The One and Only Smackdown! HCTP Thread

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Ah the good ol Smackdown delay. Hell, the WWE/F game delay in general has been something I'm always a quasi fan of. My favorite was when Attitude was delayed like 4 months or whatever unholy amount of time it was.

[dubq 0]

The game is scheduled to ship on the 28th so it should be available at my local EB here in Canada on the 30th, 31st at the latest (and for once I hope it IS a day late... the 31st is a pay day.. but I suppose if I go pre-order it I can pay for it now).

 

However, I think we're a few days from THQ's annual "SmackDown is delayed 2 weeks" announcement. Hopefully we won't have one of those this year.

Here in Toronto, there's a store called Game Centre that lets you pre-order without putting any money down at all. They even call you when the game is in. I usually find that they're a few bucks cheaper than EB as well.

 

As for the delay, the only way I can see that being a good thing is if they were using it to add stuff in that fans really raised a lot of eyebrows about [spanky, etc].

[Fökai 0]

As for the delay, the only way I can see that being a good thing is if they were using it to add stuff in that fans really raised a lot of eyebrows about [spanky, etc].

I'm sure the game has been "set in stone" since early September.

 

The delays are there to press out more copies for those who didn't pre-order it, and for the TV/magazine advertisements to be a bit more polished (shooting a scene with wrestlers, using stock footage, etc.)

[Guest The Decadent Slacker]

If it's delayed, i'm going to be the most pissed off human being on the planet. That'll mean i can't get it till December, & only play it for a week then. I'd have to play it for only a week if it came out on time anyway, but still...I need to get it out of my system before my academic hiatus.

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

IGN Wrestler of the Day - Scott Steiner

Entrance

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

 

[BifEverchad 0]

The game is scheduled to ship on the 28th so it should be available at my local EB here in Canada on the 30th, 31st at the latest (and for once I hope it IS a day late... the 31st is a pay day.. but I suppose if I go pre-order it I can pay for it now).

 

However, I think we're a few days from THQ's annual "SmackDown is delayed 2 weeks" announcement. Hopefully we won't have one of those this year.

Thats not true though, is it? I'm pretty sure I picked up SYM last year, the day it came out.

 

..and I live in Newfoundland!

[dubq 0]

If it's delayed, i'm going to be the most pissed off human being on the planet. That'll mean i can't get it till December, & only play it for a week then. I'd have to play it for only a week if it came out on time anyway, but still...I need to get it out of my system before my academic hiatus.

Dude, why not just take the PS2 to college with you? Or do you have to share it with a sibling or something?

[dubq 0]

The game is scheduled to ship on the 28th so it should be available at my local EB here in Canada on the 30th, 31st at the latest (and for once I hope it IS a day late... the 31st is a pay day.. but I suppose if I go pre-order it I can pay for it now).

 

However, I think we're a few days from THQ's annual "SmackDown is delayed 2 weeks" announcement. Hopefully we won't have one of those this year.

Thats not true though, is it? I'm pretty sure I picked up SYM last year, the day it came out.

 

..and I live in Newfoundland!

Agreed. Most of the shops here in Toronto have it the day of the release.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

But.. this game doesn't have a release date.

 

See, games like Vice City or Mario Sunshine or what have you have a specific release date, where the game will arrive at the store and sit in the back, and be on shelves when the store opens the release day morning.

 

From what I can tell, HCTP falls into the "Shipping Date" catergory, where it's shipped on the 28th and can arrive at stores any day between that day and the 30th. The past 2 SD! titles have always arrived at the EB here in Windsor, Ont 2 days past the shipping date, and I expect nothing less this year.

[BifEverchad 0]

But.. this game doesn't have a release date.

 

See, games like Vice City or Mario Sunshine or what have you have a specific release date, where the game will arrive at the store and sit in the back, and be on shelves when the store opens the release day morning.

 

From what I can tell, HCTP falls into the "Shipping Date" catergory, where it's shipped on the 28th and can arrive at stores any day between that day and the 30th. The past 2 SD! titles have always arrived at the EB here in Windsor, Ont 2 days past the shipping date, and I expect nothing less this year.

why the hell would they release a 'shipping' date?

 

and whats the difference between certain games having release dates and 'shipping' dates?

 

weird..

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

why the hell would they release a 'shipping' date?

 

and whats the difference between certain games having release dates and 'shipping' dates?

 

weird..

A release date is for big money games that have big money ad campaigns and have the release date mentioned in the commercial (ex. Vice City last year kept saying the release date at the end of the commercials - I believe the 29th of October - and was shipped in advance to make sure it was out that day.

 

SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth, though, was just "Coming Soon" in commercials (followed by "Now Available"). IT has no set release date and stores can sell it when ever it arrives to them.

[BifEverchad 0]

Yeah, well either way I think we're all DYING for this game to come out. Be it on the 28th or the 30th...

 

hey Doc, did you watch that lastest video that IBM posted?

It's pretty sweet, and got me more hyped than before.

[Anakin Flair 0]

That video is SWEET

Pyro FINALLY looks decent, models look superub, and, in an earluier vid, when HBK does Sweet Chin Music, he actually TUNES UP THE BAND.

 

Man, I'm hyped

[dubq 0]

Ditto. So hyped I can't even sit still. Honestly, because his model looks so good, I think Goldberg is going to be the first character I use. Goldberg vs Lesnar. Hell yeah!

[Anakin Flair 0]

Ok, so I just switched over reservations for the GTA 2-pack on X-Box and Jedi Acadamey to HCTP. It had better be as good as it looks.

[cbacon 0]

So it's less than a month a way and we STILL have no idea about the story mode? I don't recall them taking this long with the other games...

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I'm quite hyped for the game. It's too bad they didn't give Steiner the Screwdriver as a special like they did Raw 2 (from what I hear) and WM19, eliminating all need for me to ever control him.

 

I find the total lack of info about story mode puzzling as well. IGN supposedly has a 90% or so build in front of them, do they not? If they're not going to say anything about it, at least tease us with a photo of text.

 

Edit: Well I found this on EBGames, who in turn took it from Gamespot. Enjoy!

 

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Actually I think a few pages back is some story mode info from Gamespot.. I know I was reading their explanation of it now and it's from a story posted in August.

[PsychoDriver 0]

I wish there was a site with the game, that was more open to answering questions.

 

 

IGN seems to be holding back on us, Sure these WOTD Matches are fun but they could be telling us so much more (Maybe a Season Mode diary, what new Moves are in, other small details)

[Fökai 0]

I wish there was a site with the game, that was more open to answering questions.

I'm sure IGN is contracted to hold back information on a specific game.

 

If they are given a "90% done" state of a game, the publishers or developers may have a clause enacted that will require magazines like OPM or sites like IGN to withold details until they're at liberty to discuss the subject (i.e. given a finished copy)

 

Example: IGN.com reports that in their 70% state game, the story mode looks below-average. Customers are optimistic about buying said game. Sales drop because of this.

[PsychoDriver 0]

I'm sure IGN is contracted to hold back information on a specific game.

 

If they are given a "90% done" state of a game, the publishers or developers may have a clause enacted that will require magazines like OPM or sites like IGN to withold details until they're at liberty to discuss the subject (i.e. given a finished copy)

 

Example: IGN.com reports that in their 70% state game, the story mode looks below-average. Customers are optimistic about buying said game. Sales drop because of this.

 

 

That sounds like it could be correct, has to be reason why they are holding back.

 

But if IGN has a 98% finished copy (beside minor fixes and details) what could be left to add?

 

last Year, it seemed like every site had a copy and was giving lots of info. I remember one Smaller site that had detailed Pictures and movies of the season mode a month or so before release.

 

Oh well... doesn't matter, It's just a few more weeks untill the release anyway.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

This is from IGN...someone has a FAQ up for the game that can be found on top of the game page:

 

 

Season Mode: General Information

 

As far as I know there are five matches per card, but I'm not completely certain on that yet.

* Exclusive story mode with original storylines developed by WWE Staff Writers

* Season lasts for 1 year however, apparently it contains 10 years of scripts in it- therefore feuds and stories will always change, so going through a season with the same wrestler will not be the same as the season before it

* The Season mode will feature real WWE storylines but will now also have a number of 'original' plots written

specifically for the game

* Title Holders are carried over from Season to Season, unlike SYM where they reset.

* Woman's Season Mode!

- Build yourself up from the bottom. You start as a jobber.

- Damage taken in ambushes, regular matches, or hardcore bouts affect your health and stamina in later matches if you

wrestle more than once on the same night.

- Smackdown will keep track of every wrestler's Win/Loss/Draw record, the types of matches they wrestled, who they

beat/lost too, and how many times they've won a particular title. The match history, however, is only limited to 200

bouts per character before it starts overwriting old matches.

- THQ are promising a clearer indication of which belt you are working towards.

- You can get screwed out of a the World Championship title and the Tag Team belts. No word yet on whether or not it can

happen with other belts as well.

- You can get a manager

- You earn SmackDown! Dollars to buy things at ShopZone- but you also earn experience points at the end of matches that

can be used to upgrade different facets of your wrestler, such as strength, submission skill, endurance, technique, and speed.

 

 

How Customisable is Season Mode?

 

* You can use either a Created Superstar or an all ready established superstar.

1- At the beginning of Season mode, you create stables for wrestlers.

2- It's also possible to change the Raw and SmackDown rosters

3- You then determine which wrestlers are faces (good) and which are heels (bad). You CANNOT assign champions when assigning face/heels.

4- Legends don't have a special/separate season, you can use them in exhibition or choose to incorporate them into a regular season.

 

 

Season Mode: Real Life Cut Scenes

 

* There will be less of an emphasis on cutscenes this time around, and those that do appear will have more significance.

- After selecting a wrestler you want to use you'll get a brief introduction sequence and have an equally short conversation

with the general manager of your program. If you're on Raw, then you'll speak with Eric Bischoff; if you're on the

SmackDown side, you'll have a chat with Stephanie McMahon.

- Kurt Angle has a cutscene in Story Mode involving his book 'It's True, It's True'

- Raw Roulette

- Undertaker's feud with Big Show where Taker gets two crates tied with big bows!

 

 

Season Mode: Backstage Interaction (The Locker)

 

- No free roaming environment, where you could literally walk around an arena to get to different portions of the story mode

- You're now presented with a locker that contains an assortment of options. - One of these options is called "move." Move

lets you visit locations around the arena so you can talk with other wrestlers. Some of these conversations can even end

up in matches. They can also affect your wrestler's superstar point level or his or her overall rating.

- In the locker area, you can access the shopzone. This area has unlockable items for sale. You can purchase these items with

SmackDown dollars, which are earned by winning and participating in matches; however, it'll take a while before you can

unlock some of the good stuff, since it tends to be quite a bit more expensive

- Click the Magazine icon in the locker to look at wrestler profiles- this includes the individual stats for other wrestlers

[Guest The Decadent Slacker]

If it's delayed, i'm going to be the most pissed off human being on the planet. That'll mean i can't get it till December, & only play it for a week then. I'd have to play it for only a week if it came out on time anyway, but still...I need to get it out of my system before my academic hiatus.

Dude, why not just take the PS2 to college with you? Or do you have to share it with a sibling or something?

According to the school, I can't have the PS2, DVD player, VCR-anything-for the first few months. Same goes for internet access. My plan is to just wear the fucking game out before i go, to get it out of my system. The sacrifices one has to make for awesome education.

 

The season mode, if that's what it's like, looks damn good to me. Screwjobs? Hell yeah!

[KingPK 0]

Can I just remind everyone that my 21st birthday is about a week before the release date?

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

IGN Wrestler of the Day - Sean O'Haire

Entrance

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

 

[Guest Choken One]

WHOO!

 

SOH! SOH! SOH!

 

Now I can relive countless Velocity squashes!

 

Wish they had the Barroom Invitational on here...Nothing like A Irishman in a barfight...

[BifEverchad 0]

WHOO!

 

SOH! SOH! SOH!

 

Now I can relive countless Velocity squashes!

 

Wish they had the Barroom Invitational on here...Nothing like A Irishman in a barfight...

I'm pushin SOH to the moon when I get this game!

 

Sue me, I like his look, and I think he'd be good.........in a video game.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Bah, its not working for me for some reason, please tell me SOH comes out to "Come On" on HCTP.

[Guest Askewniverse]

Bah, its not working for me for some reason, please tell me SOH comes out to "Come On" on HCTP.

SOH does come out to his Waterproof Blonde theme.

 

Try the link again, Rico. It didn't work for me earlier, but it does now.

[dubq 0]

If it's delayed, i'm going to be the most pissed off human being on the planet. That'll mean i can't get it till December, & only play it for a week then. I'd have to play it for only a week if it came out on time anyway, but still...I need to get it out of my system before my academic hiatus.

Dude, why not just take the PS2 to college with you? Or do you have to share it with a sibling or something?

According to the school, I can't have the PS2, DVD player, VCR-anything-for the first few months. Same goes for internet access. My plan is to just wear the fucking game out before i go, to get it out of my system. The sacrifices one has to make for awesome education.

 

The season mode, if that's what it's like, looks damn good to me. Screwjobs? Hell yeah!

Ah, that sucks, they're that strict about that shit hm? What college is it?

 

Also, re: season mode. I agree, if it's anything like that description, I'm all for it. I'm kind of glad that IGN is keeping a tight lip about really specific details having to do with the season.. I'd rather be surprised about the storylines and such.

 

You also have to wonder, if there's "10 years worth of scripts" then how many of those are recycled... or vice versa, it would be funny if down the road we see a HCTP scenario happening on WWE tv.