Xboxaddict.com Article
UFC 2009 Undisputed Interview
by Stephen Cameron1. All of us here at Xbox Addict would like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions for our readers. Could you give us a little information on who you are and your role on UFC 2009 Undisputed?
Of course! My name is John Edwards, and I am the Senior Creative Manager for UFC 2009 Undisputed.
2. Will there be a story/campaign mode? If so, will each character have their own storyline?
Career Mode acts as UFC 2009 Undisputed’s “story mode” and allows a player to take a created fighter up through the ranks in an attempt to craft the ultimate mixed martial artist. Fighters progress from fighting unknowns in front of sparse crowds to winning and defending a belt against the best fighters in the UFC. The best of the best can attain the ultimate prize: induction into the Hall of Fame.
Along the way, players must manage their fighter’s schedule through weekly intervals, choosing when to train their main Attributes (strength, speed and cardio) or participate in sparring sessions to raise any of 16 Fighter Skills. It becomes important to choose when to train, when to spar and when to rest, as an over-trained fighter enters his next fight with less stamina, potentially leading to a humiliating defeat.
Players can also choose to participate in any number of secondary events such as autograph signings or photo ops to gain CRED. CRED is used to unlock gym equipment upgrades, sparring partner upgrades, sponsorship deals and camp invite offers with one of 16 real world training camps. Attending a Camp Invite allows the player to train with a UFC fighter and real world trainer to gain access to new moves and skill bonuses.
3. What UFC fighters can we plan to see? Will there be any old school fighters, such as Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock and Royce Gracie? Are an voices from UFC fighters being used?
The UFC 2009 Undisputed roster is based primarily on current, active UFC fighters. The roster is as follows:
Heavyweight Division
Andrei Arlovski
Mark Coleman
Mirko Cro Cop
Gabriel Gonzaga
Antoni Hardonk
Heath Herring
Cheick Kongo
Brock Lesnar
Justin McCully
Frank Mir
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Eddie Sanchez
Tim Sylvia
Cain Velasquez
Brandon Vera
Fabricio Werdum
Light Heavyweight Division
Houston Alexander
Tim Boetsch
Stephan Bonnar
Rashad Evans
Wilson Gouveia
Forrest Griffin
James Irvin
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Keith Jardine
Chuck Liddell
Lyoto Machida
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Tito Ortiz
Mauricio Rua
Thiago Silva
Wanderlei Silva
Middleweight Division
Ricardo Almeida
Michael Bisping
Rich Franklin
Kendall Grove
Dan Henderson
Martin Kampmann
Chris Leben
Thales Leites
Jason MacDonald
Demian Maia
Nate Marquardt
Yushin Okami
Drew McFedries
Amir Sadollah
Anderson Silva
Evan Tanner
Welterweight Division
Thiago Alves
Matt Arroyo
Kyle Bradley
Josh Burkman
Marcus Davis
Jon Fitch
Matt Hughes
Anthony Johnson
Josh Koscheck
Chris Lytle
Karo Parisyan
Diego Sanchez
Matt Serra
Georges St-Pierre
Ben Saunders
Mike Swick
Lightweight Division
Mark Bocek
Rich Clementi
Mac Danzig
Nate Diaz
Frank Edgar
Spencer Fisher
Kenny Florian
Hermes Franca
Tyson Griffin
Roger Huerta
Joe Lauzon
Gray Maynard
BJ Penn
Sean Sherk
Joe Stevenson
Thiago Tavares
Downloadable Content – GameStop Exclusive
Ryan Bader (Light Heavyweight Division)
Efrain Escudero (Lightweight Division)
4. Will each character be just like their real life counterpart,
including their actual moves and personality?
In all cases we, tried to make sure that each UFC fighter was faithfully represented not just visually, but through their actions in the Octagon. Victory celebrations, stare-downs and even fighter specific strikes, slams, counters and submissions help to convey the real life personality of each fighter.
5.Will Joe and Mike be announcing during the matches, and if so, with actual voices?
Both Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg recorded 36+ hours of unique audio specifically for the game. In addition, we had access to the individual audio streams from almost PPV starting with UFC 40. It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between the game and a real UFC bout through audio alone, and I personally think the audio is one of UFC 2009 Undisputed’s most impressive features.
6. Is there a character customization feature where you can design your own fighter?
Definitely! UFC 2009 Undisputed’s Create-a-Fighter feature allows players to create a fighter from the ground up that can be used in single player or multiplayer modes. Height, facial structure, hair color, scars and tattoos can all be customized down to the finest detail. Players can even modify the level of cauliflower ear on a fighter!
Players can also customize equipment, including shorts, mouthpieces, ankle and knee protectors, as well as choose and assign sponsor logos. A fighter’s representation in the Octagon is completely under the player’s control as well, allowing for the customization of all Attributes, Fighting Techniques and Fighter Skills.
7. Are fighters stuck in their weightclasses or can you make dream
matches like Brock vs GSP?
To keep UFC 2009 Undisputed as true to the sport as possible, only fighters who have moved up or down a weight class in real life are able to do so in game.
8. Can you only play with the modern UFC rules, or can you play with the classic rules and regulations of UFC circa 1990s?
The action inside the Octagon in UFC 2009 Undisputed is based on modern UFC rules, so sorry, no hair pulling or groin strikes!
9. What different arenas/areas can we expect to see?
Fights can occur in any of five real world venues: The UFC Gym, The Palms Resort and Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Red Rock Casino and Madison Square Garden.
10. What kind of multiplayer modes can we expect to see?
Players can compete in Exhibition Mode matches with UFC or created fighters offline against friends or online via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. Online players can fight Unranked Matches or attempt to climb to the top of the UFC 2009 Undisputed Leaderboards by participating in official, ranked matches.
