You forgot about Edge. His face looks all fucked up in the game. It look like they cut out his real face from a picture and post it on the video game Edge.
Official WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 Thread
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xtremebadass
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Nation
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Yukes/THQ has done a fantastic job with all the models. The only thing i don't like is Umaga's shoulders. Way to big.
When it comes to THQ's WWE Smackdown series, wrestling fans can get a bit obsessive. From the tights to the masks to the entrance music to the finishing moves to the taunts, if there is even one movement in the game that doesn't look exactly like it does in real life, popular wrestling message boards blow up with remarks of "Epic Fail" and how they will never buy the game again because Chris Jericho's entrance is the old entrance before he turned heel and because he's wearing pants in the game and not the super short tights he wore on the latest edition of Raw.
The thing is, WWE isn't like the NFL where there is an offseason to fill in rosters, features, or even rules changes. In the world of professional wrestling, there is no offseason, making the lives of the Smackdown development team a bit hectic as they try to juggle a roster of 60 wrestlers who are constantly changing titles, gimmicks, ring entrances, and tag team partners.
And while WWE's flagship show is seen by one of the largest audiences on cable television on a week-to-week basis, their Smackdown video game series has become not only the top selling wrestling series, but the top-selling fighting game series of all time (take that Tekken!).
"Look at WWE on television and seeing what these guys do, from being put through tables to ladder matches, the argument could be made that wrestling is like a video game turned into real life," explains Smackdown's creative manager, Bryan Williams. "These guys are like modern day superheroes and they are just a perfect fit for video games."
So what does Williams and his team at THQ have in store for Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 and the group of spandex-wearing superheroes know affectionately by their fans as WWE Superstars? ESPN sat down with Williams to get the dirt on the upcoming game, a title that marks the tenth anniversary for the series.
ESPN: What's the one new feature you think wrestling fans will be most excited to play in the new game?
Bryan Williams: Feature? How about features, I can't just name one. [laughs] The one that we started our whole campaign around is Create-a-Finisher. It's one of those modes that fans have bee requesting for many years now and we had a design in place early enough where we were able to go to the mo-cap studio and capture move after move after move. There are over 500 moves in this mode that you can use to create your own finishing hold and you can really get in there and be creative, giving your created superstar his own move and not just copying somebody else's move in the game. You can even link up to 10 animations in the game. It's almost like pieces of a puzzle or Legos in a sense, where you take a piece and then build on it or piece together up to ten of these move parts to create your own signature finishing move.
ESPN: Can you breakdown one of the finishers you created?
Bryan Williams: I created one called the Bout It Crusher that is really cool. It starts with an eye-poke, two fingers right in the eyes. When the guy is bent over I grab his head like a DDT, but I catch his leg and do three fisherman's suplexes followed by a spinning fisherman that goes into a pin with a bridge. That's the ultimate to me, but you can literally go in and create anything you see on WWE or any other promotion. Really, your imagination is your only limit. I've been playing it for the past six months and I'll go in today and spend 30 minutes, and I'm still discovering new motions or moves that I didn't even know was in the mode.
ESPN: How have the tag team matches been improved this year?
Bryan Williams: We've had tag team matches in the game since we started the series, but it has been a while since we've paid attention to the tag matches and given them the attention that they deserve. We know what a big component multi-player is to our game, both offline and online, so we thought we'd really blow out tag matches this year and make sure they really stand out from one-on-one matches. So to that end we've included a whole bunch of new abilities and functionalities that you can do in the tag match. The biggest change that players will see are the abilities we've given to the illegal man on the apron. In past games, you had the legal guys in the ring wrestling and having a good time and then you had their partners waiting on the outside, bored, with nothing to do but press a button to ask for a tag into the match. So it really wasn't fun if you were playing as that illegal partner.
This year we gave that illegal guy a ton of stuff to do that will actually help their partner in the ring. You can distract the referee. You can grab the opponent inside the ring if they get to close to your side of the ring, and you can grab and hold them for your partner to do strikes or double team moves. You can generate a hot tag, which is a first for the series this year. A hot tag occurs when the legal man has been getting beat up and he keeps trying to make that dramatic tag to his partner only to get pulled away at the end. This really gets the crowd behind that beaten up superstar so when he finally does make that tag, the partner comes in like a bat out of hell and lays waste to both the legal man and the illegal partner on the apron, setting you up for your finisher and potentially ends the match with a pin. This is all user controlled, and we've added a cool God of War style mini-game that the incoming partner has to do to correctly perform the hot tag. So you can potentially fail at the hot tag. It's a high-risk, high-reward ability that I think fans are going to take an immediate liking to.
ESPN: What should gamers expect with the addition of the Inferno match?
Bryan Williams: This is a match that I believe has only been done about five times, and that's because it's so dangerous. I hope they give these guys bonuses for fighting in this match. It's a rare event, and when it occurs, it's always a big deal. And like create-a-finisher, this is another one of those match types that fans have been begging us to put in the game. Again, we're listening to the fans. It may take us a couple of years, but we do listen.
The Inferno match is a one-on-one match where the ring is surrounded by fire. There's a real simple stipulation to the match: The first superstar who can burn the other is the winner. Visually, it's breathtaking to behold. The gameplay is very cool as we came up with a mechanic where you have to drag your opponent towards the flame and try to burn them. It came together really, really nice and I think the fans are going to appreciate it. After the match, you'll even see the fire extinguisher come out to put out the flames. [laughs]
ESPN: How has the game's story mode changed this year?
Bryan Williams: It's going to be a lot different and all the changes that were made were definitely for the better. Our new story mode is called Road to Wrestlemania and it essentially is six different stories being told representing popular WWE superstars across all three brands. We even have a tag team story in there as well so you can either play as a single player or play with a friend. We've got John Cena, Triple H, CM Punk, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and our tag team story stars Batista and Rey Mysterio. The tag team story utilizes all the cool stuff we added to the match and you can play with a friend or hammer it out by yourself.
What's cool, though, is that each one of these stories has been created with the superstar in mind. For example, we have a story involving Triple H. He came in and did all of his voiceover for the game, and our designers got together with WWE creative to put together a story that represents each of these superstars, so you'll never see one of these guys acting out of character. The past couple of years, this is something our season modes have been guilty of, but no more. When you play through the mode as Triple H, you're getting 100% unadulterated Triple H, and the same is true when you play through as John Cena or The Undertaker. The dialogue that they say, everything about their story will ring true, just like it does in programming. There will be no shared cut-scenes, either, as all of the cut-scenes will be character specific. Every story you'll see something completely new and each story will take about four-to-five hours of gameplay. It's a meaty part of the game this year. We have some branching, some alternate endings, and a lot of cool gameplay elements that you can only experience in Road to Wrestlemania.
ESPN: You mentioned Triple H doing voiceover. Did the other wrestlers come in and do their own voiceover as well?
Bryan Williams: Of course. Any superstar in the game, whether they are playable or just being featured in a cut-scene, came in and did the actual VO. We didn't get any fakes.
ESPN: But what if I want to play as Shelton Benjamin or someone who isn't featured in Road to Wrestlemania? Is there a season mode for other wrestlers as well?
Bryan Williams: In addition to Road to Wrestlemania, we also have another brand new mode simply called Career mode. Like the name implies, you can take any superstar on the roster, including a diva, including a created superstar, and you can go through an entire year as a superstar collecting championships. All of the championships will be available in this mode and as you play you can improve your attributes. It won't have all of the cut-scenes and VO of Road to Wrestlemania, but it will be an area of the game where fans can take their favorite superstar and take him through multiple years. You can take Shelton Benjamin and go from Smackdown, maybe take him back to ECW or Raw and build your character. You can earn a whole bunch of new abilities, and more importantly, gold. If you're playing as Shelton Benjamin, that gold is what it's all about.
ESPN: How tough is it dealing with a product that is constantly changing? You have Chris Jericho in the game but now his character, his tights are completely different on the show. Are these the types of things that are going to be updated with downloadable content?
Bryan Williams: Jericho finally came back and we've got him in the game. I love Jericho to death, he's the freakin' man, but you're right, he's completely changed. His entrance is different, his attire has changed, he doesn't even do the Walls of Jericho pose anymore. We have his old entrance in the game, we don't have his new incarnation. It's just one of those things. It would be nice to say that there was a definitive cutoff but a lot of it just has to do with our schedules here at THQ in terms of when we have to go to QA, when we need to hit Alpha and all of that kind of stuff, and that changes every year. We really do the best that we can to wait and push back that deadline just so we can get everything as up to date as possible, but like you said, WWE is always evolving, and they have to in order to compensate for injuries, introducing new characters and whatnot.
ESPN: Who are some of the newer wrestlers who weren't in the game last year who fans should be on the lookout for?
Bryan Williams: Shelton Benjamin wasn't in the game last year and I'm really glad he's back in. I love his moveset and he's got a great finisher. Santino is also really fun to play as. One of the things I'm really excited about with this game is the fact that not only is our roster significantly bigger, we have a lot of guys making their Smackdown debuts which is always fun. Triple H, Undertaker, it's always a safe bet they're going to be in the game, but it's always fun to play as some of the new guys like Santino. We have like 30% new characters. We are also doing downloadable content and we're going to be unveiling what that is as we get closer to release. But one of the reasons we're excited for DLC is that it's just one more tool we can use to ensure that our game is as current as our programming. I can honestly say that from a fans point of view, they are really going to like what we have in store in terms of downloadable content.
ESPN: Creating wrestlers has historically been one of the most popular features in the series. Beyond finishers, what else can we expect in terms of new face paint or attire?
Bryan Williams: An argument can be made that Create a Superstar is the most popular feature in the game. Aside from all the new features and new matches, you can't get around the fact that a large segment of fans are always looking for what's new in Create a Superstar. We definitely gave Create a Superstar a lot of attention this year. The last couple of years we made steps to replace the 2D and painted on parts with all 3D parts, and in 2009 we did that yet again. I'd say that 70% of all parts are now all fully 3D and they look beautiful. The fans can definitely expect to see all new parts, new facepaint, we've added 25-30% new content in the mode including some new motions in create an entrance as well as new moves in create a moveset. We have a ton of new moves as well.
One thing we really wanted to concentrate this year on, though, is just gameplay. This is the most responsive Smackdown has ever been. The gameplay is really, really good this year. We didn't reinvent the wheel, we just fine-tuned what we had in place last year and I think when gamers get their hands on the controller, they'll instantly recognize how much smoother the game plays this year.
Gaming ring Podcast
http://www.gamingring.com/~mike/Arc...ast/theofficialpodcastforsvr2009.episode2.mp3
The thing is, WWE isn't like the NFL where there is an offseason to fill in rosters, features, or even rules changes. In the world of professional wrestling, there is no offseason, making the lives of the Smackdown development team a bit hectic as they try to juggle a roster of 60 wrestlers who are constantly changing titles, gimmicks, ring entrances, and tag team partners.
And while WWE's flagship show is seen by one of the largest audiences on cable television on a week-to-week basis, their Smackdown video game series has become not only the top selling wrestling series, but the top-selling fighting game series of all time (take that Tekken!).
"Look at WWE on television and seeing what these guys do, from being put through tables to ladder matches, the argument could be made that wrestling is like a video game turned into real life," explains Smackdown's creative manager, Bryan Williams. "These guys are like modern day superheroes and they are just a perfect fit for video games."
So what does Williams and his team at THQ have in store for Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 and the group of spandex-wearing superheroes know affectionately by their fans as WWE Superstars? ESPN sat down with Williams to get the dirt on the upcoming game, a title that marks the tenth anniversary for the series.
ESPN: What's the one new feature you think wrestling fans will be most excited to play in the new game?
Bryan Williams: Feature? How about features, I can't just name one. [laughs] The one that we started our whole campaign around is Create-a-Finisher. It's one of those modes that fans have bee requesting for many years now and we had a design in place early enough where we were able to go to the mo-cap studio and capture move after move after move. There are over 500 moves in this mode that you can use to create your own finishing hold and you can really get in there and be creative, giving your created superstar his own move and not just copying somebody else's move in the game. You can even link up to 10 animations in the game. It's almost like pieces of a puzzle or Legos in a sense, where you take a piece and then build on it or piece together up to ten of these move parts to create your own signature finishing move.
ESPN: Can you breakdown one of the finishers you created?
Bryan Williams: I created one called the Bout It Crusher that is really cool. It starts with an eye-poke, two fingers right in the eyes. When the guy is bent over I grab his head like a DDT, but I catch his leg and do three fisherman's suplexes followed by a spinning fisherman that goes into a pin with a bridge. That's the ultimate to me, but you can literally go in and create anything you see on WWE or any other promotion. Really, your imagination is your only limit. I've been playing it for the past six months and I'll go in today and spend 30 minutes, and I'm still discovering new motions or moves that I didn't even know was in the mode.
ESPN: How have the tag team matches been improved this year?
Bryan Williams: We've had tag team matches in the game since we started the series, but it has been a while since we've paid attention to the tag matches and given them the attention that they deserve. We know what a big component multi-player is to our game, both offline and online, so we thought we'd really blow out tag matches this year and make sure they really stand out from one-on-one matches. So to that end we've included a whole bunch of new abilities and functionalities that you can do in the tag match. The biggest change that players will see are the abilities we've given to the illegal man on the apron. In past games, you had the legal guys in the ring wrestling and having a good time and then you had their partners waiting on the outside, bored, with nothing to do but press a button to ask for a tag into the match. So it really wasn't fun if you were playing as that illegal partner.
This year we gave that illegal guy a ton of stuff to do that will actually help their partner in the ring. You can distract the referee. You can grab the opponent inside the ring if they get to close to your side of the ring, and you can grab and hold them for your partner to do strikes or double team moves. You can generate a hot tag, which is a first for the series this year. A hot tag occurs when the legal man has been getting beat up and he keeps trying to make that dramatic tag to his partner only to get pulled away at the end. This really gets the crowd behind that beaten up superstar so when he finally does make that tag, the partner comes in like a bat out of hell and lays waste to both the legal man and the illegal partner on the apron, setting you up for your finisher and potentially ends the match with a pin. This is all user controlled, and we've added a cool God of War style mini-game that the incoming partner has to do to correctly perform the hot tag. So you can potentially fail at the hot tag. It's a high-risk, high-reward ability that I think fans are going to take an immediate liking to.
ESPN: What should gamers expect with the addition of the Inferno match?
Bryan Williams: This is a match that I believe has only been done about five times, and that's because it's so dangerous. I hope they give these guys bonuses for fighting in this match. It's a rare event, and when it occurs, it's always a big deal. And like create-a-finisher, this is another one of those match types that fans have been begging us to put in the game. Again, we're listening to the fans. It may take us a couple of years, but we do listen.
The Inferno match is a one-on-one match where the ring is surrounded by fire. There's a real simple stipulation to the match: The first superstar who can burn the other is the winner. Visually, it's breathtaking to behold. The gameplay is very cool as we came up with a mechanic where you have to drag your opponent towards the flame and try to burn them. It came together really, really nice and I think the fans are going to appreciate it. After the match, you'll even see the fire extinguisher come out to put out the flames. [laughs]
ESPN: How has the game's story mode changed this year?
Bryan Williams: It's going to be a lot different and all the changes that were made were definitely for the better. Our new story mode is called Road to Wrestlemania and it essentially is six different stories being told representing popular WWE superstars across all three brands. We even have a tag team story in there as well so you can either play as a single player or play with a friend. We've got John Cena, Triple H, CM Punk, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and our tag team story stars Batista and Rey Mysterio. The tag team story utilizes all the cool stuff we added to the match and you can play with a friend or hammer it out by yourself.
What's cool, though, is that each one of these stories has been created with the superstar in mind. For example, we have a story involving Triple H. He came in and did all of his voiceover for the game, and our designers got together with WWE creative to put together a story that represents each of these superstars, so you'll never see one of these guys acting out of character. The past couple of years, this is something our season modes have been guilty of, but no more. When you play through the mode as Triple H, you're getting 100% unadulterated Triple H, and the same is true when you play through as John Cena or The Undertaker. The dialogue that they say, everything about their story will ring true, just like it does in programming. There will be no shared cut-scenes, either, as all of the cut-scenes will be character specific. Every story you'll see something completely new and each story will take about four-to-five hours of gameplay. It's a meaty part of the game this year. We have some branching, some alternate endings, and a lot of cool gameplay elements that you can only experience in Road to Wrestlemania.
ESPN: You mentioned Triple H doing voiceover. Did the other wrestlers come in and do their own voiceover as well?
Bryan Williams: Of course. Any superstar in the game, whether they are playable or just being featured in a cut-scene, came in and did the actual VO. We didn't get any fakes.
ESPN: But what if I want to play as Shelton Benjamin or someone who isn't featured in Road to Wrestlemania? Is there a season mode for other wrestlers as well?
Bryan Williams: In addition to Road to Wrestlemania, we also have another brand new mode simply called Career mode. Like the name implies, you can take any superstar on the roster, including a diva, including a created superstar, and you can go through an entire year as a superstar collecting championships. All of the championships will be available in this mode and as you play you can improve your attributes. It won't have all of the cut-scenes and VO of Road to Wrestlemania, but it will be an area of the game where fans can take their favorite superstar and take him through multiple years. You can take Shelton Benjamin and go from Smackdown, maybe take him back to ECW or Raw and build your character. You can earn a whole bunch of new abilities, and more importantly, gold. If you're playing as Shelton Benjamin, that gold is what it's all about.
ESPN: How tough is it dealing with a product that is constantly changing? You have Chris Jericho in the game but now his character, his tights are completely different on the show. Are these the types of things that are going to be updated with downloadable content?
Bryan Williams: Jericho finally came back and we've got him in the game. I love Jericho to death, he's the freakin' man, but you're right, he's completely changed. His entrance is different, his attire has changed, he doesn't even do the Walls of Jericho pose anymore. We have his old entrance in the game, we don't have his new incarnation. It's just one of those things. It would be nice to say that there was a definitive cutoff but a lot of it just has to do with our schedules here at THQ in terms of when we have to go to QA, when we need to hit Alpha and all of that kind of stuff, and that changes every year. We really do the best that we can to wait and push back that deadline just so we can get everything as up to date as possible, but like you said, WWE is always evolving, and they have to in order to compensate for injuries, introducing new characters and whatnot.
ESPN: Who are some of the newer wrestlers who weren't in the game last year who fans should be on the lookout for?
Bryan Williams: Shelton Benjamin wasn't in the game last year and I'm really glad he's back in. I love his moveset and he's got a great finisher. Santino is also really fun to play as. One of the things I'm really excited about with this game is the fact that not only is our roster significantly bigger, we have a lot of guys making their Smackdown debuts which is always fun. Triple H, Undertaker, it's always a safe bet they're going to be in the game, but it's always fun to play as some of the new guys like Santino. We have like 30% new characters. We are also doing downloadable content and we're going to be unveiling what that is as we get closer to release. But one of the reasons we're excited for DLC is that it's just one more tool we can use to ensure that our game is as current as our programming. I can honestly say that from a fans point of view, they are really going to like what we have in store in terms of downloadable content.
ESPN: Creating wrestlers has historically been one of the most popular features in the series. Beyond finishers, what else can we expect in terms of new face paint or attire?
Bryan Williams: An argument can be made that Create a Superstar is the most popular feature in the game. Aside from all the new features and new matches, you can't get around the fact that a large segment of fans are always looking for what's new in Create a Superstar. We definitely gave Create a Superstar a lot of attention this year. The last couple of years we made steps to replace the 2D and painted on parts with all 3D parts, and in 2009 we did that yet again. I'd say that 70% of all parts are now all fully 3D and they look beautiful. The fans can definitely expect to see all new parts, new facepaint, we've added 25-30% new content in the mode including some new motions in create an entrance as well as new moves in create a moveset. We have a ton of new moves as well.
One thing we really wanted to concentrate this year on, though, is just gameplay. This is the most responsive Smackdown has ever been. The gameplay is really, really good this year. We didn't reinvent the wheel, we just fine-tuned what we had in place last year and I think when gamers get their hands on the controller, they'll instantly recognize how much smoother the game plays this year.
Gaming ring Podcast
http://www.gamingring.com/~mike/Arc...ast/theofficialpodcastforsvr2009.episode2.mp3
Nation
Guest
So im pretty sure wrestlers will be downloadable content. Bryan's response to the new wrestlers question basically confirms it.
Hoping so and lol to the podcast, the guy slipped and pretty much gave away big show is in the game besides the leaked roster
Nation
Guest
Speaking of the podcast it was revealed that unlockable titles will be in. Also there is a fricking roster editor!
October 9, 2008 - Every year, THQ and Yuke's put out a WWE game, and every year, fans piss and moan because the roster is out of date -- someone switched shows, someone won a championship, and so on.
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 gives you the power to shut up and fix any continuity errors.
"Yes, via the Roster Editor, fans can pop into the game's roster and switch Superstars to whatever brand they like (Raw, SmackDown, ECW, Free Agent, LEGENDS, or a special classification that's only available after being unlocked), swap titles, decide who is clean and who is dirty, as well as view stats and Abilities. In addition to the Roster Editor, SVR 09 packs a feature called Team Management. Here, you can create or destroy tag teams, give the duo a name, or add a stable".
These changes only affect the exhibition stuff -- i.e. changing a champion isn't reflected in Road to WrestleMania or Career Mode -- but both of these modes are good for every character -- created, unlocked, Diva, etc. -- in the game and available from the moment you turn on the system
October 9, 2008 - Every year, THQ and Yuke's put out a WWE game, and every year, fans piss and moan because the roster is out of date -- someone switched shows, someone won a championship, and so on.
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 gives you the power to shut up and fix any continuity errors.
"Yes, via the Roster Editor, fans can pop into the game's roster and switch Superstars to whatever brand they like (Raw, SmackDown, ECW, Free Agent, LEGENDS, or a special classification that's only available after being unlocked), swap titles, decide who is clean and who is dirty, as well as view stats and Abilities. In addition to the Roster Editor, SVR 09 packs a feature called Team Management. Here, you can create or destroy tag teams, give the duo a name, or add a stable".
These changes only affect the exhibition stuff -- i.e. changing a champion isn't reflected in Road to WrestleMania or Career Mode -- but both of these modes are good for every character -- created, unlocked, Diva, etc. -- in the game and available from the moment you turn on the system
yea im going to have fun with that, just saw it on ign. Switching alot of peoples dirty/clean status
Nation
Guest
October 10, 2008 - Fall's a pretty great time of year. Yeah, yeah -- there are all those leaves changing colors, the return of football, and pumpkins or whatever -- but what the fall really means is that it's wrestling game season.
This year's no different at IGN. The SmackDown Countdown (where we debut the SVR roster one character at a time) is in full effect, we've already had two Friday Fights (full SVR matches the fans choose), and now there's another THQ&A (where THQ answers questions from the IGN readers).
Want to get in on the action? Want to vote on the new match we feature on Friday Fights? Want to ask Cory a question? You'll need to start checking the IGN SmackDown board then, brutha.
Until then, enjoy this fan-driven interview with SVR Creative Director Bryan Williams, but keep in mind reader questions have not been edited so that they may serve as a catalyst to scare kids back into the classroom.
rated-r-583: will the new tag team improvements be available in six man tag matches?
Bryan Williams: Yes. All of the new tag team improvements will be supported within six-man normal tag team matches. In fact, the new tag team improvements will be supported in all normal-ruled tag team matches, such as the aforementioned normal six-man tag team match, one on tag handicap match, one on trio handicap match and tag on trio handicap match.
M_uNiT2k5: Will the online of '09 for the PS3 version support headsets this year?
Bryan Williams: Yes. The PlayStation 3 version of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 will support the headset online.
GloatingWalnut: When you create a stable will you be able to give the team a tag team finisher?
Bryan Williams: Yes. In fact, until your Superstars have been formally legitimized within the game as a stable or tag team, you won't be able to perform a tag team finisher during gameplay. It's one of the many perks to creating a stable or team. Similar to all other moves in the game, tag team finishers can be assigned within Create A Move-Set.
Deadmantombtone445: Do the CAWS have a new character selection screen this year instead of that black box showing your character inside it?
Bryan Williams: Yes we do. In WWE SmackDown vs. 2009, CAS characters will no longer be confined within a box or any other enclosed structure. CAS characters on the Superstar Select Screen and match up or versus screen will appear as a render similar to the default WWE Superstars and Divas.
Mr.Rangers: Do abilities have to be unlocked in career mode to be added to a CAW Superstar or can they be assigned as soon as you have created one ? Also, we have seen a little of career mode and to me personally it looks sort of like the season mode that was in Here Comes The Pain, were you trying to recapture that style or is it something completely new ?
Bryan Williams: You are correct in that abilities need to be unlocked in Career Mode in order to assign them to CAS characters. There is a helpful menu within Career Mode that clearly explains how to unlock each one of the abilities, so there won't be any guessing involved.
BestGamerAliveMVP: Will we have the choice of using the original stats for the superstars we put in career mode?
Bryan Williams: Whomever you choose to progress through Career Mode with (CAS or Superstar/Diva) will start out with minimal attributes. One of the things we really wanted to stress with Career Mode was a sense of character growth and accomplishment. This allows players to take their characters and build them up from the bottom to the top.
ShawnDamian: Does CAW Mode contain more in Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009 than it did in Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 in terms of CAW parts such as hairstyles, clothes, boots, shoes, and necklaces?
Bryan Williams: Yes. We update Create-A-Superstar with new parts every year. We've added roughly 30% new parts to Create-A-Superstar this year, ranging from clothing to shoes, accessories, hairstyles, etc.
Stormruin: In career mode...if we have already taken a CAW through and raised their stats will their stats reset automatically if we decide to take them back through or will we have the option to start over or raise them more?
Bryan Williams: Attributes for your CAS or WWE Superstar will never be reset. However, once your character has reached an overall of 100, you won't be able to build them up any further.
Stormruin: Can we go for the tag team titles in Career Mode?
Bryan Williams: Yes. Players can compete for both the WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team Championships.
PaintMeBloodRed: Will there finally be more than 2 animated ways to throw your opponent from the top of the Hell in a Cell structure?
Bryan Williams: You can actually throw an opponent off the Hell in a Cell ceiling in a few different ways. You can grapple your opponent near the ceiling's edge and toss them off, but the best way to toss an opponent off the ceiling is to use an Ultimate Control Grapple. You can use the Chokeslam, Lift Up, Samoan Drop and Piledriver Ultimate Control Grapples to manually throw your opponent off the ceiling. Just hoist the opponent up, walk toward the ceiling's edge and bombs away!
Jeff_Extreme_Hardy: Is the Elimination Chamber in the game?
Bryan Williams: Yes. The Elimination Chamber is a featured match type in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009.
wwefnfurlife: Now bryan/cory, this im sure has been asked a ton of times, but, when will the hell in a cell have the ability to get weapons under the ring. as of now the space is small, but in real matches, there is always weapon use, when will this factor into the sd series???
Bryan Williams: You'll definitely see these improvements implemented sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that's all I'm at liberty to say for now.
wwefnfurlife: any chance of the armageddon hell in a cell returning....
Bryan Williams: The Armageddon Hell in a Cell match type will be available in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009.
baseballjohny29: In the career mode.......is the mode over once you've won a title, or are you able to continue career mode and defend those titles?
Bryan Williams: What's so cool about Career Mode is that there is no end. You can play through as many years and collect as many titles as you'd like. This is something we have distinctly seen as a fan request. And yes, Career Mode will feature title defenses.
KNIQKNAQ98: For the blood system is it the same as the previous year and if so I was wondering for future Smackdown games could make it so like when a superstar is bleeding and the more blood he spills it could affect his stamina?
Bryan Williams: The blood system is similar to previous iterations, but you'll definitely see some subtle visual improvements. Whether big or small, we like to make sure that everything in the game receives some kind of improvement, and bleeding is no exception.
KNIQKNAQ98: For future SD games is there a way we could transfer our CAWs to the next game?
Bryan Williams: I can definitely say that we've had plenty discussions about this feature. The big roadblock we have is that we want to continue improving our Create-A-Superstar mode. The more improvements we make and the more parts we remove and add make this carry-over feature near impossible. If we chose to keep the Create-A-Superstar mode exactly the same or near the same as the previous year, then we would be able to support this. However, we don't want to cheat you guys out of all the improvements we can make in the mode. We want this creation tool to be the best in the business. So in short, this is a difficult feature to add for us, but we are currently coming up with clever ways to help users out with this in the future.
This year's no different at IGN. The SmackDown Countdown (where we debut the SVR roster one character at a time) is in full effect, we've already had two Friday Fights (full SVR matches the fans choose), and now there's another THQ&A (where THQ answers questions from the IGN readers).
Want to get in on the action? Want to vote on the new match we feature on Friday Fights? Want to ask Cory a question? You'll need to start checking the IGN SmackDown board then, brutha.
Until then, enjoy this fan-driven interview with SVR Creative Director Bryan Williams, but keep in mind reader questions have not been edited so that they may serve as a catalyst to scare kids back into the classroom.
rated-r-583: will the new tag team improvements be available in six man tag matches?
Bryan Williams: Yes. All of the new tag team improvements will be supported within six-man normal tag team matches. In fact, the new tag team improvements will be supported in all normal-ruled tag team matches, such as the aforementioned normal six-man tag team match, one on tag handicap match, one on trio handicap match and tag on trio handicap match.
M_uNiT2k5: Will the online of '09 for the PS3 version support headsets this year?
Bryan Williams: Yes. The PlayStation 3 version of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 will support the headset online.
GloatingWalnut: When you create a stable will you be able to give the team a tag team finisher?
Bryan Williams: Yes. In fact, until your Superstars have been formally legitimized within the game as a stable or tag team, you won't be able to perform a tag team finisher during gameplay. It's one of the many perks to creating a stable or team. Similar to all other moves in the game, tag team finishers can be assigned within Create A Move-Set.
Deadmantombtone445: Do the CAWS have a new character selection screen this year instead of that black box showing your character inside it?
Bryan Williams: Yes we do. In WWE SmackDown vs. 2009, CAS characters will no longer be confined within a box or any other enclosed structure. CAS characters on the Superstar Select Screen and match up or versus screen will appear as a render similar to the default WWE Superstars and Divas.
Mr.Rangers: Do abilities have to be unlocked in career mode to be added to a CAW Superstar or can they be assigned as soon as you have created one ? Also, we have seen a little of career mode and to me personally it looks sort of like the season mode that was in Here Comes The Pain, were you trying to recapture that style or is it something completely new ?
Bryan Williams: You are correct in that abilities need to be unlocked in Career Mode in order to assign them to CAS characters. There is a helpful menu within Career Mode that clearly explains how to unlock each one of the abilities, so there won't be any guessing involved.
BestGamerAliveMVP: Will we have the choice of using the original stats for the superstars we put in career mode?
Bryan Williams: Whomever you choose to progress through Career Mode with (CAS or Superstar/Diva) will start out with minimal attributes. One of the things we really wanted to stress with Career Mode was a sense of character growth and accomplishment. This allows players to take their characters and build them up from the bottom to the top.
ShawnDamian: Does CAW Mode contain more in Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009 than it did in Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 in terms of CAW parts such as hairstyles, clothes, boots, shoes, and necklaces?
Bryan Williams: Yes. We update Create-A-Superstar with new parts every year. We've added roughly 30% new parts to Create-A-Superstar this year, ranging from clothing to shoes, accessories, hairstyles, etc.
Stormruin: In career mode...if we have already taken a CAW through and raised their stats will their stats reset automatically if we decide to take them back through or will we have the option to start over or raise them more?
Bryan Williams: Attributes for your CAS or WWE Superstar will never be reset. However, once your character has reached an overall of 100, you won't be able to build them up any further.
Stormruin: Can we go for the tag team titles in Career Mode?
Bryan Williams: Yes. Players can compete for both the WWE Tag Team and World Tag Team Championships.
PaintMeBloodRed: Will there finally be more than 2 animated ways to throw your opponent from the top of the Hell in a Cell structure?
Bryan Williams: You can actually throw an opponent off the Hell in a Cell ceiling in a few different ways. You can grapple your opponent near the ceiling's edge and toss them off, but the best way to toss an opponent off the ceiling is to use an Ultimate Control Grapple. You can use the Chokeslam, Lift Up, Samoan Drop and Piledriver Ultimate Control Grapples to manually throw your opponent off the ceiling. Just hoist the opponent up, walk toward the ceiling's edge and bombs away!
Jeff_Extreme_Hardy: Is the Elimination Chamber in the game?
Bryan Williams: Yes. The Elimination Chamber is a featured match type in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009.
wwefnfurlife: Now bryan/cory, this im sure has been asked a ton of times, but, when will the hell in a cell have the ability to get weapons under the ring. as of now the space is small, but in real matches, there is always weapon use, when will this factor into the sd series???
Bryan Williams: You'll definitely see these improvements implemented sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that's all I'm at liberty to say for now.
wwefnfurlife: any chance of the armageddon hell in a cell returning....
Bryan Williams: The Armageddon Hell in a Cell match type will be available in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009.
baseballjohny29: In the career mode.......is the mode over once you've won a title, or are you able to continue career mode and defend those titles?
Bryan Williams: What's so cool about Career Mode is that there is no end. You can play through as many years and collect as many titles as you'd like. This is something we have distinctly seen as a fan request. And yes, Career Mode will feature title defenses.
KNIQKNAQ98: For the blood system is it the same as the previous year and if so I was wondering for future Smackdown games could make it so like when a superstar is bleeding and the more blood he spills it could affect his stamina?
Bryan Williams: The blood system is similar to previous iterations, but you'll definitely see some subtle visual improvements. Whether big or small, we like to make sure that everything in the game receives some kind of improvement, and bleeding is no exception.
KNIQKNAQ98: For future SD games is there a way we could transfer our CAWs to the next game?
Bryan Williams: I can definitely say that we've had plenty discussions about this feature. The big roadblock we have is that we want to continue improving our Create-A-Superstar mode. The more improvements we make and the more parts we remove and add make this carry-over feature near impossible. If we chose to keep the Create-A-Superstar mode exactly the same or near the same as the previous year, then we would be able to support this. However, we don't want to cheat you guys out of all the improvements we can make in the mode. We want this creation tool to be the best in the business. So in short, this is a difficult feature to add for us, but we are currently coming up with clever ways to help users out with this in the future.