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Home Fighting Games updates

THQ being vague about new wrestling title, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania

6:44 PM on 05.06.2008, Nick Chester 13 comments

     Fighting Games

As if they weren't happy enough with their relatively successful WWE Smackdown vs. Raw titles, THQ have gone ahead and revealed a brand new wrestling title, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania

In development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the title will not replace Smackdown vs. Raw, but will be "joining" the successful franchise. In the press release announcing the title, THQ reveal no real details about the title, other than that it is set to ship in March of 2009 to coincide with Wrestlemania 25, which is set to take place in Houston, Texas.

It'll be interesting to see what direction the game will take; in the press release THQ's vice president of global brand management Peter Matiss refers to "fighting videogames," which may or may not be a hint as to how the game will play. Anyone remember the dreadful Legends of Wrestling titles Acclaim release last generation? Clearly the developers of those titles had their hearts in the right place, with their strong focus on classic and legendary wrestlers. (You know, "back when wrestling was good.") Let's hope if that's the direction THQ is going with Legends of Wrestlemania it'll have the gameplay to back it up.

Prepare to Relive, Rewrite or Redefine History with WWE(R) Legends of WrestleMania(R)

Publishers of the Renowned WWE(R) SmackDown(R)/SmackDown(R) vs. Raw(R) Franchise To Establish New Property for Next Generation Systems

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2008--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK) today announced that WWE(R) Legends of WrestleMania(R) is currently in development for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system. Joining the distinguished WWE(R) SmackDown(R)/SmackDown vs. Raw(R) franchise, which has shipped more than 37 million units worldwide since 2000, WWE Legends of WrestleMania is scheduled for release in March 2009 to coincide with the annual pinnacle of sports entertainment, WrestleMania(R) 25, in Houston, Texas.

"We have generated significant year-over-year growth in key global territories with WWE-licensed videogames, including tremendous success with the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise," said Peter Matiss, vice president, global brand management, THQ. "The development capabilities afforded by next generation hardware, combined with our established history and deep understanding of fighting videogames, allow us to leverage the strength of the WWE brand to further extend our leadership in the fighting videogame genre and bring this new property to market."

"JAKKS Pacific is pleased to introduce a new WWE videogame property to the fighting genre," said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. "The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise has captured a collective audience of WWE fans, game enthusiasts and casual players, and we are confident that WWE Legends of WrestleMania will be poised for great success."



Next page: More THQ stories




Artemus's Avatar
Artemus at 05/06/2008 18:57
Damn. Sorry...

ScottyG's Avatar
ScottyG at 05/06/2008 19:18
Wow, Jesse Ventura gave pretty much every single one of Hogan's measurements except for his penis size. Although I suppose the WWF was more family friendly back then. :p
Suff0cat's Avatar
Suff0cat at 05/06/2008 19:35
The reference about fighting games makes me think they're gonna do something awesomely bad like Wrestlemania The Arcade game or In Your House.
ghnvt's Avatar
ghnvt at 05/06/2008 19:52
Pssst! Wrastlin' is fake as Pamela Anderson's tits!!
Qraze's Avatar
Qraze at 05/06/2008 21:04
Pssst! So are video games and movies and tv shows!!
thunderleg's Avatar
thunderleg at 05/06/2008 21:39
Pssst! The Land Before Time was real!!
Venomex's Avatar
Venomex at 05/07/2008 02:27
maybe, just maybe, we can officially play as owen hart. here's hoping.
Azrael XJM's Avatar
Azrael XJM at 05/07/2008 08:23
Chris Benoit? Maybe not...

I heard the last iteration of SDvR was pretty poor, with buggy and poorly presented season mode, stuff removed from the last game for no reason, and more arbitrary changes to the controls. The last I played was '07, which was not really as good overall as '06, though there were improvements in some areas, and that one story line where Kurt Angle gets turned into a woman. With magic. (he's still managed to get crazier though...)

I'm hoping TNA !mpact turns out as good as it looks and starts providing the alternative to WWE in videogames that the TV show fails to do for wrestling. This will likely be just SDvR with a fantasy roster, most of which will probably have the wrong moves.
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar
TrailerParkJesus at 05/07/2008 08:30
If they don't change anything, that'd suck. But if they try something like In Your House, that'd suck too. They can't win with me can they?

Bret Hart better be in there.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 05/07/2008 09:28
Wrestling games are not going to see an end any time soon I guess.
Artemus's Avatar
Artemus at 05/07/2008 22:45
I don't get why THQ ignored most everything Asmik/Ace did well with the WWF/WWE license. Why, THQ? Why?!
You could do everything in that game! Run on the apron! Hold special moves until your opponent gave-up! Steal specials! Steal taunts! The matches lasted many minutes are were incredible fun!
Someone, please send THQ an N64 system and the No Mercy game... Hope to god they play it and create a real werstling game!
THQ, you can do it.
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