EA Sports Announces EA MMA for 2010

EA Sports MMA is currently being developed for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 by EA Tiburon, with a release scheduled for 2010. The game was announced at the beginning of June, with a statement from Peter Moore (EA Sports President) stating: "Fans have been begging EA Sports to get into the cage, and EA Sports MMA will put them in control of the sport's unique combat experience...We're ready for the fight." This quote is particularly interesting given the scathing remarks by UFC President Dana White, who claimed that he actually approached EA to develop a UFC title, but they didn't consider MMA to be a genuine sport. Whatever actually happened, it's doubtful EA Sports MMA would be in development had it not been for the critical and commercial success of UFC 2009: Undisputed. Butregardless of any disputes, EA Sports MMA's development is a reality, so what can gamers expect once the game is released?

Unfortunately, gameplay details and screenshots are non-existent at present. The primary information (and possibly most important for MMA fans) has concerned the fighters who'll be appearing in the game. For MMA fans whose knowledge of fighters doesn't extent beyond the current UFC roster, the confirmed names won't mean a great deal. For those who are more discerning, however, EA has managed to amass an impressive collection of physical warriors. So far, the list includes Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture, Gegard Mousasi, Cung Le, Bas Rutten, Renato Sobral, Benji Radach and Muhammed "King Mo' Lawal, amongst others. This is a healthy mix of established MMA legends alongside great up-and-comers that will offer a slew of appealing match-ups. That is assuming the game will actually be as playable and addictive as UFC 2009: Undisputed.

One of the reasons UFC 2009: Undisputed was so successful, besides the popularity of its brand name, was that it played extremely well. The game's engaging control system allowed most aspects of an MMA bout to be recreated by the player. It was so different from any other fighting title, such as Streetfighter or Fight Night, that it would've probably been critically acclaimed without UFC backing. Bearing this in mind, EA have a genuine benchmark game to set their sites on and there are various ways they could produce a more in-depth MMA gaming experience.

Firstly, EA MMA could benefit from the inclusion of a greater number of fighting styles, especially those not included in UFC 2009: Undisputed. Tai kwon do, karate and Russian sambo would all be welcomed, the latter obviously being essential with the inclusion of the revered Fedor Emelianenko. This would allow for a greater mixture of moves, as well as creating a deeper contrast between opposing fighting styles. Secondly, a minor criticism of the UFC's offering was that all the fighters were locked in an orthodox stance, meaning southpaw fighters such as Anderson Silva felt slightly inaccurate. If EA could include both stances, and even give players a choice of stance, it would give their game the edge in terms of realism. This, of course, leaves EA with a dilemma: will they aim to produce a clone of a successful title or take a risk and come up with something entirely different? Only time - slow MMA game development time - will tell.