'WWE '13' roster revealed at SummerSlam Axxess
LOS ANGELES — The City of Angels will provide the stage for The Hottest Event of the Summer — and THQ is doing its part to turn up the heat.
On the eve of the 25th Anniversary of SummerSlam, the WWE Universe arrived to take in the sights and sounds of SummerSlam Axxess at Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The ultimate WWE fan experience of the summer certainly has lived up to the billing, with highlights including a fan costume contest, tons of Superstar and Diva autograph sessions and memorabilia displays from WWE’s history.
(To see who THQ included in the "WWE '13" roster reveal, click here.)
Yet THQ, the global publisher and developer of video games, made the spotlight shine a little brighter on Axxess with its highly-anticipated “WWE ‘13” roster reveal event. With Lilian Garcia serving as the master of ceremonies and WWE Champion CM Punk as well as Damien Sandow, Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jim Ross on hand for the festivities, THQ released the largest roster of Superstars and Divas in a WWE video game ever, all of whom will certainly make their presence felt in the latest edition of the best-selling series. ( PHOTOS)
One such Superstar that’s ecstatic about his involvement in “WWE ‘13” is the competitor on the game’s cover. During the event, CM Punk enthusiastically explained why being selected to appear on the cover means more to him than many in the WWE Universe might think.
“When I got into this business, one of the goals was to be in a video game,” Punk said. “Being on the cover obviously supersedes that. It’s tremendously awesome to me. And the reason I am on the cover is because I’m the best in the world.”
Of course, gamers don’t need to be the “best in the world” to shake things up in “WWE ’13.” As Ross pointed out in the middle of the festivities, players should quickly notice that the creative control they have over the in-game experience is only limited by their imagination.
“Everybody likes to second-guess and play Monday-morning quarterback when you watch TV,” Ross said. “So now, you can be the promoter. You can be the matchmaker. You can be Vince McMahon.”
Perhaps the most anticipated addition to “WWE ‘13” is the influence of the Attitude Era on the gameplay. From legendary teams like D-Generation X and The Acolytes to dominant Divas like Lita and Trish Stratus, players will follow their favorite Superstars and Divas through storylines that are filled with “Attitude.”
Lawler, who had a ringside seat for many of the milestone moments from that treasured period in WWE history, couldn’t wait to start speculating about the fantasy matchups that are available in the game, from Punk versus “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to the Three Faces of Foley competing against one another in a Triple Threat Match.
“Can you just imagine some of the possibilities?” Lawler asked. “I’m excited about that.”
The list of recent Superstars and Divas appearing in "WWE '13" includes:
- CM Punk
- Alberto Del Rio
- Big Show
- Booker T
- Brock Lesnar
- Brodus Clay
- Chris Jericho
- Christian
- Cody Rhodes
- Daniel Bryan
- David Otunga
- Dolph Ziggler
- Edge
- The Great Khali
- Heath Slater
- Hunico
- Jack Swagger
- JBL
- John Cena (Doctor of Thuganomics)
- John Laurinaitis
- Justin Gabriel
- Kane
- Kevin Nash
- Kofi Kingston
- Mark Henry
- The Miz
- Primo
- Randy Orton
- John Cena
- Rey Mysterio
- The Rock
- R-Truth
- Santino Marella
- Sheamus
- Sin Cara
- Epico
- Ted DiBiase
- Triple H
- The Undertaker
- Jinder Mahal
- Wade Barrett
- Zack Ryder
- Alicia Fox
- Beth Phoenix
- Brie Bella
- Eve
- Kelly Kelly
- Kharma
- Nikki Bella
- Lita
- AJ Lee
- Damien Sandow
The list of Attitude Era Superstars and Divas appearing in "WWE '13" includes:
- "Iron" Mike Tyson
- Road Warrior Animal
- Big Bossman
- Billy Gunn
- Bradshaw (The Acolytes)
- Bret Hart
- British Bulldog
- Cactus Jack
- Chris Jericho (Y2J)
- Christan (from Edge & Christian)
- Dude Love
- Eddie Guerrero
- Edge (from Edge & Christian)
- Farooq (The Acolytes)
- The Godfather
- Road Warrior Hawk
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley
- Kane
- Ken Shamrock
- Mankind
- Mark Henry (Nation of Domination)
- Mr. McMahon
- "Big Show" Paul Wight
- "Road Dogg" Jesse James
- The Rock
- Shane McMahon
- Shawn Michaels (D-Generation X)
- Triple H (D-Generation X)
- The Undertaker
- Vader
- X-Pac
- Lita
- Stephanie McMahon
- Trish Stratus
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin