Jumping Straight to UFC 2012?

[VCURamFan]

http://www.pastapadre.com/2010/09/13...ive-until-2012

THQ has announced the upcoming release schedule for the company’s 2012 fiscal year. Of note is that the next UFC game will not be out until January or February of 2012.

Following a botched launch of UFC Undisputed 2010, huge sales slide from the previous year, and consumer discontent towards the product, THQ came out and stated that they were considering moving off the yearly schedule for the series. It was initially expected that any change to the release pattern would follow a UFC 2011 product in spring. It now appears though that they have shifted expectations and have decided that the next UFC game will have an 18+ month development cycle.

Soon to be facing competition in the market from EA Sports MMA, a series being developed on a two year development cycle going forward, winter 2011 positions the next UFC game well. Those are generally slow months where it would likely avoid facing heavy competition for dollars as it did against multiple AAA titles that released in the May-June period this year. UFC would also potentially be releasing with a big gap between MMA titles hitting the market, though there is much time to pass between now and then to see if it actually plays out that way.

So it looks like they're already conceding defeat to EA.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

http://www.pastapadre.com/2010/09/13...ive-until-2012

So it looks like they're already conceding defeat to EA.

Or conceding defeat to themselves and their abomination of a video game.

Hopefully they actually get it right next time....

[rockdawg21]

Sounds like the way 98 Sports used to do their video games - 2 years ahead of time.

I think it's better this way. I still haven't bought UFC Undisputed 2010 and haven't had a lot of thought about doing it.

THQ sucks.

[Jonlion]

Yeah UFC 2010 was a big let down after making a great strides with the first game.

Taking a longer cycle is a good idea to make sure they do the game justice.

What I like about this is that Capitalism is at work here - there was a massive sales slides and discontent at a poor product and if THQ wants to make money it needs to deliver a better service

[NateR]

I picked up Undisputed 2010 and was pretty disappointed with it. I've probably played it for 30 minutes after first buying it and haven't touched it since. Submissions and any kind of ground work are way too difficult. I'm not a big fan of simulation games that try too hard to mimic reality (which is probably why I never play sports games).

Plus Matt's face just looks waaay off in the game geometry. I know they scanned Matt for the game but they must have done something, because it doesn't look like him at all. Also his post fight "celebration" is very much out of character. The game designers must have never actually watched Matt fight, because he always looks down at the ground when his hand is raised in victory. The game has him looking up at the crowd and pumping his fist, which is ridiculous.

Although I actually did get to help design a couple of elements in this game: Matt's shorts and banner. So, if not for that, this game would be going back to the store to be traded in for something that's actually fun, like Street Fighter IV.

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by NateR

I picked up Undisputed 2010 and was pretty disappointed with it. I've probably played it for 30 minutes after first buying it and haven't touched it since. Submissions and any kind of ground work are way too difficult. I'm not a big fan of simulation games that try too hard to mimic reality (which is probably why I never play sports games).

Plus Matt's face just looks waaay off in the game geometry. I know they scanned Matt for the game but they must have done something, because it doesn't look like him at all. Also his post fight "celebration" is very much out of character. The game designers must have never actually watched Matt fight, because he always looks down at the ground when his hand is raised in victory. The game has him looking up at the crowd and pumping his fist, which is ridiculous.

Although I actually did get to help design a couple of elements in this game: Matt's shorts and banner. So, if not for that, this game would be going back to the store to be traded in for something that's actually fun, like Street Fighter IV.

This sounds like a pretty spot on assessment to me. Nate, you should get Matt to tell Dana that the BJ fight is off if THQ doesn't put you on staff as the "Special Matt Hughes Consultant" immediately!