10 Things We Want To See From The AEW Video Game
Can AEW compete with 2K's WWE series?
Although less than a year has passed since the debut of AEW Dynamite on TNT, the company has defied the expectations of many to cement itself as the first real North American competition for WWE in nearly two decades.
Seemingly not content with taking it to NXT on a weekly basis, the company is now also preparing to go head to head with WWE in the video game sphere, with referee Aubrey Edwards confirming that an All Elite Wrestling game is currently in the works.
However, while AEW has earned an impressive market share of wrestling fans by veering away from many of the elements that WWE has been derided for in recent years, overcoming the WWE 2K monopoly will be a challenge all of its own (though the awful WWE2K20 kindly gave them a bit of a chance).
After all, the last video game released by a company attempting to go head to head with WWE in North America was 2008's TNA iMPACT! which actually sold pretty well, but was largely panned by critics and is probably best known for spawning the Suicide character in the company.
If AEW wants to learn from TNA's mistakes and establish a foothold in the wrestling game market, there are a few steps it needs to take.
10. Aubrey Edwards At The Forefront
AEW referee Aubrey Edwards may just be the world's most perfectly suited person for her role as project coordinator in the upcoming game. Not only has she served as an integral part of the company's programming as the third woman in the ring, but she also has an extensive background in game design.
Speaking on the Talk is Jericho podcast earlier this week, 'Gearl Hebner' explained how she plans on utilising her more than a decade of experience in the industry in order to benefit the AEW game going forward and to avoid making the same mistakes that Midway Games' ill-fated TNA Impact did in 2008:
"I've been a lead on a mobile game and I'm the one coordinating meetings. It's stuff that I'm used to and I understand the pitfalls [...]. I know the questions that need to be asked that's going to save us millions of dollars down the line."
Having someone that can bridge the gap between the developers and the promotion will no doubt prove invaluable for the AEW game going forward, ensuring that the resulting title truly feels like a collaborative effort.
Let's just hope Edwards' in-game lipstick doesn't happen to distract any fans...