EA Sports UFC News Post

EA Sports UFC AMA Reveals More Details About the Game

12:17 PM - March 9, 2014 by Steve_OS

Brian Hayes, creative director on EA Sports UFC, recently held a AMA (ask me anything) session at Reddit and answered quite a few questions about the game. Below are some of key items of interest, read the full Q&A here.

When will we see a gameplay vid that's longer than 10 seconds?

Maybe in a couple weeks.

Will we be able to make Ronda fight Cain in a simulated match?

haha... no. There were a lot of people that really weren't cool with that idea.

So does this mean we can't do a super fight between divisions?? That seems really silly. It should just be gender specific

We're putting some fighters in multiple divisions where it makes sense. But you won't be able to do Mighty Mouse vs. Cain or anything like that.

why the hell not? such a silly thing to not include given how easy it would be and how many people want it.

We understand some people would want it, but it's actually not very easy to simulate a 5'3" 125lb character grappling with a 6'2" 240lb character and sort out all the physics, animation, and collision issues.

How will flash Knockouts work in this game? In UFC 3 (yeah i understand by different people), the flash KOs were like one in a million. It felt like the game was just a duel to who did enough damage to finally ko the opponent.

We'll be taking some cues/learnings for how we did them on Fight Night and going from there.

Will Nick Diaz be in the game?

209 represent

release date? release month at least?

There was rumor started that it was in May. I can tell you for sure that it is not in May.

Then April? Since its been announced as spring 2014

Holy crap definitely not April. Bite your tongue.

will there be a create-a-fighter option?

yes there will be

We are trying to get a lot of variety in fighter movement and stances. - There is no "run" button. - We will be releasing a demo (I'm pretty sure). - The game does look amazing, but there is still alot of animation tuning and polish to be done. Plus, I think there is always the uncanny valley effect. The more realistic the characters look, the more the imperfect blends and transitions in the individual animation will stand out to some people. But, like I said, we're still tuning that stuff also.

Are you making online multiplayer a priority? The online matchmaking engine on all three of the Undisputed games was so awful that you could rarely find an opponent and actually fight.

For sure. The Fight Night games generally had really solid online play and we want to make sure we keep that going.

is the grappling system more like EA MMA or UFC 3?

The grappling is on the RS, so its more like UFC 3 in that sense.

In terms of Career mode how similar will it be to EA MMA? Also will there be much improvement when it comes to character customization?

Tough for me to answer because I haven't created a character in EA MMA for a long time. I can only say it will be similar because you can create a character. There is a lot of options to choose from and the created characters look really high-quality.

Will we see a KO celebration where the fighter runs out of the cage and into the crowd a la Jose Aldo?

Into the crowd. No.

I am a big fan of Fight Night Champion so I know EA has the ability to make a good fighting game but how closely will the stand up resemble Fight Night Champion and how will you implement all the other stand up elements like kicks, elbows etc. and how will it differ from previous UFC games?

Well, like you say, you're going to be able to kick and elbow the other guy in the face. So it's drastically different from FNC in that regard . But we are using animation and physics technology that has evolved from the Fight Night lineage, so to speak. From a performance perspective, is should be similar in feel to FNC.

Any Pride functionality?

No. We need to get the basics in place before expanding to stuff like that. It didn't show up until the 3rd version for the previous developers.

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Member Comments

# 21 jeremym480 @ 03/11/14 09:31 AM

Having fighters fight against others they have no business fighting against in the least of my worries. In fact, I really don't want them wasting any dev time on something so silly.

It's akin to Madden how people want to put kickers on the offensive line and expect the DL to run over them like they would in real life. Why even waste time building animations for something that is so off the wall that most players will never even do it? I mean, should the DL run over the kicker like I could an 8 year old? Yes, for sure.. eventually. But for now there's so many other problems with the game that seeing that isn't even on my radar.

Back to the subject at hand - Ideally I would love for all fighters besides maybe HW to be able to move up or down one division. It's rare that someone fights across three, but it does happen. Example: BJ Penn is supposed to be fighting at featherweight in his next fight, his last few fights were at welterweight, but the majority of his UFC career was at lightweight. I'm sure there's others like that too, but that's the first one I thought of off the top of my head. On top of that, if a fighter moves weight-classes after the game is released I would like to see them update that with a roster update.

Lastly, I'm not worried about the release date. If it's releases in summer or fall I'm totally okay with that. Because for 1) UFC is not a seasonal sport and 2) I'd rather them work out the kinks pre-release rather than rush the game out and have to release several major patches. As far as I'm concerned they can take all they time they need.

# 22 SHAKYR @ 03/11/14 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	They can do this because there is only one UFC game on the market so fans of UFC and video games have no choice but to buy this one. That's how they can guarantee the title lives on year after year despite having stripped-down options. And you really don't need any further proof than what we've seen from the NHL and Madden games - two other series' which don't have any competition. Using EA NHL as an example, goalie fights were in NHL2004. Guess what wasn't in NHL07 through NHL12? Then when it was re-introduced in NHL13, guess what they featured on the back of the box? Goalie Fights. And they advertised it as "Never seen before!" (Which is technically true since goalie fights never occurred on an 360 or PS3 before). EA UFC won't be any different. This is EA's first UFC title so they can easily say that because it's their first attempt at a UFC game they couldn't possibly fit in everything because they had to get so much else stuffed in first. They'll slowly add features every other year and drag out the process until the PS5 and XB2 are released and then start the whole process over. This is very true. As a member of a Community Day event, I've heard it personally out of a producers mouth.

Exactly! I have been to Community Events too. I'm a Community Leader and former Fight Night Moderator. I have sent wishlist with detailed information to producers and this is what they said about using the full wishlist?!? They say they are going to use it for future installments. They are not going to add all the good stuff fans want at once. Yes, producers do hold back things on purpose.

# 23 aholbert32 @ 03/11/14 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAKYR


	Exactly! I have been to Community Events too. I'm a Community Leader and former Fight Night Moderator. I have sent wishlist with detailed information to producers and this is what they said about using the full wishlist?!? They say they are going to use it for future installments. They are not going to add all the good stuff fans want at once. Yes, producers do hold back things on purpose.

Of course producers hold stuff back. Thats not the issue. The issue is why.

Has a producer ever said to you "We want to add this and we had time to add this but we didnt because we want to save this for future games"? I'd guess no. What they likely said was "we want to add this but we dont have the time so we will look at adding this in future versions.

I dont have an issue with that if timing is an issue. I would like to see a Pride mode or Event mode in this year's version. The game likely wont have either because they can only add so many features in a limited amount of time. I'm ok with that.

# 24 Hiro1 @ 03/11/14 02:35 PM

If true I stand corrected. I'm the type of consumer that will skip a game even if it doesn't have any come compettion in its genre. I've skipped certain maddens and NCAAs before because I didn't like what I viewed either in demo or official previews.

It just seems like a slippery slope to believe EA omits perfectly working features to put in later installments. Then I'd also have to think they intentionally break their game or leave it broken/buggy so that people buy the next version where it is fixed.

I'd much rather believe they lied to you guys (community leaders) about having something they couldn't accomplish. Better to seem like evil EA than below average programming EA.

# 25 Money99 @ 03/11/14 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hiro1


	If true I stand corrected. I'm the type of consumer that will skip a game even if it doesn't have any come compettion in its genre. I've skipped certain maddens and NCAAs before because I didn't like what I viewed either in demo or official previews. It just seems like a slippery slope to believe EA omits perfectly working features to put in later installments. Then I'd also have to think they intentionally break their game or leave it broken/buggy so that people buy the next version where it is fixed. I'd much rather believe they lied to you guys (community leaders) about having something they couldn't accomplish. Better to seem like evil EA than below average programming EA.

I'm with you. I won't buy a new game every year. But I think we're in the minority. Madden's sales totals prove that.

And I don't think it's just EA that does this. I think a lot of companies do.

A former boss of mine was a manager for a software development company.
A major fast-food chain approached him to create an application to run on their POS (point of sale) machines.
They had one of their programmers join the meeting between customer and management.
After the customer provided the specs they were looking for, the programmer went back to his desk and in less than 48-hours he had everything the customer wanted and then some.
The managers then told him to remove a bunch of options, remove a number of graphics and 'dumb it down' to make it look like unfinished.

They demo'd the application to the customer a week later and made it sound like they had been working around the clock for 7 days straight and despite it being nearly functional it still needed more work - making the customer believe the project was difficult and would require heavy funds to complete it.

The customer bought it hook, line and sinker.
They made a great sale that day despite the fact the programmer completed the project in less than 2 working days and even removed a bunch of options.

Then they charged the customer for 'enhancements' (that the developer had created on the first day) and released them every few months to keep the maintenance fee's rolling.

It's dirty-pool, but they all do it.

# 26 SHAKYR @ 03/11/14 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Of course producers hold stuff back. Thats not the issue. The issue is why. Has a producer ever said to you "We want to add this and we had time to add this but we didnt because we want to save this for future games"? I'd guess no. What they likely said was "we want to add this but we dont have the time so we will look at adding this in future versions. I dont have an issue with that if timing is an issue. I would like to see a Pride mode or Event mode in this year's version. The game likely wont have either because they can only add so many features in a limited amount of time. I'm ok with that.

... They have time for DLC and constantly adjustments after the game has been shipped?!?

# 27 aholbert32 @ 03/11/14 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAKYR


	... They have time for DLC and constantly adjustments after the game has been shipped?!?

Totally different. You are downplaying the effect a new mode could have on a game. Its not that easy. Plus you arent even factoring the bugs and glitches that adding a new mode that was rushed could have on the game. All these people complaining about modes that were held back because of time would be the same ones complaining about the bugs/glitches caused by adding these modes in a rush.

People want it both ways: They complain about developers adding features according to a release schedule but ignore the fact that game companies need to sell future versions. If a game came out with every feature that everyone wanted and the next version had all of those features and a new roster...people would be complaining about how this version is just a roster update.

# 28 SHAKYR @ 03/11/14 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Totally different. You are downplaying the effect a new mode could have on a game. Its not that easy. Plus you arent even factoring the bugs and glitches that adding a new mode that was rushed could have on the game. All these people complaining about modes that were held back because of time would be the same ones complaining about the bugs/glitches caused by adding these modes in a rush. People want it both ways: They complain about developers adding features according to a release schedule but ignore the fact that game companies need to sell future versions. If a game came out with every feature that everyone wanted and the next version had all of those features and a new roster...people would be complaining about how this version is just a roster update.

The majority of people complain about realism/sim and what they actually see in a sport. This producers waste too much time on gimmicks instead of actual sports modes. As I said, before these producers add certain things because want not because of time restraints like they keep feeding the public. A good interviewer gets this information.

# 29 aholbert32 @ 03/11/14 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAKYR


	The majority of people complain about realism/sim and what they actually see in a sport. This producers waste too much time on gimmicks instead of actual sports modes. As I said, before these producers add certain things because want not because of time restraints like they keep feeding the public. A good interviewer gets this information.

Thats not true. LOL. We have pages of threads on OS where people complain about the colors of socks and armbands in NBA 2k. They complain about the lack of towels in Madden. How dreads look in NCAA. All of these frivolous things AND OS IS A SIM GAMER SITE. The majority of gamers who by fighting games arent sim heads. You can keep saying it as much as you want but that doesnt make it true.

Again you cant show me a quote where Hayes or any developer has said "we had the time and just didnt want to add it. We wanted to wait until the next version".

They have to make choices. UFC will drop in June. EA's stockholders are expecting the game to help soften the sales blow of losing NCAA this year so the game has to release in Late Spring/Early Summer. That means the game has to be gold in May.

So Hayes has a choice: Finalize the game's features and work on fixing the major bugs before release or have the team work on a new features and fix the bugs after release. I'd rather them choose option #1. I've interviewed devs from 2k, EA, Sony and Konami and they all talk about the schedule and how it determines what is and what isnt included in a game.

# 30 SHAKYR @ 03/11/14 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Thats not true. LOL. We have pages of threads on OS where people complain about the colors of socks and armbands in NBA 2k. They complain about the lack of towels in Madden. How dreads look in NCAA. All of these frivolous things AND OS IS A SIM GAMER SITE. The majority of gamers who by fighting games arent sim heads. You can keep saying it as much as you want but that doesnt make it true. Again you cant show me a quote where Hayes or any developer has said "we had the time and just didnt want to add it. We wanted to wait until the next version". They have to make choices. UFC will drop in June. EA's stockholders are expecting the game to help soften the sales blow of losing NCAA this year so the game has to release in Late Spring/Early Summer. That means the game has to be gold in May. So Hayes has a choice: Finalize the game's features and work on fixing the major bugs before release or have the team work on a new features and fix the bugs after release. I'd rather them choose option #1. I've interviewed devs from 2k, EA, Sony and Konami and they all talk about the schedule and how it determines what is and what isnt included in a game.

The sim sports gaming community is larger than developers want to give credit for. Fight Night Champion failure was because the real boxing fans and athletes didn't like it's representation. Producers jobs is to create a game and make the customer believe everything no matter what or who they are marketing to. As I always say how can anyone say sim will not sell if they never made it!?!
Producer can add things.... Read how after going back and forth something was added at the very last minute.
http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/1729939.page

Casual sports games are not that good of sellers especially fighting games. This is why you don't have arcade versions of games. EA trick fans with hybrid games.

# 31 aholbert32 @ 03/11/14 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAKYR


	The sim sports gaming community is larger than developers want to give credit for. Fight Night Champion failure was because the real boxing fans and athletes didn't like it's representation. Producers jobs is to create a game and make the customer believe everything no matter what or who they are marketing to. As I always say how can anyone say sim will not sell if they never made it!?! Producer can add things.... Read how after going back and forth something was added at the very last minute. http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/1729939.page Casual sports games are not that good of sellers especially fighting games. This is why you don't have arcade versions of games. EA trick fans with hybrid games.

No one said producers cant add things after the fact. I said that they cant add full fledged features (not adding extra CAF slots) and usually when they try those features are bug filled.

# 32 SHAKYR @ 03/11/14 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	No one said producers cant add things after the fact. I said that they cant add full fledged features (not adding extra CAF slots) and usually when they try those features are bug filled.

True, but the point is they had time regardless.

* I apologize to Steve and the OS UFC/MMA fans for going north with this post, my passion got to me.

# 33 mgoblue @ 03/12/14 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aholbert32


	Of course producers hold stuff back. Thats not the issue. The issue is why. Has a producer ever said to you "We want to add this and we had time to add this but we didnt because we want to save this for future games"? I'd guess no. What they likely said was "we want to add this but we dont have the time so we will look at adding this in future versions. I dont have an issue with that if timing is an issue. I would like to see a Pride mode or Event mode in this year's version. The game likely wont have either because they can only add so many features in a limited amount of time. I'm ok with that.

This! It's usually a matter of timing. I doubt they have the time to create all the Pride assets necessary, menu icons, etc. Things like that probably require more things than we know about. They need to iron out normal stuff first and then have a great base to build on.

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