NEWS - Wednesday, October 26, 2005
TNA Gets Videogame Deal
Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood TNA Wrestling finally gets a videogame deal. For the last couple of years, rumors have run rampant about a TNA videogame. First, EA looked to grab the license, but ultimately no agreement was reached. Next up was Rockstar, but TNA balked at the game ideas (you can’t hit a wrestler with hot coffee!). Finally, sources now say that Midway has stepped up and signed TNA to an exclusive videogame deal, and it’s no surprise as Viacom’s Sumner Redstone has ties to both Spike (TNA’s new home on TV) and the videogame publisher. Word is that the game is in development for the PS2 and Xbox, and some wrestlers have already been brought in for initial motion-capture work. It will be interesting what the creative minds at Midway have in store for TNA’s innovative six-sided ring and matches like Ultimate X (wrestlers pulling moves off wires 15-feet above the ring) and Monster’s Ball (thumbtacks, tables, and chairs…oh my!). This isn’t the first time Midway has stepped inside the squared-circle, but it has definitely been a while. Fans of wrestling games will remember that it was Midway who produced the extremely popular WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game. The game featured stars like Doink the Clown busting outrageous combos with his Circus Hammer, and The Undertaker would even smack you upside the head with a tombstone if you weren’t careful. Wrestlemania was designed by members of the old NBA Jam team, and some of those designers, including Mark Turmell, still work for the Chicago publisher. No word yet on when you might see stars like Jeff Jarrett, Abyss, Raven, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe turn polygonal, but XBA will keep you up to date as soon as more information is revealed about this title.Source: http://www.ign.com
