With WWE 2K15s October 28th release date nearing, more information about the game continues to roll out. Last week, we reported on IGN's interview with WWE 2K15s Executive Producer Mark Little, wherein he discussed some of the new features of the wrestling simulator. Now, Little has sat down with Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard to talk about the game's visual improvements. Mark Little spoke of his main goal with the WWE gaming franchise. He stated, I wanted to bring the visual intensity people love about the NBA 2K series to the WWE games. Based on the images and videos released so far, 2K and Little have accomplished their goal. Quite simply, the upcoming game looks stunning with huge improvements in graphics. These improvements are thanks to the Visual Concepts developer out of California and their impressive scanning technology. Little commented on the tech, saying that it affords us the most lifelike images we can get, including signature facial expressions for each superstar. According to the SI article, both Daniel Bryan and Sting have played or viewed the game and have been thoroughly impressed with its visuals. Bryan stated that he was blown away when playing the game. Meanwhile, Little confirmed that Sting was scanned in full costume and Crow-inspired makeup. They got me from head to toe, every detail down to the way I furrow my eyebrows, said Sting. 2K15 will be the Stingers first appearance in a WWE video game, and his gaming debut is hotly anticipated. Mark Little further elaborated on the improved technologies behind 2K15s graphical improvement. Interestingly, the scanning equipment does not work well for hair. As such, he stated that they experimented with all new beard tech. While discussing this new beard tech, Little talked about the challenges that hair and facial hair present when designing a game. Little spoke of the differences between the beards of Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry, for example, and that 2K had to create technology to be able to capture both in a way that not only looked great still, but animated. Bryan commented on 2Ks replication of his facial hair, stating that his beard looks exactly how it does in real life, and that the detail they capture is amazing. However, while these technological advancements are great news for fans of the WWE game series, there is a potentially sharp thorn hiding behind this roses beauty. While discussing the graphical improvements, Mark Little stated that the entire scanning technology that we used cant be done for the older consoles. Its that intense, its that complicated. This would seem to indicate that the updated player models may only be available on next-gen systems. Theres the possibility that players who are still using the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 may not benefit from these upgrades and may be stuck with the same lackluster character models from previous years. Surely, fans of the series will be happy with improvements of the game. However, if those advancements are exclusive to the PS4 and Xbox One, there will be a large number of disappointed past-gen console owners. Let us know your thoughts on Mark Littles comments and the technologies behind the improved visuals in the comments below.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
