Interview with Stevie Richards regarding RAW 2

[Guest Eagan469]

Steven Richards Interview

Wrestler talks Raw 2, Kane's game, and Xbox Live.

 

July 24, 2003 - When WWE superstar Steven Richards isn't smacking people with steel chairs and Singapore canes, he's bustin' heads in the videogame arena and on Xbox Live. Besides not needing medical aid after a videogame brawl, Richards enjoys the competitiveness games bring out amongst the wrestlers in everything from Soldier of Fortune II to Midtown Madness 3.

IGN caught up with Richards to ask Mr. Stevie Night Heat about his gaming obsession and his thoughts concerning THQ's upcoming smash, WWE Raw 2.

 

 

IGN: Compare the evolution of wrestling videogames from the time your character first appeared in a videogame to what you expect to see in WWE Raw 2.

 

Steven Richards: Every time THQ comes out with a new version of the WWE games, the games just show such a marked improvement in graphics and gameplay, it's incredible. I've always been a big gamer, from sports games to RPGs, but the wrestling games especially have always been some of my favorites. I remember WWF Warzone, where they actually used rendered models of the wrestlers and had all of their faces and bodies and I just remembered how awesome it looked at the time. It was unlike any other wrestling game that I had seen at that time, and I think it was the first game to use 3D models instead of the 2D wrestlers you were used to seeing in games like Fire Pro Wrestling and other games like that. From that point on, wrestling games have evolved to include everything from Season mode to all of the actual ring entrances. I especially love all of the attention to detail in the lighting and pyro of Kane's ring entrance. I know THQ loves the Kane gimmick, and it's probably the best ring entrance in all of the videogames. It will be interesting to see if they're able to get his new gimmick in the upcoming game.

 

IGN: Did you used to create yourself in the game when you weren't in the lineup, or do you prefer to play as the other wrestlers like Kane?

 

Steven Richards: When I played FirePro, I used to create myself back when I was in ECW because they had so many options in terms of the look, the attire, and the moves, that you could actually make your guy exactly like you wanted to. The new Smackdown game has all of the faces of the wrestlers, so at least if you didn't make the cut, fans will still be able to create you in the game. It's great to be able to create all of the superstars, not just the ones chosen to be in the game. I always thought that every single person who has been on TV or is on the roster at the time should be included in the videogame. A big plus for Raw 2 is that it has over 60 wrestlers to choose from, and I think that will please a lot of our fans. Only so many people want to play as Triple H, Kane, and Stone Cold. I remember when I was playing one of the older games, I really wanted to play as The Headbangers, but they weren't in the game and I was really disappointed. The more wrestlers you have in the game, the more replayability you bring to the table because you're going to want to check out all of the different moves and gimmicks.

 

IGN: It's true. I always like to play as Lance Storm and try to make him the champ.

 

Steven Richards: Not in the old WCW games, though, those were awful. The EA WCW games were probably the worst wrestling videogames in the history of wrestling videogames, although the ECW game for the Gameboy is probably the single worst wrestling videogame of all time. It looks like two dots bumping into each other.

 

IGN: Luckily those days are far behind us as Raw 2 features some of the best graphics of any wrestling game I've ever seen. How much input do you have over the look of your character in the game?

 

 

Steven Richards: I emailed THQ reference shots of my Stevie Night Heat tights and I've really tried to keep them up to date with any changes in my appearance. I even emailed them an updated movelist of what I should be doing in the game. It's really important to me because the way I see it, videogames and action figures are the only way I'll be immortalized. In fact, my second biggest dream, behind being a wrestler, was to be in a videogame, and now they've both come true. I'm such a big gamer, it means a lot to me to actually see myself in the game.

 

 

IGN: Did you offer any suggestions for the game beyond your character?

 

Steven Richards: I sat down with the producers of the game before participating in the Superstars Challenge that took place at Wrestlemania. I suggested a couple of different things, but I'm not an expert on how to make a videogame and I really don't need to tell them to include this or to add that to the game. In theory, that might be great, but the same thing goes in our business where a fan might tell you to jump off the Titantron and smash through someone on a table. Sure, it might sound great, but it's not really a smart idea.

 

IGN: What's the most important thing about your character that you would like to see incorporated into WWE Raw 2?

 

Steven Richards: When I first saw myself in Smackdown, they got everything down to the color of my eyes correct. It was surreal to see, and I can just imagine what I'm going to look like in Raw 2 with the power of the Xbox. I'm really excited about it. I'd like to see them get my mannerisms down, like when I do my suplex, I actually yell and throw my hand up in the air, and if they were able to incorporate the sound of me yelling, that would be a nice little touch. Another thing I'd like to see is Stevie Night Heat. I've actually made Heat my show where I go out and call it Stevie Night Heat. It's a fun thing I get to do and they're letting me run with it. If they could add a Stevie Night Heat ring apron every time I wrestle, that would be a cool touch. I'm going to even have a belt engraved that I hope they'll let me bring on the show so I could say I'm the champion of Heat. I'm sure everyone will think I'm crazy, so it should be fun.

 

 

IGN: Who are you most looking forward to playing as in the game?

 

Steven Richards: Obviously I want to play as myself first, check out all of my moves and mannerisms. After that, I think I'm going to play as Kane. Kane and I actually play games against each other all the time, either on the road or over Xbox Live. I want to check out all of my friends from Tommy Dreamer to the Dudley Boys and check out all of the little things in people's entrances. I remember when I saw the ring entrance for Booker T in Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth, and I thought that was the most realistic looking entrance I'd ever seen. It had every aspect from the pyro to how he stood there with his eyes wide open, and I just thought it was awesome, so it will be interesting to see what kind of stuff they add into the new games.

 

IGN: When Steven Richards steps into the ring in the game, who do you most want to fight?

 

Steven Richards: Are there any locals in the ring so I can pick up an easy win? [laughs] With 64 superstars, it's hard to pick out who I want to beat first. I think I'd probably take Tommy Dreamer, especially if they had the option to make it a Singapore Cane match. I'd rather get hit in the head in the videogame, that way I don't need 16 staples in my head like last time.

 

IGN: You also get to pick you allies. Who do you want as your tag team partner?

 

Steven Richards: I'd want to create a stable of all the old ECW guys and call ourselves the EC-Dub.

 

IGN: You mentioned earlier that you play against Kane on Xbox Live. What games do you guys like to play?

 

Steven Richards: Kane is probably the most hardcore gamer I've ever met. There isn't a game that I've ever seen Kane start that he hasn't finished. He's very hardcore and very intense. On Xbox Live we play all of the military games like Soldier of Fortune II, Ghost Recon, Wolfenstein, and we're looking forward to Island Thunder and Counterstrike. When we're on the road we usually play the two-player sports games or link-up and play Brute Force. Videogames are just a great stress reliever and definitely make the world a lot more fun than it can be sometimes.

 

IGN: So if you could swipe the powers of any videogame character and incorporate it into the wrestling ring, who's powers would you like to steal?

 

Steven Richards: Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell. He's probably the most bad-ass character ever created in a videogame. He'll just matter-of-factly kill you and not even think about it.

 

IGN: What's the best thing your videogame character can do that you can't?

 

Steven Richards: Endure the pain without getting injured. I know what it's like to be smacked with chairs and canes and steel steps, so I can appreciate when my character in the videogame gets tossed off the top of a steel cage and doesn't feel any pain. I wish I could say the same.

 

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

In that bottom picture, HHH looks constipated or something..

[Guest Flyboy]

In that bottom picture, HHH looks constipated or something..

So therefore the picture is very realistic, corect?

[Guest eiker_ir]

wow, Stevie seems to really like videogames, he's cool. Kane's cool too.

 

this game looks alot better than the first RAW

[Guest Karnage]

It would be cool if he told THQ to put his half t-shirt that he wore in his ECW days as an alternate costume. I actually created him in the first Smackdown with that.

[Guest Lil Naitch]

In that bottom picture, HHH looks constipated or something..

actually, he looks cro-magnon.

 

REALISM!

[The Dames 0]

Wow...I can just imagine how funny it would look to see Kane in the back playing Steven Richards and getting MIGHTY pissed off that he's losing.

 

Dames

[Guest HartFan86]

They play Brute Force? That's awesome.

 

Kane is obviously Brutus.

[Guest Mattdotcom]

wow, Stevie seems to really like videogames, he's cool. Kane's cool too.

I remember reading that after Stevie retired from his neck injury in 1997, he was going to try and start a video game business or company or something. He's on the biggest fans of games on the roster(s).

[David Blazenwing 0]

Dude... Stevie Richards is one of my new favorite wrestlers! Goin' in my SIGGY!!!

[Guest CED Ordonez]

Steven Richards: Not in the old WCW games, though, those were awful. The EA WCW games were probably the worst wrestling videogames in the history of wrestling videogames, although the ECW game for the Gameboy is probably the single worst wrestling videogame of all time. It looks like two dots bumping into each other.

 

Stevie rules. That is all.