In my last Ideal MMO article we took at look at the potential of the Wild West MMO, stepping in a completely different direction this time, I decided to look into a more difficult genre to translate into the MMO world, Wrestling browser-based MMORPG games. I’ve been a huge fan of wrestling games ever since I was introduced to WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64. For some reason I couldn’t resist the appeal of decking out my most hated wrestlers in female clothing and giggling through the introductory cut-scene.
Anyway, moving on to the MMO scene. We’ve seen a few wrestling games come and go over the years with the likes of Masters of the Mat and The Wrestling Game taking the top spots in the genre. The birth of the online wrestling game came some years back with the introduction of Electronic Federations (E-Feds). These were usually forum-based games but later evolved into browser-based titles, with many involving some kind of automated combat system that allowed players to watch text based commentary as the match unfolds.
The current generation of games feature a similar model but the art work and graphics have evolved, as well as the game mechanics themselves. Titles like The Wrestling Game give players the opportunity to create their own set of moves, their wrestlers appearance and even taunts, all of which are mentioned within the automatic commentary. However there’s still a huge gap in the market for a truly AAA experience.
Why must console players have all the fun? With the technology available today, a keen developer could create a truly unique MMO wrestling experience. Create your own wrestler using a creation system similar to that of Champions Online, participate in Ladder and Tournament matches as seen in FIFA Ultimate Team and take on your friends in epic matches from the WWE.
If you could design your perfect wrestling MMO what would be your highlighted feature? Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts!