THQ has announced UFC 2009 Undisputed, an upcoming new game based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts organization.
The new game will recreate the “action, intensity and attitude” of a live UFC event with a roster of over 80 top fighters across five weight classes. Built on an all-new engine designed for the latest console technology, UFC 2009 Undisputed will deliver photorealistic models with amazing “ripple effects” on their faces and bodies caused by the devastating damage inflicted by opponents’ punches and kicks.
Players will be able to create their own fighter, customizing his skills and training, and enter into a full-blown Career Mode with the ultimate goal of a place in the UFC Hall of Fame. Along with the familiar fighters, gamers will find many of the sport’s most popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers and Octagon Girls in the game.
While UFC-licensed videogames were previously released in 2002, with Unlimited Fighting Championship: Tapout for the Xbox and UFC: Throwdown for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, UFC 2009 Undisputed will take advantage of the explosive growth experienced by the UFC since its 2005 television deal with Spike TV.
Since then, the organization has been featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine, and UFC programming is now shown in 36 countries around the world. The UFC, and mixed martial arts in general, has become particularly popular with the “young adult male” demographic aged 18-34 years, also commonly viewed as the predominant audience for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. Earlier UFC titles were developed by Dream Factory, a relatively unknown studio, and shipped to little fanfare; the new version from THQ is expected to be a much higher-profile release.
UFC 2009 Undisputed is being developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and mobile devices, and is currently targeted for release in spring 2009.
