Top wrestling series WWE SmackDown! vs. Rawhas gone fully multiformat for the first time ever. SmackDown! vs Raw 2007 - the series' eighth incarnation - will be released in November and, as well as offering the expected PS2 and PSP games, there will also be versions available for PS3 and Xbox 360.
Until now, the well-regarded grapple-'em-ups had been exclusive to PlayStation ever since the original SmackDown! (then under the WWF brand) was released for PSone in 1999.
We're reporting live from a press conference being held by SmackDown! publisher THQ in Chicago (site of this year's WrestleMania). And, while only a handful of details about the game have been released so far, we do know that the interface has been overhauled and is now based around a new analogue control system which, according to THQ, "makes fighting more realistic than ever with intuitive movement and new elements of control".
Adding to the sense of realism is the introduction of far more interactive fighting areas, which allow for environmental damage and even the ability to grab weapons from the crowd, ECW style.
In addition, the Season mode will provide multiple branching storylines and a greater degree of player choice. We're also promised an expanded General Manager mode, while online multiplayer (with voice chat) also makes a return.
