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[IbizaPocholo]

Jack of All Controllers - Gaming. All jacked up!

Gaming. All jacked up!

jackofallcontrollers.com

Visual Concepts could be in some deep trouble. Justin Leeper, a former writer for the WWE 2K series has said that developers in the double digits are leaving the studio so that their names aren’t attached to anymore WWE games due to the bad reception.

I’ve heard about double digit number of people on the team who quit. They haven’t quit for other stuff. They just quit because it’s like, ‘man I don’t want this stink on me anymore. I don’t care what I’m doing. I’m leaving. I’m taking my stuff and going.’

Furthermore, he said that budget cuts will make the money available to make the next WWE game even less than what it was for WWE 2K20.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Take-Two confirms Visual Concepts will continue as WWE 2K developer | VGC

Publisher “actively working” to ensure quality of future games…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[CamHostage]

"...even less", how??

Catastrophic brand collapse, they deserve it for leaving the brand fallow for over a decade (I like the Smackdown core play, but it didn't sustain over 19 years of releases) but it's still surprising that there's no safety net in this production. What could possibly be the deal terms with WWE that 2K doesn't earn enough money on the games to fund a decent production? Or do they just not care because just the nature of putting a WWE box out moves product just fine no matter how hard they try? A real shame they let this go downhill so badly, I thought when 2K picked up the WWE license that maybe they'd care for it a bit more than THQ, but that was 8 years ago and nothing got better.

We never found out what the story was with the Yuke's split, too, right? 2K or Yuke's never even announced the games were under new development, it was just like a product sheet or teaser or something went out of the new game and people went, "Hey, aren't you missing a logo on this thing, where's Yuke's?" The brand was pretty much stuck in the mud under under developer churning out a new title annually, but there's no detailed story on how that split happened, on how Visual Concepts ended up still making essentially the exact same game again (using Yuke's game engine even,) on any kind of exit strategy for the brand looking ahead. Yuke's seemed frustrated/pissed/liberated about the situation over time, and given that Visual Concept's WWE team is apparently imploding now after the disaster last year, the other side isn't happy about it either. I can't imagine what 2K thought the plan was, even if VC could have gotten a stable 2K20 out and then they cut the budget to just do "Legacy Edition" roster update releases.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

Man, makes me miss those old N64 wrestling games, were SO good

too bad it’s gone to shit

 

[NickFire]

I would assume devs were leaving in droves because of layoffs, incentives to avoid layoffs, and in some cases maybe protecting their resume (letting them say they were ready to move on instead of fired). I don't wish these people any ill will, including job losses, but this kind of output cannot continue. Frankly, they should have just updated the roster this year and had the main team work on a next gen game engine.

 

[SteveLorde]

2k Engine is broken and half-assed beyond repair.... It needs to be wipes out for a true optimized engine THAT SUPPORTS REAL LIGHTING AND NO FPS-TIED ANIMATIONS FFS!

 

[Guardian's Light]

Funny thing is they started creating shitty games when they chose to follow the full on realism path

70% simulation - 30% arcade games like Smackdown Vs Raw and Day of Reckoning, as well as the n64 game were infinitely better, had a ton of fun with the first two I wrote

More simulative games are boring as fuck, and slow

 

[GreatnessRD]

It's still beyond me that Visual Concepts were shadowing Yukes since 2014 and they release this garbage. It really boggles my mind on how bad their development team could be. Like, what were you doing for those 6 years while watching what it takes to make a wrestling game? It doesn't make a lick of sense to me. I don't see how 2K21 will be better since there will be a console generation switch. I need Yukes to hurry up with their project because I desperately need wrestling back in my life. Too bad it won't be Wrestle Kingdom 3, but I'm still holding hope I'll see it one day. ONE DAY!

 

[a multicultural team of v]

How much do these things even sell each year?

 

[GreatnessRD]

How much do these things even sell each year?

I believe its roughly 800K a game. Can't remember. But here is what's been sold through the first week of release for the last few years.

1. WWE 2K15 - 577,195
2. WWE 2K16 - 531,926
3. WWE 2K17 - 447,001
4. WWE 2K18 - 396,640
5. WWE 2K14 - 394,822
6. WWE 2K19 - 364,738

Source

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

I believe its roughly 800K a game. Can't remember. But here is what's been sold through the first week of release for the last few years.

1. WWE 2K15 - 577,195
2. WWE 2K16 - 531,926
3. WWE 2K17 - 447,001
4. WWE 2K18 - 396,640
5. WWE 2K14 - 394,822
6. WWE 2K19 - 364,738

Source

These were the only ones I really liked.

 

[Enjay]

This is awesome news. Good to see bad quality be justly rewarded for once.

 

[Max_Po]

WWE 2k16 was only playable due to "Austin Era"

The WWE 2K series has been nothing but utter trash.

 

[Fbh]

Lol 2K doesn't give a shit.

Last game sucked and fans were really disappointed. Do we change to a new dev? Do we hire new talent to fix this? Do we take a year off to ensure the quality of the next release ? Increase the budget?

Nah, let's go with the same team that made this turd and give them a smaller budget!!

 

[Panajev2001a]

It's still beyond me that Visual Concepts were shadowing Yukes since 2014 and they release this garbage. It really boggles my mind on how bad their development team could be. Like, what were you doing for those 6 years while watching what it takes to make a wrestling game? It doesn't make a lick of sense to me. I don't see how 2K21 will be better since there will be a console generation switch. I need Yukes to hurry up with their project because I desperately need wrestling back in my life. Too bad it won't be Wrestle Kingdom 3, but I'm still holding hope I'll see it one day. ONE DAY!

Wait till you discover that they got to work on bits and bobs and throw away tons of concepts while crunching like crazy and crunch often produces uninspired crap from burned out devs... is it what happened? Maybe, maybe not... but it would not surprise me if true.

 

[GreatnessRD]

Wait till you discover that they got to work on bits and bobs and throw away tons of concepts while crunching like crazy and crunch often produces uninspired crap from burned out devs... is it what happened? Maybe, maybe not... but it would not surprise me if true.

I highly doubt that's the case. They've been "co-developer" too long for me to believe that. But yeah, I'll definitely be surprised.

 

[Ban Puncher]

 

[Hinedorf]

Reality check, when you're busy focused on the next game because you have to and not because you want to is why quality decreases. Having a new iteration of the same game EVERY YEAR leaves developers trying to find a new interesting gimmick to sell the same game they made last year rather than fix the existing product because you need to have a selling point for your new and unnecessary title.

Needs to happen with Madden and Fifa too

 

[Whitesnake]

I grew up playing WWE games, so to see the franchise be set on fire like this just sucks.

I really liked 2k14, so I thought “fuck it I’ll buy 2k15”.

WWE 2k15 was a downgrade in every regard except graphics, which is the least important part. Gameplay was slower and shittier, the character creation suite (one of the main draws of these games) had far fewer options, the online didn’t improve, etc. After that, as well as being burned out on WWE in general for other unrelated reasons, I stopped playing. I heard good things about 2k18 and 2k19, so I was thinking about getting back into it. Then this shit happened.

Shoutouts to WWF RAW, WWE Wrestlemania XIX, and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007.
Those games are a part of me.

 

[captainraincoat]

The previous wwe games had funny glitches but the latest one is just plain annoying

The switch wwe game is a better game and that runs like shit

they really need to go back to the drawing board and make something completely different

 

[VulcanRaven]

The graphics are not very good so I hope they will be a lot better on next gen.

 

[Stiflers Mom]

I miss Rockn' Wrestle..

 

[Shaqazooloo]

Man, makes me miss those old N64 wrestling games, were SO good

too bad it’s gone to shit

Not sure why people say the N64 wrestling games were good, they were trash imo, wrestling games only got good during Gamecube and Playstation Era.

The N64 games were too stiff.

 

[subsmoke]

Seems like a bad idea to cut the budget. If the last game had bad gameplay and was loaded with glitches then cutting the budget will only make things worse and result in lower sales. I think they should go back to a similar style as they did with Here Comes The Pain. That was the last great WWE game.

 

[Hostile_18]

Only thing that will really change is when AEW comes out with a good game that actually you know.. tries.

I'm sure it's not the devs fault even.. 8 months to make a good game is impossible. WWE are to blame for mandating a game comes out every year. Plus Yukes leaving half way though the project.. probably because of said mandates.

 

[GamerEDM]

2K AND VISUAL CONCEPTS

 

[GreatnessRD]

Not sure why people say the N64 wrestling games were good, they were trash imo, wrestling games only got good during Gamecube and Playstation Era.

The N64 games were too stiff.

Not sure if serious. Or you're 16 and don't know any better. Regardless of the fact, from Wrestlemania 2000 to No Mercy or WCW/NWO Revenge, these 2K games could never. Gameplay far superior to the 2K games without question.

 

[Shaqazooloo]

Not sure if serious. Or you're 16 and don't know any better. Regardless of the fact, from Wrestlemania 2000 to No Mercy or WCW/NWO Revenge, these 2K games could never. Gameplay far superior to the 2K games without question.

I had 3 wrestling games on N64: WWF War Zone, WWF Attitude and another I forget the name of (I think it had WCW guys?). No Mercy looks alright but I haven't seen Wrestlemania 2000 or WCW/NWO revenge.

The ones that I played were all stiff and awkward to control, maybe I was just unlucky with the wrestling games I ended up with...

 

[GreatnessRD]

I had 3 wrestling games on N64: WWF War Zone, WWF Attitude and another I forget the name of (I think it had WCW guys?). No Mercy looks alright but I haven't seen Wrestlemania 2000 or WCW/NWO revenge.

The ones that I played were all stiff and awkward to control, maybe I was just unlucky with the wrestling games I ended up with...

Now I understand why you say that. Warzone and Attitude were both horrible, horrible games. If you ever get the chance, definitely play WWF No Mercy or Wrestlemania 2000.

 

[MoreJRPG]

Sports games are trash these days. Everything other than MLB The Show is made for the bargain bin.

 

[EverydayBeast]

I enjoy wrestling games but haven't since the PS2 days (Smackdown vs Raw) and I don't think gamers consider 2K WWE at the top of sports gaming food chain.

 

[NickFire]

I had 3 wrestling games on N64: WWF War Zone, WWF Attitude and another I forget the name of (I think it had WCW guys?). No Mercy looks alright but I haven't seen Wrestlemania 2000 or WCW/NWO revenge.

The ones that I played were all stiff and awkward to control, maybe I was just unlucky with the wrestling games I ended up with...

You had N64, played wrestling games, and never played wrestlemania 2000? Dude that's about the same as going to a strip club with a towel wrapped around your eyes. Or going to Aruba but skipping the beach. Shame this man. (Jk)

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

The last decent game was wwe13. I think. Never played the others after they took away the milkers from the CAWs. I hope it dies.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Now the same thing needs to happen to 2K's NBA series.

 

[Lone Wolf]

RetroMania Wrestling | Retrosoft Studios

RetroMania Wrestling | Retrosoft Studios

www.retromaniawrestling.com

I’m waiting for this game. The WWE games haven’t been good in years.

 

[magnumpy]

RIP

 

[VertigoOA]

Last great wrestling game was Day of Reckoning 2 on GameCube. It was an excellent evolution of the N64 games with the flavor of the Smackdown series thrown in.

The 2k series has been horrible every time I’ve tried them.

I know people have their hopes on an AEW game... but the roster sucks and so does their programming. It’s just TNA on TNT.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Safe to say Visuals Concepts went from great sport(s) to great sport (NBA) to sport (NBA)?

 

[theclaw135]

I felt 2K15 was an promising fresh start after the buggy 2K14. It was gradually getting better since... I'm boggled we got this fiasco.

Safe to say Visuals Concepts went from great sport(s) to great sport (NBA) to sport (NBA)?

They were once the most hailed devs in sports, weren't they? NFL 2K5 has a fan following.

 

[GreatnessRD]

Last great wrestling game was Day of Reckoning 2 on GameCube. It was an excellent evolution of the N64 games with the flavor of the Smackdown series thrown in.

The 2k series has been horrible every time I’ve tried them.

I know people have their hopes on an AEW game... but the roster sucks and so does their programming. It’s just TNA on TNT.

You're forgetting WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006. Game was ahead of its time and by far one of the best Smackdown games next to SD2: Know your role and Here comes the pain. Too bad they can't remaster 2006. Sheesh, I'd pay $100 right now and wouldn't think twice.

I felt 2K15 was an promising fresh start after the buggy 2K14. It was gradually getting better since... I'm boggled we got this fiasco.



They were once the most hailed devs in sports, weren't they? NFL 2K5 has a fan following.

2K15 showed a lot of promise, but 2K just wouldn't allow Yukes to be great which is very sad. I've never been a fan of Visual Concepts. Their MLB games left a lot to be desired. NBA games were pretty good, but like all things, those went to shit as well.