Welcome to Wrestling Gamers United Newsletter #301
1) Dusty Finish 2) Link of the Week 3) Question of the Week
1) Dusty Finish **************************
F'n week man.
I tell ya. Things can change so drastically from one day to the next, one MINUTE to the next, that it's hard to really relax after good news because you're just waiting for the other crap to hit. On the other hand, it also makes it easier to handle the bad times because you know that one good phone call could come at any minute to turn everything right back around again.
This week we delivered the final version of Uprising to one of our major financing partners and they accepted it. They weren't happy they didn't get the large scope Xbox 360 game they were hoping for when they signed on a few years ago but they understood our reasons for the smaller scope project. In hindsight we were very wrong for thinking we could deliver a big budget wrestling game for 'only' $500k and in a year's time. And in truth, they were also wrong for accepting our budget and timeline and expecting those results. Both sides learned a good lesson about what it really takes to make a quality 3D game from scratch.
So at the meeting there was the general feeling that we did what we could and the end result was respectable given our circumstances. We left there (Bill and Sardeep accompanied me) feeling pretty good. But then the next day it kind of stalled when we got a "After further consideration..." email stating they wanted some changes made in particular to the way their name was used in the credits. So that's what we've been doing this week. Scrambling our butts off to get them exactly what they want so we can finalize Uprising for release and get it out there. Oh, and to get our final funding payment so we can like eat and stuff.
On Thursday I got a phone call that, well, could change everything for us. If we play our cards right we might have a new relationship that could open a lot of big doors for us in the future. Can't really talk much about it right now and you wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway ;-)
3) Link of the Week ********************
Still think the gaming media is giving you the honest truth when they review games? Then why are editors getting fired conveniently after giving bad reviews?
I think somebody ex-WCW, WWE, ECW wrestler will do a nice endorsement. How about RVD? Or Stevie Richards? I think AJ Styles supported WGU... A lot - I think any well known wrestler will do a great job
The "Excellence of Execution" Bret Hart hands down. His in ring abilities would be symbolic of the type of game PWX is trying to become, and his association with Canada would be shared with the PWX development office.
I was thinking about Hulk Hogan BUT it just hit me like a thunderbolt & it was an awakening that every wrestling game that Hogan ever promoted was crap not to mention Hogan is past his prime. So logic goes like this someone sees Hogan promoting a wrestling game then you know chances are it's gonna be crap so I choose the Hitman Bret Hart. Hitman was in the back of my mind.
NOTE: By the way I am a big fan of Hulk Hogan. The man pretty much single handedly made me start watching wrestling back in 1984.
As far as North America goes, Canada especially, its all about the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. I think hes someone who could be useful if he were involved in the project where most names that come to mind would only be useful as celebrity endorsements. That said, in gaming I think that celebrity endorsements go a lot farther when there not just paid endorsements. Also, you have to be very careful that you do not involve yourself with an individual who would alienate anyone. Personally, I am a big fan of Kevin Nash, but by himself I could see him pushing away some of the hard core wrestling fans.
Another option that might need to be thought about is Japanese release at some point, and I think that the Hart name would not hurt you there.
A wrestler today? I'd say Paul London.. he's a constant underdog but he's always taking huge risks and putting in 200% effort to be as amazing as possible. That sounds like PWX to me!
After reading Shawn Michael's autobiography and Steve Austin's autobiography, and watching Hart's autobiographical DVD, I have lost any respect for Bret as a person.. as an athlete he's still pretty amazing, but he strikes me as manipulative and petty, and I don't forgive him for breaking Austin's neck.
For one I doubt the two people you just mentioned had any thing to do with there own auto biographies the WWE is just using ghost writers to cash in on Foley's success. Also, if theres one person I have absolutely no sympathy for in the injury department its Austin.
The perfect spokeswrestlers: Bret Hart for the North American release (and if we could get Mil Mascaras, Dos Caras, or Hijo del Santo to help sell the game to Mexico, that'd just be ACE) and to go on all the worldwide promotional material, add someone like Regal, Burchill, or Dave Taylor for the European release, and Kenta Kobashi or Jun Akiyama for the Japanese release. And if you want to appeal to the shoot fans, you can add Quinton "Rampage" Jackson for the Americans, Bas Rutten for the Euros, Cro Cop for the Russians, and Akira Maeda for Asia. Congratulations, I just put together your dream team. It'll take up about 4 years of funding just to get them all, but they'll be worth almost every penny. L-o-l.
I know, I know. I hate Triple H with a burning passion. He made me stop watching wrestling. If there's ever a wrestler I could wish death on, it'd be him. But they'd be printing their own money. He's been shoved down everyones' throats so much that he's apparantly what 12-year old wrestling fans look up to. Which is sad, but that's business.
My personal choice would be Curt Hennig, but he's dead and noone remembers him, so it's a moot point.
[quote][cite] marlasinger:[/cite]Best living wrestler to endorse the game?
Triple H.
I know, I know. I hate Triple H with a burning passion. He made me stop watching wrestling. If there's ever a wrestler I could wish death on, it'd be him. But they'd be printing their own money. He's been shoved down everyones' throats so much that he's apparantly what 12-year old wrestling fans look up to. Which is sad, but that's business.
My personal choice would be Curt Hennig, but he's dead and noone remembers him, so it's a moot point.[/quote]
What have the wrestling world turned to. First Cena now HHH what the hell! Yeah he is a asshole backstage because he's on every piece of promo on raw. People can't say he's selffish anymore because he let Jeff Hardy get a push! He's brang up N.A.O., Brock Lesner,Randy Orton, Bastisa and most reciently Jeff Hardy. So shut up all you HHH haters so I can ponder on what happened to Shelton Beijaman or what ever the way you spell it.
Online Onslaught's Rick Scaia has a great article detailing the differences between Cena-evil and Trips in terms of hate-a-bility (and why we really shouldn't be raggin' on Attila the Helmsley anymore as a result). I wish I could remember the link, but it's a great read if you look for it...I think it was in a previous Newsletter's LotW...
[quote][cite] MG:[/cite]What have the wrestling world turned to. First Cena now HHH what the hell! Yeah he is a asshole backstage because he's on every piece of promo on raw. People can't say he's selffish anymore because he let Jeff Hardy get a push! He's brang up N.A.O., Brock Lesner,Randy Orton, Bastisa and most reciently Jeff Hardy. So shut up all you HHH haters so I can ponder on what happened to Shelton Beijaman or what ever the way you spell it.[/quote]
For me it wasn't any of the backstage stuff. It was just that he was boring. It was the same with Hogan on WCW. They'd come out every week and talk for what seemed like hours, boring me to tears in the process.
[quote][cite] PunkDraco:[/cite]For one I doubt the two people you just mentioned had any thing to do with there own auto biographies the WWE is just using ghost writers to cash in on Foley's success. Also, if theres one person I have absolutely no sympathy for in the injury department its Austin.[/quote]
I think you dropped your tinfoil hat back there.. ;) Anyhow as I mentioned, I also watched Hart's DVD and it reinforced the opinions expressed by Austin and Michaels (Tho I'm sure that wasn't Bret's intention). Bret comes across as selfish and vain.. it seems he put his own success ahead of the company, which is pretty lame considering the company made him who he is.
Hey, nobody forgot Mr. Perfect, he's in the hall of fame afterall. But dead people don't make great spokespeople, sadly.
Ahh the great Bret Hart debate. My opinion (for what it's worth) is that he made a stand for what he believed in and his actions could easily be spun in any direction depending on what side of the argument a person takes. The last place on earth I'd expect to find an unbiased account would be on a WWE produced dvd even if it did have Hart's participation. If you can I suggest you read his book. Hart is very open about his faults and mistakes throughout his career and as such I give him more credibility for his version of events.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think the WWE produced his DVD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitman_Hart:_Wrestling_with_Shadows.
It seems to me the goal was to paint him with a flattering brush, and I certainly don't think he's alone to blame for his backstage fighting with Michaels, but what he planned to do on his way out was definately good for him, bad for business, and his unwillingness to do what was right for the company is what bothers me.. I can understand looking out for #1, but every wrestler who makes it big is expected to do the job for other people on their way out.. If Hulk Hogan, Triple H, etc can do it, I don't see why Hart couldn't. On the other hand, I grew up in Michigan, so Hart wasn't very important to me growing up, I was more interested in the various American stars.
Of course people make mistakes, and there were certainly mistakes on all sides of this debacle. One thing that really amazed me in Bret's DVD was watching the backstage goings on immediately after the screwjob, when Hunter was calmly and quietly allowing Bret's wife to take out her frustrations on him. That's a side of him that we the audience don't often get to see, but it's a refreshing reminder that the bad guys aren't really bad guys when they go home at night ;)
Realistically I think you have to go for the over the top attention grabbing character that would catch the eye of the casual gamer/non-wrestling fan. The hardcore wrestling game enthusiast is already your niche. Guys like the Bret Harts and Shawn Michaels of the world dont reach beyond the wrestling bubble. I would say an insane screaming Iron Sheik or another over the top character would be the most realistic choice for effectiveness. My personal fantasy pick though would be Telly Funk or Stan Hansen.
[quote][cite] JohnnyR:[/cite]Realistically I think you have to go for the over the top attention grabbing character that would catch the eye of the casual gamer/non-wrestling fan. The hardcore wrestling game enthusiast is already your niche. Guys like the Bret Harts and Shawn Michaels of the world dont reach beyond the wrestling bubble. I would say an insane screaming Iron Sheik or another over the top character would be the most realistic choice for effectiveness.[/quote]
How about the latest YouTube phenom.....Damien Demento!!!!!!!! He has next to zero name recognition but I think it would be funny if Dave were to join all the supposed indy promotions and fan fests, calling him to get back into the business and help schill a new wrestling video game.
It could make for a funny YouTube promo. If anyone remembers that Simpsons episode were Krusty the Clown starts doing his new cutting edge comedy routine. He badmouths the guys from Canyonero and then within a few seconds is changing his tune and shamelessely hawking their product. Watching Demento on a profanity laced tirade about these idiot canucks that are making a wrestling game and want him to help out would be funny enough and would get some name recognition out there at least. But watching him in that same promo suddenly start talking about what great guys they turned out to be and what a great game they had would be classic.
[quote][cite] CaMacKid:[/cite]I never hated Triple H. Cena I hated for awhile, but I realized I was being dumb and just listening to dumb wrestling smarks complain.
My choice would Chris Benoit... Despite was happened he was a great wrestler.[/quote]
Yeah, I really don't think that putting a dude that murdered his family on the cover of a game, or whatever, would really help the cause. I'm pretty sure people would avoid it and there would be parent groups outraged at a murderer on the cover of a videogame.
Benoit will never be used to promote PWX in any way shape or form. The only way his name might show up is in something like an info box explaining the origins of certain moves or techniques and thats about it.