You knew something like this was coming as soon as Microsoft announced the Kinect way back when. It’s UFC Personal Trainer, and it’s exactly as you’d expect: flail about in front of your TV while an on-screen avatar carries out the moves. THQ says the National Academy of Sports Medicine helped design the game, and pro fighter gave their input as well. Hearings before the California State Athletic Commission are not expected to be included. → Read More
“There is definitely going to be an EA Sports MMA 2.” That’s the big news coming out of yesterday’s Figure Four Daily interview with EA Sports MMA producer Jeff Ecker, who said that it’s not “if” but “when” there will be a sequel. So, hooray! → Read More
EA Sports MMA went on sale last week. The first week’s sales? Not too good, which furthers the idea that it’s not mixed martial arts (MMA) that’s hot right not, but rather it’s UFC that’s hot right now. A Cowen & Company analyst has called the game’s sales “more or less DOA at retail.” Ouch. → Read More
A few days ago we learned that the UFC had subpoenaed Ustream.tv and Justin.tv for the information of people who had ilegally streamed pay-per-view events. Having spoken to these people in the past, I knew they weren’t sitting around in their offices, rubbing their hands together as intellectual property was being violated all over the place. No, these are legitimate businesses looking to cooperate with companies like UFC whenever necessary. → Read More
If this were the AP, the following would be the lede to this next story: “UFC President Dana White wants to put pirates in a kimura.” (That, of course, assumed the AP funny lede guy even knows what a kimura is!) Man, those soft ledes are terrible. Moving on… yeah, Dana White is upset at pirates. The promotion has subpoenaed Justin.tv and Ustream.tv, demanding to know the names of people who stream UFC pay-per-view events. → Read More
Hopefully THQ has learned that you can’t release UFC games like you would Madden. For one, there’s not enough year-over-year change in UFC to warrant a new game. The same fighters who were main-eventing last year (Brock Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, etc.) are main-eventing this year. There’s no excitement of seeing, I don’t know, Brett Favre put on a Vikings jersey. → Read More
I’m not sure if this is an anti-PayPal story or an anti-bully story, but here we go. A guy on Reddit, cerebellum of the Internet, was contracted to build a Web site for an MMA fighter. Not like a big name UFC guy or anything, but a small-time guy, Steve Gavin, whose last fight was in February, 2009, according to Sherdog. So the Web developer builds the fighter a site, then the fighter pays via PayPal. So far, so good. But lo! Then the fighter cancels the payment (while keeping it) by claiming to PayPal that it was an unauthorized payment. Now the fighter has pocketed the Web developer’s money while keeping the site. → Read More
Strikeforce, the mixed martial arts promotion that’s the focus of the upcoming EA Sports MMA video game, has an event tonight headlined by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum. Normally I wouldn’t mention that here on CG, but there’s a fairly neat tech angle that’s worth mentioning. Not only is there an Internet pay-per-view option at $24.95 (the event otherwise airs on Showtime here in the U.S.), which, in and of itself isn’t exactly breaking news (WWE, the world’s most technophobic company, has been running Internet pay-per-views for some time now, and even smaller promotions like Ring of Honor have jumped aboard the iPPV bandwagon), but there’s a clever “choose you own camera angle” gimmick that may interest you. → Read More
Man, two new trailers in the same day. Our cup runneth over, and so forth! Anyhow, here’s the newest trailer of EA Sports MMA, which should hit stores “late 2010.” That’s all in-game footage, too, so no smoke and mirrors nonsense. → Read More
Breaking news: UFC is popular. THQ has revealed that it sold 2.5 million copies of UFC: Undisputed, its fighting game based on the UFC license. And now you know why EA is making EA Sports MMA: big, fat cash. → Read More
Do not expect UFC to look the other when it comes to online piracy of its various pay-per-view events. Dana White, the company’s president, recently told the Vancouver Sun that he and the UFC will do whatever it takes to eliminate piracy. “It’s gonna cost us a lot of money, but guess what, it’s gonna cost them [pirates] a lot of money. It’s gonna get to the point where it’s like, fuck it, maybe we shouldn’t pirate MMA anymore.” This is not a very forward-thinking way of looking at the problem, no. → Read More
Here’s a conspiracy theory for you (someone call Jesse Ventura): is EA Sports MMA intentionally going to stink in order for EA Sports to lose the Strikeforce license and later acquire the UFC license? Let’s see. → Read More
I’m over here watching the Strikeforce show on CBS and there’s ads for EA Sports MMA all over the place. So I’m like, “hmm, maybe EA Sports has posted the trailer on its Web site yet?” → Read More
Consider this a friendly reminder. Tonight at 9pm ET on CBS (in the U.S.; I’m sure there will be plenty of streams, though, which you can find on your own) two of the big stars from EA’s upcoming EA Sports MMA video game will hit each other very hard. Fedor Emelianenko, the big Russian guy who could well be the best MMA fighter of all time (or is that Sakuraba?), will fight Brett Rogers, of whom I know nothing. → Read More
Strikeforce (UFC’s closest competitor here in the U.S.) promotes one of the bigger fights of the year tomorrow in Fedor vs. Brett Rogers. It takes place in Chicago, which explains why EA Sports just held a press conference there to reveal more details of its upcoming MMA game, entitled EA Sports MMA. EA Sports says that Strikeforce will be the “premier” mixed martial arts league in the game, and that well-known referee “Big” John McCarthy will be in the game. → Read More
“Funny” videos on the Internet are often abysmal, but this one I like. I’d describe it, but suffice to say, that’s why it’s a video. For. You. To. Watch. → Read More
Even casual fight fans know that last night was UFC 103 and Mayweather vs. Marquez. No spoilers here, of course, but I do encourage you all to, I don’t know, buy the replays or find them wherever you find things these days. While on the topic of mixed martial arts, full credit to whatever marketing company put this ad together for Norton Anti-virus. Yes, that’s Kimbo Slice, and he’s admonishing a caterpillar. → Read More
I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, but just in case: Fedor will not be fighting in the UFC any time soon, as he has signed a contract with rival promotion Strikeforce. So if you’re were hoping, one day, to see him fight Brock Lesnar, well, it looks like you’re out of luck. → Read More
Here’s an update to something I touched on the other day: Does Fedor’s inclusion in EA’s MMA video game preclude him from fighting in the UFC? Apparently not, if you believe what UFC president Dana White said at a press conference yesterday. → Read More
Looks like Fedor Emelianenko will, in fact, be in the upcoming EA MMA video game. Fedor, as he’s known to MMA fans, currently fights in M-1 Global, which is an MMA organization based in Russia. → Read More
