Newsletter 15

Hello and welcome to the WGU newsletter #15!

In this issue
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1) Game progress
2) THQ and us
3) Special Moves
4) Indie Feds
5) Thank you
6) Archive

1) Game Progress
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"Hey, Dave. How's the game going?"

That question is on a lot of gamers' minds this past week. I don't blame them. As good as No Mercy and Fire Pro are, we all need a new game to quench our thirst for a fresh gaming experience. Honestly, I get the impression that most of you are experts at No Mercy and Fire Pro and no longer challenged. It's crazy when you can win a Mae Young vs. Kane and The Undertaker handicap match on expert. I know what you're going through, trust me. Come on, admit it, you're secretly planning to rent Smackdown4 when it comes out, too. That's how desperate we've become.

So that's why I've cut back other commitments in my life in order to dedicate more time to the WGU game project. That extra time this week has allowed me to add still more features to the game design (thanks to input from gamers like you) as well as deal with the business end of the project. This week alone I have eleven hours of job interviews to conduct, two meetings with potential investors, a press release to compose, and an out of town meeting with a promoter. And I'm loving every minute of it.

As complete as the game design is at this point, I can't stress the importance of your input enough. It's infinitely easier to change and add ideas when the game is still on paper than when it's half done and in the beta stage. Keep emailing and ICQ'ing me your ideas because almost every single day I see a new idea that adds something special to our game. I've said it before and I'll say it again; this is your chance to have an affect on the game you want to play. Take the chance and use it.

To be more specific on the game's progress, at this point interviews are being conducted and animators have begun animating various moves as a test of their abilities. Yes, I have begun seeing some of the results and they are all looking great. Seriously, the talent I'm seeing really makes me wonder how some games have such poor animations when the talent is obviously out there. Like I stated in an earlier newsletter, I'll be posting the results of the animation tests for all WGU members to see in the near future. It's all part of keeping the fans 100% involved in the project. This really is the "People's Wrestling Game".

2) THQ and us
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It's no secret that a deal with a major publisher would benefit our project in some important ways. But all attempts to discuss our project with THQ have been met with nothing but condescending pats on the head and assurance from public relations drones that "THQ is dedicated to giving wrestling fans the most complete gaming experience possible." My efforts to get through to THQ are done. Give us six months and they'll be coming to us.

3) Special Moves
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On a more technical note. A lot of debate has centered on the way special/ finishing moves should be implemented into the game engine. Some prefer the way the Fire Pro engine allows players to attempt a special at any time but at the risk of reversal if your opponent is still too strong. Others argue that the AKI style of gameplay is more conductive to intense gameplay because it creates more drama and back and forth momentum between players. Still others appreciate the Smackdown idea of earning and saving specials for use at anytime during the match.

Each method has it's merits, some more for realism and some more for gameplay. My question to you this week is, ignoring the other aspects of each game, which one do you think you would use as a basis for a special/ finisher system in the ultimate wrestling game?

Please email your thoughts to me at
Dave@WrestlingGamersUnited.com

4) Indie Feds
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I can't make any public commitments yet about the game's roster but I want you to know that I have been taking your advice and talks have begun with various indie feds about involvement in the game. What form that involvement will take and it's effects on the game's roster have yet to be determined.

5) Thank you
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This week I'd like to say a special thanks to a wrestling gamer that goes by the name Lil Cube for taking the time this week to compile a large number of animated gif files and sending them to WGU for use as move references. Thanks to Lil Cube you'll be seeing a lot of new moves that would otherwise never make it to a wrestling game. I also want to thank Mel Hauser for his contribution to the newsletter last week. A lot of positive feedback was received for his first column and I know we're all looking forward to hearing what he has to say next.

6) Archive
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A lot has happened since the first newsletter and I'll be adding an archive section to the WGU website soon for all the new members to check out. I'll let you know in a future newsletter when it's up.

In the meantime and in between time, that's it. Another edition of Wrestling Gamers United.

Thanks for your time and support,

Dave W.
Dave@WrestlingGamersUnited.com
ICQ# 140047363