Disappointing News on Divas in WWE 2K16

[kisstopher5]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

At this point I personally don't really care what the reason is why they're missing. By my count this is the third game in as many years which will launch with significant members of the contemporary television programming missing or otherwise out-of-date: WWE 2K14: did not contain Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, or Erick Rowan WWE 2K15: did not contain Stardust; Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns were still represented as their characters from The Shield despite that that group broke up a full six months before the game launched WWE 2K16: will not contain Bailey, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, or Braun Stroman It's just unacceptable to me at this point that the video game representation of WWE will be out of date for a full calendar year. Particularly in a world where Madden NFL can provide player likeness updates for hundreds of in-game characters post-launch, and NBA 2K can provide new players, jerseys, courts, and all sorts of other content post-launch. This doesn't even get into Ultimate Team or weekly roster updates or whatever post-release support MLB The Show or FIFA provide. If we consider WWE 2K16 to be a sports game, the amount of post-release support it gets compared to other sports games is paltry at best. I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons why this is the case, but at the end of the day that doesn't change what the situation is. Sure, we can use created Superstars to keep the roster up-to-date ourselves, and I'm grateful that that functionality is there, but that doesn't excuse the current situation. It'd be a nice concession if 2K could get the entrance music / video assets for the missing characters in the game going forward, but given the track record of the game I don't anticipate that happening at all.

This, this, and more of this. Especially the final part. If you're telling me that as a TOP TIER VIDEO GAME DESIGNER, you can't add characters post-production, I won't question it because I have no clue how to design a video game. But, I fail to believe it is that difficult to add entrance music or video post-production. Even if they had a "Not In Game Music/Video" DLC package with music and video WWE owned, but decided not to put the superstar in the game, I would totally buy. All that WWE music on iTunes and Spotify should be in the game. It just pains me to have issues like this year after year after year after year for the game I look forward to more than any other every year.

[redsox4evur]

Quote: Originally Posted by sirjam

I wish I could explain it but to me it's unacceptable not to have them in and I will not buy the product until later, if at all.

I will still buy because I need a wrestling game. LOL. But I completely agree that is unacceptable for these 4 women to not be in the game. I could understand it if they signed around the time that the roster had to be finalized, but where they have been signed for a while it is unacceptable.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by bdolski

They're being incredibly vague, so they don't look like the bad guy, nor throw WWE under the bus. But it's been debunked about Sasha being scanned, they just scan everyone. But why else would Charlotte's shirt be in the crowd? I could see it having just been Charlotte and Sasha in. But I think they'll definitely use them as a big push for next year.

My theory (based on nothing but speculation) is this:

2k likely has multiple people working on art for the game. A person or people who are charge of creating each superstar and someone who is responsible for the rest of the art in the game (CAF/Tshirts in the crowd etc.). Early on when Charlotte was considered, the art guys added her t-shirt because that is relatively easy to do. When she wasnt created, they forgot to remove her T-shirt from the game.

I think 2k looked at the complete roster and made a business decision based on time. "Keep people like Cameron and Layla who are already completed and approved by the WWE or take the time to create 4 new Divas and get them through the WWE approval process." 2k chose door #1 because it was the easier route.

They also incorrectly assumed that NXT fans would be fine with only the major men being represented and would be satisfied with the women being left out. They were wrong.

[BDKiiing]

I find it implausible and hard to believe they "forgot" to take Charlotte's shirt out. There is no way I'll believe it was 2K's call to not put them in. If the dev team is any good, they'd know who is popular and who is not. WWE is the party who's delusional and out of touch. I'll sell on 2K being the culprit.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by bdolski

I find it implausible and hard to believe they "forgot" to take Charlotte's shirt out. There is no way I'll believe it was 2K's call to not put them in. If the dev team is any good, they'd know who is popular and who is not. WWE is the party who's delusional and out of touch. I'll sell on 2K being the culprit.

Why would WWE not want them in the game? All four of them are currently getting a push and are in the good graces of WWE. Including them next year isn't going to significantly increase sales of the game. The NXT 4 aren't going to be on the cover of the game. The WWE has no reason to keep them off of the game.

Also the video you are referencing was from months ago and likely an old build of the game. Like I said, Charlotte could've been considered for the game at that point and that's why the shirt was in the game

[BDKiiing]

Why would 2K not want them in? WWE knows they'll get sales regardless. This years push for fans of the current product is career/NXT presence. Next year will be the debut of the Divas career mode with the NXT 4 being a big focus, I'd place that bet right now. WWE is petty like that, that they'd pull them from the game. They wouldn't let 2K put Cody Rhodes in the game.

[aholbert32]

Quote: Originally Posted by bdolski

Why would 2K not want them in? WWE knows they'll get sales regardless. This years push for fans of the current product is career/NXT presence. Next year will be the debut of the Divas career mode with the NXT 4 being a big focus, I'd place that bet right now. WWE is petty like that, that they'd pull them from the game. They wouldn't let 2K put Cody Rhodes in the game.

I didnt say 2k didnt want them in. I think they do want them in but because of a lack of time and manpower made them decide to leave them out. They also didnt think that the backlash would be this big. They explained that adding a wrestler has a long creative and approval process and they likely locked the roster 3-4 months ago.

4 months ago leaving out Sasha/Becky/Charlotte/Bayley wouldve been disappointing but the majority of WWE fans wouldnt have cared that much. The majority of WWE fans dont watch NXT. Now its a disaster because 3 of the 4 are getting a huge push on Raw and Smackdown.

Also, you arent explaining why WWE would be "petty" especially to Sasha and Charlotte? Using your reasoning, WWE says "Lets give Charlotte the Divas championship and have Sasha become the first women to headline an NXT major event.....but **** that they arent appearing in the video game!"

How does that make sense?

Then Cody Rhodes thing isnt even comparable. Do you see any other active WWE wrestlers with their old gimmicks in the game. I dont see two Damien Sandows (One with him as a scholar). I dont see 2 Big Es (before he was with the New Day) either.

WWE wants people to focus on the current gimmicks not old ones. Thats not petty. The only people with their past gimmicks are people who are either retired or a part of the Stone Cold mode.

[BDKiiing]

WWE is petty, and could have pulled them so they can use them as a marketing point for next year. And the amount of people who are divas fans is a small minority anyways. September 2014 at Takeover Bayley faced off with Charlotte. the December 2014 Takeover was when Charlotte and Sasha had their title bout, the same PPV Owens debuted at. They had the same amount of time to get Balor, Owens, Enzo, Cass, Corbin, and the Vaudevillians into the game as the NXT ladies. The Cody Rhodes point was just to show WWE has the last say on the roster and who's included. 2K wanted him in for the versatility, I get WWE wanting to stick to current gimmicks.

I just don't buy that 2K didn't have enough time to get them in. I'll stand by WWE didn't approve them to be in. And next year they'll use them as a selling point with the debuting women's career mode.