Carrying the Banner.....Gaming Division

Thanks to one very good, spirited discussion on a site I visit most often, I am glad to speak about TNA in a forum that they have been horribly represented, the gaming realm. It has been suggested that THQ, whose prowess on the world of wrestling games is virtually unrivaled in the guise of WWE's RAW vs. Smackdown, WWE 12, and all the games the Titan Towers has brought about before under that banner should produce the next TNA game. While the notion of THQ putting together TNA's most successful venture sounds like it has merit, I would argue that the beginning of something new is what's best by giving some very healthy alternatives.

My personal favorite contender to go toe to toe against THQ is one who also holds two Game of the Year nominations with one victory to it's credit. Rocksteady Games is my front runner to remake TNA's legacy as a sleeper victory, taking the title away from WWE. Add in that this company is UK based, whose fans have already shown overwhelming support of the TNA product for the past few years and it only seems fitting to have one of their own as representatives of the new line of TNA games. The fighting engine powering the Batman: Arkham games is virtually unrivaled in both it's simplicity AND versatility and the integration of TNA's movesets would make a Rocksteady produced game one of the most heralded wrestling games by hype alone. Put together a second set of writers to create a storyline with multiple scenarios and endings and you've got something WWE doesn't, a game in a league of its own.

My second, albeit less hopeful choice is EA Games. They've got a running history with MMA games in the recent past. Some, in fact, are even worth playing. The adaptability and customization alone of these games allow for TNA's movesets and their most decorated champions likenesses would be well suited to a platform like those employed over at EA Games. If you're looking for a game with an endless supply of online options and a community to channel them and create for them, there is no one better to produce it. It should, however be noted that, while their sporting games are among the best in the world, they have yet to produce a game where storyline and the customization and network they are known for that can mesh in just the right combination. I call that a challenge and one that coordination between TNA and EA Games would do well to answer.

THQ has a head start and a standing commitment and contract with the WWE product to boot. Other competitors have a great deal of work to do to successfully integrate the best pieces of TNA whilst matching up storylines to fill the space. This much is very true, but judging by the WWE product we're seeing right now, it is only a matter of time before a new competition is out there to challenge the masses of this generations' gamers, no matter which side of the fence you fall on.