@KM91: Just off the top of my head: He can't fight. I'd rather see Brock Lesnar (an actually talented wrestler and one of the best in modern history) then Kimbo Slice.

Voteforme2020

@KM91: Since Kimbo isn't in the UFC as of yet and looked like as a lot of people against "fighting" sports on this post complained about a "Lummox off the streets" last time he fought, probably not. I'm sure they will still try to polish that turd though so by spring 2009 it's 50/50.

Pornosaur

I'm all for physical violence. Love the stuff. I'm the kind of guy that thinks it should be legal for two consenting adults to duel to the death. Whatever people want to do with other consenting adults is just fine by me; especially when I get to watch it.

This game looks really great. The ground work seems to be lively and I can't wait for my homosexual-esque fighter to submit tons of guys in the gayest submissions I can find. I think it'll be funny seeing big "manly men" getting beaten by Joc Le Coq.

Voteforme2020

@excaliburps: Yeah this would definitely be a play first before purchase game. The EA Chicago team that got disbanded last year nailed boxing with the "this gen" Fight Night so I can always hope for analogue control of each limb being cloned into this.

Pornosaur

@string_theory: the spitting is a health issue, with open cuts it's easy to get an infection. It's why the refs don't touch the microphone when telling the fighters to be clean.

Shoemaster

Nice. Although this makesme wonder if Kimbo Slice will be in there. Despite him being in thetre or not, this looks like a good game with hard hits.

KM91

They need to smoothen out the animations a bit IMO. Otherwise it feels like a slowed down version of the old UFC game developed by Anchor, which was pretty bad.

ChiChi_BBQ

A lot of those hits would have been a match ender in real life. One of the good things about UFC is that at any moment the fight could be over, and I hope they don't lose that.

Shoemaster

@TOCATL: there are actually a lot of rules.

No putting fingers in any orifice.
No eye gouging
No fish hooking
No ear pulling
No hitting back of the head
No hitting crotch
No kicking/stomping a downed opponent
No kneeing a downed opponent's head
No upkicks to the face
No biting
No spitting (weird 1)
No head butting
No hair pulling

I'm glad THQ got the license. They have a history of wrestling games so they'll probably get it closer to MMA than other devs. But i hope it stays MMA and doesn't become like wresting gameplay.
No hitting the throat
No finger bending
No holding shorts or gloves of opponent
No disobeying a referee's orders

string_theory

@Tisteldun: Shut. Up.

Josh*

@gblock: MMA fighters get paid a lot nowadays...Just a bit of info I'd like to share.

@Pornosaur: I agree but I do hope they don't make it combo-centric. From watching the trailer again, I wonder how they'll implement sprawling into the game.

excaliburps

The graphics in the trailer looked pretty bland, especially if this is going to be for the 360 or PS3. But the screen shots looked a little more polished so maybe the trailer was just of a really early version of the game.

@gblock: btw, good post. I very much agreed with it.

NeoAkira

I feel more gay already.

Josh*

Ok a couple posts above :P

Pornosaur

@nmhouse: I respect your opinion but comparing it to dog shows? Hahaha...=)

@Coquiton: You have to look which fighter to watch out for. Look for fighters who are more into striking. If you see anything related to grappling,greco-roman wrestling,judo,etc don't watch as it's going to be a hug-fest.

@Zim: I think so too. The subtle nuances of it are really really hard to interpret in a game. And how can they differentiate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to say Judo and to other ground based arts.

@Eville1: I think it's more to do with this still being a taboo sport. It just got mainstream acceptance a few years back. So the apprehension is obviously still there.

excaliburps

@Owen
See the post above why you can't interject opinion in your article :P

Trailer looks pretty solid lot of "weight" behind the hits, I don't know how good it can come out though. There is way too many moves and styles for to make a coherent pick up and play game out of MMA areana.

Pornosaur

This looks absolutely fantastic. Of course, as an MMA fan, my viewpoint may be a bit skewed...similar, perhaps to how Madden looks better to football fans (or at least used to; I love football and I refuse to buy Madden anymore). It looks like Fight Night but MMA-style. After the terrible UFC games of bygone days, this has me thoroughly excited.

Cogito

Hold your horses. A white guy hammering a black brotha ? RACIST BASTARDS.

Tisteldun

I...

You know, I just don't know how I feel about this kind of thing. I've never been a fan of boxing - people beating each other up for entertainment and money just smacks way too much of Romanesque excess, and I find it kind-of odd that society has been able to stare at these sports in the face while maintaining some truly conservative attitudes for the last hundred years or so.

I don't want to pay money to watch real people get beat up. I don't want to pay money for the merchandising of the spectacle of it. And although I think it's great that we live in a free society where people can do what they like for a living, we don't hand out that card evenly - prostitution remains illegal and we criminalise those who sell it, while allowing for grown men to step into a ring and beat the crap out of each other for less than a Wall Street banker makes moving money from point A to point B.

Personally, I'd rather we give all the prostitutes in jail a day off and lock up people who beat the crap out of each other for money for a while. Somehow, I don't see "Ultimate Porno Championship 2009" being a near-term AAA multiplatform release any time soon, though.

gblock

I always wonder why people think this is any less viable of a sport than say, fencing, or judo, or karate? You know, those Olympic sports?

Eville1

@Coquiton: Lol I agree 90% of all matches seem to end up with the guys mounting each other on the ground then spending 4minutes just laying there as they are too tired to do anything impressive anymore.

Tbh making a UFC game must be a nightmare. Like trying to make a wrestling game and boxing game combined in one. If made well it could be really awesome though. Like fight night only with more variety in moves.

Zim

@screamingslave: I saw some fights of this sport and, it doesnt semm to have too much rules in the fight, i always joke with my cousins that like this sport and tell them that the ancient "aztec ball game" ( [en.wikipedia.org] )had more rules than this sport (wich is only a joke btw)...

TOCATL

They need to be shinier!

aelfin

Personally, this looks much more interesting than the actual sport.

Whenever I watch UFC on TV, it's always just two guys just holding each other for the entire duration of the match.

I always tune in to see if I can see one of the "brutal matches" they always advertise, but nope, it's always soft-core gay porn. =/

Coquiton

i have loved ufc for a while as well and this game looks great.
i wish the fight between those two is 1/10th of as good as the trailer fight was.

TheTravisCooper

I must agree with Owen. Ultimate fighting has always seemed to me to be something of a moronic sport, up there, in terms of pedigree, with wrestling and NASCAR racing. That said the graphics shown in the gametrailers videos certainly seemed impressive (with slightly janky animation at points). I guess that's the advantage of limited creation within a closed world (i.e. the ring) setting.

nmhouse

I've been watching MMA since the mid-90s. The sport has come a long way since. It's not dealing with its sudden fame too well, to be honest, but I still believe it's the best sport on the planet. Hopefully this game is the first step in doing it digital justice.

screamingslave

All I'm seeing is some hardcore porno.

everybest

I saw the video earlier in the day. It does look impressive.
They do have an uphill battle in front of 'em as far as the fighting engine is concerned.

It'd be interesting how they can implement side-control,half-guard,etc to the gameplay. You can't just be in side-control or in full mount. The leverages,etc has play its part.

Ok I'm rambling. Bit excited for this. Woo!

@Owen Good: I'd never expect you don't like MMA matches as you seem the type to like pugilistic treats...

excaliburps

@nmhouse:

You know nothing of the sport and the complexity and depth of it.

Stop listing to people who label it "Human Cock Fighting". because they are ignorant.

It's not just people beating up other people. It's much more than that. And once you understand that and realize what you are watching, a match between two highly skilled fighters can be as beatiful as any other expression of art.

And that's what people who don't "get" sports fail to understand. All of it, Boxing, Baseball, Football, if you enjoy it and can appreciate it, they're all forms of art.

RonCey

@gblock:
I take it you've never trained martial arts?

If you had you'd know it's more than "people getting beat up for money." Martial arts is just that, an art. If you learn about it you'd understand it's very complicated & a very high level competition. There are rules to keep it safe. There has only been one person who ever died in a MMA match. Compare that to NFL for instance. Yea, doesnt seem so dangerous now does it?

string_theory

looks good too bad its a year away(probably more)

GodzillaVsJapan

I'm not much of a fighting game fanatic but this looks brutal enough to warrant a rental at least. Love the graphics, gum shields flying out, sweat pouring over them, all looks pretty damn sweet.

On a different note, what is the song in this trailer?

Frequen-Z

@Fermbiz:

Yeah, I agree but if the gameplay is awesome then I will get it.

Xcite79

Lastly, I hope this game has a online stat sheet and online play so you can how many submissions, KOs, decisions, and such that you won or lost. That would be pretty badass!

Xcite79

The original trailer that they showed last year looks way better and more intense then is shown now.

Looks like I'll be skipping this one.

Fermbiz

This sport has become lucrative and has done things that kickboxing could have only dreamed of. The UFC has become one of the all time biggest cash cows to this day and only major boxing fights can even come close. I remember when it was small but now you have MMA fighting events everywhere and now on covered heavily on the channel HDNet and recently CBS.

If you don't think this is a sport then you are on something. Saying so would be saying boxing is not a sport. This type of sport is one of the oldest but conjures up a mix of all fighting styles.

Xcite79

@Pornosaur: I was thinking they'd map the sprawl and other momentum moves to the right analog stick. =)

@Voteforme2020: Hehe Ok I know people might hate me for this but George St. Pierre sounds a bit like Borat. Ok it's his French accent. It doesn't sound that intimidating when he trash-talks...

@string_theory: Good point. I've practiced Martial Arts since when I was a kid (hence the Bruce Lee avatar). It instills discipline more than anything else.

@RonCey: I think it's more with people seeing it as Pit-fighting wherein no one leaves alive. MMA and cage-fighting is very different now. The "cage-fighting" thing most probably sounds wrong to most people. As maybe they think the fighters are dogs trapped in a cage to the death. Though it's the same as with a ring (K1,Pride,Pancrase).

@zanzibarlegend: Interestingly enough I started Mmy Martial-Arts with Western Boxing.=)

Agree with your sentiments. Rampage has a better charisma than say Anderson Silva. That's why he's a bit more prominent marketing-wise.

@Witzbold: Is it still? Without Pride, what other promotions do they have there? I saw a clip where they show the fighters being treated like movie-stars in Japan.

excaliburps

@Tisteldun: This was a joke, people. A fucking joke. This is why I hate the internet.. actual humor is shunned in favor of leet speak and pop culture references. ._.

Voteforme2020

It's interesting to see Juanito be in there. I wonder how many fighters will get their actual seconds. I am surprised to see no real sponsors on the fighter's shorts, you would think those would already be part of the models.

Hopefully CAF is elaborate so I can create Fedor.

GekigangerV

If theres one thing for sure Yukes is going to do a fucking grade A job with the animations and research into the sport itself.

Since MMA here in Japan is pretty big still.

Witzbold

@Shoemaster:
I realize that, but i said it was weird because i cant think of any reason a fighter would spit on another fighter. it doesn't accomplish anything as far as gaining dominant position or winning.

Also btw, saliva is a natural anti-biotic, containing lysozymes (& pain killer). Spitting in a cut actually helps stave off infections. blood actually has a higher chance of transferring an illness. & theres no shortage of swapping blood in most MMA matches.

string_theory

@Tisteldun: Oh pls STFU with your racist nonsense. Rampage is if you don't know the Champ right now, and the face of the UFC. coments like this is why people get thrashed on here....

now moving on...........

-animations need to be more fluid.
-wold like to see how fighting engine
-hopefully CAF mode is deep.

seriously MMA is the shit. there are great fighters in thier respective discipline. im a boxing nut, but u have to give it up for MMA.... it is bringing good fights.

zanzibarlegend

I'm actually excited about the create a fighter, i would rather see myself fight through the ufc, makes it a little more fun, and you can punch out that fighter you always hated.

if_deez

Im a huge MMA fan and I just hope they can get the ground game perfect, I just think it will be incredibly hard to make fluid transitions in a game and how it would be to counter them.

40Winks

Hmm i just hope they get it right, the ground/reversal game looks suspiciously similar to the dreamcast version which was shallow and too easy. I hope they get a feel like shadow of the collosus, where you're struggling to maintain control your mount or to turn someone over/get the submission etc. Hopefuly they look at fight night 3 as that had a decent block/dodge model which when modified would suit the stand up game in ufc too.

ali_g_84uk

href="#c6320253">string_theory: Exactly. MMA is still pretty misunderstood as a sport, but at least the public know what MMA even means.

screamingslave

@excaliburps: i hope the mechanics are great. i dont care if the graphics are so-so. substance over style any day dude.

yes i have some type of MMA background. lol

- Red Belt -Tae Kwon Do
- 3 Years of Greco Roman Wrestling

so you know how hyped i am for the potential of this game. if they do online, its a wrap. imagine taking you created fighter online, for title shots? the possibilites dude.

zanzibarlegend

@RonCey: I don't deny that there is an incredible amount of skill and talent displayed by the ultimate fighters. And as with any display of skill that demonstrates adherence to long hours of practice there is an inherent beauty in the level of finesse which these fighters manage to reach. That said, taken at its core the sport is still basically about trying to pummel your opponent's skull (or other body part) into oblivion. Granted I wouldn't say this to a fighter's face : )

nmhouse

@Witzbold: Hopefully they'll do a better job with this then they have been with the Smackdown games.

Ashkihyena

Excellent being a MMA, it just seem that the stand fighting and stuff seems a little jerky but that can be fixed. Overall, im happy with the results thus far.

nip

This looks like Rumble Roses with men...

Man Im want to go play some Rumble Roses now

Altima NEO

Emphasis on innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls will give players unparalleled command of their fighters in the Octagon.

Contradiction. "Easy-to-play" is probably going to mean "lack of depth." And I won't have unparalleled control of my fighter if that's the case. Just from the video, it looks like you have one posture when on top. Up and striking. Any attempt to flatten out has to be a counter and and submission is a one-shot thing. No depth. On the bottom? I see a nonsensical half-guard sweep, once that failed since the person on top flattened him out (how?), and then the same sweep attempt works.

On the other hand, I at least see guard, half-guard, side control, and mount as separate positions. I even saw a guard pass... although it went straight to side then mount in maybe one animation? I dunno.

Eh, I'm spoiled by real grappling :p I'm not even going to talk about the striking.

ninjafetus

It's going to be all about the controls and how the different techniques and options can be implemented during the fights. From the trailer it appears to be fairly complex, though I'll have to see people playing it and the controller layout before I'll be more interested.

Blah8

(I should unequivocally note to all: I own no male thong!)
Sparkly or otherwise.

Trai_Dep

Do they have male thongs? Because it'd be awesome to play on a MMA-RPG wearing nothing but a sparkly male thong.
Imagine the deep psychological wounds inflicted after beating a guy when you're wearing nothing except a sparkly male thong.
Too much fun: HAS to be illegal.

Trai_Dep

@Trai_Dep: "Judo" Gene Lebell was known for once entering a grappling tournament with a pink gi... and winning :p

ninjafetus

@grecords: Actually, THQ only publishes the games, Yukes are the ones making them bad, though being publishers, I wouldn't be surprised if THQ has a bit of say in the WWE games, so yeah, don't say I blame ya.

Ashkihyena

I'm all for a MMA game but I really don't like THQ. I think they pretty much made the WWE games worse and worse as they went on.

If they include the ability to determine what is legal or illegal in the matches that would be awesome. Such as allowing Knees to a downed opponent, submission only matches, or the limit to how long someone can Lay and Pray (i.e. stand the fighters up after 30 secs of inactivity).

Oh and I'm gonna ignore the comments referring to MMA as human cockfighting. Its basically boxing that allows takedowns, kicks, and submissions. If you still call MMA human cockfighting then you might as well call boxing the same thing.

grecords

@grecords: i agree. that comment stems from the fact that people are scared of MMA potential.

zanzibarlegend

@gblock: @gblock:

you want to jail people for doing martial arts professionally?

people like you should be put in jail for stupidity, not boxers and MMA fighters. and you should be neutered so that you can't spread your defective genes.

Pete193

lot of ignorance in here

MMA is great

and to those that think MMA looks like gay porn, that probably has to do with your repressed tendencies in that direction.

i see two guys fighting, you see gay porn... hmmm

Pete193

@Pete193:

You can say that again.

I cannot wait for this game, I hope it doesn't play like THQ's WWE games.

Muisee

@string_theory:

If you've actually taken martial arts, then you know that it stops being an art when you choose to get paid to use what you've learned on another person.

Martial arts are supposed to be used as self defense when someone tries to impose their will onto you, or for when you lose your weapon in a wartime situation.

Tizlor

@Tisteldun:

Yep i agree, it looks like the white guy won the match, how racist is that? I can't believe how racist developers are these days xD

nitram100

@Tizlor: Get real. Maybe thats what they teach at the kids karate class at the local Y; but MA has been an official competitive sport since the first Olympic games 648 BC. Ever heard of Pankration?

It was a also a competitive sport well before that as well, just not an documented officiated one.

It's also alive in most schools across the world in different forms. In the U.S. it's wrestling, in Japan it's Judo, in Brazil it's Jiu-Jitsu, in Holland it's kick boxing, in Thailand it's Muay-Thai, in China it's Sambo, in France it's Savat, etc..

Granted in countries like Thailand where fighters start off very young it's not an ideal comparison. Muay-Thai rules are also more lax safteywise. MMA is a very safe sport by comparison. All the potentially serious damaging areas are protected by the rules and the judges are always there to air on the side of caution.

There are also several doctors in attendance & professional stitch men. The possibility of brain damage is also less than a sport like boxing, because the smaller gloves mean an opponent is more likely to be KOed than if the gloves were larger which still provides the same jar to the brain but less stun effect.

It's not like fighters are being FORCED into fighting. Some of you are making it sound like they're being forced to do it to survive, comparing it to roman slaves who had to fight lions for the amusement of Caesar. These guys can be accountants to zoologists if they wanted to. they choose to fight because they LIKE it, it's their passion in life. Nobody goes into a ring because they don't want to fight. Granted they haven't been paid much in history, with the increase in popularity of the sport they're slowly approaching other professional sports in salary; the fighters who could appear on a main card of a show like UFC of Affliction anyway. The real money is in the product endorsement & opening MMA schools though.

Which unfortunately only applies to the top in the sport right now. Unlike football, basketball, soccer, rugby, hockey, etc.. where all players even the worst ones get paid more than generous salaries. It's partly because of the sport being in it's infancy (in this generation/civilization), partly because companies like the UFC tend to be more unequal with their profit sharing due to their near monopolistic hold on the sport, & partly because fighters usually fight only 1-3 times a year due to recovery time (which even if fighters wanted to fight more often, athletic commissions doctors do impart suspensions to prohibit fighters who they consider might have a reoccurring injury to fight w/in a period of time + margin of error)

string_theory

It's funny how the people that have actually taken a martial art are fine with this (knowing, hey, bruises happen and pain's temporary and it's rewarding) and the people that haven't are ragging on MMA.
Guys, if you HAVEN'T taken any, cede to those of us that have? It's fine. Really. Yeesh.

Trai_Dep

@Tizlor:
How about you stop trying to define my morality for me. I've have been doing martial arts the majority of my life, and I disagree with you wholeheartedly. If you have a problem with two consenting adults competing, that's your problem, not theirs. The "art" bit does not refer to your morality and feelings. That's the "-do" part of things like Aikido, or Judo, which refers to the system of philosophy for the art. Some of us still are more inclined to the "jitsu" parts, which is combative application, not a system for life. I'll have my philosophy teacher teach me ethics, thanks. My martial arts teachers are employed to teach me how to fight.

ninjafetus

Why the hell is everyone who's commenting saying something about wrestling or fighting being "gay"?

I know it's the internet but still, I'd think there would be at least a scrap of maturity here.

Wrestling and fighting are two of the oldest sports in the world and they are steeped in tradition. It's one of the purest forms of competition out there. You against him, nobody else. What's so "gay" about that.

bernie16wb

Looks a lot better than the previous UFC game attempt, that's for damn sure!

Cool they slapped that together for the upcoming card between the two. Gonna be a good fight. :)

fquick

Combat is the original and ultimate form of sport. Anyone saying wrestling or fighting isnt a support knows nothing. MMA is a bunch of different fighting styles thrown in. What Zuffa and Dana White and the fertitta brothers have done is take a run-down company on the verge of bankruptcy, legitimized it, added rules, and turned it into one of the greatest success stories in sports.

Vince Mcmahon turned down the chance to buy the UFC in 2001 for over 2 million dollars, and now not only is the UFC drawing more viewers in PPV, but lo and behold UFC have just released their newest video game.

Madness