GC08 - UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED - DEVELOPER INTERVIEW
An introduction to the explosive fighter
Project Manager Neven Dravinski gives us an update on UFC® 2009 Undisputed...
How is development coming along?
Development on the game is coming along great! We’re getting more and more models coming in, as well as new moves and submissions. We are really starting to see the game take shape, and the gameplay is evolving every day. This is the really exciting time; the fruits of our labor are coming into the game, which is really satisfying.
How many fighters are in the game?
We will feature over 80 fighters spanning all five of the UFC’s weight classes. So far, we have announced Chuck Liddell, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Forrest Griffin, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Michael Bisping, Roger Huerta, Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hughes and even Amir Sadollah, winner of the recent seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” We are still many months from launch and there will be more fighters announced, but rest assured fans will be able to have a great roster to work with when the game comes out.
The UFC's official tag line is "as real as it gets." What are you doing to embrace this in the game?
“As Real as it Gets” is certainly part of our motivation at THQ. Visually speaking, players will see impressive in-game models complete with realistic injuries. We bring in the fighters for 3D scanning and high resolution photography sessions to create photorealistic representations of them in the game. We also have access to UFC’s production staff. Players will see the same presentation in the game as they would at a pay-per-view event, from broadcast graphics to camera angles. “As Real As it Gets” extends to the gameplay as well; our designers are training with UFC trainers to make sure that the fighter’s in-game moves are accurate. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are participating in the game as well, so players should prepare to hear some of the best sports commentary ever presented as they will make contextually accurate statements within fights. We are going to give people the most comprehensive UFC experience possible.
Can you give us a brief overview of what fans can expect in terms of gameplay controls?
As we’re still a few months out from launch, our controls are still in a state of adjustment. We want players to master the controls and still make them accessible to pick up and play. Creating a control scheme for a mixed martial arts game creates unique challenges. We want to give the players the sense of struggle from any position inside the Octagon. As such, players will perform controller inputs analogous to the animations they are seeing on screen. Ultimately, we want players to feel like the controller is merely an extension of the on-screen character, as we are literally bringing the action to the player’s fingertips.
The ground game is expected to make a huge impact on gameplay. What can you tell us about it?
The ground game is the thing that will really differentiate UFC 2009 Undisputed from other fighting games out there. While most fighting games offer very little in the way of ground combat, nearly half of UFC 2009 Undisputed combat will come from the ground, grapple and clinch positions. This presents a great challenge from a design, animation and technical perspective. However, our work with mixed martial arts trainers, great collaboration with the UFC and technical solutions like our combat physics system are all shaping up to create the best ground combat ever presented in a videogame.
What aspects of the game are you the most excited about?
How can I be asked to pick among my children? In all fairness, I think the there are so many things to be excited about in this game. As a fan, I can’t get enough of watching my favorite fighters in the Octagon; I wish I could see guys like Anderson Silva and BJ Penn fight every week. When the game comes out, I can just see people fighting with their favorite guys over and over again. That’s something I think we are really going to be able offer people; any time anyone has wanted to see a fight between two certain people, they will have that opportunity just a button press away.
