August 28, 2009

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw Game Designer discusses the upcoming 2010 title at WWE Summerslam 

By Dakota Grabowski

Attending THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 unveiling in Los Angeles this past weekend, GameZone had the chance to catch up with Dan Ryan, a game designer for the franchise, and speak about his past with the team and much more. Are fans in store for a brilliant new entry in the series or will they be begging for improvements? Ryan let’s the world know that the license is in good hands.

Question: How long have you been on the team to developer WWE licenses?

Ryan: I think it’s been a little over three years that I’ve been on the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw team.

Q: Have you contributed to any other fighting or wrestling titles prior to working with the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw franchise?

Ryan: Basically, it’s been all Smackdown vs. Raw. It’s funny; I started as a tester, and even before that, I came to California and worked my way up, left for a little bit and came back. And now, I’m back on the design team.

Q: Before you joined the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw team, did you have any ideas that you wanted to implement into the video games?

Ryan: Definitely, I’ve made an enjoyment out of playing wrestling games my entire life. From Starman in Pro Wrestling to WWF WrestleFest the arcade game, so I just love wrestling and video games. So I could say it’s pretty natural, but I can’t say I wrote ideas down before joining the team. When I got in there though, I definitely had a mindset to really try and create the best game possible. Not to mention, create the best game in town.

Q: So what do you think about the competition in the genre? Do you think anyone can keep up with the Smackdown vs. Raw series?

Ryan: You know I really have no idea at this moment. It’s such a well-oiled machine that year in and year out Yukes kicks butt and everyone knows what we’re doing. I don’t know if it’s possible to do in the amount of time that we do it. Plus, we have the WWE license, so I really don’t know.

How are the relations with Yukes? Do you make regular visits to their studio?

Ryan: Working with Yukes is awesome. It’s cool, though we don’t see them a ton, we definitely go to Yokohoma where they are stationed at least once a year for awhile. Some of the team [THQ] members go more often. It’s cool at times like Summerslam because I know some of them [Yukes developers] are in town and we get to see them. We are constantly going back and forth through documentation and teleconferencing all the time from our offices in California. So it’s definitely hand-in-hand even though we aren’t physically in the same room and we love working with them.

Q: How much asset sharing takes part with THQ’s three established fighting games in WWE Smackdown vs. Raw, UFC, and Legends of Wrestlemania?

Ryan: Well definitely between Legends and Smackdown vs. Raw we share assets. It would be dumb not to share animations. For instance, if you go into Create-A-Superstar this year, you can definitely see recognizable parts from various previous iterations in the series.

Q: What does the future hold for the series after this year?

Ryan: Right now, we are just focused super heavy on WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010. We’ve been doing it for so long that I have no idea what the future holds.

Q: In your experience with WWE wrestlers and talent, who has turned out to be the best gamer?

Ryan: Dolph Ziggler is the best at everything. Whether it be gaming or in the ring, he’s leagues above everyone else.

Q: Even in life advice?

Ryan: Yes, especially in life advice. From brotherly advice to just someone to talk to, Ziggler is just phenomenal. Look out for him and I hope he soon wins the Intercontinental Title. I don’t even need to see his match against Rey Mysterio Jr, I already know the outcome – it’s not even a match really with how skillful Ziggler is.

Q: Was there anything that was left on the cutting room floor that you were eager to implement?

Ryan: There’s definitely a time crunch. It’s crazy and it’s a huge testament to Yukes since they are doing the technological stuff. We kind of do the conceptual stuff. It’s amazing what they do get in there [the final retail build] but there’s always stuff that’s left out. But you know there are only so many hours in the day. So that’s what’s great about a yearly franchise – we can remember that and take the work that we did and tweak it to make it better. There’s constantly ideas going, but there’s only so much you can put into a game.

Q: So there are over 60 wrestlers in the game. Are there any comments on the final roster?

Ryan: Oh, I dunno.

Q: Oh, you have no clue?

Ryan: Haha, well it’s a touchy subject and everyone wants to know who’s in the final game but the public relations department handles those types of announcements. I can’t say too much without getting in trouble, but you can go to the recent build of the game to see many of the wrestlers in the game. Did you know that John Cena is in it?

Q: No way.

Ryan: Yeah, dude. Triple H is in the game too. Amazing isn’t it?

Q: Haha. Thanks for your time Dan. We appreciate your time sitting down with us at Summerslam to speak on WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010.

Ryan: No problem. To all the fans, you can expect many of your favorite wrestlers and divas showing up in the game.

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