Kotaku
Let's get Ready To Rumble! At least rent a copy of it if you can find it to prepare yourself for EA's latest sports franchise, Facebreaker. It's a return to the more arcadey days of the boxing genre in development for the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 - and it's got our old friend Peter Moore ready to kick some serious ass.
"FaceBreaker reinvigorates one of the great genres in sports videogames. Arcade boxing takes me back to my roots in this industry, and this game signals our shift to adding more approachable fun to our product lineup. In no time at all, you'll be picking up the controllers and knocking your opponent around the ring, smashing faces, and having a riot."I have to agree...EA Sports was sort of lacking in the approachable fun department, and nothing says approachable fun like a bunch of regional sterotypes pummeling each other with real-time facial deformation. A Latin lover named Romeo and a Russian demolitions expert named Molotov? Why not a British coal miner named Limey, or a French baker named Croissant? The possibilities are endless! Use the comments section to come up with your own stereotyped cartoon boxer!
REDISCOVER THE JOY OF PUMMELING WITH FACEBREAKERAn All-New Intellectual Property from EA SPORTS Brings Back Arcade Boxing
Chertset, UK - January 31, 2008 - Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that FaceBreaker™ - an all-new intellectual property - is under development at EA Canada and will be released for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft and the Wii™ in 2008."We're very excited to announce FaceBreaker, an all-new franchise from EA SPORTS that is fun, fresh and innovative," said Peter Moore, president, EA SPORTS. "FaceBreaker reinvigorates one of the great genres in sports videogames. Arcade boxing takes me back to my roots in this industry, and this game signals our shift to adding more approachable fun to our product lineup. In no time at all, you'll be picking up the controllers and knocking your opponent around the ring, smashing faces, and having a riot."
The renaissance of the arcade boxing genre is upon us. Created by the same team that developed the award-winning Fight Night Round 3, FaceBreaker offers irreverent fun, immersive gameplay and eye-popping stylized graphics. In this in-your-face, arcade world full of ego-wielding characters, each boxer comes to life with unique attributes and distinct personal style, including Romeo, a Latin lover known for his pelvic thrusts, and Molotov, an oversized Russian demolitions expert with a penchant for fighting dirty. Add a little personal motivation to your fight by uploading a photo of your face to create a realistic likeness using Photo Game Face, and go toe-to-toe with a real-life friend or foe.
Laugh out loud as you pummel your opponent with a barrage of blows to the face and watch in satisfaction as your progress is illustrated by real-time facial deformation. With haymakers, face shots and body blows, wait for the right moment to drop a super punch to make your presence known. Taunt your adversaries and flaunt your talent, by tying one hand behind your back to add ultimate humiliation to your bout. In FaceBreaker, it just feels good to rearrange your opponent's face.
EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.
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Comments
Sweet, I'm totally ready for another boxing game that I'm probably not going to play.
This game need more Von Kaiser
Your punches are weak, JUST LIKE YOUR HEART
"EA Sports was sort of lacking in the approachable fun department"
What about SSX and the NFL/NBA/FIFA Street series?
With those stereotypes, I'm surprised there isn't an Irish boxer named Mic.
lol, I thought this was about Back Breaker at first: [kotaku.com]
I was thinking to myself: "EA owns that too?!"
How about a short asian boxer that's really fast name Chink? I'd hope for this to be as politically-incorrect as possible. Let's see FOX News eat this up. Wait a second. How about you get to design your own female character... big boobs and all. hahaha
Punch Out already covered the boxing game filled with stereotypes genre.
Come up with your own ideas EA!
i think a lot of people(not me) are dissappointed that they're not hard at work on another Fight Night. And i already know ea chicago is closed.
I'm going to work later, every time someone asks me about fight night I will tell them about this and see what the reactions are.
It's about time for video boxing to return to its roots. I've not enjoyed a single boxing game since Super Punch-Out was released. Further, the arcade era of boxing held some of the most highly addictive games ever produced. There is something extremely therapeutic about wailing on an opponent using a punch button and a d-pad; almost like a DIY rhythm game.
German boxer named "Kraut".
Irish boxer named "Spud".
Southern-American named "Billy".
Australian boxer named, uh....."Steve" ?
@redbeardage: Nono, the German boxer would have to be Hans, maybe even Hans Dampf.
@buzz_kirkwood: did you play riddick bowe for snes? that was awesome too.
@Sportyboard: while i loved SSX and NBA Street, they got stale and difficult for a new person to the series to pick up and play. (even though i'm dying for another SSX game)
I thought FIFA and NFL Street were retarded though. How often do pro soccer and nfl players play their respective sports out in public areas (i'm just assuming with soccer as I really don't know).
NBA Street made sense because the NBA guys do occasionally go back to where they grew up playing AND they hold tournaments there on occasion.
SSX was just pure fun but got waaay too hard.
Nice! I would love a new "Arcade" boxing game. I still play punch-out (NES) from time to time and R2R on my (DC). Hope it turns out good!
Sorry EA, I prefer to have my face melted.
This is garbage, they kill the ONLY boxing game on the market. Instead of refining Fight Night until it was even more realistic they piss on its legacy by making a pathetic Ready to Rumble Clone.
I pray the Don King game is a simulation.
I am one of the people who are bummed they are not working on another Fight Night (Grumps, yes, it's me). I just have a feeling this will be way to shallow (not that Fight Night was super deep). Oh well, we'll wait and gauge my dissapointment later.
don't forget the black boxer with a big afro called "bad mutha" jenkens. or a failed rapper-turned-boxer caller "35 cent" Brutus Jackson.
this thread is going to get SO out of hand.
"Add a little personal motivation to your fight by uploading a photo of your face to create a realistic likeness using Photo Game Face, and go toe-to-toe with a real-life friend or foe."
Sounds like Wii Boxing... but is funnier to fight against Jesus, Bush, Clinton or Jack Black.
I was just thinking the other day how boxing games got incredibly realistic and really limited by that. Part of me is glad to see a more arcadey boxing game coming but I have to agree, the boxer's names and even the game's name just seems kinda.. stupid. Like they're going for shock value over gameplay (as if they had the gameplay they wouldn't need the "shock").
Sounds like it's going to be more of a groaner like an "Outlaw Boxing" than a Ready To Rumble sort of game..
There should also be a flamboyant gay boxer named Froo-Froo, or a Norwegian Whaler named Bjorn Southpawsson.
@redbeardage: Australian boxer named Russel Crowe
And of course, Tugger as his corner man
Shame this isn't a Sega game, it could use that greased-up scotsman Angus from the wonderfully stereotyped Sega Soccer Slam.
Doesn't look too bad, something to fill the void that Ready 2 Rumble left.
I assume this uses a version of the Fight Night engine?
Please put some constraints for common sense in this flamebait post before it gets completely out of hand with offensive posts like this: CoconutSport
Dang. The title of this post had me hoping it was about a sequel to God Hand...
Whatever happened to Ready To Rumble? I remember that game being the best thing ever when it was released.
@Thrillhaus
How is that more offensive that the crap in the press release such as
"Romeo, a Latin lover known for his pelvic thrusts"
a proper wii boxing game is way overdue. This is good news indeed!
Will this game have the cornermen from NES Ring King?
Best Game Title Ever?
Okay not as good as those japanese snes roms : Bastard! and somethingsoemthingJESUS!something
What's with EA feeling that they need to make an over the top, arcadey version of every sport? I hope that they still make a Fight Night Round 4.
"nothing says approachable fun like a bunch of regional sterotypes pummeling each other with real-time facial deformation. A Latin lover named Romeo and a Russian demolitions expert named Molotov?"
Jesus ass-fucking Christ. There's a difference between stereotypes and caricatures.
What next? It'll be immoral to *EVER* show a black American eating any form of chicken? Or... GOD FORBID... a man having muscles and a chick with boobs?
Gawd...
@redbeardage:
"Southern-American named "Billy"."
OH GOD NO! YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOREVER FOR YOUR OFFENSIVE REMARKS!
Fuck EA!
I'm intrigued, but what can I say I've always loved crap like Punch-Out.
I miss me some Super Punch Out, R2R was fun at the time, but got boring to me. I still have the R2R boxer shorts.
"The Italian Stallion, Ferrahree!"
"The Cage Heater herself, Jaunita "Maggie" Brown!"
There I go mixing genres.
Uwe Boll used to box, put him in the game.
If they put in female boxers does that mean a Swedish one called Heidi and an african called Unfufu?
who says they aren't making another fight night?
@yonderTheGreat: actually they're closer to stereotypes than caricatures
If it's made by the developers that made Fight Night Round 3, then I'd be all for it. Especially if it has a Punch-Out/Ready 2 Rumble feel to go along with it as well.
They should just make Fight Night Round 4, and add this as a bonus mode.
Tyrone "Brown Sugar" Jackson is coming for you all!
I don't really play sports games, but I played the shit out of Fight Night Round 3 and I agree with GOLDENGOTGAME
Keep in mind that this is the team who ported Fight Night to the PS3. The actual Fight Night developers got let go when EA closed the Chicago studio.
IMHO, button mashing is not fun. Has anyone played Ready 2 Rumble recently? I'm surprised it was ever popular.
@baccardi84: EA closed down the Studio that made Fight Night and Def Jan Icon. Microsoft just bought them but i think for their own use in house not as a whole, maybe their bringing back XSN i miss NFL Fever nothing like 80 yard bombs play after play.
I hope this is an alternative than a substitute for a new Fight Night. As much as I loved the old Punch Out games, Fight Night was a great boxing simulator. Personally I'd prefer that if they're going to make a boxing game w/ cartoony characters, they take a Hajime no Ippo approach, where the anime influenced exaggerated boxing didn't overwhelm the relatively realistic boxing game mechanics.
I am buying this and I will be the first to put together a pixel perfect Vodka Drunkenski. (AKA Soda Popinski)
"I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!"
"I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!"
Ah, so "Pummel" has become "Facebreaker."
This is a title to really watch. Fight Night Round 3 for PS3 was amazing, and is still one of the best looking games out there. I assume they'll be working off the engine for FN.
Anyone out there able to read that Peter Moore quote WITHOUT Peter Moore's voice running through their head?
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