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Protecting The Game

Supposed leaked memo to press aims to protect Triple H from harm... in screenshots.

Stern-faced gentlemen adorn video game cover, film at 11.
Stern-faced gentlemen adorn video game cover, film at 11.
The Escapist has picked up a story making the rounds in the wrestling media that features quotes from a supposed memo sent by THQ to the UK wrestling media regarding restrictions for what can and can't be shown when covering pre-release versions of the company's upcoming game, WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2009.

Quotes from the magazines receiving the discs state the screenshots must be pre-approved before use, which is actually pretty standard for a licensed product such as this one. The supposed memo goes on to say that blood should be avoided in screens. Again, not that surprising, par for the course for this sort of stuff.

The memo takes a sharp turn into awesomeville when it comes to WWE Superstar (or are they just "entertainers" now? I can never keep track), Triple H. The stories quote Power Slam magazine with this line from the memo...

"Refrain from showing Triple H in a losing/defeated/defenceless position."

...?

Yeah, because showing a professional wrestler who rarely seems to lose getting beat up in a video game would totally ruin the illusion of Monday Night Raw, right?

Now, you're probably a normal, well-adjusted individual and already don't care about any of this nonsense. This has become a big deal in the wrestling media because Triple H is married to the boss' daughter and is frequently accused of using his position in the McMahon family to ensure that he's kept in the main event story lines, always looks completely tough, and holds a championship belt. Memos like this, if accurate, certainly don't help that perception much.

Also, congratulations. If you read that previous paragraph, you now officially know too much about the behind-the-scenes world of wrestling, at least as it's reported by sites devoted to the topic. Glad I could help. I figure hey, if I'm stuck with this "knowledge," I might as well bring everyone else down to my level.

While I haven't seen the memo in question, I'll just say that it sounds about right. Like I said, dealing with licensed games is always an interesting challenge. So don't blame THQ--weird requests like this one probably come directly from the license holders at WWE.
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+