The Ultimate Warrior: WWE 2K14 Huckster - Wiggy's Blog

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The Ultimate Warrior: WWE 2K14 Huckster Stuck

Posted on July 16, 2013 at 03:45 AM.

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It's a funny thing when marketing necessity meets financial need, and we got to see that with Jim "Ultimate Warrior" Hellwig shilling for the upcoming WWE 2K14 product. As "amazing" as the commercial is, it's also a pretty sad reminder of how marginalized half of these "legends" have become in the wrestling business. After I see an ad like this, I'm left wondering: who is this ad really for? Why was it made? After the initial joke wears off, it kind of ends up being a bit depressing.

The WWE has been no stranger to using aged wrestler to sell games, toys and even wrestling angles in recent years. Even before ol' Macho cashed out, he was shilling for WWE All Stars. It was sort of sad that one of the more successful and notorious wrestlers of WWF/WWE history had his last meaningful interaction with the company cutting a half-baked promo about a game that he obviously had very little connection with.

It's all the more baffling with someone like "Warrior," who has aired his grievances about the company quite publicly in the past. Here's a guy who has been pretty much disparaged by many current and past wrestlers, road agents and promoters -- even Vince McMahon notoriously called him a "lunatic" -- and here he is "happily" plugging the game and telling you to pre-order as fast as possible. Credit to the Warrior for at least looking in half-decent shape and getting all of his gear on, but I've gathered that he's a pretty committed guy when it comes to his character. If you haven't checked out his shoot interview, I'd recommend seeking it out.

Of course, there's also the fact that WWE 2K14 is a rushed product, as 2K wants to get a quick payola as fast as they can for this year's version before moving onto the next-gen iteration. When they use legends in this way, it's always as sort of an impromptu cover man -- selling the game through nostalgia and selective memory. Maybe they figure that enough of the older generation will wistfully look at the Ultimate Warrior pre-order bonus and take the plunge. Maybe they think that the new generation of fans will cherry-pick the best parts of what they know about the Ultimate Warrior and go from there. Who knows, really.

It's the same for all of these other legends, honestly. Whether it's Bret Hart or Macho or Steve Austin, it just never feels like their participation is really required. Save for Austin in the Attitude Era stuff last year, most of these legend modes/additions end up just feeling shallow and poorly conceived. Why can't there be a more fulsome realization of these guys' careers in a new game? Why is it usually just a quick character model and some kind of ladder mode?

I guess I can't help but feel weird when I see this sort of cheap pandering, as it really seems like a desperate ploy to sell a few extra copies of a generation-straddling product. The fact that Warrior's gameplay clips are saved for 15 seconds at the end of the spot (and the animations look rough) kind of speaks volumes, and you realize pretty quickly that business moves like these are pretty calculated.

I guess the slogan of the wrestling business -- anything can happen -- is appropriate here, as I expect the parade of money-strapped wrestlers to continue to step up and give a push to whatever wrestling product is willing to throw them a few shekels, history be damned.

Comments

# 1 tsbmolina @ Jul 16

Same can be said about any legend in any sport who promotes a game so I'm not getting the point of this. Is there a double standard because it's a wrestling game or is Barry Sander also held to the so call cheap pandering as you put it?

# 2 ps3veron @ Jul 16

Wow I never saw it that way until now! Growing up watching Warrior, I idolized the guy, I got in trouble in class for running around like the legend that this man was. I got pretty excited seeing him last night and now I am looking at this Ad a little differently.

Still, better to have him in that persona than his ultra right (or is it left?) wing views right?

# 3 Wiggy @ Jul 16

Quote:


	tsbmolina @ Jul 16 (1 Hour Ago) Same can be said about any legend in any sport who promotes a game so I'm not getting the point of this. Is there a double standard because it's a wrestling game or is Barry Sander also held to the so call cheap pandering as you put it?

I guess the point I'm making is that it's sort of bizarre seeing wrestlers shill for a product that they have little attachment to, especially when it's clearly just a cash-grab for all involved. It's also weird when said wrestlers have buried the company (or been buried by those in it).

Ultimately, I feel that ads like this aren't being genuine. Fine, do the ad, but at least integrate these legends into the game in a fulsome way and don't treat them like complete novelties. That's just how I see it.

# 4 deacon21206 @ Jul 16

How do you know their attatchement. Let alone @K14 said they were going to release the annual WWE tbis year and then the next iteration have a more hands on approach.

# 5 deacon21206 @ Jul 16

^^^^ someone give that guy a spell check

# 6 Wiggy @ Jul 16

Quote:


	How do you know their attatchement. Let alone @K14 said they were going to release the annual WWE tbis year and then the next iteration have a more hands on approach.

Fair enough. It is just me speculating, so you're right to call me on it. I guess I just find it ironic that wrestlers who have had serious grievances about the company and who have been buried by said company are now shilling for a product in a very public way.

Also, other than the Attitude Era stuff, none of this legend pandering has every really been all that meaningful.

I hope to be proven wrong.