Comments on: Boxing versus MMA…. games http://www.primagames.com/blog/2008/06/21/boxing-versus-mma-games/ Prima Games Author Blog Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:40:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Brett http://www.primagames.com/blog/2008/06/21/boxing-versus-mma-games/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Brett Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:25:50 +0000 http://primagames.wordpress.com/?p=105#comment-39 I'm very interested to see how a company would handle the fighting engine in an MMA game these days, particularly when it comes to transitions in the action. I think any developer could put together a decent enough engine for stand up fighting or for submission fighting, but what about the other very prominent (and often overlooked) elements of a fight? There are so many nuances, from dozens of takedowns, takedown defense, passing the guard, transitioning while on top on the ground, regaining guard while on bottom, the various ways to play guard, and on and on. An MMA fight is much more nuanced than a boxing match or a wrestling performance. Actually, one could argue that a wrestling performance is nearly equally nuanced, but in a wrestling game you have the benefit of focusing more heavily on moves rather than transitions from one move to another. I've played a lot of wrestling games with a lot of people over the years, and every time the concern is about how easy it is to do a powerbomb, a suplex, or any number of high flying manuevers, not whether or not the move can be done as a reversal from, I don't know, an abdominal stretch. In an MMA game, without those big, signature moves, I believe the focus will be squarely on how to move from one aspect of a fight to another. Balancing between fighters of disparate styles will be key as well, now that I think of it. Will an amazing Jiu Jitsu fighter be favored against a top caliber striker? Will a Greco-Roman wrestler have an inherit advantage over, say, a Judoka? Or, as is the case in real life MMA, will the onus be in the player to execute the proper manuever at the proper time in order to gain an advantage and, hopefully, the victory? One would hope, but to this point in MMA games, that has not necessarily been the case. However, if Yukes can deliver a balanced and reasonably realistic portrayal of an MMA fight, then then UFC 2009 Undisputed will likely be to the MMA gaming world what UFC is to the MMA world. If not, we'll likely remember it with all of the fondness with which we remember UFC Tapout 2. I’m very interested to see how a company would handle the fighting engine in an MMA game these days, particularly when it comes to transitions in the action. I think any developer could put together a decent enough engine for stand up fighting or for submission fighting, but what about the other very prominent (and often overlooked) elements of a fight? There are so many nuances, from dozens of takedowns, takedown defense, passing the guard, transitioning while on top on the ground, regaining guard while on bottom, the various ways to play guard, and on and on.

An MMA fight is much more nuanced than a boxing match or a wrestling performance. Actually, one could argue that a wrestling performance is nearly equally nuanced, but in a wrestling game you have the benefit of focusing more heavily on moves rather than transitions from one move to another. I’ve played a lot of wrestling games with a lot of people over the years, and every time the concern is about how easy it is to do a powerbomb, a suplex, or any number of high flying manuevers, not whether or not the move can be done as a reversal from, I don’t know, an abdominal stretch.

In an MMA game, without those big, signature moves, I believe the focus will be squarely on how to move from one aspect of a fight to another. Balancing between fighters of disparate styles will be key as well, now that I think of it. Will an amazing Jiu Jitsu fighter be favored against a top caliber striker? Will a Greco-Roman wrestler have an inherit advantage over, say, a Judoka? Or, as is the case in real life MMA, will the onus be in the player to execute the proper manuever at the proper time in order to gain an advantage and, hopefully, the victory? One would hope, but to this point in MMA games, that has not necessarily been the case.

However, if Yukes can deliver a balanced and reasonably realistic portrayal of an MMA fight, then then UFC 2009 Undisputed will likely be to the MMA gaming world what UFC is to the MMA world. If not, we’ll likely remember it with all of the fondness with which we remember UFC Tapout 2.

]]> By: mabooza http://www.primagames.com/blog/2008/06/21/boxing-versus-mma-games/comment-page-1/#comment-40 mabooza Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:36:31 +0000 http://primagames.wordpress.com/?p=105#comment-40 007 373 5963. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering my phone number, but I'll always remember that string of digits. It's seared into my memory forever since I had to input it dozens of times before I finally put down Iron Mike. I hear ya on the MMA thing. I played a UFC game years ago for the PS1 that was really good; forget the name. I loved the mix of stand-up, grappling, and match-ending submissions. It was very tactical as opposed to the twitch, button-mashing gameplay offered by most wrestling and fighting games of the time. I'm hoping THQ/Yukes pulls off something similar with UFC 2009 Undisputed. Saw the first gameplay trailer on Game Trailers TV last night and it looks decent. Check it out: http://www.gametrailers.com/player/35344.html 007 373 5963. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering my phone number, but I’ll always remember that string of digits. It’s seared into my memory forever since I had to input it dozens of times before I finally put down Iron Mike.

I hear ya on the MMA thing. I played a UFC game years ago for the PS1 that was really good; forget the name. I loved the mix of stand-up, grappling, and match-ending submissions. It was very tactical as opposed to the twitch, button-mashing gameplay offered by most wrestling and fighting games of the time. I’m hoping THQ/Yukes pulls off something similar with UFC 2009 Undisputed. Saw the first gameplay trailer on Game Trailers TV last night and it looks decent. Check it out:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/35344.html

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