Move Over UFC Undisputed? EA Introduces "EA Sports MMA" at E3
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 1, 2009 6:22 PM EDT
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From MMACube EA discusses MMA game on E3:
EA Sports today at E3 announced it's not impressed with THQs video game. EA says the world of MMA is big and it shouldn't just be limited to the UFC, so they decided to create their own game called MMA. Rumor has it that it will feature the biggest stars in MMA that never got show cased by the UFC the likes of Fedor, Barnett, Arlovski, Shinya Aoki, and much much more. There is still no real information about the game, but EA says it will conquer theUFC's version.
There is still no real information but there is plenty of speculation! People are throwing out idea but expect this game sometime in 2010!
Here is what 1UP said about the E3 announcement:
Details were extremely scarce, but the new franchise is, obviously, based on the increasingly popular sport of mixed martial arts fighting. Moore described the game as the "second leg" in their effort to "reenergize and redefine the fighting category," with Fight Night Round 4 being the first. This essentially creates a real competitor to THQ's UFC franchise, with UFC 2009 Undisputed the latest entry.
EA Tiburon is working on the game, which is due in 2010. No other details were revealed.
Other fighters that were already tagged to appear in the game are Frank Shamrock and Randy Couture. To me, it sounds like EA may be using a promotion approach, where they would use a lineup that would consist of Strikeforce, Affliction, and DREAM fighters. One thing that they could do to differentiate themselves from UFC Undisputed is allow you to create your own promotion and start it up from scratch, and do a career mode in that manner, like creating a new franchise in the NFL, MLB, or NBA.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - (Business Wire) Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that an all-new fighting title is in development at EA Tiburon in Orlando, under the EA SPORTS™ brand.EA SPORTS MMA will be available in 2010 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.
EA SPORTS MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world.
"With Fight Night Round 4 set to deliver a knockout with industry-leading visuals and genre-defining gameplay later this month, I couldn’t be more excited to announce the expansion of our combat sports strategy with EA SPORTS MMA coming in 2010," said EA SPORTS President Peter Moore. "Fans have been begging EA SPORTS to get into the cage, and EA SPORTS MMA will put them in control of the sport’s unique combat experience while finally, in an immersive interactive experience, capturing the raw intensity that has made mixed martial arts one of the fastest growing sports in the world. We’re ready for the fight."
The EA Tiburon studio carries a successful legacy, and is a leader in innovation, within sports video games. In August of 2008, EA Tiburon was named by GamePro Magazine as one of the top eight most powerful studios in the entire gaming industry. It is home to highly touted franchises, such as Madden NFL, NCAA® Football and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®.
For more information about EA SPORTS MMA, log onto www.easportsmma.com.
EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.
Which Fighters Are Already In The Game?
According to MMAJunkie, it appears that Frank Shamrock, Frank Trigg, Randy Couture among other non-UFC fighters will be in the game. According to MMAPayout, Gina Carano could be on board as well.
However, sources tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Frank Shamrock and Frank Trigg are two of the likenesses expected to be in the game. Current UFC heavyweight Randy Couture, who spent much of 2008 in a contract dispute with the UFC, is also a rumored fighter in the game. Dozens of additional (non-UFC) fighters are expected to be in the first release.
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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Again fitting your standard posts, rehashing other people’s information, sticking to negative news/spin on the UFC or positive news/spin for anyone else.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jun 1, 2009 6:26 PM EDT reply actions 7 recs
HUH?
what am I spinning? I am quoting MMACube, and MMA video game fans should be really happy about this. We would get Undisputed 2010 and EA MMA next year.
This is great news.
Supremacy, you sir have some thick skin. It seems whatever you do on this site you cop unwarranted criticism left, right and centre and generally take it all with good humour and remain positive. My hat is off to you sir. Keep posting what ya posting and putting your opinions out there.
by GeeDub on Jun 1, 2009 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
Agreed
Biased as he may be, he always brings the news and the goods, and never cries when people insult him.
He’s a worthy adversary, I’ll say that much.
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I still rec’d ilowyn’s post – pretending the guy doesn’t have it in for Zuffa is just silly.
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Rec'd
At first, I thought MMASuPreMaCy was a noob and a troll (it’s the whole alternating caps thing) but he definitely brings the goodness in terms of news as well as shrugging off the complaints he’s a mark or a shill (aren’t we all?).
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
About that quote
I wacthed the announcement. It was nothhing like they say it was.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
Next time
quote somebody who doesn’t make shit up.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Jun 1, 2009 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions
EA Sports MMA sounds about 100 000 000 000 000 000 times less cool than UFC 2009.
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
I am sure they will name it MMA 2010, etc, and make a series out of it like NBA LIVE, MADDEN, and Fight Night.
The only difference is…
Imagine NBA Live without the “NBA” then you’ll get a pretty good idea on how well this will do.
They think MMA is like boxing where they can just call it “fight night” and it will sell… err wrong – try again.
by mmalogic on Jun 1, 2009 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
mmalogic isnt being logical lmao!
This isnt EA’s Madden vs 2K’s All Pro Football where they used retired NFL players and generic stadiums/sponsors.
EA will be able to use a bunch of great MMA names out there and will probably have even more sponsors than THQ does in the UFC game. It’s for sure gonna have better grafix. Have you seen FNR4? It’s ridonkulous! God, I hope they get Jimmy Lennon Jr and Gus Johnson for announcing and PLay by play! :D
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 1, 2009 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Nobody knows what “MMA” is…
Everyone knows what the “UFC” is.
You think just because the game is better it will work? no. Having some names on the roster will work? no.
Affliction tried this and sherdog reported that their first 2 shows didnt even break 100k buys. What makes you think a mma video game will do it?
If there were enough “MMA” fans Affliction would have at least broken even… they didnt even come close.
Could you pass along that Sherdog article link? We didn’t even get a chance to debate it around here.
I am amazed that he was able to throw in an Affliction Didn’t even break 100K PPV buys when discussing MMA video game that EA wants to do. =)
This is all I've found so far. Topic hasn't been brought up in awhile.
Affliction takes the complete opposite tact — spending wildly and hoping for short-term gain — to the point where observers are finding it difficult to predict success. While they put on cards of tremendous depth, often out-pointing the UFC in terms of star power, it’s attributable only to their infrequent staging. (If the UFC were to limit cards to a biannual basis, you can imagine how substantial they’d be.) They’re concerned with "event" programming, and that’s commendable only if enough people agree with their idea of what constitutes an event. To date, it’s alleged they’ve yet to exceed 100,000 buys.
So when Sherdog shits on the UFC, it’s a quality journalistic endeavor, but when it shits on Affliction, it’s Sherdog.
That’s kind of transparent, even for you.
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you know that when EA pulled the NFL license from 2K games, 2K had the better football game? 2K games had to fold their superior NFL game because without the license, the game didn’t sell. Non-UFC PPV won’t sell, what makes people think that a non-UFC MMA game will sell?
In most cases
I would agree.
But the X-factor here is EA. EA is a comapny with over 4 billion in revenues (and 1. billion in losses in 2009 :P).
It’s a company that can take on a project like this and fund it properly and build it for the long term. It really depends if EA is in it for the long-term or short term. If it’s a short term gamble to ‘ride the wave’ then the game will fail miserably.
Take a look at Pro-evolution Soccer. Pro-Evo is pretty much on par with FIFA as a football game but it took many iterations and years for the football (soccer to you yanks) world to recognize it’s superior game play.
They didn’t rough it out. They got exclusive contracts (which are supposed to be evil, right?) so that 2k couldn’t make games.
EA games are good, but they were of lesser quality and sold less than the 2k sports games when 2k was able to use the major leagues. This is the same thing, THQ has the major league license.
It will be a good game, but I doubt it will touch undisputed.
But that isn’t a good comparison because they had the NHL license.
If EA was trying to make Hockey 2007 staring people who left the NHL to go to russia, they never would have come close to catching up.
A video game called MMA will never beat a video game called UFC. It doesn’t matter which game is better, the league name will sell.
How could Arlovski be in the EA game if he’s already in the UFC game? It seems like nobody made it into that game without signing over their video game rights into perpetuity.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
Not Sure...
MMACube reported that, but Fedor, Barnett, Aoki, Shamrock, and Couture seem pretty obvious to me.
Yeah theres little chance there’ll be anyone from Undisputed in this game. Couture will probably be in it, which I’m sorry to say is a bit of a shame. I like my Natural in an Octagon… sorry Supremacy.
I wonder how EA will go about video game contracts and the like. They could be dicks and sign up the entire UFC hall of fame (barring Coleman).
No problem. I agree that Couture is pretty much synonymous with the UFC, and it is a shame that he is not in UFC Undisputed.
I’m sure they will be using a hexagon like Strikeforce. You won’t notice lol.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 1, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not so sure if they will be affiliated with specific promotions, Affliction and Dream may not even be around when this game comes out. And they better hope their gameplay is MUCH better than the UFC game because there is no way someone would choose this game over one that has Chuck Liddell, GSP, Brock, Anderson Silva, etc if the gameplay is similar. Well, no one other than MMA Supremacy.
Its All About The Game Play, CAF Mode, and Career Mode
Those are my top 3 things I look for in a fighting game and is one reason why Fight Night has been so successful.
Another problem they are going to have to contend with is Undisputed was the first one to market and they will have a year lead time as far as improving the game, they will be on their second iteration when EA comes out with their first. They need to get this right the first time.
Yup. Luckily, they can compare it to Undisputed 2009 and see what they can improve. Obviously, if they improve on all the things people complain about in UFC Undisputed and beats their second iteration, they have a good chance. I agree, they have a bit of a disadvantage after Undisputed 2009 came out.
It'll probably look something like
this
Supporting all Las Vegas MMA.
'09 is the year of the FW's.
by ElliotMatheny on Jun 3, 2009 3:46 AM EDT up reply actions
This game will sell about as well as non UFC ppv’s sell… bupkus. I bet this game wont even have a framework set up before they can it.
Obviously once the marketing team starts surveying the marketplace they will figure this out fairly quickly.
by mmalogic on Jun 1, 2009 6:53 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Biased Much?
EA Sports is actually one of the few companies out there that can put a good amount of money to develop this game.
Money and marketing muscle.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 1, 2009 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
The game can be twice as good but it wont sell… so it doesnt matter.
Everyone has Undisputed so everyone will continue to buy it – just the Mass of users will dictate which franchises will sell – because who’s gonna play this game with you?
While you and smoogy are playing this game millions will be playing undisputed.
This is not boxing where you can call it “MMA fight night” and it will sell. NON UFC ppv’s dont sell so why would this game? Your favorite website (sherdog the Zuffa haters) reported that Afflictions 2 shows didnt even make it to 100,000 buys now that all the numbers are in.
So yeah if they decide to invest alot of money they can develop something decent but selling it will be an uphill battle.
While you and smoogy are playing this game millions will be playing undisputed.
i don’t know whats funnier, the first part of this sentence or the last.
Yeh
but 7.3 million people watched Elite XC…..
So I think you’re overstating the argument. I agree with your argument but it’s not as clear cut as you’d make it sound like.
I will agree EA missed the initial salvo on this one. In there eyes, they probably see THQ raking in the profit on a not so well built game in their genre and are speaking with a bit of jealous gusto.
Even if they can beat the game play I think it would harder sell without UFC’s big name. Than again, EA is known for being just as slimy stealing people’s likeness so maybe EA and UFC management will find common, greedy ground to work out a deal for their fighters. If not, I’m sure I’ll have fun fighting Andy Kouture and Fedro Emelianonickel.
Exactly, even non-MMA fans know what the UFC is, do those same people know who Fedor is? Hell no. The name recognition alone puts Undisputed so far ahead that EA is going to have to do everything they can to make this game perfect the first time around.
There is a rumore that when EA Sports MMA was announced at E3, everyone started shouting FEDOR FEDOR FEDOR! No lie.
There’s a big difference between people who attend a video game expo and the millions of gamers in the general public that they will need to get interested in this game in order to turn a profit on it.
How can there be a rumor of a mass demonstration? Source, Supremacy?
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I urge all you MMA and Videogame fans to join the EA Sports MMA Website forums and give them your ideas. Game companies actually do listen to the gamers. They want to know what we want because they want to sell. I’ll be signing up and sending my thoughts for sure!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
This is a stalking horse. They can’t seriously think they could sell an MMA game without any UFC stars, same way nobody would buy a Canadian Football League game (even GSP fans).
A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who
That’s a good analogy. CFL ‘10 just won’t move units.
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions
You’ll be jealous when I can play The Saskachewan Roughriders Vs The Ottowa Rough Riders
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
West of Hurst
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
Ottowa doesn’t exist – it’s Ottawa. Way to take the fun out of being a dick:-p
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe Ottowa does exist, and its just some obscure Canadian hamlet you’ve never heard of, like Conception Bay, or Dildo?
Keep firing Assholes!
This is a dream competition for me. I drink as much coffee as I want, and eventually I hallucinate.
Dude, sign me up as a Dildo Rough Riders fan.
by Derek Suboticki on Jun 1, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Frank Trigg, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, + More In Game
However, sources tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Frank Shamrock and Frank Trigg are two of the likenesses expected to be in the game. Current UFC heavyweight Randy Couture, who spent much of 2008 in a contract dispute with the UFC, is also a rumored fighter in the game. Dozens of additional (non-UFC) fighters are expected to be in the first release.
Geez
I hope they make Frank Trigg exciting in the game. I know that would be hell of a challenge for any developer. Hopefully we can have Trigg vs Lawler as a Classic Match. =)
How Would People Feel About An MMA Legends Game?
Also, does anyone got the sense that they could do a legends of MMA game? Couture, Frank Shamrock, Ken Shamrock, Tank, Gracies, Sakuraba, Rickson, Randlemen, Smith, Severn, Mach, Kawajiri, Uno, Sato, Miletich, Newton, Fedor, Smashing Machine, Igor, etc.
He would at least claim that he had.
by ronniebonnie on Jun 2, 2009 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Only if Tank
swings wildly the whole time and drinks beer between rounds. Is the nut buster punch trainable?
Yeah,
I don’t know where that is at right now, but somehow, WAMMA is still working with MMA Live and EA. Pretty amazing, actually.
Nooooooooooo000000oooOOOoooo00000oooo!!!!!!!!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 1, 2009 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Im not sure if they will continue to work with them when the game comes out, so we will see what happens there.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 1, 2009 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions
It will be the ugliest
belt in video game history.
How will the ever pull of the velcro?
Gina Carano Most Likely In EA MMA
http://mmapayout.com/2009/06/ea-mma-coming-in-2010/
The game was alluded to last November by Frank Shamrock while speaking with Steve Curtis for an article for MMA Payout, so the ground work has been laid for some time in reference to the MMA title. EA also has featured Gina Carano and Randy Couture in past video games, so this may also be options for the game. More details as they become available
I garuntee you that the UFC Marketing Machine will have the pedal to the metal in 2010, making sure that the only MMA game fans of all levels will be talking about is UFC 2010. I, being an avid game and mma fan, will be buying EA’s game…but to think that your typical joe blow mma fan will look at EA’s game and buy is simply foolish.
They’ll see MMA on the cover and wonder what it is, they’ll deduct that it’s Ultimate Fighting, but without any of the cool fighters and move right along.
I am assuming that they will put Gina, Fedor, and Couture on the front cover, and then the average Joe will most likely recognize one of the three. =)
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 1, 2009 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions
So are you suggesting that EA will likely just put a large photo of a scantily clad Gina on the cover to move more units? Because you may be on to something there…
scantily clad Gina on the cover to move more units
Was that an accident or clever word play?
by ronniebonnie on Jun 2, 2009 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions
this will fail
EA is not known for its gameplay and i;m sure ufc will take the rights to trigg and couture back as they are both with the ufc again.
i’m not buying a game just go i can play as fedor :/(n who knows by next year he might be with ufc
the way ufc is killing promotions,there might not be enough fighters left for a second ea sports mma to interest the average fan and the average fan wont be interested in an mma legends game b.c they wont know who the legends are?
ufc’s online issues and career mode will be better next yr esp now that they have competition and i see it impossible for ufc to have better gameplay than EA and it also wont have any well known fighters
dana white wont show mercy
ea’s best bet is to wait until thq’s contract is up
Hahaha. There is a reason why Randy is not in the game, and no one cares about Trigg in the first place. Also, hahaha.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Jun 2, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Didn't EA already put one of THQ's feet in the grave when they made skate and skate 2?
This completely killed THQ’s one good franchise in tony hawk. One of the reasons for all the bankruptcy talks.
Sadly i see the same future for thq’s mma run,but on a positive note EA totally renewed the skate boarding style of game with their use of the right stick to do tricks.
Madden, Fifa, NHL NBA, UFC will fit in fine at EA sports.
= p
Someone inside the wall tells me Brock Lesnar is in the game also…
= p
I also heard its running off of the Fight Night 4 engine…Oh and I heard Kimbo’s in it too….
= p
Its going to be better. The Fight Night 4 graphics engine handles more robust rendering and more frames per second. On top of that EA Sports is well…..EA Sports…“its in the game.”
Supporting all Las Vegas MMA.
'09 is the year of the FW's.
by ElliotMatheny on Jun 3, 2009 3:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Garfield by lasagnabar
Supporting all Las Vegas MMA.
'09 is the year of the FW's.
by ElliotMatheny on Jun 3, 2009 3:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Fedor To Arrive To LA For EA Sports MMA Photoshoot
The following in the schedule will be photographing for company Electronic Arts, planning to start MMA-GAME in following year.
plus ea usually never has too many fighters in their games,i can only expect around 40 or maybe 50
idk im a big fan of madden and fight night but this just seems like a desperate attempt to make money 4 me
they didnt give mma any expect in year’s past n once undisputed was talked about 2 yrs ago they’ve been waiting 2 get in
ufc undisputed 09... far from perfect
this could work if, they let you take a real fighter into career mode like FN rnd 3. and if they can make a submission system that can be used against the cpu that would help too. also put Fedor, couture, Nick Diaz, and all the other good non-ufc mma fighters in there. And if theres a mode where u can put your own fight cards together and have the outcomes affect the rankings in the game, i would buy it.
You Ask How EA Could Make The Game Different? Here Is A Possibility:
The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo officially opens Tuesday at the Los Angeles Convention Center, but the computer technology giant revealed that it is developing a controller-free system that would enable players to participate in a game by kicking, jumping, catching, or even speaking.
The capability is enabled by a sensor — code named “Project Natal” — that is developed to track full body movement in 3-D, while responding to commands, directions or even a shift of emotion in a voice.
Steven Spielberg was on hand at USC’s Galen Center to help Microsoft preview the technology. “The next step in interactive entertainment is to make the controller disappear," he said. "With Project Natal, we’ll see games that bring everyone together through technology that actually recognizes us.”
THQ...
depending on their company’s future will own EA in MMA. They have a year up on them and have a pretty successful game to start. ThQ will have to overhaul the Multiplayer (add some tournaments, interface, etc) and overcome EA’s marketing muscle. But they have the advantage. Plus if Dana wanted to, he can incorporate PRIDE FC items into the game. (Venue, Ring option, recreate fights with prior Pride/current UFC fighters)
Yup
They can do all that, but the question is whether they will or not.
THQ and Zuffa has the ability to make the game untouchable, but the question is will they?
Prediction #1: This game will only sell a fraction of the units that UFC Undisputed sells.
Prediction #2: Once THQ’s contract runs it’s course, EA will outbid them for the UFC license and retire the ‘MMA’ series in order to concentrate on their new UFC game.
There is no doubt in my mind that UFC 2012 will be produced by EA Sports.
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