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[speculawyer]

Do we know if it it is official that Take-Two got the license yet? I guess not.

Seems to be well-confirmed though.

IGN, citing unidentified sources, says 2K Sports parent Take-Two Interactive will acquire the WWE license from THQ.

[Update] A source with knowledge of the situation tells Kotaku that Take-Two will acquire the WWE license.


Earlier rumors had said EA Sports acquired the license directly from WWE before the auction of THQ's assets. EA Sports denies this. An EA Sports spokesman told Kotaku the label has no plans to get into WWE-licensed games.

http://kotaku.com/5978484/rumor-2k-sports-acquiring-wwe-license-in-thq-aftermath

 

[Hightower]

Why would EA want WWE?

Because EA likes money?

WWE is still a huge seller year over year. I'm one of those suckers.




Personally I think they got it the most right with WWE 13. I have a LOT of fun with it and can find myself burined in the Universe mode for hours working my storylines and feuds.

I don't get a lot of the complaints about the wrestling itself. Yuke's has done a pretty solid job of replicating a WWE style match. I'd imagine a wrestling game has to be extremely tricky to program due to just how varied the action can be.

 

[Triple Da G.O.D!]

Muscle Grand Prix 2 is not a wrestling game, no pins or subs. It's just a fighting game dude.

It is. This would be saying Slammasters 2 isn't a wrestling game because it plays like a version of Super Turbo.

Same logic applies.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

It is. This would be saying Slammasters 2 isn't a wrestling game because it plays like a version of Super Turbo.

Same logic applies.

But Slammasters 2 isn't a wrestling game. It's a fighting game that happens to feature wrestlers. And I agree with lupinko here, MGP2 isn't a wrestling game.

 

[Triple Da G.O.D!]

But Slammasters 2 isn't a wrestling game. It's a fighting game that happens to feature wrestlers. And I agree with lupinko here, MGP2 isn't a wrestling game.

Both games at their core are wrestling games regardless of how they play out. So this becomes a tomato tomahto of sorts because of who perceives what how. So games like Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game, Def Jam: FFNY or even WWE All-Stars wouldn't be wrestling games under this logic because while they have their basis in wrestling they stray so far from the source they can't be perceived that way anymore.

If we want to be technical here all wrestling games are fighters and don't deserve to have their own declaration as wrestling games but fighting games themselves. I don't believe in that but that's what it sounds like I'm hearing here.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I kind of wish it would go to a non-sports company, or at least a company that wouldn't treat it like a super realistic yearly sports game. THQ was at it's best when the AKI games were more arcadey then anything else, rather than trying to re-create the TV experience.

 

[BoboBrazil]

I seem to be the only person who wants more WWE All Stars. More arcade wrestling games!

Nope, that was the best wrestling game in years. Sure, match types were very limited, but the actual gameplay was fun, which is something that I can't say for Yukes! games.

 

[Host Samurai]

I just want a slower paced game like Fire Pro or the AKI N64 that is filled with classic wrestlers.

WWE 13 was decent, but the move animations are downright atrocious. It's pathetic when the move animations looked far superior 10 years ago in Smackdon SYM than it does now. If you don't believe me than look at some videos.

 

[funkystudent]

I wonder if they will make a formal announcement at the Royal Rumble?

Seems a good a time as any.


Or maybe they just issue a PR when the paperwork if finished and stay quite for a year while they make a game.

 

[BoboBrazil]

As long as it's not Yukes! I'll be happy. Yukes! exists solely to make yearly WWE titles. Let them get back to making other games too. Maybe they can put out something decent on their own.

 

[ZoddGutts]

This is the last game AKI made

They don't just make those type of games though:

Those Yakuza games for the PSP have gotten good reviews.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

I wonder if there's a high rate of burn-out/staff turn-around at Yukes. It's gotta be soul-crushing to make nothing but WWE games year in and year out. I know they try to sneak some Puroresu moves in each year's installment, but still. I can't help but feel like they really want to make a Puro game. Or anything but a WWE game.

 

[BoboBrazil]

I wonder if there's a high rate of burn-out/staff turn-around at Yukes. It's gotta be soul-crushing to make nothing but WWE games year in and year out. I know they try to sneak some Puroresu moves in each year's installment, but still. I can't help but feel like they really want to make a Puro game. Or anything but a WWE game.

I'd imagine so too. Hopefully they don't get the license and they can go on to make a New Japan game or whatever. I think they used to actually make decent Japanese wrestling games back in the era of PS1. I'd even take whoever made that Sega wrestling game Giant Gram over Yukes at this point. I really don't even remember what Yukes has ever made besides wrestling games and I gotta think at this point anyone still left at that studio has only ever made WWE games.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

I'd imagine so too. Hopefully they don't get the license and they can go on to make a New Japan game or whatever. I think they used to actually make decent Japanese wrestling games back in the era of PS1. I'd even take whoever made that Sega wrestling game Giant Gram over Yukes at this point. I really don't even remember what Yukes has ever made besides wrestling games and I gotta think at this point anyone still left at that studio has only ever made WWE games.

A company named Scarab made Giant Gram. I think they went under in like 2003, sadly.

And the last non-wrestling/UFC/boxing thing Yukes made was Soukou Kihei Votoms for the PS2 in 2007. A mecha game.

 

[BoboBrazil]

A company named Scarab made Giant Gram. I think they went under in like 2003, sadly.

And the last non-wrestling/UFC/boxing thing Yukes made was Soukou Kihei Votoms for the PS2 in 2007. A mecha game.

Wow, I just looked up that Votoms game on youtube. Horrible. I think any talent they might have had back in the late 90s is no longer at that company. I assume they would go out of business at this point without the WWE license, but they really don't seem like there is a reason to keep them going. They should just move development of a WWE game to a western developer(which I hope is what happens with Take Two at the helm if it's true they got it). Would make much more sense.

 

[Jamie OD]

I'd imagine so too. Hopefully they don't get the license and they can go on to make a New Japan game or whatever. I think they used to actually make decent Japanese wrestling games back in the era of PS1. I'd even take whoever made that Sega wrestling game Giant Gram over Yukes at this point. I really don't even remember what Yukes has ever made besides wrestling games and I gotta think at this point anyone still left at that studio has only ever made WWE games.

The weird thing is Yukes owned New Japan up until last year when they sold it to a card game company called BushiRoad. Even weirder is that it's been years since Yukes made their last Japanese wrestling game, Wrestle Kingdom 2 for the PS2 back in 2007. Part of the reason is because Japanese wrestling's popularity is low but ever since the takeover New Japan has been going a great job in getting back to its feet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that BushiRoad can somehow make a proper New Japan game someday. They currently have an online card game.

If there ever is a good time to skip a year for releasing a game, 2013 might be the year thanks to the emergence of the next generation. I think whoever makes the next WWE game are better off working for the new consoles rather than having to worry about including the current gen.

 

[BoboBrazil]

The weird thing is Yukes owned New Japan up until last year when they sold it to a card game company called BushiRoad. Even weirder is that it's been years since Yukes made their last Japanese wrestling game, Wrestle Kingdom 2 for the PS2 back in 2007. Part of the reason is because Japanese wrestling's popularity is low but ever since the takeover New Japan has been going a great job in getting back to its feet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that BushiRoad can somehow make a proper New Japan game someday. They currently have an online card game.

If there ever is a good time to skip a year for releasing a game, 2013 might be the year thanks to the emergence of the next generation. I think whoever makes the next WWE game are better off working for the new consoles rather than having to worry about including the current gen.

Yeah I agree. Damn I can't wait to see how a proper wrestling game will look on next gen systems. Should be incredible. It's going to be so damn frustrating if whoever gets the license continues to use Yukes. I thought we would have heard an announcement by now. Hopefully we don't have to wait until e3.

 

[SpacePotato]

Nope, that was the best wrestling game in years. Sure, match types were very limited, but the actual gameplay was fun, which is something that I can't say for Yukes! games.

Agreed. All-Stars was the only glimmer of hope I've seen in years for WWE games maybe becoming fun again.

2K will be the publisher, and they will work with Yukes, just as THQ did, for at least the first two iterations. We can all just pray that during that time, 2K sees enough potential in the business to build a new team, or hire the old THQ San Diego people, to make an actual, post-PS2 type game experience. Not holding my breath tho...