WWE® SMACKDOWN® VS. RAW® 2010 - BRYAN WILLIAMS Q&A
Exclusive UK Community Q&A...
Last week we asked for your WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 questions. We pinned down Game Designer Bryan Williams to get the answers...
How does this year's SmackDown vs. Raw improve on previous games? (Killswitch, CAWS.ws)
Bryan: Oh man, where to even begin? The Royal Rumble match has been completely redesigned from the ground up. Of all the match types featured in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, and there are several, the Royal Rumble match has been the one furthest removed from being a faithful and authentic representation of the real thing. I’m extremely happy to report that this is no longer the case. In WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, opponents in the Rumble can be eliminated from three different locations. Also, each one of the three locations comes with its own elimination mini-game so players won’t be forced into repeating the same action throughout the course of the match.
Royal Rumble finishing moves are also new to the match this year. Performing well in the match and eliminating other opponents will earn you finishing move icons. Each Superstar can store up to three finishing move icons. Finishing move icons can be used to instantly eliminate opponents and they can also be used to break out of an elimination attempt when on the defensive.
WWE Story Designer is another brand new addition to the game this year. Like its name implies, WWE Story Designer mode gives players the ability to construct their very own original story. The mode features over 90 cutscene animations that can be customized (a few of the customization options include the ability to alter camera angles, input text, change the cast of characters, alter the Superstars’ emotions, etc.) and inserted into your story. All of the match types are also made available to players. What really elevates this mode above others that we’ve done in the past is the ability to upload your completed stories online for other players to download and then play! I can’t wait to see what our fans post online. It’s not just stories that can be posted online. Created Superstars, highlight reels, created finishing moves and screenshots can all be uploaded online and downloaded by other players. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 really is the game that keeps on giving.
How has the the Havok engine changed things? (James, Email)
Bryan: As this is our first year using the engine, Havok’s use within WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is limited. The Havok engine’s biggest influence has been on the Superstars’ interaction with the environment and other competitors. In previous titles, seeing Superstars clip through ropes and other objects in the environment was a common sight. In WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, a lot of these instances have been eliminated because of Havok’s implementation. We definitely plan on using Havok moving forward, and as such, its influence on the game will be that much greater.
Have you had to go back to square one and re-animate all of the moves for this game? (Makon, IGN)
How does this year's SmackDown vs. Raw improve on previous games? (Killswitch, CAWS.ws)
Bryan: Oh man, where to even begin? The Royal Rumble match has been completely redesigned from the ground up. Of all the match types featured in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, and there are several, the Royal Rumble match has been the one furthest removed from being a faithful and authentic representation of the real thing. I’m extremely happy to report that this is no longer the case. In WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, opponents in the Rumble can be eliminated from three different locations. Also, each one of the three locations comes with its own elimination mini-game so players won’t be forced into repeating the same action throughout the course of the match.
Royal Rumble finishing moves are also new to the match this year. Performing well in the match and eliminating other opponents will earn you finishing move icons. Each Superstar can store up to three finishing move icons. Finishing move icons can be used to instantly eliminate opponents and they can also be used to break out of an elimination attempt when on the defensive.
WWE Story Designer is another brand new addition to the game this year. Like its name implies, WWE Story Designer mode gives players the ability to construct their very own original story. The mode features over 90 cutscene animations that can be customized (a few of the customization options include the ability to alter camera angles, input text, change the cast of characters, alter the Superstars’ emotions, etc.) and inserted into your story. All of the match types are also made available to players. What really elevates this mode above others that we’ve done in the past is the ability to upload your completed stories online for other players to download and then play! I can’t wait to see what our fans post online. It’s not just stories that can be posted online. Created Superstars, highlight reels, created finishing moves and screenshots can all be uploaded online and downloaded by other players. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 really is the game that keeps on giving.
How has the the Havok engine changed things? (James, Email)
Bryan: As this is our first year using the engine, Havok’s use within WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is limited. The Havok engine’s biggest influence has been on the Superstars’ interaction with the environment and other competitors. In previous titles, seeing Superstars clip through ropes and other objects in the environment was a common sight. In WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, a lot of these instances have been eliminated because of Havok’s implementation. We definitely plan on using Havok moving forward, and as such, its influence on the game will be that much greater.
Have you had to go back to square one and re-animate all of the moves for this game? (Makon, IGN)
Bryan: We definitely implemented a ton of new moves in this year’s title. I’d argue that more moves have been added in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 than in any other year. With that being said, we didn’t go back to square one necessarily. Moves that did not meet our strict standards of quality were removed from the game and replaced.
Who worked on the motion capture this year? (MM Greatness, CAWS.ws)
Who worked on the motion capture this year? (MM Greatness, CAWS.ws)
Bryan: We used a mixture of WWE and independent talent, all of whom did an amazing job for us. Here are some of the talent who helped us this year:
WWE Talent: Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd, Alicia Fox, Evan Bourne, JTG, Shad, R-Truth, Rosa Mendes, Sheamus, Eric Escobar.
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) Talent: Billy Kidman (FCW trainer), Norman Smiley (FCW trainer), Caylen Croft (FCW), Joe Hennig (FCW), Johnny Curtis (FCW), Mia Mancini (FCW), Trent Beretta (FCW).
Independent Talent: Chase Stevens, Mike Mondo, Cassidy Riley, David Young, Mike Taylor, Tracy Taylor.
Who’s your favourite Superstar to play with? (Simon, Email)
WWE Talent: Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd, Alicia Fox, Evan Bourne, JTG, Shad, R-Truth, Rosa Mendes, Sheamus, Eric Escobar.
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) Talent: Billy Kidman (FCW trainer), Norman Smiley (FCW trainer), Caylen Croft (FCW), Joe Hennig (FCW), Johnny Curtis (FCW), Mia Mancini (FCW), Trent Beretta (FCW).
Independent Talent: Chase Stevens, Mike Mondo, Cassidy Riley, David Young, Mike Taylor, Tracy Taylor.
Who’s your favourite Superstar to play with? (Simon, Email)
Bryan: It’d be a tie between Christian (I’m definitely one of the peeps) and Evan Bourne. They both have really strong move sets to explore, and I’m huge fans of them both.
Are you ever tempted to make hidden characters along the lines of when you had Fred Durst in SmackDown: Just Bring It? (Darkstar, Talk Wrestling Online)
Are you ever tempted to make hidden characters along the lines of when you had Fred Durst in SmackDown: Just Bring It? (Darkstar, Talk Wrestling Online)
Bryan: Heck yeah! I think it’d be great if we had past Raw host, Shaquille O’Neal, as a hidden character.
How do the SmackDown and RAW elements work in the story designer, can you easily drop in events for both? (Shaz The Don, IGN)
Bryan: It is all left up to the player. While RAW, ECW and SmackDown appear in their respective day of the week on the calendar (Monday, Tuesday and Friday), this does not prohibit the player from doing whatever it is they want to do. You can very easily drop in events for both and you can most certainly crossover storylines. Our goal from the outset was to provide players with as much freedom as possible. It’s definitely a goal that we’ve accomplished.
What improvements have been made to the highlight reel and titantron videos? (HulkHogan1, IGN)
Bryan: We’ve added a few new editing tools and infused our existing tools with new parts and options. Converting a highlight reel into an entrance movie is very simple. Any completed highlight reel can be converted into an entrance movie. Once an entrance movie has been created it will be made available for selection within Create-an-Entrance mode. These entrance movies can then be assigned to created Superstars, as well as any one of the WWE Superstars.
When you download a created story with created superstars, will the created Superstars, entrance videos and everything else be included in the download? (Mattylag, CAWS.ws)
Bryan: Yes. If you download a story featuring created Superstars, you will receive everything that is attached to that character (entrance, entrance video, move set, etc). However, there is one caveat for music. If your entrance movie includes a licensed track from our game or one of the entrance themes for a WWE Superstar or Diva, the music will also transfer with your entrance movie. If you have music assigned from your personal playlist, the music will not transfer for legal reasons.
After creating SmackDown games for so long, have you found it difficult to come up with great new features for each version? (Rory, Email)
How do the SmackDown and RAW elements work in the story designer, can you easily drop in events for both? (Shaz The Don, IGN)
Bryan: It is all left up to the player. While RAW, ECW and SmackDown appear in their respective day of the week on the calendar (Monday, Tuesday and Friday), this does not prohibit the player from doing whatever it is they want to do. You can very easily drop in events for both and you can most certainly crossover storylines. Our goal from the outset was to provide players with as much freedom as possible. It’s definitely a goal that we’ve accomplished.
What improvements have been made to the highlight reel and titantron videos? (HulkHogan1, IGN)
Bryan: We’ve added a few new editing tools and infused our existing tools with new parts and options. Converting a highlight reel into an entrance movie is very simple. Any completed highlight reel can be converted into an entrance movie. Once an entrance movie has been created it will be made available for selection within Create-an-Entrance mode. These entrance movies can then be assigned to created Superstars, as well as any one of the WWE Superstars.
When you download a created story with created superstars, will the created Superstars, entrance videos and everything else be included in the download? (Mattylag, CAWS.ws)
Bryan: Yes. If you download a story featuring created Superstars, you will receive everything that is attached to that character (entrance, entrance video, move set, etc). However, there is one caveat for music. If your entrance movie includes a licensed track from our game or one of the entrance themes for a WWE Superstar or Diva, the music will also transfer with your entrance movie. If you have music assigned from your personal playlist, the music will not transfer for legal reasons.
After creating SmackDown games for so long, have you found it difficult to come up with great new features for each version? (Rory, Email)
Bryan: You know, not really. There are always features planned for inclusion that don’t make it in the game, usually because of time constraints. Each one of the designers on the team contributes their ideas so we’re rarely at a loss trying to come up with new content.
What’s next for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw? (Stevey, Email)
What’s next for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw? (Stevey, Email)
Bryan: The future looks very, very bright for the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is the 11th game in the series, and we plan on delivering that WWE goodness for many years to come.
What is your favourite pizza toping to eat whilst working on this game? (Y2 James, Talk Wrestling Online)
What is your favourite pizza toping to eat whilst working on this game? (Y2 James, Talk Wrestling Online)
Bryan: Extra cheese!
Thanks for everyone that sent their questions in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is out in the UK this Friday! If you want to stay up to date with the latest on the game, you can join the Official Forums, become a fan on Facebook or follow the game on Twitter.
Thanks for everyone that sent their questions in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is out in the UK this Friday! If you want to stay up to date with the latest on the game, you can join the Official Forums, become a fan on Facebook or follow the game on Twitter.
