The official Smackdown vs Raw 2008 thread

[Disturbed316]

With the first real bits of information coming out, thought I might as well start this bad boy up. Below is the first interview from THQ from IGN.com

US, March 29, 2007 - With today's announcement that SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is hitting just about every platform known to man, we wanted to know more about it. To find out, we sat down to speak with THQ Creative Manager Cory Ledesma just before he headed out on a plane to Detroit for WrestleMania 23. Here's how it went down...

IGN: Last year was the first season where you were developing SmackDown for a platform other than a PlayStation system. What did you take from that experience and how are you going to apply that to 2008?

Cory Ledesma: We learned a whole lot about our fan base on the Xbox 360, for one, and we also learned that we want to utilize a lot of a console's specific features. So going forward, that's going to be our emphasis from now on -- getting to know our base on each platform, understanding what they want to see in the game, and fully utilizing that console's strengths to the best of our ability.

IGN: SmackDown '07 scored pretty well with reviewers but it also received a lot more criticism than the previous version did. Going into this year's game, how serious were you about addressing a lot of the concerns from the press and consumers?

Ledesma: Whenever we get criticism we take it in stride. If there's a collective voice out there, we're going to put the things that the fans and the media have been vocal about at the top of our priority list. We pride ourselves on that -- listening to the people who show concern so we can give them the best game.

This year, just like every year, we researched the reviews of the game, listened to what the fans were saying on the boards, and went ahead and created our giant "wish list" based on that. Things that were hit on last year were examples like the AI for tag team matches -- that's something we really wanted to improve upon this year; the animation quality was talked about a lot; collision and clipping came up... we went ahead and listened to those things, put them as our top priorities and, right now, feel confident that we're going to address them well this year.

IGN: Personally, my biggest issue with the game was how dated it felt. Though I still liked it quite a bit, the animations and AI, like you said, felt old. Since you're specifically tackling those problems this year, what are you doing in those areas?

Ledesma: Well you're definitely going to see a big improvement with the AI. There was a partial problem with the match types since most of them were untouched compared to previous years, and therefore, the AI found in those match types was pretty much the same. Improving the AI that goes along with our existing match types (especially the tag match) is something we're really working on. We want to make a smarter AI, a more supportive AI, and an AI that's aware of what's happening in the ring -- we want it to know what you're doing and what's going on besides the player's actions. We stressed very heavily to Yuke's that this is something we had to work on for this year.

As far as animation goes, it's our overall franchise objective to significantly improve our system. What it means when we put something down as our "franchise objective," is that there is no higher priority. Of course, it doesn't mean that we're going to be able to fix everything in the first year -- because it could take a couple of years to get everything in there -- but we are putting a lot of resources behind getting this done as soon as possible.

What does that mean we'll be fixing? The blending you see between the moves... that will be better. The general movement in and outside the ring -- the walking, the running, the climbing -- you'll see an improvement in those areas' quality as well. Collision problems that happen during certain "up close" moves, we're focusing on those too and a bunch of other things.

In other words, we want to get rid of the older, robotic-looking things. We want to improve our visual quality.

Also, there's a second side to our big franchise objective and that's differentiating the game's characters. So, for example, when you play as Kane and you're walking around the ring, we want you to feel like you're moving a little bit slower and more lumbering than you would as Rey Mysterio. Rey should be able to hop around the ring, be very quick, and have all his animations tie into that kind of style and into the gameplay. We want these guys to feel like they would in real life.

IGN: Just so that we're clear: are your "improved" animations just enhanced versions of your older animation sets or are you actually going back and redoing them?

Ledesma: We're completely redoing animations. The problem with trying to rework and improve an older animation set is that you'll never be able to get a better quality than you already have even if you add more frames to it. Adding those extra frames is really just making the move take longer to perform and that slows down gameplay.

We're recapturing animations for all the improvements I just talked about. We'll have new animations for the base navigational stuff, for instance, and that's actually important. It's important because those are the animations that players are going to see 80-90% of the time. Running around, getting in and out of the ring, picking up weapons, these are the things you see the most of. Expect brand new animations for all of those.

We also want a more realistic approach to our animation in general with smart blending. If you're going from a walk to a run, it should be a gradual transition between the two; if you go from picking up a weapon to standing up, there shouldn't be a pop -- it should look real. Those are just some of the subtleties you'll notice that give the game a smoother look overall.

IGN: You talked a bit about the wrestlers having different fighting styles. How will these styles affect gameplay and the typical flow of a match?

Ledesma: Jeremy, let me tell you: this is by far our favorite new feature this year. Personally, I'm really excited about it. The reason being is that it changes the landscape of how everyone is going to play the game.

When you pick up SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, you're just trying to learn how to win the match. "How am I going to pin my opponent, submit him, knock him out... whatever." Because of 2008's new fighting styles, though, you'll actually be learning how to play that particular wrestler and his technique. Each one offers specific strategies and abilities that other wrestlers won't have.

It's almost like a fighting game in a way; if you play Soulcalibur, they have different weapons, different animations and different moves. We're taking that approach. We want players to have exclusive abilities and tactics that let them play differently based on personal preference and the wrestler they choose. You will have to learn how each fighting style works and, depending on the match type you're playing, you'll have to discover which ones are advantageous in certain matches and which ones aren't. Superstars aren't going to have the exact same abilities, moves, or animations in SmackDown vs. Raw 2008.

IGN: What are some examples of the fighting styles and how they work?

Ledesma: We're going to have eight fighting styles overall. We're going to have a hardcore and a high-flyer fighting style. The hardcore guys, obviously, are going to play well with weapons and hardcore match types that involve props or the bending of rules (no DQ and stuff like that). The high-flyer is going to have more aerial maneuvers than anybody. They'll be able to use the ring in new ways by launching themselves off the ropes or other areas around the ring that competing styles can't.

We're also going to have submission artists. They'll be proficient in the holds and have special abilities relating to that. We've got powerhouse guys who are essentially brutes. Think Batista or Triple H and you know that type -- they'll have some really forceful abilities. Our fifth fighting style is a brawler and he'll be proficient in striking, and you can expect special moves for that style related to those strikes.

There's also the showman. He's a cocky, arrogant wrestler who taunts his opponents and plays to the crowd. His whole goal is to lower his foe's momentum and morale in different ways -- a Shawn Michaels type, a Randy Orton type... even the Undertaker is a showman in his own way.

[Disturbed316]

IGN: Wait a second. What happens when you have a guy who is a mix of styles? You just mentioned the Undertaker, for example. He's a showman sure, but he's also a powerhouse and depending on his opponent, even busts out the MMA submission skills. What do you in those cases?

Ledesma: Don't worry. Each superstar has two fighting styles: a primary and a secondary. You can be a Dirty Showman, for example, or you can be a powerhouse brawler or a technical submission artist. You can combine any of the fighting styles and have all their abilities. The catch is that you'll only have the special move for your primary style, not the secondary.

We totally realized that not everyone fits into a single category. Ric Flair isn't just a submission artist; he's also a very dirty superstar. These combinations multiply what you can do.

IGN: On the subject of submissions, there's also a new submission system. Can you talk a little about that?

Ledesma: We're implementing a new "Struggle Submission System." Last year we wanted to give players improved controls with the analog sticks and this just the next step. We really want to get rid of the button mashing meters that we have because those are really dated. We're getting pretty tired of those, honestly. But now that we have our "Ultimate Control" theme going, we can apply that to submissions.

What's that mean for this year? It means that submissions are now controlled with the analog sticks. You can decide as an offensive player how much pressure you want to apply when you put an opponent in a hold. The more you push the stick in a particular direction, the more force you're putting behind that particular move.

Say, for example, that we have the Crippler Crossface applied to someone. As you add the pressure with the analog stick, you'll see your character pull back harder on the opponent in real time. That's an example of our new animation and how it applies to gameplay too. What's really great about it, though, is that you can also be defensive with this system and power out of a submission hold using the same analog mechanic. It makes the whole thing more of a cat and mouse game. We're trying to introduce a system where players always have control -- we don't want anyone sitting around waiting until their next opportunity. Adding a real strategy, a true "back and forth," is cool too.

IGN: Do the fighting styles alter how someone will escape a submission? Bobby Lashley powering out of a Masterlock is a whole lot different than Chavo.

Ledesma: There is some level of detail there, but it's not necessarily tied to your style but more your attributes. The submission artist and technician will have advantages in submission moves, of course, but how you escape will mostly be tied into your numbers.

IGN: Will these mechanics be universal across all platforms?

Ledesma: They will be. The only platform I'm going to exclude is the DS version. It's a completely different style of game but we're not disclosing much more than that. It will keep the same name and use the touch screen, but won't be "a traditional wrestling title." We'll reveal more about that in the future.

IGN: When you say it isn't traditional, you don't mean it's going to be like Crush Hour do you?

Ledesma: [laughs] No, it's definitely not like Crush Hour.

IGN: You've already talked about some major adjustments this year, have you made any improvements to the modes?

Ledesma:Yes! We've combined our General Manager Mode and Season Mode into what we're calling "WWE 24/7." The general theme is that you're living the life of a WWE superstar who wants to become a legend.

24/7 is different from past years in that, in previous years, your whole goal was to win a title at WrestleMania. This year we're talking a broader approach where you'll have to meet a long list of objectives to be considered a legend. If you start out with The Undertaker, maybe that question will take you six months; start out with a created wrestler and it may take you three years. Obviously, it depends on how successful you are and how well you play.

IGN: Is 24/7 keeping the same theme as past SmackDowns? Where you start off on Raw or SmackDown to begin with and work your way through those shows, or are you taking a Day of Reckoning approach and starting in OVW or something similar?

Ledesma:We're not going to talk much about it yet -- that's for later in the year. The only thing I can tell you is that you will start out on the SmackDown or Raw shows and become a superstar for those promotions. Of course, you can still switch shows like you could in previous years.

Oh, and there will be some specific created superstar paths, but again, we're not detailing how all that is going to work yet.

IGN: How important is online support this year?

Ledesma: It's very important. It's a must-have on next-generation platforms. We did some data-mining and found out that our online player community wasn't as big as we thought it was, so we're looking to grow that out with better features. How the match plays, its quality and framerate, the interface -- these are things we're definitely addressing.

As for what features we'll be incorporating this year, we can't say yet.

IGN: Can you talk about any differences between the versions? How will the PS3 and 360 editions differ from Wii, etc?

Ledesma: I can't speak about that stuff yet. We'll be revealing that in the future. Just remember what I said earlier, though -- that we're looking to play to the strengths of our platforms.

IGN: Midway is bringing out its TNA game at some point in the future. With that on the horizon, how has having your first real competition since Legends of Wrestling changes your philosophy when it comes to building your new game?

Ledesma: We welcome all competition in the genre, honestly. But as far as how it affects us, we're just trying to make the highest quality product that we can. Getting the true feeling of the WWE into SmackDown has always been our focus and that hasn't changed. It will be interesting to see what Midway does with TNA, though.

IGN: What sort of presentational improvements have you made?

Ledesma: One of our big additions this year is that ECW has a big presence. We're treating it as an equal brand with the SmackDown and Raw brands and having that in the game is the largest presentational improvement...

IGN: Then I have to ask: if ECW is equal to Raw and SmackDown, why isn't in the title?

Ledesma: [Laughs] Because SmackDown vs. Raw vs. ECW is kind of a long title. But seriously, it's a brand name that people recognize at this point and it's a household name.

IGN: Any parting words for the SmackDown fans who still have more than half a year to wait for SVR 2008?

Ledesma: Certainly. I want them to know that we're doing a lot of research this year to find out what the fans want. We're doing focus testing, dealing with research groups -- we're trying to get their opinions on what they think about our current feature sets and what they'd like to see. We're also doing the data-mining in titles we've already released so we can see what and how the fans are playing. We're taking all this info, putting it together with reviews and message board feedback, and we're trying to get it to become as close to what the fans want as possible.

[Disturbed316]

This is from Gamespot.com

ECW invades SmackDown vs. Raw 2008
First details revealed for this year's WWE wrestlefest on Wii, DS, PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Posted Mar 30, 2007 12:27 pm PT

Last month, THQ told analysts in a quarterly conference call that it would be introducing its SmackDown vs. Raw series of wrestling games to the Nintendo DS, Wii, and PlayStation 3 this year. Today the publisher spilled the first details on SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, which will also appear on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360, combining for the company's largest cross-platform WWE release yet.

THQ also gave a glimpse of what to expect from this year's installment of the game, saying that WWE spin-off league Extreme Championship Wrestling will have a "significant" presence in the game, with a number of ECW stars, arenas, and weapons included. As for the gameplay focus, THQ said that "realism and strategy are at the forefront" with its new struggle submission system, which uses analog controls to let players dictate the amount of pressure applied to their opponents in submission holds.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 will also sport adjustments to features included in last year's game, with new rosters, more interactive "hotspots", a combined season and general manager mode, and revised action outside the ring and online community options.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is scheduled to release this fall. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's first look at the Wii edition.

[Disturbed316]

A look at the Wii version

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 First Look
THQ parts the curtains on this year's SmackDown! vs. Raw, and gives a sneak peek at the Wii version of the game.
By Brian Ekberg, GameSpot
Posted Mar 30, 2007 1:17 pm PT
DETROIT--It's no surprise that the WWE and THQ chose this time of the year to debut the newest release in the SmackDown! vs. Raw series. This is WrestleMania 23 weekend after all and, with the pay-per-view event returning to Detroit for the first time in twenty years, it's an ideal time to show off the next iteration in the popular wrestling series. Today THQ unwrapped the first details on WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 at a press conference, showing details of the game, and giving a first-ever look at the Nintendo Wii debut of the game.

One of the main areas of focus for the team behind the game has been to move away from the canned animations, outlandish HUD elements, and button mashing that defined so many of the earlier games in the series. The shift in focus will be realized in a number of different new features in SVR 2008, including new fighting styles and new submission control system.

The fighting styles sounds like it will have a dramatic effect on SVR 08's gameplay. The game will include eight fighting styles in which both the WWE wrestlers and your created grapplers will be categorized into: hardcore, high flyer, submission artist, powerhouse, brawler, showman, dirty, technical. And while in previous SVR games, you've always had the ability to assign different styles to your wrestlers, the game didn't always demonstrate a good sense of internal logic--consider the fact that you could easily have big man Kane pulling off high flyer moves normally reserved for the likes of Jeff Hardy or Rey Mysterio Jr. That won't be the case thanks to the new fighting styles, as wrestlers will be regimented into the roles that better suits their real-life capabilities.

That isn't to say that the WWE superstars will be constrained, however. Indeed, each of the eight fighting styles in the game will have its own strengths, weaknesses, and special moves that no other fighting style will have. Consider the "dirty" wrestler, for example. In one gameplay clip showed by THQ, a "dirty" Randy Orton used the referee as a human shield in order to prevent further attacks from Kane, before shoving the referee into his opponent and knocking him down.. As producers put it, using this special "referee shield" move will mean your opponent will not be able to attack you for a brief period of time.

A later clip showed some of the high flying moves, with Rey Mysterio pulling off his trademark aerial stunts against the much bigger Bobby Lashley. And speaking of Lashley, the WrestleMania 23 main event-er is a powerhouse in the game, both figuratively and literally. As a powerhouse, Lashley and his fellow brutes like Kane and Batista will be able to power out of pinfalls, no matter how hurt they are (assuming they've got a finisher stored, that is).

Last year's SmackDown! vs. Raw introduced some new control elements to the game, taking a step away from some of the button-mashing mini-games and introducing things like the environmental hot spots and the analog-stick-centric ultimate control moves. With SVR 2008, the submission control system takes one more step in the same direction with what producers are referring to as the struggle submission system. Now, locking up your opponent in a Boston crab, for example, will result in a sort of push-and-pull minigame between both players; one that is completely free of extraneous HUD elements and instead focuses on the animations of the two struggling grapplers themselves.

Once you've locked in your hold on your foe, you'll have a couple of options: do you go for the ultimate power submission move and try to get your opponent to tap out, or do you decrease the pressure, keep the hold on longer, and hope to wear down your opponent. You'll control these moves with the analog stick--the further you pull back on the stick, the more pressure you'll apply on the hold. No more timing minigames for the submissions, no more odd timing meters showing up on screen; instead, you're focusing just on the wrestlers and their animations. During a clip showing off the new system, Randy Orton locked up Triple H in a painful-looking abdominal stretch; the clip demonstrated how as you apply pressure with the analog stick, your controlled wrestler's animation will wrench back to really put on the pressure.

The producers are also aiming to make sure that both players have control during these submissions; so that while the player initiating the hold is exerting pressure on his opponent, the "defending" player will be struggling to free himself (or herself) from the hold. No word yet on how these struggles will actually play as we haven't had a chance to try out the game for ourselves, but it will be interesting to see how it works.

Introduced two years ago, the general manager mode didn't get a huge upgrade in last year's game. That's set to change with the introduction of WWE 24/7 mode, which will combine the managerial options of GM mode with the career-oriented goals and storylines of the game's traditional season mode. Here your goal will be to take your chosen wrestler (be it a member of the WWE roster, or your created star) and guide their career from relative nobody to WWE Legend and ultimately, induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

While actual details of how the two elements combine aren't fully known yet, we do know that 24/7 mode will include things like branching story paths, plenty of new cut scenes starring WWE talent, stat tracking, constantly updated goals, and a storyline that will take you and your wrestler through several seasons. Unlike in previous years' season mode, you won't be just going from one weekly event to the next in 24/7 mode; instead, you'll be responsible for your wrestlers' day-to-day activities, such as training and even attending autograph sessions with your fans.

In addition to the new features, SVR 2008 will also be making debuts on a number of gaming systems--including the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. At today's press event, we got a sneak peek at the Wii version of the game courtesy of two members from the Yuke's development team behind the game. The two developers, one of whom dressed as John Cena, the other as Triple H, took control of their respective superstar and proceeded to go to town on one another in the game, whipping their Wii remotes and nunchuks in all directions as the wrestlers on screen responded.

THQ isn't prepared to discuss the specifics of the Wii controls as of yet, but some things are already apparent. Basic strikes look to be controlled by the Wii remote. At one point, one player lifted his opponent up into a slam by lifting grappling his foe and then pushing up with the Wii remote. At another point, Triple H had Cena backed in the corner, stood up on the and proceeded to pound on "The Marine's" grill, with the user controlling each individual punch in the sequence. There was even a moment when the player controlling Triple H set off The Game's trademark "DX crotch chop" by... well, chopping at his crotch with the Wii remote and nunchuck. There's still more to learn about the Wii game's controls but judging by the amount of flailing and flapping the two developers were doing during the demo, it looks like it will definitely get your heart rate up.

What THQ can tell us about the Wii game is that it will be a strictly arcade wrestling experience, with the gameplay purposefully sped up to increase the action and big moves, while decreasing the more simulation aspects of other versions of the game. Case in point: characters in the Wii version of the game will not have stamina meters so, as with some other Wii games, it's going to be all-offense all the time. In addition to the Wii version, THQ also announced that a DS version of the game will also debut this year, featuring touch-screen control over your wrestler, more than 80 unique moves and holds, a season mode, and 20 WWE superstars from Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW.

Yeah, we said ECW. The formerly independent extreme wrestling league, now nicely folded into the WWE pantheon, will have a big presence in SVR 2008. From a gameplay standpoint that means new areans, new ECW-specific weapons, a lineup of ECW stars appearing in the game, and a third commentary team added to the game to handle ECW match duties--Joey Styles and Tazz.

Of course, no wrestling game worth its salt will release a new version with some updates to the standard create modes and online options and, though details are scarce, THQ and Yuke's look like they haven't forgotten these features. Online play will include more than 50 match types and the create modes will have new assets to use when creating your new superstar, his or her ring entrance, or championship belt. There's even word of a new interface for the CAW which is long overdue.

Obviously, this is just the first trickle of information on WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 this year, and we can expect a flood of further information to come as the year progresses. With the addition of the ECW roster, the game is due to ship with more than 50 playable superstars. The full list, of course hasn't been released but we do know that mainstays like The Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, and Bobby Lashley will be in the game. As always we're eager to see more and will be bringing you continuing coverage of the game as we lead up to its release in the fall.

[Disturbed316]

One of 15 from IGN

[Evil Vito]

Sounds impressive but honestly after being completely disappointed the past 3 years I'm fully prepared to be let down again

[Russenmafia]

they have to ditch the grappling system from SVR07

[Disturbed316]

I liked the grapple system from last year, I'm just wanting better online play and re-annimated moves.

[The Genius]

and re-do the weight class system.

[DS]

Not impressed with those photos. Pretty sure those were the same shots from 07.

[Dorkchop]

Here's a clip of some gameplay for the Wii version

http://www.ifilm.com/profile/motis766/video/2838094

[Gerard]

They listen to the fans and read multiple forums, funny then how letting you use music from the 360 hdd wasn't included on last years game and it was one of the features people had been screaming about having for months on end (also a relatively easy thing to include but they still didn't). Id also like to see the option of letting you stream videos for your titantron, gets shitty having a wwe logo flashing around or having a caw with a current superstars tron vid.

Those screens though are the same thing every year, bullshit prerenders. Theyre amazingly smooth and theres no rough edges, but amazingly when the game comes out it looks nowhere near as smooth.

Was the same shit with all the wwe games, heres pre-release "screenshots" fom dor 2




Now dor 2 did look good but nowhere near that good. Just more pre-release bs hype i suppose.

Ive also my doubts about the wii version, it looks ok in that vid but controlling it i forsee a big heaache with the amount of movements you're gona have to memorise for the moves.

[Kalyx triaD]

Improved online mode will do, and custom soundtracks for God's sake.

[Extreme Angle]

If they sort out the online lag and remove the spike headbutt and all those type of moves then bang they got me.

[D Mac]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 Sounds impressive but honestly after being completely disappointed the past 3 years I'm fully prepared to be let down again

[DAMN iNATOR]

I like that they say ECW will have a "big presence", however I hope this means that the ECW part of the roster will include the biggest names in ECW (i.e., Sabu, RVD, Snitsky, Sandman, Dreamer, etc., etc.)...

[D Mac]

Snitsky?

[Evil Vito]

As long as CM Punk is in, I'm happy

[Boondock Saint]

Originally Posted by DAMN iNATOR however I hope this means that the ECW part of the roster will include the biggest names in ECW (i.e., Sabu, RVD, Snitsky, Sandman, Dreamer, etc., etc.)...

[Xero]

I'm not going to lie, he's one of their biggest names.

[Boondock Saint]

Didn't even know he was in ECW.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Dorkchop Here's a clip of some gameplay for the Wii version http://www.ifilm.com/profile/motis766/video/2838094

I love at the very end of that video when Cena powerbombs Triple H into a turnbuckle and Triple H barely reacts...you can here the guy in the audience go...

"Did Triple H just no sell that? Wow this game is more realistic that I thought"

[Extreme Angle]

wouldn't mind them totally revamping create a character mode to

[KingofOldSchool]

Here's what I posted in the SVR08 Wishlist thread
---------------------------------------
1. You know how you get the weapons from underneath the ring? Well in SVR08 I think when Finlay does it, out comes Little Bastard and goes around distracting everyone for a minute.

2. Custom soundtrack.

3. More moves in CAW

4. Big ass career mode modeled after No Mercy for the N64

5. Use this roster

Raw:

John Cena
HBK
Triple H
Umaga
Johnny Nitro
Carlito
Ric Flair
Edge
Randy Orton
The Great Khali
Jeff Hardy
Super Crazy
Kenny Dykstra
Chris Masters
Charlie Hass
Shelton Benjamin
JTG
Shad Gaspard

Smackdown

Batista
Undertaker
King Booker
Finlay
Matt Hardy
Kane
Gregory Helms
Rey Mysterio
MVP
Ken Kennedy
Paul London
Brian Kendrick
Jimmy Wang Yang
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Benoit

ECW:

Bobby Lashley
RVD
Sandman
Sabu
Tommy Dreamer
CM Punk
Elijah Burke
Kevin Thorn
Matt Striker
Marcus Cor Von

Then add maybe 15-20 Legends

6. Alternate attires, NOT suits or stupid shit like that.
--------

Now to touch base on a couple of things. For the improved career mode, they need to work it so where you have a whole set of different paths you can take. For instance...

I start a career with C.M. Punk, the option at the start asks if you want to start as a heel or a face. Either alignment you chose brings you its own unique multi-branching storylines. I chose to start Punk off as a face.

You start your career wrestling on Heat and house shows wrestling guys like Charlie Haas, Gregory Helms, and Matt Striker. When you reach a certain amount of wins, you get called up to television. That's when the first storyline starts where you are in the middle of a bidding war to get your contract. Raw, ECW, and Smackdown are all trying to win your services. Raw is represented by Vince McMahon, ECW is represented by Shane McMahon, and Smackdown is represented by Teddy Long.

After wrestling on each show, you finally pick which contract you want to sign. And whatever show you chose you get your own unique set of babyface storylines for the show you chose. So there would be the following branching storylines...

Babyface Raw wrestler storyline
Heel Raw wrestler storyline
etc etc

On top of that, there can be 1 or 2 character specific storylines where a storyline is created just for that wrestler. And during any point of the season/career you can do a turn. So suppose I want to turn CM Punk heel, well there will be option where you can do a "turn". This will happen in a number of ways...

1. Turn on your tag partner
2. Use heel tactics to win a match.
3. Cheap shot your opponent after a post match handshake.

Then during that match there will be cutscene of the action you chose. This will lead to your branching storyline to switch to the heel storyline and your first feud will be the one involved in the turn naturally. And the catch is that you can only turn once a calendar year in the game. So this can be done if you want feud with a babyface/heel champion or if you just want to turn for the hell of it.

Also, if you compete and win in the Royal Rumble match, you can choose which brand's title you want to wrestle for at Wrestlemania. So say you're a Smackdown star and win the Rumble, you can pull a Benoit and show up on Raw and challenge for the WWE Title.

After Wrestlemania and you decide to continue on with your current wrestler then there will be a Draft Lottery angle where there could be a chance you get drafted to another show. This way it adds more of an unpredictable feeling to the season/career mode.

Now I know they will never do any of what I just said, but I think they have the ability to do that if they actually took time to do it.

[Extreme Angle]

In the ign thing it says something about being able to choose your undertaker...
Well how about instead of different attires, different eras.
Like Rey could have his tights attire and pants attire, Kane masked and unmasked as always, and taker has like 3, badass, ministry and current

[Evil Vito]

Here's my annual fantasy roster. Though it'll obviously never happen cause A) there will be divas as always and B) I doubt they'll have an equal number from each brand

But I'll go with 17 per show for a total of 51 current wrestlers (like last year)

RAW:
Carlito
Charlie Haas
Edge
Eugene
Jeff Hardy
John Cena
Johnny Nitro
JTG
Kenny Dykstra
Randy Orton
Ric Flair
Shad
Shawn Michaels
Shelton Benjamin
Super Crazy
The Great Khali
Triple H
Umaga

SmackDown!:
Batista
Brian Kendrick
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Benoit
Deuce
Domino
Finlay
Gregory Helms
Jimmy Wang Yang
Kane
Ken Kennedy
King Booker
Matt Hardy
MVP
Paul London
Rey Mysterio
The Undertaker

ECW:
Balls Mahoney
Bobby Lashley
CM Punk
Elijah Burke
Hardcore Holly
Kevin Thorn
Little Guido Maritato
Marcus Cor Von
Matt Striker
Mike Knox
Rob Van Dam
Sabu
Snitsky
Stevie Richards
The Sandman
Tommy Dreamer

Alright well it ended up being 18 Raw, 17 SD, 16 ECW and that's just because that's the entire male ECW roster right there. Though obviously, half those guys won't make the cut and if they do, they'll be the jobbers of the game

[starfox8500]

"We pride ourselves on that -- listening to the people who show concern so we can give them the best game."

yeah them AND Vince right

[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by starfox8500 "We pride ourselves on that -- listening to the people who show concern so we can give them the best game." yeah them AND Vince right

Come on, Vince LOVES fan input!

Anyway, if they dumb down CAW mode again, I won't get it. I've said my peace on what I want in the SVR "wishlist" thread, and a lot of it revolves around CAW.

[Gerard]

1 thing thats always bugged me about 2k7, wtf is it with not allowing the logos to be used in the online mode? Even if you remove the logos from the character you're still not able to use him online? Why include them in the game even if it prevents your created characters from being used online?

[MTH15]

I've been wanting the make a match feature but that wont happen. I can imagine it. 30 man Hell in a Cell Royal Rumble. Or a TLC Hell in a cell match . And if you have PS3 or XBox360..or Ps2 you can get online and download new rosters and music.

[Extreme Angle]

The official name of the game is "Smackdown vs Raw 2008 - ECW Invasion"
On the ign interview video to the left of the guy you can see the full logo on the screen...

[Disturbed316]

IGN have some video's up showing how to use the ref as a shield, a one man con-chair-to and a powerbomb onto steel steps

[Evil Vito]

Yeah that stuff all looked awesome.

My dream roster has already been proven wrong because I saw Chris Masters in the video at one point

[Gerard]

Graphics seem to be a slight improvement over 2007, orton also seems to have a new movement animation. Be nice if they let us have different camera angles to play the game from, sorta like DOR-2 which had a few alternate angles you could select. Sometimes the game just looks too far into the wrestlers, be nice to have the option to scale it back without having to resort to a battle royal or something like that.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

FUCK YES!!!

It looks like they've added either set animations or contact animations for diving attacks to the outside, along with some new dives. Meaning an asai moonsault won't hit the guy like a strike, but like an actually top rope move. It looks like a real diving attack, and awesome.

Also, it looks like they added springboard attacks to the inside, as Mysterio does a springboard Rana into the ring (Non pinning), and the whole thing didn't look like a canned animation.

[Nowhere Man]

I just hope they finally balance out the weight-classes. I'm tired of not being able to do jack-shit with the Cruiserweights.

[Extreme Angle]

Originally Posted by Nowhere Man I just hope they finally balance out the weight-classes. I'm tired of not being able to do jack-shit with the Cruiserweights.

Yeah, you should be able to do a move on anybody, if your a cruiserweight then it should change the picking up moves to moves that can be done against big guys.

[KingofOldSchool]

They need to improve upon the belt entrances, they started a good thing last year when they had unique championship entrances for Cena, Kane, Big Show, MNM, etc. But they need to improve upon that and include ones for people like Benoit, Taker, RVD, and some of the legends.

Also they need to do updated victory celebrations. I don't want to see Kane jumping around and crying when he wins a title

[Gerard]

Originally Posted by Extreme Angle Yeah, you should be able to do a move on anybody, if your a cruiserweight then it should change the picking up moves to moves that can be done against big guys.

Ive been saying that for years, moves and effectiveness of the move should depend on your characters weight\size and the opponents weight\size.

Good example would be someone like bigshow, if he's gonna chokeslam someone like mysterio he should be able to pick him up, hold him there for a bit maybe walk around some then slam him down. Against heavier wrestlers (say batista or hhh) he should be able to hold him up for a bit (not a long a he would mysterio and no walking) then slam him down. Then for the heaviest wrestlers like mark henry etc his animation should be pretty similar to the one in the 2007 game, where its a fast move with not a lot of height.

That kind of thing would look good in the game where you don't get bored of seeing the same animation time after time. Also if its like the last scenario against the heaviest wrestlers the move shouldn't be as devestating and not do as much damage since the height is missing from the move.

They could do this with a lot of the moves in the game, would take a while with animating it but the end result would look pretty good. They go on and on about this weight system like it has meaning but as soon as the specials are being used the weight system suddenly has no meaning anymore and small wrestlers can toss around 500lb guys with ease.

[Inadequacy]

Not really much to this but one thing that really bugged me in '07 was that, with the exception of Vito, there were no light heavyweights, the middle ground between heavyweights and cruiserweights. Just got on my nerves.