News on the TNA iMPACT game.
From the October issue of Game Informer:
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Spike TV's TNA Wrestling league is really starting to take off, so we're not surprised that it's getting its own game. The league's most distinguishing feature is its six-sided ring which helps speed up the action. "More ropes and turnbuckles equal more angles in which to irish-whip someone. Also it means the ropes are much tighter so guys can walk on the ropes and do lots of cool spring moves off them. "The six-sided ring gives us a lot of flexiblity to get exciting moves into the game", Midway's LA studio head Scot Lane tells us. "TNA is much more acrobatic than any league I have seen. These guys are true atheletes."
The team at Midway has been fortunate enough to get direct input from actual TNA stars. "We have met with a lot of wrestlers, but Samoa Joe and AJ Styles have been in on most meetings," says Lane. "These guys are gamers so they really understand games and they know what the real fanbase wants to see in a game. They have contributed in many areas, the nuances between U.S, Japan, Europe, and the pacing of the game, the moves they think will translate well to video games, controls, and a lot more. They have also been in many mo-cap sessions as have several other TNA wrestlers".
But all this wrestler support won't mean anthing if the game doesn't have great gameplay. Lane knows this, too: "Our primary focus is on gameplay and our goal is to have the smoothest, most responsive in the genre. We are running at 60 fps and the game already feels great. We have two of the best combat guys in the business. Mark Turmell and Sal DiVita. These guys love wrestling".
The crowd and the characters creation system are important to any wrestling game, and TNA doesn't look to dissapoint in either aspect. The team isn't eager to give away too many details about the character creation just yet, other than to say that it will be a big feature when the game is done. As for the other element, Lane adds, "We have put a lot of work into our crowd. Our goal is to create an environment - including crowd - that feels like TNA. We are focusing on making the crowds distinctive when you are in Japan, England or any of the different areas.
Lane is also pretty excited about seeing one of his favourite match types from the show. Ultimate X. Playable in the game. "Basically there are ropes around 15 feet above the ring, with a belt hanging in the middle. The first guy to climb up and get the belt wins, but it is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. I've seen these guys fall and land on their back, it looks real painful". But it sounds fun. Only you'll have to wait until next year to play Ultimate X or any of the game's other match types like King of the Mountain, tag team, and fatal four-way. Better start practising on your brother.
