game is fast, and we had a blast playing it. Now we just want to see the design expanded a bit.

As a final teaser of more to come, THQ has allowed us to unveil ten WWE superstars already confirmed for the Wii-specific brawler. They are:

Undertaker
Kane
Triple H
Bobby Lashley
John Cena
Chris Masters
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Jeff Hardy
Sandman

We'll have more to come as development continues, so be sure to keep checking back to IGN Wii for the latest in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 news and media. Oh, and we'll see you March 30 in Orlando, Florida, for Wrestlemania 24.

There is also an Insider video for Disturbed and other Insiders.

Fuckin right new RKO, i'm interested in seeing the redone moves, espeically the RKO but the tombstone piledriver sounds intreging to hmmmmmm

WOOOOOOOO NEW RKO

:love::love::love:

The video is just an interview with Corey, basically saying things that were said in the article.

Oh and the Wii version looks pretty nasty :nono:

Nice find King. Btw, how do you embed like that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark-Slicer Diago

Nice find King. Btw, how do you embed like that?

It'll give a code next to the video where you can just copy and paste.

Sandman's entrance was way better than I expected. The fighting style thing looks really promising in that preview, but if it ends up crippling the move selections like weight classes did in SvR07 then it isn't worth it.

So wait King and JR are going to say the exact same shit? Maybe it's just early and they are going to record some new commentary later.

That's pretty cool that on the enterances it shows the opponent in the ring looking on.