The developers behind EA Sports UFC had no previously working code or technological foundation to base the next-generation project on. Sure, creative director Brian Hayes has played a key role in the Fight Night franchise over the years, but this is an entirely new engine on entirely new consoles. Speaking to MMAJunkie, the EA Sports team explained how all this time spent creating highly detailed character models is an investment that will go toward the future of the series.
“From a technological standpoint it’s all new from scratch,” Hayes said. “Not having any code that we built from the past has really allowed us to focus on making this a next-gen experience. All our stuff is brand new from scratch – the latest and greatest.
“To make the fighters look the way they look on next-gen is a significant investment,” lead producer Nate McDonald added. “But the other part of it is it’s a long-term partnership that we’re looking to have with the UFC. We want to start with a really solid foundation and we’re planning for the future of the franchise.”
The UFC brand had a few good years at THQ, but it looks like EA is preparing to double down on MMA and continue to deliver the popular product to the hungry fans.