EA Sports is bringing its best-selling Fight Night franchise to PlayStation 3. Michael Blank, producer of the game at EA Canada, took some time to step into the ring with SportsGamer to talk about the new game. Fight Night Round 3 ships for PlayStation 3 December 12 and the game is currently available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PSP.
Can you talk about what PS3's processing power brings to the Fight Night franchise?
There is no question that the PS3 has some amazing power. Fight Night Round 3 is using the console's considerable processing power to pull much of the load typically carried by the graphics chip onto the SPU processors. Our boxers, in particular, are running very complex lighting calculations that help give them their life-like appearance.
How does PS3 compare to Xbox 360 so far, at least in terms of developing Fight Night Round 3?
Making the game on the PS3 was not an easy feat but this is what hardware transition is about. The technology has changed so dramatically from the PS2 to the PS3 and from the 360 to the PS3 and we are now working with a very complex and highly advanced machine. The PS3 works differently than the 360 in many respects. That being said, once we overcame the initial learning curve, we've become very adept at figuring out how to build on this new hardware.
How will the new modes and features enhance the gameplay?
The new PS3 exclusive “Get in the Ring” mode, offers users a completely new way to play and experience the game that is so visceral and immersive that it is unmatched in any other boxing game. When you fight through the eyes of your boxer, the experience really does mimic in a virtual manner what it’s like to punch or get punched. When your opponent lands a hard punch to your face, the screen will emulate this sensation via blurs and dark spots on the side of the screen that represents where you took a punch. The more you get hit the more your peripheral vision will begin to black out until the final barrage of hits sends you to the matt as your screen is blurred and hazed. What makes it so powerful and exciting is that the experience changes as the boxer's health deteriorates. This mode is fast paced and requires you to anticipate where punches are coming from and how to effectively avoid and evade your opponent.
In multiplayer mode, the players can take advantage of widescreen and HDTV technology to go head to head in first person split-screen battles. This is really cool because as you inflict damage on your opponent, you can see the damage happening in real time and if you peak over at your opponent's side of the screen you'll be able to see the effects of the damage on his vision.
In addition, we’ve taken the visuals of this game to the next level. If you thought the boxers in the 360 looked incredible, you will be even more amazed with the PS3 version. Everything from the boxers skin and veins to their muscles and sweat are more realistic than ever before. Also, the damage on the boxers’ faces is more dramatic. In this version, when you’ve landed some really hard punches to your opponent’s face, the bruising and swelling will really make your jaw drop. When you think of what a “Next-Gen” game should look like, this version of Fight Night is the benchmark.
Can you talk about the ESPN integration in this game?
ESPN integration in Fight Night Round 3 provides users with the latest and greatest news, live scores, radio updates and video through ESPN Radio, ESPN Motion, ESPNEWS and ESPN SportsCenter updates.
ESPN Ticker
A scrolling, sports news, scores, and information ticker that provides real sports scores, news, and information directly from ESPN to the game. You can customize what sports you want to see in the ticker and can select everything from NBA basketball to European Football.
SportsCenter Radio Updates
A two-minute ESPN Radio SportsCenter update on the biggest, best, and most timely sports stories of the day, delivered every 20 minutes.
ESPN Motion
ESPN Motion is a service that delivers video clips (highlights, news, analysis, and original ESPN programming) directly to users on their consoles. Video clips are streamed directly to the game. New clips will be made available several times a day so users can get the latest sports info. Not only that, in Fight Night, ESPN Wednesday Night Fights and Friday Night Fights’ highlights and other boxing video will be available on a regular basis for our boxing fans.
ESPN Radio
ESPN broadcasts radio programming nation-wide, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Users are provided a selection of ESPN Radio content to listen to in-game. ESPN Radio content includes news, analysis, and original ESPN programming.
ESPN.com Content
Users are provided a selection of editorial content from the ESPN.com Website, and from other ESPN News sources. Content will include real-world scores, highlights, stats, news and information, editorial commentary pieces, and generally anything relevant and compelling in the world of sports.
What do these type of features add to the sports experience?
The ESPN Integration package is an amazing feature that brings the real world of sports directly to one’s game allowing our users to stay abreast of developments in the real world even while they are enjoying the game. With real world boxing content, Fight Night Round 3 becomes the focal point for the sports enthusiast and gamer. We think it’s important to give our users the deepest sports experience and you can not get any better than being able to play Fight Night, listen to SportsCenter updates as they happen and seeing your favorite team’s score scroll through the ticker. This is a one stop shop for everything sports.
Are there new fighters or other content available for this PS3 game? If not, can you talk in general about the roster for this game?
The roster of boxers in Fight Night for the PS3 is the most comprehensive of any boxing game made. We have the all time greats like Ali, Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard as well as current fighters so you can play with boxers from the past to the present. Boxers are represented in all of the major weight classes. Our goal and focus for the PS3 version was to provide users with a completely new and innovative way to play the game, rather than spending time on incorporating new boxers. Get in the Ring offers this new experience and with so many amazing boxers and classic bouts, we are sure that everyone will have an amazing time playing Fight Night on the PS3.
Can you talk about the online gaming options?
Fight Night for the PS3 offers all of the amazing online modes and matchup system that you saw in the 360 version released a short time ago. A sophisticated matching system allows users to find human opponents online via comprehensive search parameters. As a result, users can always find the type of game they want to play. As well, there are weight class leader boards to help you measure your online success. This really ramps up the competitive spirit! This year, users can also play online in first person which is truly a unique experience.
How will this game make use of the PlayStation Network?
With Sony’s recent announcements and details on the PlayStation Network, we’re looking into options to take advantage of the PlayStation Network.
