It's no secret to most of the video game populous that THQ (NASDAQ: THQI) is struggling to keep afloat. What with the cancellation of games, sale of the UFC license, and numerous layoffs abound, it's no surprise that most WWE Games fans are anticipating a mighty wind from the Fighting Group over at THQ. In reality THQ needs WWE '13 to be a pre-order behemoth, and for fans to be salivating at the thought of picking up the title in a few months. Will WWE '13 be THQ's knight in shining armor? With what we've seen so far (and it's not much), I'm not too confident in '13's offerings. THQ has been a bit of a John Laurinaitis figure over the yearschampioning 'People Power' with their burgeoning community and assuring fans that this game was being made for them, with all of their suggestions. And yes, while the WWE fanbase is a bit harder to please than most, THQ has often missed the boat on things that are essentialsuch as a working online mode. Like Madden, it's often difficult to notice changes each year. Sure, there are new faces, new menus, and revamped graphics, but low in behold, it's the same old thing you played last year, and the year before that. Again, people do this every year with Madden and seem to have no issue with throwing down 59.99 for a roster update. This is the eco-system of these sports/pseudo-sports titles, and it's wise just to accept it the way it is. Unfortunately for THQ, WWE '13 doesn't sell like Madden or FIFA, so they often need to up the ante. But, is there anything wrong with that? That camp is split. People want an evolution in gameplay, but they still want the same feel--and that's a bit hard to accomplish. Instead, THQ has gone for keeping the same mechanics, and offering subtle tweaks to things like the submission system. And while we can't comment on WWE '13's gameplay as of yet, I expect it to play much like WWE '12, except with those in-match cinematics aka spectacular momentswhich I anticipate getting quite old after a few weeks of playing it. Speaking of old, that's kind of THQ's mantra this year. Bringing in the old of the Attitude era to the new breed of WWE superstars. THQ is assuming that bringing in the superstars of yesteryear, and merging them with the current roster will elicit some kind of nostalgia reaction to those fans who have jumped off the THQ/WWE bandwagon and convince them to pick it up for old-times sake. Heck, we've even seen the likes of Mike Tyson emerge as a pre-order exclusive. And yes, the WWE fan in me is curious to see who might make an appearance on the roster, and as inevitable DLC micro-transactions. Click "next" below to read part 2...