Fight Night Champion News Post

Fight Night Champion: To the Penitentiary and Beyond

05:00 PM - November 15, 2010 by Steve_OS

Jon Robinson from ESPN The Gamer, has posted his Fight Night Champion preview. You start out in... Prison.

Quote:


	"When I heard "Fight Night Champion" was going to be EA Sports' first M-rated video game, I figured they were just going to play up the blood and gore factor of the sport. What I didn't expect was the game to start out in prison. That's right, prison (and it has nothing to do with Mike Tyson being in the game). But when I sat down to view a clip of the new Champion story mode last week at an EA media event, that's exactly where I found the game's lead character. There he was, boxing in prison, hands wrapped but no gloves, ring surrounded by other prisoners cheering and shouting (no visible shanking), while dressed in their orange jumpers. Then between rounds, it didn't take long for my cut-man in the corner to drop F-bomb after F-bomb, even referring to my white opponent as a "cracker." Not what I expected at all. "Essentially what we wanted to do with Champion mode necessitated this being an M-rated game," explains producer Brian Hayes. "It's a story with mature themes. Not topless mature themes, but it's gritty. Being an unlicensed sports product and being in the world of boxing where there is a lot of stuff going on ... if you're going to tell a story about boxing, it's not going to be, 'Hey, I just got an e-mail from your rival and he's really upset.' There are a lot of fighters who we drew inspiration from, and they've been through some real mature experiences. So we laid out our vision for Champion mode and we said, if we do this, there's no way this can be T."

Check out the rest of the preview here.

Game: Fight Night ChampionReader Score: 6/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 17 - View All

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Member Comments

# 21 bbarr43 @ 11/18/10 02:15 PM

Yeah, call me religious or a holy roller.. that's cool. Profanity exists in every sport. I've played organized football, basketball, etc. Some of us do exist out there however who choose not to get caught up in that foul trash talk, and just leave our game on the field, court, whatever.

Both my boys have been in martial arts, so I have no problem with boxing. With the increased blood and M rating, nope won't let them see this one. Amazes me how there is a push for every one to get educated to contribute positively to society, just so we can resort back to barbaric ways. Problem here is, some parents don't care anyway, and this being a recognized sport, our kids will pay.

On other note, I do believe that career approach would give a lasting appeal, cause you get totally different stories. You choose any style you want, but your street kid could excel more as a brawler. Your average athlete could have speed but lack punch accuracy and defense, so you develop each with a different mindset. Your wealthy citizen could be a balanced boxer but have a suspect chin. Your washed up boxer could be unorthodox, poor defense guy, but who's got heart and power comes out in the later rounds.

# 22 fistofrage @ 11/18/10 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money99


	I love the idea of a Create your own adventure.

Easy there Zelda.......

The fact that this story mode is for certain going to take away resources from the actual career mode as we know it should be a punch in the belly for all the sim players who want a proper representation of the sport, including the ranking system, promotions, stables of boxers, etc.

This has Don King boxing written all over it. You will have to fight a guy with a shank in the 3rd fight, a guy that fels no pain in the 5th fight, blurred visuiion in fight X.

I am very concerned now that we will just have the same cheezy 50 fighters per weight class ranking system, etc, that we've had all along. This wreaks failure from my perspective.

# 23 bbarr43 @ 11/18/10 04:07 PM

Lol.. Zelda. I actually liked some of Don King, but yes you nailed it. The sim aspect of career mode is what I think is going overlooked for yet another year.

# 24 II Reignmaka II @ 11/18/10 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbarr43


	I'm not thrilled with this direction, and think it's a knock on the sport as a whole. Just another irresponsible move on EA, in my opinion (like exclusive rights to the NFL) to regress and not promote positive progress in the sports community. Is this what we can expect to see with future sports gaming? Go ahead and put Tyson's ear biting in too then. Some things are better left alone. It'll be the day I ever purchase a Madden or NBA game with the F-Bomb.. something I can't let my innocent kids' eyes see. But maybe that's just me. NBA2k11 is at the top of the charts without this stuff. To me, it's more unnecessary gimmicks that takes quality time away from core aspects. I'm sure the F-bomb is on every NFL game field on Sunday.. so I guess if I hear it in Madden it's going to make it more authentic? Guess it will have more market appeal? What is this world coming to? Guess we're not too far off from seeing Super Mario and Sonic flip off the customers! Yeah, I'm just one of the good old boys voicing his opinion.

Your innocent kids shouldnt have been playing Fight Night anyway, especially if their under 17. It used to be rated T for Teens afterall. All you have to do is talk to them and tell em its a video game. There are far worse things out there than this.

# 25 morningstar777 @ 11/18/10 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbarr43


	Yeah, I played it and liked some of the concepts. I just have a different view on focusing on the good core aspects of boxing and sports gaming in general. Wasn't boxing historically a civilized man's fight? Yes, I still believe in values and think it's unnecessary. I have a good notion I'm the unpopular minority here, but maybe they need to rethink Career Mode into a Create Your Own Adventure scheme.. Start from: a) Troubled Street Kid, b) Average Athletic Joe Gives Boxing a Try c) Overseas Prominent Wealthy Citizen d) Washed up Boxer (ala Rocky) Returns to the Ring. To me it's like what Sinbad said about his take on clean cut comedy, it's really all about content. Get the content right, you don't need the profanity. I feel like this canned approach will be the same way it annoyed me that Tigger was the announcer for Fight Night 1. "Ooooh.. daa-yam that was a hard hit!" Sheesh, something stinks in suburbia..

Bbarr hit it right on the head. Most kids that start out boxing start to stay out of trouble, not because they were already in trouble. I think EA is trying to push the envelope by giving it a mature rating so people can buy it and see what the fuss is all about. I already have a big problem with Fight Night 3 (Boxers don't pause and leave themselves open for a counter everytime he misses a punch, and they certainly dont pause if they get blocked on a punch) That's just stupid. Not to mention the whole physics of the punches being thrown. I hope they do boxing some justice and make a game for real boxing fans, not just the casual fan.

# 26 bbarr43 @ 11/18/10 06:52 PM

At II Reignmaka II, T rating to me is relative. I let my kids play some Spider-Man games, super hero games and such I feel are alright. But I give you that one, I'm not letting them on this game.

But back to the sport of boxing though. Man, when we were kids, how many of us were playing Mike Tyson's Punch Out? I don't care how old you were, back in the day that was a fun game, and as kids, we all were intrigued by this guy. He was the sport! In his prime, he was the biggest deal on earth, and boxing was considered a respectable sport. And as kids, how many of us grew up watching boxing and our folks were cool with it? It's what made it a sport.

It's just sad that the emphasis to rekindle boxing is based solely on UFC and MMA. To me, you're trying to change something to fit the mold of what it never was about. If boxing ever gets some quality powerhouse names back, mainly heavyweight that dominate, maybe it will change.

This is just a bad move in sports gaming to me. What logic changed to say we need it to be M rated? So My Player in NBA2k11 should have that then, cause I hear more foul trash on any bball court than anywhere I have been in my life. Sometimes I wonder who the Yahoos are running that EA ship. How many years have boxing gamers been requesting this new M theme idea? I sense a strange desperation move here, uh oh are they losing $$? Sadly, PCs used to drive simulation games, and to me that's where console gaming needs to bridge the gap. Hello, get a clue developers.

Look at this site and see what's wrong with Madden. People want gameplay realism, not gimmicks and stories. Every year it's something new that breaks something else. Oh wait, EA I fell for it again.. how did you get my $$ this time? I see a big problem with developers at EA never identifying what sports gamers want.

I was semi-pumped about this game at first, but I predict...Focus is on graphics (again) and okay gameplay, but we still won't get that PC sim managing aspect of Career rankings and ladders, we will have bozos back in the top 10, champs won't feel like champs, no clinch fighting, no pre-fight hype, no newspaper headlines, presentation and analysis will be non-existant... all to emphasize this humdinger mode. But wait EA... I'll even let this M theme story slide. Times is tuff! Any of my hard earned dineros will be riding on this one EA.. I will not fall for it again!

# 27 Vast @ 11/18/10 07:57 PM

The inmates are running the asylum over at EA. Profit > Quality(consumer satisfaction)

Its backwards logic. thinking that dumbing down a product will cause it to sell more is just outrageous.
Thinking that a boxing game can do Halo numbers is beyond stupid.

NBA2k11 sold so well because it was the best basketball game ever made. the most realistic. and the most difficult bball game as well.

If Fight Night Champion knocks the gameplay out of the park, makes it realistic. Includes the best legacy mode ever made, Millions of people will buy it.
The reason i rushed out and bought UFC 09 wasn't because i was a huge UFC fan(I'm not), it was because the gameplay was spectacular and balanced 1 punch KO's etc.

Don't tell me they don't have the resources. The best legacy mode i've ever played is still Boxers Road for the PSP which is only like 5% english. I have no clue what my trainers or manager or sparring partners are saying, and its still amazing.

Its sooo freaking sad man. I really wish i had the money to create my own boxing game, or if i was an executive at EA with the power to make the game the right way.

# 28 bbarr43 @ 11/18/10 09:17 PM

Yet the inmates cleverly get our $$ every year. I buy Madden faithfully year after year anticipating release day, anxiously ready to buy and then think, wow same game, different year, should have rented it.

Like one guy said, it's just a "polished turd". You can dress it up real nice, wax it, sugar coat it, put candy on it, add the bells and whistles, put some nice scenery behind it. But it still doesn't change the essence of what it is, a turd.

I'm right with you on NBA2k11. I grew up playing football, it's my sport. Since 2005, I've been frustrated with virtual football. I'm a weekend warrior b-baller. So yeah, it's odd for me that Madden has been shelved for 2k11. My buddy was a LB who played against Drew Brees in HS, and neither of us are playing Madden but we talk all the time about how good 2k11 is. Bought UFC10 and was immersed in that for a while too.

So man, I hope I'm way off on this because I really want that boxing manager sim.
M rated gives me the indication there isn't enough good sim quality here to sell itself. Until we stop being disillusioned to these marketing schemes, we buy with regret shortly thereafter. Guess I'll be waiting on this one to see what SHAKYR and some of you real boxers think about this one before I get it. Then I'll decide whether or not to join the EA boycott campaign.

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