Fight Night Demo Set For Release

EA Sports will be releasing the demo to one of its most anticipated games of the year, Fight Night Champion, on February 1.
There is a lot of pressure on EA to make this next installment something fun and memorable. Their last effort, Fight Night Round 4, was not a huge hit and they’re looking to change that with this next installment.
EA Sports has basically given the whole game a facelift. This will be the first M rated sports game EA Sports has released, because it will bring you into a much darker world of boxing.
The career mode for this game will start you off in prison. This has been a topic of debate between fans. Many believe that the game is or will go too far. I’m not worried about that. I’m actually very interested to see how the game handles this.
Yet, due to the dark nature of the game, it will receive a Mature rating (Mature rated games have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language.)
This will be EA Sports first M rated sport game they release. So, you can expect to see a lot more of boxing’s brutal side.
Now, once February 1 rolls around, you’ll be able to try the game for yourself. The demo, which will be released on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, will have online play for a limited time.
There will also be four boxers and you’ll be able to fight for three rounds. What I’ve read is that the four boxers will be Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.
The full game will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 1.
The big question is will this game be a huge hit? It’s definitely going to make money, no doubt about that, but I think that there are some people out there that just lost interested in boxing. That is mainly due to MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).
Executive Sports Editor, Brad Carroll, said it best, “There is just no more characters left in boxing.” Is this lack of characters driving fans to MMA? I’ll let you be the judge.
Getting back to the game, there is no doubt that the MMA and UFC games are huge competitors for Fight Night. These types of games are attracting the same audiences. The Fight Night series hasn’t had a real competitor in years and that’s why I think they’re upping the ante this year. I believe they are hoping to grab people’s attention with starting career mode in a prison, and with fans arguing whether this is going too far, I think they’ve done that.
If you want to brush up on your boxing skills before Fight Night Champion, you can pick up Fight Night Round 4 for very cheap. The game might not have blown away EA Sports in sales, but it’s still a great game and one I really enjoy.
On another note, if you haven’t already, check out the premiere episode of Sports Page Online; I’m the feature guest. I talk about the origins of the column and give my thoughts on online play.
Video is below.