BROCK LESNAR WILL RETURN IF CIRCUMSTANCES ARE RIGHT

Promoting his inclusion in THQ’s WWE ’12 video game, Brock Lesnar participated in an interview with IGN.com to discuss WWE related topics.

Lesnar explains why he agreed to be included in the game.

“It’s one of those things where… it’s part of my history. Without the WWE, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said via e-mail. “I wouldn’t have the high visibility, I wouldn’t have had the leverage to come into the UFC. I would have had to do it all on my own. I’m no idiot when I say that when I was with the WWE, the visibility from that company and what they did on a global network for ‘Brock Lesnar’ as a whole, put me on another level.”

Being in WWE ’12 begs the obvious question – would Lesnar ever consider returning to WWE programming?

“It would have to be under the right circumstances,” he says. “I don’t know if Mr. McMahon and I could come to the right circumstances. If it was good for me and good for him I think that we could do something. At the end of the day, my life, my character and my profession – I take them very seriously. At the end of the day, if it doesn’t help me or my family out, and it doesn’t make sense for me to do, then I don’t do it. Everything would have to fall in the right place, but would I consider it? Absolutely.”

HQ POSTER OF WWE '12 GAME FEATURING SIN CARA

Different countries have different artwork for THQ’s upcoming WWE ’12 video game and the original Sin Cara has been chosen for the cover in Mexico.

Click to enlarge.

UPDATE ON WWE '12 PEOPL'S EDTION

The People’s Edition of WWE ’12 is only available for pre-sale through the THQ online stores in the US and Canada, for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. The special collector’s edition will be available at retailers outside of the US and Canada for the official WWE ’12 launch in November.

PEOPLE'S EDITION CHOSEN FOR WWE '12

THQ was taking votes to release a special The People’s Edition or The Champ’s Edition of the upcoming WWE ’12 video game. Voting is now apparently over and The People’s Edition will be released. More details on special features in The Rock’s edition of WWE ’12 will be released in a few days.

The Rock commented on Twitter:

“It’s official! “The People’s Edition”. Team Bring It dominates CeNation. Again.”

NEWS UPDATE ON WWE '12 GAMEPLAY

A new IGN article on the WWE ’12 video game lists the following features that will be included. It was noted that many, many more features have yet to be revealed.

* Over 80 match configurations including four-way Extreme Rules brawls, Elimination Chamber and more.

* A 12-hour Road to WrestleMania story mode.

* 10 creation modes including Create-An-Arena.

* Online gameplay and content sharing where you can download another player’s creations.

* Over 70 characters and more than 60 unlockables. There will be an unlock key you can purchase that gives access to all bonus content.

SPECIAL EDITION OF ROCK AND CENA FOR WWE '12 GAMES

 WWE is doing something different with the WWE ’12 video game as fans will be able to vote on which special edition cover gets released. “The People’s Edition” features The Rock on the cover and “The Champ’s Edition” features John Cena on the cover. The special release that’s picked will also have exclusive content with it. Voting is now going on online.

RANDY ORTON TALKS ABOUT MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY

Randy Orton, who is on the cover of WWE ’12, appeared at the roster reveal today to talk to the fans. Orton talked about Michael McGillicutty’s name being announced. Orton talked about how he had the privilege to work with the late Curt Hennig and said it’s a travesty that McGillicutty can’t go by his real name of Joe Hennig.

ROSTER OF WWE '12 GAME

 Todd Grisham, Jerry Lawler and The Miz were at SummerSlam Axxess this afternoon with representatives from THQ for the WWE ’12 roster reveal. Here’s what was announced. Downloadable content will be announced later.

Current WWE Superstars:

* John Cena
* Randy Orton
* Alberto Del Rio
* Daniel Bryan
* John Morrison
* Ted DiBiase
* Mark Henry
* Kofi Kingston
* William Regal
* R-Truth
* Husky Harris
* Tyson Kidd
* Santino Marella
* David Otunga
* Evan Bourne
* Sheamus
* Goldust
* Cody Rhodes
* Zack Ryder
* Mason Ryan
* Triple H
* The Miz
* Kane
* Alex Riley
* Rey Mysterio
* Michael McGillicutty
* Yoshi Tatsu
* Jack Swagger
* Big Show
* Justin Gabriel
* Heath Slater
* Dolph Ziggler
* The Undertaker
* Christian
* Drew McIntyre
* Sin Cara
* Vince McMahon
* CM Punk
* Ezekiel Jackson
* Wade Barrett

WWE Divas:

* Eve Torres
* Natalya
* Maryse
* Layla
* Michelle McCool
* Beth Phoenix
* Kelly Kelly

WWE Legends:

* The Rock
* Steve Austin
* Arn Anderson
* Ricky Steamboat
* Road Warrior Hawk
* Road Warrior Animal
* Vader
* Kevin Nash
* Booker T
* Eddie Guerrero
* Smash of Demolition
* Ax of Demolition
* Edge

MATTEL TO RELEASE CENA VS ROCK ACTION FIGURE FOR WRESTLEMANIA

 Variety reports today that Mattel will be releasing a John Cena vs. The Rock set of action figures to commemorate their WrestleMania 28 match. They also note that during the first half of 2011, WWE action figures were the top-sellers beating out brands like GI Joe, Batman, Iron Man, Spider Man and others.

WWE TO REVEAL WWE '12 GAME'S ROSTER AND UNLOCKABLE CHARACTERS

The roster reveal for WWE ’12 will take place on August 13th at SummerSlam Fan Axxess in Los Angeles. The entire roster, including unlockable characters, will be revealed that day but downloadable content won’t be revealed until a later date. WWE and THQ’s Corey Ledesma noted on Twitter that there will also be one mystery Superstar that won’t be revealed until September.

NEWS UPDATE ON WWE '12 THE GAME

 As mentioned before, The Rock will be available as a playable character for fans who pre-order WWE ’12 through any participating retailer and Gamestop pre-orders will come with alternate attires for The Miz. The alternate attires will be The Miz in a suit and his “I’m Awesome” t-shirt. It’s being reported that the Wii version of WWE ’12 will automatically come with The Rock as a playable character and The Miz’s alternative attire.

NAMES CONFIRMED FOR WWE' 12 GAME

Names currently confirmed for the new WWE ’12 video game are Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, John Cena and Randy Orton. Ring announcer Justin Roberts and commentators Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are also confirmed. Ricardo Rodriguez is also confirmed for the game as he’s featured in Del Rio’s entrance.


It sounds like the game will also feature Legends as The Road Warriors and The Rock are heavily rumored but not confirmed.


More footage and details on WWE ’12 will be released at the E3 convention next week. THQ will unveil the WWE ’12 demo next week at the convention and then release it online.


WWE and THQ’s Cory Ledesma noted on Twitter that gameplay related features will be revealed at E3 but details on other game modes and features won’t be released until August.


Cory also confirmed that WWE ’12 will only be released on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii. The game won’t be released on PSP or any other consoles.

TRAILER OF WWE'S NEW GAME WWE' 12

Randy Orton is featured on the cover of the new WWE video game – WWE ’12. Here’s the teaser trailer:

Here’s part of IGN’s details on the game:


“For years WWE SmackDown vs. Raw has been the Sports Entertainment simulation series from THQ and Yuke’s Yokohama. It’s been a fun ride, but as with any franchise, fans have complained about annual aspects over and over again. Turns out the developers were listening, killed the series, and are planning on fixing things with WWE ’12.


The stiff animations, the characters warping into place for certain moves, the confusing right analog stick controls for grapples — WWE ’12 is addressing all of that and feels good so far. That’s pretty damn exciting.


Now, it would be easy to glance at screenshots and assume THQ and developer Yuke’s Yokohama just dumped the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw name and called it a day. That’s what I did. For a few days leading into my meeting, THQ had been telling me this game was going to be unlike any other WWE game I had seen, but when I finally laid eyes on it, WWE ’12 sure did look similar to WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011.


Then, I started to play it. THQ and Yuke’s didn’t just change the name, they changed the game’s DNA. There’s a new animation system, new blending methods, something called “Predator Technology” — basically, they went under the game’s hood and ripped out all the old stuff that people hated and plugged in brand new parts to try and make the most fluid wrestling game around.


When John Cena’s suplexing an opponent, a third Superstar can punch Cena and break up the move. You can do that for any move — even Finishers and mini-games like the Royal Rumble eliminations. When you’re slammed to the mat at the beginning of a bout, you’re going to sell the move and get up at the same time so that the match keeps a fast-paced feel. When you’re getting up from any move, you’re going to have a window to strike before you’re even to your feet. The goal is to have a game that feels like anything can happen from any position and eradicate that stiffness and clunkiness that has always been a calling card of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw.


For me, it all came together watching a three-man match. Orton laid out an opponent and went to the ring apron, Cena immediately started his 5-Knuckle Shuffle routine on the downed man, and as Cena was coming down, Randy Orton launched himself from the apron to land a splash. Orton hit, Cena hit, and Orton hit again. The sequence was polished and fast — it looked like a spot from ECW of old. There was no blown animation as the character on the ground reacted to the first move and ignored the other.


People don’t warp to the center of the ring for a 5-Knuckle Shuffle and similar moves anymore; the move happens where it happens. The ropes no longer stay awkwardly still during matches; you slam someone and the ring reacts. The tired fonts and menus of old have been ditched for a new setup. Visually, new shaders and tech have been introduced to make the game look better than ever. There’s definition to the character’s faces instead of the blur there was last year, and depth of field has been introduced to give the brand new arenas weight and realism.


The game, according to THQ, has been taken apart and put back together, and from the little I’ve seen, I believe them — though the changes aren’t monumental when you stare at a still image, they shine in motion.


Seeing the game in motion is where the proof of all these Predators and shaders lives. I’ve already talked about how the moves flow together, but there’s more to it than that. The days of analog stick grapples are over. Now, everything’s going back to the face buttons of your favorite controller. Grapple, strike, pin and Finisher are all right there for the taking. There are no strong and weak grapples — the moves you’re pulling off are dependent on how worn down the opponent is.


That’s all well and good, but there are specific things THQ has peppered in that affect the gameplay. First, there’s limb targeting in WWE ’12. You can attack the head, arms or legs, and while this obviously puts you in a good place for certain finishers, it also really twists the match in whatever direction you want it to go. If you’re up against a lightning quick high flier, you can work the legs so the opponent can’t get around as quickly and can’t zip up the turnbuckles. Work the head, and the opponent is going to be a groggy mess. All this plays into how easy it’ll be to get an opponent to tap in the new “Breaking Point” submission system where players tap buttons in a tug of war mini-game.


Epic brawls are going to look like the epic brawls you see on TV — both in terms of the new camera angle that’s more pulled back and the gameplay speed I talked about earlier — but they get even more like Monday Night Raw when you add in the new Wake Up Taunts in WWE ’12. Basically, you know how Randy Orton pounds the ground before he goes to hit his Finisher on TV? That can happen in the game now. You knock your opponent down with your Finisher primed, hit the taunt button, and you’ll get a celebration that ends with the opponent getting to his feet in the perfect setup for your big move. The opponent gets a chance at reversing it, but it really brings together that TV style presentation THQ’s been working on for the last few years.


That said, I thought the stamina bar was a bit of a step backwards in WWE ’12. The last few WWE SmackDown vs. Raw games incorporated a barely visible halo around the Superstars feet to keep players in-tune with how they’re doing in a match and not distract from the presentation. As of now, WWE ’12 features a big meter with a name on it at the bottom of the screen showing how close you are to building a Signature or Finisher (you can store two Finishers). I found it jarring as the game looks better than ever and is trying so hard to mimic broadcasts.


Still, that’s the only gripe I have with the new direction. WWE ’12 also adds Dynamic Comebacks, which are those tried and true combos you see folks like Cena throw out that take them from the edge of defeat to clearing the ring. If you reach a certain amount of damage, you’ll be able to have a shot to use this one-time combo. Pull it off, and you get two Finishers.


These stored Finishers and Dynamic Comebacks make it seem like my friends and I are going to have some awesome matches, but THQ and Yuke’s want you to have awesome matches with computer-controlled opponents, too. The AI learns this time around. If you spam run attacks like I do (I’m infamous on the Internet for my floatover DDT), the computer opponent is supposed to recognize that and be ready to counter it. For the first time, THQ says that the computer is going to remember what you’ve been doing and what it’s been doing. (i.e. if it picks up a chair, it’s not going to drop it — it’s going to hit you with it.)


Balancing the difficulty isn’t just a focus when it comes to the man versus machine matches. THQ found that people figured out how to master the pinning system pretty quickly in SVR 11, so it’s been redone in WWE ’12. It’s still a metered system (hold a button to fill a meter and release it when it gets to a window on the meter), but the window moves around this time at random — it won’t always be in the same spot. Similarly, the window size varies on how beat up you are, and if you’re pinned after the opponent hits his Finisher, the meter might not pop up to the two-count so you’d only have one shot at it. “

THQ GOING TO ANNOUNCE NEW WWE GAME, WWE '12

Jim Ross stated on his official website today that a “major announcement” will be made Tuesday concerning THQ’s annual WWE video game series, SmackDown vs. Raw.


“Arguably the biggest news to date from WWE on the video game front,” Ross wrote.


The announcement is that the title of the annual WWE video game, SmackDown vs. Raw, will cease to exist. The rumored new name of the game is WWE ’12, a year that will change annually.


THQ made the decision to change the title of the game because they felt the SmackDown vs. Raw title no longer fit the product due to WWE rendering the “brand wars” inconsequential. This also explains WWE ceasing the pay-per-view event Bragging Rights. While the event drew poorly both years, it was kept to help promote the annual release of SmackDown vs. Raw.

JOHN CENA TALKS ABOUT HIS CHARACTER, ATTITUDE ERA AND ALL STAR GAME

 WWE Champion John Cena recently spoke with Boston.com. Here are some highlights:


His character:
“I don’t market myself as the coolest guy out there or the most edgy guy out there. Sports and entertainment have become such a business of branding. You have a lot of people watching your every action, and I’m proud of that. I take a lot of pride in how I present myself.”


The Attitude Era vs. Now:
“The Attitude Era was when the fans became teens. The Attitude Era was really generation-specific. I’m not taking anything away from that — it was 18-to-35-year-old males, and now we’re a broader audience, really more like it was in the ’80s.”


WWE All Stars and Andre the Giant:
“The game is unreal. If you just look at the timeline; those people loved the WWE, and they are my age and a little bit older, and they are starting to have family, and all of those young kids are getting interested in the program. He (Andre the Giant) made such an impression on me. He is the one guy that I would have loved to show what I could do.”

MIZ AND PIPER ON JIMMY KIMMEL

 The Miz and Roddy Piper’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel to promote WWE All Stars will air this coming Tuesday night. Regarding the appearance, Miz wrote on Twitter: “Today filming a skit for Jimmy Kimmel which will air Tuesday for the WWE All Stars video game. Piper, Miz, and Cousin Sal…need I say more.”

REY MYSTERIO TALKS ABOUT WWE ALL STAR DEMO

The demo for WWE All Stars has been released for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and features Rey Mysterio vs. The Ultimate Warrior. Regarding the demo, Rey wrote on Twitter: “Just got the demo of #Allstars. Reminds me of a mortal kombat/blitz mashup. Except I’m in it. Just gave Ultimate Warrior a beatin’! 619.”

WWE ADDS NEW FEATURE TO THEIR WEBSITE NAMED "LIST THIS!"

 WWE has a new “List This!” feature on their website looking at “the greatest match-ups that never happened” to promote the new WWE All Stars game. It’s interesting to note that in one of the videos, they have Triple H going over Randy Savage.

DEMO VERSION OF WWE ALL-STAR WILL BE OUT

 THQ has announced that there will be a WWE All Stars demo available March 22nd on Xbox Live and March 23rd on the Playstation Network. The demo will allow players to play two-player local multiplayer with 4 different classes including Brawler and Acrobat. The Ultimate Warrior will be representing the Brawlers while Rey Mysterio will be playable from the Acrobats class.

NEW FEATURES REVEALED FOR WWE ALL-STAR GAME

 Richard George of IGN.com recently reviewed WWE’s new All Stars video game and revealed some new details. Here are some highlights:


* Regarding game play, George wrote: “The wrestlers themselves look more like action figures you can buy in stores versus more realistic portrayals. John Cena’s relatively simple “Five Knuckle Shuffle” – which is simply a drop to the mat with a fist punch – has become an elaborate, acrobatic feat. A stronger, heavier wrestler can kick a smaller, lighter opponent across the ring – or toss him completely outside of it. Some combatants can jump clear across the ring to attack their opponents. The emphasis isn’t on reality but on fast, fun and flashy entertainment. Despite the fact that most might liken the game a bit to No Mercy, in truth it might even be more similar to that game’s lesser-known predecessor, WCW/NWO Revenge. It has a more manic, frantic tone, similar to that of a Capcom fighting game. The game is willing to discard a great deal to make sure it never gets lost in details that will slow down the pacing of a match.”


* Game modes include the standard versus modes, other offline and online play, Path of Champions and Fantasy Warfare.


* Path of Champions is similar to the Road to WrestleMania in other games where you can challenge an old school Undertaker with Paul Bearer, Randy Orton or DX for titles. Players go through 10 rounds to get a shot at WrestleMania.


* Fantasy Warfare features 15 dream matches created by THQ that have or may not have happened in WWE’s past such as CM Punk vs. Steve Austin and Big Show vs. Andre the Giant. The matches in Fantasy Warfare feature “video packages” of WWE footage used to “promote” the matches. For example, there is a video package hyping a Punk vs. Austin feud.