WWE 2K

WWE 2K is a series of professional wrestling video games currently developed by Visual Concepts and Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. The games in the series are based on the professional wrestling promotion WWE and feature professional wrestling match types, storylines, and playable characters based on WWE programming.

The series was originally named SmackDown! after WWE's SmackDown television program. The first release in the series was WWF SmackDown! in March 2000, which, along with subsequent titles, remained exclusive to Sony's PlayStation consoles. After the brand extension, the series was retitled SmackDown vs. Raw in 2004 to indicate the Raw brand was also featured. Within a few years, the series had expanded to a yearly release cycle for various seventh-generation consoles as well as mobile devices. Yuke's had also released the games in Japan under the name Exciting Pro Wrestling. However, after SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, THQ took over as the Japanese publisher and the Japanese releases adopted the western name. The series was later renamed simply WWE for its 2012 and 2013 iterations.

WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (d/b/a WWE) is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company that deals primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing and direct product sales. WWE also refers to the professional wrestling promotion itself, founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1952 as Capitol Wrestling Corporation. As of 2014, it is the largest wrestling promotion in the world, holding over 300 events a year, and broadcasting to about 36 million viewers in more than 150 countries. The company's headquarters are located in Stamford, Connecticut, with offices in major cities across the world.

As in other professional wrestling promotions, WWE shows are not legitimate contests, but purely entertainment-based, featuring storyline-driven, scripted, and choreographed matches, though they often include moves that can put performers at risk of injury if not performed correctly. This was first publicly acknowledged by WWE's owner Vince McMahon in 1989 to avoid taxes from athletic commissions. Since the 1980s, WWE publicly branded their product as sports entertainment, which is considered to acknowledge the product's roots in competitive sport and dramatic theater.

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006

WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 (subtitled Exciting Pro Wrestling 7 in Japan), is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation 2 console and the PlayStation Portable handheld console by THQ and developed by Yuke's. It is part of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw (later renamed to simply WWE) video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It is the sequel to 2004's WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw and was succeeded by WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 in 2006.

The main focus of the game is to bring more realism and authenticity to the series with many new features, breaking away from the arcade-like gameplay that earlier games in the SmackDown! series possessed. As well as the addition of the new Buried Alive and Fulfill Your Fantasy matches, the game also included two new modes: General Manager and Create-An-Entrance.

This game is the first time a game in the SmackDown! series that was published for a handheld console, as it was released on the PlayStation Portable. It is also the last game in the series to be released exclusively for the PlayStation consoles. It is the best selling game for the PlayStation 2 console out of the series.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS video game consoles by THQ in November 2007.Amaze Entertainment oversaw development for the Nintendo DS version.

The game is the ninth edition of the long-running WWE SmackDown vs. Raw (later renamed to simply WWE) video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It is the sequel to 2006's WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, succeeded by WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, and is the first WWE game to include the promotion's ECW brand. It is also the first WWE game to be available for all seventh generation game consoles.

Gameplay

Each wrestler now has two fighting style categories, one primary and one secondary. Each fighting style has its advantages and disadvantages in each particular match type. There are eight styles altogether: high-flyer, hardcore, submission artist, powerhouse, showman, brawler, dirty and technical. In addition, creative manager of THQ Cory Ledesma stated early in production that he planned on having numerous wrestler animations redone.