More rumors about the WWE game series. This time, a name change??

So, there has been some speculation out there that in addition to changing the engine, there is something else happening to the Smackdown vs Raw series...

It's not Smackdown vs Raw anymore.


There have already been people saying that retailers and suppliers of video games have been told NOT to refer to the next game in the series as Smackdown vs Raw 2012... but as, get ready for this...

WWE 2012.


I like this. I like it alot.


I don't know why they didn't do this years ago, to be honest.

I mean, you got games like UFC 2012, or FIFA 2012, and NBA 2012... so why not just cut out the Brand vs Brand competition (something they also are apparently not doing anymore in WWE, since they've officially eliminated the Bragging Rights PPV) and just take the name of your game that's supposed to be about the company, and just name it after the company?


To just see the game series change from the Smackdown vs Raw title, and just have it be the WWE logo followed by a year, is obvious and I think makes a lot of sense.

I mean, if they want it to feel like a sim title, then they should brand it like a sim title. Kinda looking forward to the name change. It's also less of a mouthful to say as well.

It makes sense - after all there was no Smackdown .v. RAW element in the game.

Really hoping this year we get the ability to have a team gauntlet match.

I just created a custom Box Art for the new game.

Because I was bored and I felt like it.

That's pretty good Mike. Be interesting to see who does make the cover, though you might not be far off.

Incidentally, what do you want to see out of the new game in terms of new modes, additions, options, etc?

I'm glad you asked--15 Ways that I think THQ can make it even better.

1. Improvements to Story Designer. This includes bringing back the rest of the missing Story cutscenes from 2009, uploading created stories containing downloaded content, created story functionality with created brands, and story designer custom soundtrack support.

2. Massive improvements to WWE Universe, including control over title defenses and who is placed in them, limited defenses on shows (but with a limit of 3 non-PPV defenses per month), ranking improvements and tweaks, calendar and brand editor for Universe including created brands and moving show dates, fixes for the #1 contender issues, and stories that involve booking, beginnings and endings, and resolution plotlines instead of random cutscenes.

3. Create-A-Brand. Mix and match sets, rings, ring ropes, aprons, logos (all with Paint Tool support) along with bits from classic sets like Raw Is War, In Your House, WCW, and ECW, or new themed sets that resemble a spaceship or a castle, or Living Room, or generic looking HD set dressings.

4. Paint Tool support in Highlight Reel and entrance videos.

5. The elements of the All-Stars Engine when it comes to moves that can be interrupted or countered with other moves, All-Stars's collision detection and reversal system, more Struggle submissions and submissions in general, and overall reactive physics on most everything, but especially between players.

6. The class system of All-Stars where everyone's moves have different damage, every character feels different and has the same individual strengths and weaknesses as their real life counter-parts, requiring mastery of your favorite characters and knowledge of how other characters play.

7. New submission Create-A-Finisher position.

8. 100 Created Superstar slots. with better call names that are more interactive, and including a list of first names, and lets you string together 2 or 3 word nicknames.

9. Completely open world backstage elements with complete freedom and multiple paths Road To Wrestlemania stories, done a lot more competently and not nearly as tedious or as boring as the 2011 game's RTWM was.

10. NO MORE SHITTY GAMESPY SERVERS.

11. The possible return of Create-A-Belt maybe.

12. Edge & Randy Savage as legends.

13. All the major new matches and multi-man matches that has happened in the last year or so, and maybe the ability to have more wrestling in the ring at one time.

14. The ability to assign announcers on different shows or brands.

15. Better sound effects, again like All-Stars. And a crowd that dosn't suck with better volume levels, don't boo when they aren't supposed to, and actually react to things.

I altered and fixed up some improvements on the concept box...

Slightly too much shadow on Randy Orton's face?

As for your suggestions:

1. To be honest, I don't use story designer all that much. I just find it really fiddly and time consuming. What I'd much prefer is a simpler system that allows you to book feuds directly in Universe mode, but I shall come on to that.

2. Agree on Universe mode. This needs to be taken to the next level now witch much greater control over angles and feuds, and with the AI booking actually taking notice of the guys you want to see feuding with each other. I want to be able to set up specific feuds beyond the "friend" and "enemy" picks. I want to be able to pick two wrestlers, then maybe a theme for the feud like "tag team split" or "robbed of a title match" and then have it develop from there. Also yes, we should be able to do at least one title defence a month on the TV shows, and the AI should take a lot more notice of number 1 contender matches (which you should be able to book yourself).

3. Yes, very much want create a brand using paint tool logos and the ability to choose from a range of set elements (including lighting).

4. Yes

5 and 6. Yes to both, but with that All Stars engine being expanded to include new moves and the ability to pick specific move combos within it. We need a lot more submission moves for a start, and whatever they do, we need more moves to work off basic grapples so its doesn't get repetitive.

7. Or at least a floor one, yes.

8. Don't think we'll get 100, but 50 would be nice. And yes, the call names things has to be looked at. No-one really wants all the cheesy crap they put in there.

9. Don't really care about free-roaming backstage areas. I'm happy just to do the matches on RTWM to be honest.

10. A stable server would be nice!

11. Create a belt coming back would be nice, but more importantly they should get the belts in the game to fit like belts, not like rubber life preservers.

12. I'd be amazed if Edge isn't in. Randy Savage would be nice as well, though frankly if they just included the CAW parts for all these old legends I'd be happy.

13. More match types are always welcome, as is the idea of more wrestlers in the ring at once. Would love to see a proper Survivor Series match.

14 and 15. Sound effects aren't that important to me, but they need to sort out the volume issues around imported music.

I'd also like to see properly thought out multiple DLC, and for future games the ability to map across CAWs.

By the way....

Looks like I was right.

THQ officially announced the name change earlier yesterday afternoon.

Good for them. I think this name change is a great thing.

I agree, I also think its overdue.

I see they are promising new physics and a new gameplay engine. I'm reserving judgement until I see the thing in action and we learn more about the game, but I think they need to do some work to convince people its not just another SVR game under a new name.

TBH, I think the best thing the WWE could do would be ditch legend spots for WWE12 and concentrate just on getting as many of the current roster on the game as possible, then adding later current guys as DLC.

Then each Spring release a Legends based game (like All-Stars or Legends of Wrestlemania) with a more OTT cartoony approach as befits the more OTT time in wrestling.