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Fight Night Champion Video Preview (The OXM Report)

11:28 AM - December 6, 2010 by born_bad

The game looks to have an improved realistic lighting system and the ref in the ring looks like a nice addition.

My only concern was the the punches looked VERY slow, to the point where it looks distractingly bad. Can anyone confirm that the punch speed is going to be as slow as what is seen in this video?

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# 41 Vast @ 12/07/10 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	This is true and I utilize it often. But it still does not feel right. I hated RD4 slow moving in sand feeling. When I went into community day that was one of my first complaints. The movement did not feel fast and responsive as EA MMA. I had my head stuck in EA MMA for weeks before community day and was hoping for similar movement in FNC. Granted the build I got to play they told us ahead of time the footwork was not finished. But the speed of the movement is what I kept pointing out to Mike. I understand their point-of-view with how they don't want guys running around the ring like this is MMA, but I felt like it should be a good bit faster than what we played.

I don't understand AT ALL. Why the hell do they not want guys running around the ring?

In MMA stand up fighting is only a small percentage of the fight. In boxing its 100% of the fight.
Why would the producers want to limit the stand up in a game that is all stand up??!!

You mentioned previously that the slow footspeed is only aesthetic. I couldn't disagree more. Its an essential part of the gameplay if you're concerned about realism.

I should be able to get in and out without getting hit if i have a quick footed, agile boxer. The way it is now with fast hand speed but slow footspeed; its impossible.

Movement speed needs to be increased dramatically. If their concern was that online dudes would run all fight; there are ways to counter this.

1. running backwards(fast backpeddle) is not faster then running forwards(fast frontpeddle). You should be able to catch someone that keeps running from you eventually. Running punches should have very low accuracy.

2. have the referee take points away from excessive running. First a warning, then take points away if it remains excessive.

# 42 majestic @ 12/07/10 05:15 PM

It sounds like most of the big improvements are under the hood, to the gameplay. Video previews can only do so much justice to how the game actually feels. I believe Phobia that the gameplay will feel much better.

What's apparent here, and a little disappointing, is how much this game is still lagging behind other sports franchises in terms of realism and fluidity of movement. Squint your eyes a little while watching a game of NBA 2K11 or MLB The Show 10 and you'd think you're watching a TV presentation of the real thing. Not so with FNC. Not yet. This still looks like rock 'em sock 'em robots. Hopefully the gameplay doesn't feel that way. But I don't think this video is going to blow anyone away. At least not here, where we know how realistic a sports game can look.

That said, the knockdowns look much better, and the one-punch knockdowns are a great improvement. To my mind there's no question the game is getting better. It's just hard to get too excited about the kinds of incremental changes that sports gamers are used to seeing in games that come out every year. The length of the development cycle is what makes it disappointing. If we have to wait 2-3 years for a game, we want it to feel 2-3 years better --- a whole generation better. We want it all. We don't want to have to wait another 2-3 years for good footwork in a boxing game.

# 43 Phobia @ 12/07/10 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vast


	I don't understand AT ALL. Why the hell do they not want guys running around the ring? In MMA stand up fighting is only a small percentage of the fight. In boxing its 100% of the fight. Why would the producers want to limit the stand up in a game that is all stand up??!! You mentioned previously that the slow footspeed is only aesthetic. I couldn't disagree more. Its an essential part of the gameplay if you're concerned about realism. I should be able to get in and out without getting hit if i have a quick footed, agile boxer. The way it is now with fast hand speed but slow footspeed; its impossible. Movement speed needs to be increased dramatically. If their concern was that online dudes would run all fight; there are ways to counter this. 1. running backwards(fast backpeddle) is not faster then running forwards(fast frontpeddle). You should be able to catch someone that keeps running from you eventually. Running punches should have very low accuracy. 2. have the referee take points away from excessive running. First a warning, then take points away if it remains excessive.

Here is why I agree with the direction.

1) You don't see guys running around in boxing. You will in MMA.

2) In boxing, they are sitting on their punches. Keeping that back foot down and making sure they land with some power. So you don't see guys running around the ring.

3) The aesthetics of the footspeed is only a graphical element. Because both fighters are moving at the same sluggish speed. Faster fighters do move faster and slower fighters do move slower. BUT the general speed of the movements across the board are slower than my liking.

So this leads to it only being a aesthetic because you can get in, land some shots and get out before being hit. If your fighter has the speed to do so. The slow foot speed does match up well with the hand speed so you don't see any case of guys landing multiple punches before you can move away.

Now let me explain one thing that was in the build we played. When two fighters were decent distance apart, their hands dropped and they moved quicker. Once they got within punch range their hands came up and their speed slowed. I took this as simulating getting into punching position.

We could pull up many boxing videos and 99% of them will be two fighters wading in, similar to the way FNC has it. It just need to be faster by a small margin.

# 44 NINJAK2 @ 12/07/10 06:40 PM

Phobia-Footwork needs serious work. You are telling me that 99% of the vids we would see of real life boxing footwork would look similar to FNC..lol that's hilarious. Bad footwork in a boxing game is similar to bad dribbling animations in a hoop game or lousy running animations in a football one. While you can call it aesthetic it has a huge influence on gameplay and immersion factor. Movement in FN has been disappointing for years now. Adding a modifying movement button similar to UFC 2009 would go a long way toward improving it. Something that opens up free flowing movement.

check this video out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAZ7...1&feature=fvwp

Saying they don't want people "running around" the ring is a lame excuse. Many boxers IRL are able to get in and out of range without looking like robocop(slow boxers) or robocop on speed(agile boxers). You've played FNC so you know more about it than I but I don't have my hopes up for it in this category. I hope they prove me wrong.

# 45 Bamtino @ 12/07/10 10:26 PM

Graphically It looks exactly like FNR4 but with added bloom...Boxers still look cartoony and the lighting is still too dark... Gameplay wise, the footwork apparently hasn't been worked on at all...Guys are still sliding around like they're on ice...Punches don't seem slow to me but they also don't seem improved over FNR4's robotic motions...Basically it's FNR4 with a ref in the ring a 3 second TOT and bloom...

# 46 RumbleCard @ 12/07/10 10:39 PM

I like the rock 'em sock 'em robots reference. I hope its because its just early and they're really trying to showcase as much of the punching mechanics as possible because the game looks a little clunky and unpolished. Doesn't appear to be anything tactical or calculating in the flow of the fighting.

Time will tell. Hopefully they'll achieve the same level of silky smoothness that their MMA title has.

# 47 eye guy @ 12/07/10 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	See I don't understand this thought process. First of all they do know boxing pretty well. Second, just because they put in some extra fighters that YOU might not have wanted. What does it harm?? It is no different if I gave you 10 bucks but decided I was going to give you a extra dollar bill. Do you turn down the dollar bill because it is not significant enough for you??? In reality all it does is add to your amount. The reason this bothers me is you act as if they did not go out and sign other fighters. That they just said "lets get butter bean and call it a night". What does it hurt to have him?? Hell many games add extra weird characters just for the hell of it. Look at Big John in EA MMA or The Tap out crew in UFC2010. Also what do you mean he "takes a spot". They sign who will sign, plain and simple. You have ZERO way of knowing what Ward or Martinez request to be compensated for. You have no way of knowing the decisions that must be made to bring the title to your hands. Yet you act as if you know the ins and outs of signing major athletes. It is easier to act as if you know the whole routine, but the fact is you don't know. This also touched a nerve with me not because I went to community day. I am far from a EA apologist. But you have ZERO facts to base any of your thoughts on. Just open bashing with no knowledge of what you are talking about. I don't go around talking as if I know everything about programming and hexeditors, because I don't know. Just the same as you have no idea what it entails to sign these major athletes

You took the words right out of my mouth...

# 48 PVarck31 @ 12/08/10 02:01 AM

Well that should get this thread back on track.

# 49 Phobia @ 12/08/10 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NINJAK2


	Phobia-Footwork needs serious work. You are telling me that 99% of the vids we would see of real life boxing footwork would look similar to FNC..lol that's hilarious. Bad footwork in a boxing game is similar to bad dribbling animations in a hoop game or lousy running animations in a football one. While you can call it aesthetic it has a huge influence on gameplay and immersion factor. Movement in FN has been disappointing for years now. Adding a modifying movement button similar to UFC 2009 would go a long way toward improving it. Something that opens up free flowing movement. check this video out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAZ7...1&feature=fvwp Saying they don't want people "running around" the ring is a lame excuse. Many boxers IRL are able to get in and out of range without looking like robocop(slow boxers) or robocop on speed(agile boxers). You've played FNC so you know more about it than I but I don't have my hopes up for it in this category. I hope they prove me wrong.

Ninja I am not disagreeing with you. I don't see the reason for the "thats hilarious" or "lame excuse". I am not making excuses, I have the same issues with the footwork as everyone else. I am trying to explain the way it worked and in relation to most boxing matches. You can still do something similar to the sugar ray video, of course on of the same level of moving sideways as fast. But you can get in and out of range and use the same tactic. That is my point about it being a aesthetic. Sure it does not LOOK as realistic as a real fight but the same stratgies can still be applied.

Some of you guys get soo bent out of shape over the smallest thing being said it is scarey. I am not out to lie to you guys or protect EA. I had a issue with the footwork the time I was there and made sure to vocalize that to them. i can't fix it, I can't make them speed it up.

What I can do explain to you the things I liked and the things I thought were lacking. But in the end, I had a blast with the game. So while it might be a deal breaker for you that the footwork is to slow. I had so much fun with the game I can't wait to start my career when I get my hands on it.

# 50 Phobia @ 12/08/10 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RumbleCard


	I like the rock 'em sock 'em robots reference. I hope its because its just early and they're really trying to showcase as much of the punching mechanics as possible because the game looks a little clunky and unpolished. Doesn't appear to be anything tactical or calculating in the flow of the fighting. Time will tell. Hopefully they'll achieve the same level of silky smoothness that their MMA title has.

I can't comment on the build they have now. But I will say you are really wrong about the bold.

We did HOURS of fighting against one another and it was extremely tactical and the flow was BEAUTIFUL to watch. It truly had the flow of a real fight. Fast 3-4 punch combos then get out so you don't tire to the point of putting yourself in trouble. Work the ring to cut off those guys who like to stay on the outside.

I had a fight against Indigo that was so strategic. He had a brawler and I had a boxer. I kept rolling away from his power hand and landing jab or jab straights. He kept working to cut the ring off and get my back to the ropes. A handfull of times he managed to put me in a bad position. He got in close and started landing huge uppercuts and hooks. I then did a shoulder push off to make space and roll out into the middle of the ring.

It was frustrating him and was putting me with the advantage. In the 5th or so round I land with a perfect one punch hook to the temple and dropped him for the KO. No count, just lights out. I had a strategy and used it and it worked to perfection.

Weather that is still the same in the build we will all get. My guess is as good as yours.

# 51 Phobia @ 12/08/10 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 31


	Well that should get this thread back on track.

Thanks 31!!

# 52 BezO @ 12/08/10 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	I understand their point-of-view with how they don't want guys running around the ring like this is MMA...

Officially worried. Why handicap the user?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	1) You don't see guys running around in boxing. You will in MMA.

Running? Ehh, but lighter weight boxers do a lot of skipping & dashing during a fight, much quicker than the step, step movement in FN. What about a stunned fighter? And what about a boxer ahead on the cards at the end of a fight? They tend to get around pretty quick to avoid their opponent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	2) In boxing, they are sitting on their punches. Keeping that back foot down and making sure they land with some power. So you don't see guys running around the ring.

Punchers do. There are plenty of boxers who don't sit on many punches, trying to win on points. Defensive fighters, ring generals. I was going to post a vid, but there's a good example up already. That's not uncommon, especially in situations I mentioned above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	3) The aesthetics of the footspeed is only a graphical element. Because both fighters are moving at the same sluggish speed. Faster fighters do move faster and slower fighters do move slower. BUT the general speed of the movements across the board are slower than my liking.

I obviously haven't played the upcoming version, but the footwork looks just like FN4, and in that game I felt it was almost impossible to avoid users who were good at brawling. No way Sugar Ray L. could get away from Hagler like we see in this video.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	We could pull up many boxing videos and 99% of them will be two fighters wading in, similar to the way FNC has it. It just need to be faster by a small margin.

I disagree with 99%, especially in the lighter weights. And if you like using the ring generals like Sugar Ray L, gameplay will never compare to what we've seen of him IRL.

# 53 DaveDQ @ 12/08/10 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NINJAK2


	Phobia-Footwork needs serious work. You are telling me that 99% of the vids we would see of real life boxing footwork would look similar to FNC..lol that's hilarious. Bad footwork in a boxing game is similar to bad dribbling animations in a hoop game or lousy running animations in a football one. While you can call it aesthetic it has a huge influence on gameplay and immersion factor. Movement in FN has been disappointing for years now. Adding a modifying movement button similar to UFC 2009 would go a long way toward improving it. Something that opens up free flowing movement. check this video out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAZ7...1&feature=fvwp Saying they don't want people "running around" the ring is a lame excuse. Many boxers IRL are able to get in and out of range without looking like robocop(slow boxers) or robocop on speed(agile boxers). You've played FNC so you know more about it than I but I don't have my hopes up for it in this category. I hope they prove me wrong.

I actually think that video is a bad example of the footwork we want to see. I want to see stepping in and out, side to side movement. I don't want to see a guy running all over the place because that's not boxing. What Leonard did was counter Hagler with punch speed. Hagler would corner him and Leonard would burst with punches to his head. It was speed on the side of Leonard, not great footwork.

The most important thing for me is that they lose this lethargic feeling when you are boxing. By the looks of that video, it's still there. That frustrates me. Maybe we'll see something different in the coming months.

# 54 DaveDQ @ 12/08/10 10:33 AM

This video (I think) does a great job of shoiwng what footwork should be. When I think of FN, I think there is this weight shifting stepping, rather than rhythm footwork...

# 55 Phobia @ 12/08/10 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BezO


	Officially worried. Why handicap the user? Running? Ehh, but lighter weight boxers do a lot of skipping & dashing during a fight, much quicker than the step, step movement in FN. What about a stunned fighter? And what about a boxer ahead on the cards at the end of a fight? They tend to get around pretty quick to avoid their opponent. Punchers do. There are plenty of boxers who don't sit on many punches, trying to win on points. Defensive fighters, ring generals. I was going to post a vid, but there's a good example up already. That's not uncommon, especially in situations I mentioned above. I obviously haven't played the upcoming version, but the footwork looks just like FN4, and in that game I felt it was almost impossible to avoid users who were good at brawling. No way Sugar Ray L. could get away from Hagler like we see in this video. I disagree with 99%, especially in the lighter weights. And if you like using the ring generals like Sugar Ray L, gameplay will never compare to what we've seen of him IRL.

Yea Bezo but what you are missing from my comments is this. The footwork is sluggish and slow, BUT you can still do the things you describe. It does not LOOK like it does in real life. But you can still fight on the outside and not let a brawler get in, you can dance around them and work the jab, you can win by staying out the outside and winning on points.

The footwork between the fighters was enough that those things are possible that is my point. It is the animations and speed at which BOTH fighters move that make it look "ugly". But the tactic side of it did work correctly.

@ Bold, read my post up above about me facing a brawler in FNC. You can completely stop them in FNC in the build I played.

# 56 BezO @ 12/08/10 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	Yea Bezo but what you are missing from my comments is this. The footwork is sluggish and slow, BUT you can still do the things you describe. It does not LOOK like it does in real life. But you can still fight on the outside and not let a brawler get in, you can dance around them and work the jab, you can win by staying out the outside and winning on points. The footwork between the fighters was enough that those things are possible that is my point. It is the animations and speed at which BOTH fighters move that make it look "ugly". But the tactic side of it did work correctly.

I hear you. I guess the look is just as important to me as the strategy/AI. Hopefully they'll figure out how to balance this better the next time around if not this time.

# 57 ManiacMatt1782 @ 12/08/10 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelwig14


	Yes. And considering he takes a spot from Ward or Martinez or Froch or whomever that isn't a freaking sideshow joke....makes me want to vomit.

Boxers own their own rights. If any of the afformentioned didn't make it in, it is because they shot down ea's offer. Blame the fighter agents/promoters for being greedy.

# 58 DaveDQ @ 12/08/10 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManiacMatt1782


	Boxers own their own rights. If any of the afformentioned didn't make it in, it is because they shot down ea's offer. Blame the fighter agents/promoters for being greedy.

We may never know if he vomited or not.

# 59 Kanobi @ 12/08/10 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majestic


	What's apparent here, and a little disappointing, is how much this game is still lagging behind other sports franchises in terms of realism and fluidity of movement. Squint your eyes a little while watching a game of NBA 2K11 or MLB The Show 10 and you'd think you're watching a TV presentation of the real thing. Not so with FNC. Not yet. This still looks like rock 'em sock 'em robots.

Bingo!

I began to worry when my question went unanswered in reign's thread...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanobi


	Reign....how does the game move....how does the interaction look? What i mean is....you know how in some games (particularly those by 2k Sports) where you can start a cpu vs cpu match, watch that game, and be kinda floored at how realistic and lifelike the animations and interactions are. Is FNC now at that level where it's insanely close to looking like a real boxing match?

FNC looks like FN4 + a ref in the ring which is disappointing to say the least.

# 60 RumbleCard @ 12/08/10 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia


	I can't comment on the build they have now. But I will say you are really wrong about the bold. We did HOURS of fighting against one another and it was extremely tactical and the flow was BEAUTIFUL to watch. It truly had the flow of a real fight. Fast 3-4 punch combos then get out so you don't tire to the point of putting yourself in trouble. Work the ring to cut off those guys who like to stay on the outside. I had a fight against Indigo that was so strategic. He had a brawler and I had a boxer. I kept rolling away from his power hand and landing jab or jab straights. He kept working to cut the ring off and get my back to the ropes. A handfull of times he managed to put me in a bad position. He got in close and started landing huge uppercuts and hooks. I then did a shoulder push off to make space and roll out into the middle of the ring. It was frustrating him and was putting me with the advantage. In the 5th or so round I land with a perfect one punch hook to the temple and dropped him for the KO. No count, just lights out. I had a strategy and used it and it worked to perfection. Weather that is still the same in the build we will all get. My guess is as good as yours.

That's great news. I was hoping it was just indicative of the clips we've been seeing vs. the reality of what the game is. The last game was nothing more than a punch fest. I really hope this game offers more depth in the aspects of fighting.

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