Other matches, like Triple H vs. The Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 12, are easy to rule out, something Paul "Triple H" Levesque himself (who is not only a wrestler, but also an executive with WWE) admitted when presenting the new mode to the media recently. He noted it's the moments that people will never forget from the history of Wrestlemania that are the ones being chosen for 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode.
In order to make these matches possible, some unannounced match types are being added, and the roster will have to include many of the wrestlers from WWE's past. Among those are Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage, with the full complement of legends to be announced this Saturday, August 17, at SummerSlam Axxess, the event preceding this coming Sunday's pay-per-view event.
The inclusion of a large number of legends doesn't come at the expense of members of the current-day roster. Creative director Cory Ledesma described the current roster as being "completely intact." As he puts it, "What this ends up meaning is we have one of the largest rosters ever."
As with the live broadcasts themselves, presentation will play a big role in 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode. It's a point of emphasis for the developers, and players will be able to see era-specific graphic quality (using vintage screen effects, as seen in the Hogan-Andre screenshot above), unique crowds, and recreations of each wrestler's entrance and the venues the matches took place in.
Also helping to immerse players in the moment will be video packages WWE has produced for the game that will play before "several of the matches" to remind players of the storylines that preceded them. And objectives that encourage players to reenact memorable moments from the matches will be available that can, if completed, unlock arenas, championships, photographs from Wrestlemanias, and more.
WWE 2K14, while still being developed by the same team at Yuke's as previous years' games, is the first WWE game being released under the 2K Sports banner since the WWE video game license was acquired by Take Two earlier this year. The game is set to be released on October 29 in North America and November 1 internationally. Chris Pereira is a freelance writer who spends his spare time wondering what would have happened if the wrestling careers of Shawn Michaels, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin weren't interrupted in one way or another. Check out what he's saying on Twitter and follow him on IGN.