When did development on WrestleMania X8 begin?

Takumi Kon: Hmm. I think we started around June of last year.

X8 plays a lot like previous THQ wrestlers from Aki. Do you have any of the former team members or did you draw inspiration from games like WrestleMania 2000? How did that work?

Translator: You have a good idea there. Ask him what games he has worked on.

Kon-san: Yes, I did WrestleMania 2000 and WWF No Mercy.

Tell us a little bit about how you've designed X8 to play? How does it compare to WWF Raw and WWF Smackdown!? And, what are you doing to make it feel new?

Kon-san: Our first concept was a counter system. We would like fans to enjoy a counter system. Because if in any situation you can counter, then play is more heated. This is our main concept for this game.

We know you are adding more wrestlers daily, but how many do you think will be in the final version?

Kon-san: There will be 42 wrestlers.

How many of those 42 will you have to unlock?

Kon-san: Probably five to six. We're not going to tell you exactly.

How do you unlock them?

Kon-san: By completing the challenge mode.

X8's focus seems to be on multiplayer. What are you doing to create a compelling single-player experience?

Kon-san: There is no story mode. There is a challenge mode where you play for different belts. There are six different championship belts like heavyweight and intercontinental and also 50 original, unique belts.

Where do you see these belts after you win them? Can you wear them?

Kon-san: There is one mode call the Trophy Slam. You can play with a friend where you save the belt to your memory card. So you can lose belts and settle the score later to bring it back. You can view the belts you have so far in the Trophy Slam, too.

You can also create custom belts and name them. So, once you get the original belt you can name it. You know, you can make "Fran's Belt" and create a custom color and design. Then I can compete for it and defeat it to win that belt.

Will a create-a-wrestler mode be included?

Kon-san: Yes, we will have a create-a-wrestler mode.

Do the available wrestlers have more than just the two that are selectable from the start?

Kon-san: No, just two for each.

What arenas will you be able to wrestle in?

Kon-san: There is Smackdown!, Raw, WrestleMania X8, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Summer Slam. Plus two other hidden arenas.

What kind of match types will be available? How many will there be?

Kon-san: We have Hell in the Cell, Cage Match, TLC, Table, Ladder, Hardcore, Iron Man, and Royal Rumble.

Lets talk a little bit about the graphics. How many polygons is each wrestler composed of?

Kon-san: About 3,500.

What's the most characters we'll see on screen at once?

Kon-san: You'll see four wrestlers, one referee, and two announcers. So, a total of seven.

What kind of framerate are you shooting for?

Kon-san: 60 frames per second.

What are some of the special graphical effects we'll see?

Kon-san: We're doing light maps which you'll see on like Triple H's leather jacket, cloth simulation, moving hair, belt (such as Triple H's floppy belt). Also, we have inverse kinematics and some motion captures.

Are the motion captures the actual wrestlers?

Kon-san: No, actually I did some of them. [laughs]

Do you know if you're going to take advantage of GameCube's progressive scan mode?

Kon-san: No, we're not planning on including it.

Are you doing any kind of surround sound or wrestler voices?

Kon-san: No.

Will every wrestler have their own unique entrances?

Kon-san: Yes, absolutely.