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WWE Network wrestling is now streaming on virtually every device you own
WWE promised that Americans would be watching body slams and piledrivers on a myriad of devices toward the end of this month, and that moment is finally at hand. WWE Network apps are now available in the US for almost every major platform under the sun, including Android, Apple TV, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku players, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. In all cases, you'll pay $10 per month to stream live wrestling events as well as beyond-the-ring content like documentaries and classic matches. The app also serves as a second screen companion when you're watching live TV shows. International grappling fans will have to remain patient, however -- WWE Network won't reach other countries until late 2014 or early 2015.
WWE Network app struts down console, mobile ramps today
The WWE Network app is now available on PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360. Announced in January, the subscription-based service gives viewers access to over a thousand hours of wrestling on-demand video content spanning the WWE's lengthy history, including archived WCW and ECW events. Subscribers also gain access to future WWE programming, including all 12 of the brand's monthly pay-per-view events such as SummerSlam and WrestleMania. In addition to the home consoles, the app also launched on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Roku today. Those looking to spring for the $9.99 per month subscription to watch the Attitude Era all over again will need to commit to six months with the service at minimum. Xbox 360 owners are also required to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use the WWE Network app. Xbox One owners will gain access to the app this summer alongside other devices. The app was developed in partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the professional baseball league's creator of the MLB.TV service and the upcoming return of the RBI Baseball series. [Image: WWE]
Apple publishes awkward workaround for OS X Mail issues plaguing users, and other news for Feb. 4, 2014
Apple has published a rather awkward workaround for users who are experiencing Mail troubles in OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Many users have reported trouble with Mail since 10.9 shipped, like misbehaving Gmail accounts, issues with moving and deleting messages and retrieving new messages. The last issue -- being unable to receive new messages -- is particularly annoying as those affected must force-quit the app and then relaunch it to check for new Mail. Now, Apple says those users can simply take the following steps to get new mail: OS X: New email messages not received until Mail is quit and reopened Symptoms For some email providers, new email messages in Mail may only appear to arrive when Mail is first opened. No new email arrives until Mail is quit and reopened. Resolution Quitting and reopening Mail forces it to re-establish a connection to the email server. You can use these steps to receive new mail messages without quitting Mail: Choose Mailbox > Take All Accounts Offline. Choose Mailbox > Get All New Mail. As a shortcut, you can also add the Take All Accounts Offline and Get Mail buttons to your Mail toolbar. Choose View > Customize Toolbar. Drag the Take All Accounts Offline button to the Toolbar if it is not there already. Drag the Get Mail button to the Toolbar if it is not there already. Click Done To receive new mail messages, click the Take Offline button, then click the Check Mail button. Beside the cumbersome steps above, there's no further word on Mail's widespread problems. Hopefully Apple will sort this all out when OS X 10.9.2 is released. In other news: Google Maps has been updated for iOS. The new version allows users to get notified when a faster route becomes available in navigation mode. It also includes your usual bug fixes. World Wrestling Entertainment has announced that the company's WWE Network will be launching on the Apple TV on February 24th. The news came when a WWE employee answered a fan's question on Facebook as to whether the WWE will come to the Apple TV, who confirmed that it will. That Facebook answer has since been removed. Tim Cook has met with the Turkish president today, according to meeting notes on the president's public calendar. There's no word what the meeting will be about, but many speculate Turkey's US$4.5 billion tablet education initiative will be discussed. With it, Turkey plans to give up to 15 million tablets to school children.
WWE Network brings the squared circle to Xbox, PlayStation and more
Keen on reliving the Tommy Dreamer and Raven feud from ECW in its entirety? Fancy looking back at the war for Monday night between Raw and Nitro? Enter: WWE Network, the WWE's subscription-based network for the US full of original programming and archived WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view events. WWE Network will cost $10 a month when it launches next month, with apps planned for both PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Streaming will be in 720p and a subscription will guarantee you access to WWE's monthly pay-per-view events. Wrestlemania Rewind, part of the planned original programming to supplement the older matches, will offer wrestler commentary over famous matches of yesteryear, while Countdown will be an hour-long program ranking top finishers, submissions and other sweet wrasslin' moves. WWE Network will be available in the US on PC, PlayStation consoles, iOS, Android, Kindle, Xbox 360 and Roku at launch, after Monday Night Raw on February 24th. Xbox One and smart TV support will be added later this summer, and WWE says it has plans to extend WWE Network to other regions by the end of the year.
WWE Network to stream choke slams 24 hours a day for $10 a month
CES isn't all about new devices. It's about programming too, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has an event of its own to announce plans for the year. Those plans include a subscription-based network that will provide grappling coverage 24/7 in the US. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon made the announcement here in Vegas with a smattering of wrestlers (like Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin) lending a hand. The $10-per-month price tag will include 720p streaming all 12 of WWE's live pay-per-view events -- including the popular WrestleMania. In addition to the live content, you'll also be able to access past pay-per-view events from WWE, WCW and ECW cards on-demand at your leisure. Yes, that means you can rewatch your favorite Royal Rumble whenever you like. The network's original series WrestleMania Rewind will allow subscribers to relive classic bouts with commentary from the wrestlers themselves. There will also be a one-hour Countdown series that will rank the top finish moves, submissions and more. If you lived through the rivalry between WWE and WCW like this editor did, Monday Night War runs down the battle for beginning-of-the-week supremacy. In terms of access, the WWE Network will be available on the desktop with iOS, Kindle and Android apps for mobile devices. The content can also be streamed to PlayStation consoles, Xbox 360 and Roku set-top boxes at launch, with support for Xbox One and smart TVs being added sometime this summer. A second screen icon will pop up when the program you're viewing offers that functionality on a mobile device for accessing that complimentary content. While the launch is slated just for the States for now, the company has plans to extend the offering beyond by the end of the year. The WWE is set to go live after Monday Night Raw at 11:05 p.m. on February 24th and WrestleMania 30 will be the first pay-per-view event to be streamed on the service. If you're looking to take it for a spin, you can nab a limited-time one-week free trial when the switch is flipped next month.
Classic legends of the ring join WWE 2K14 in today's DLC
The third installment in the WWE 2K14 downloadable content roadmap arrives today, bringing with it a handful of famed old school wrestlers and new character creation items. For a purchase price of $9, the aptly titled "WWE Legends and Creations Pack" offers players a chance to step into the squared circle as "Ravishing" Rick Rude, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, Bruno Sammartino or Jake "The Snake" Roberts (pictured above, mid-DDT). Virgil is also included in the DLC pack, though fans with fond memories of his time working as Ted DiBiase's valet will be happy to hear that 2K plans to also release the virtual Virgil as a free taste of today's DLC additions. Finally, the WWE Legends and Creations Pack adds 14 new character heads to the host of items already included in the game's wrestler creation suite. Those who purchased the WWE 2K14 Season Pass will receive this DLC for free, though keep in mind that this is the last addition the game will receive. We checked with 2K this morning to see if the publisher had any future plans for WWE 2K14 DLC, but were told that "today's release is the last one currently scheduled for WWE 2K14."
WWE 2K14 review: 30 something
Since the series became part of 2K's sports label when the publisher acquired it from THQ in February, it was unknown just how much would be different in the transition from WWE 13 to WWE 2K14. As it turns out, WWE 2K14 bears a strong resemblance to WWE 13, which isn't too surprising given that developer Yuke's had already begun working on the project before the acquisition. Much like a Vince McMahon-led WWE, the improvements are incremental at best, but the overall package is entertaining enough to get by.
WWE 2K14 season pass spans three DLC packs through January 2014
WWE 2K14 will receive at least three downloadable content packs, all of which are included in the game's newly-announced season pass program. The season pass costs $19.99 (£15.99) and covers the three packs that launch in November, December and January, respectively. Each piece of DLC can be purchased individually. The first pack, slated to launch in November for $8.99 (£6.99), features NWO-themed characters Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Syxx, Curt Hennig, Scott Steiner and The Giant, the last one being free of charge and available separately from the pack. WWE 2K14's second piece of DLC, the WWE Superstars and Moves pack includes Fandango, Big E. Langston, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella and Summer Rae, the latter also being free for all players. That pack, set to launch in December for $7.99 (£6.99), also grants players access to 30 new moves and taunts, such as the psycho driver and a two-handed chokeslam. Lastly, January 2014's DLC offering features legendary wrestlers Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes, Rick Rude and Jake "The Snake" Roberts along with a free-of-charge Virgil. This pack includes 15 "superstar parts" for use in the game's creation suite, such as Goldberg, Batista and The Undertaker's player models. This final season pass-eligible pack will be available for $8.99 (£6.99). WWE 2K14 season pass buyers also receive two bonus The Outsiders themed-characters Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in addition to the game's "accelerator," a piece of DLC that unlocks every in-game item and offers players the ability to customize the attributes of all wrestlers. The accelerator will be available for $1.99 (£1.59) on October 29 in North America, then November 1 internationally.
Bah gawd, this WWE 2K14 gameplay trailer is full of finishing moves
This WWE 2K14 trailer is equipped with a variety of flashy moves and finishers from wrestlers that span the business' history, such as Goldberg's Jackhammer and a double chokeslam by Kane. 2K Sports' first WWE game will launch October 29.
Here's the full roster for WWE 2K14's '30 Years of WrestleMania' mode
The complete roster for WWE 2K14's 30 Years of WrestleMania mode was announced earlier today by legendary WWE commentators Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler, during an appropriately dramatic and (Ric) flair-filled press event held at this weekend's WWE SummerSlam AXXESS event in Los Angeles. The roster, listed in its entirety after the break, is made up of 33 wrestlers, 10 of which have "Retro" variants, bringing the entire cast of characters up to 43 unbelievably giant, sweaty men. Highlights of the list include relatively recent personalities such as The Rock, CM Punk and John Cena, as well as classic competitors such as Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Mick Foley, Ric Flair and Goldberg. It's worth noting that these wrestlers have been announced specifically for the 30 Years of WrestleMania mode, and that 2K Sports has yet to divulge which will also be available for use in the game's other modes.
WWE 2K14 alternate cover art contest wins with Daniel Bryan entries
Both winners of 2K Sports' alternate cover art contest for WWE 2K14 featured Daniel Bryan in their entries, the developer announced today. The winners, Mike Rodriguez of Corona, CA and Alexis Zankowitch of Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, France will see their art appear as an insert on the inside of every copy of the game in their respective regions. The cover art on the front of every box features Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. 2K Sports also recently unveiled the game's 30 Years of WrestleMania mode, which has players completing over 45 matches across the event's 30-year history. WWE 2K14 is slated to launch October 29 in North America and November 1 internationally on PS3 and Xbox 360. %Gallery-196046%
PS3 gets pay-per-view streaming with Live Events Viewer app
PlayStation is expanding its streaming footprint one piledriver at a time with the new Live Events Viewer. Announced at E3 and available today, the app will let you buy and watch pay-per-view events -- starting with this Sunday's WWE SummerSlam -- directly from your PS3 without the need for a cable subscription. Sony is promising that new programming will be available on a weekly basis and that there will be free content in addition to PPVs, too. All that's available right now are UFC and WWE specials, but according to the US PlayStation Blog, concerts, races and "other entertainment events" are en route. You could also get your scripted and unscripted fisticuffs fix on the Xbox 360, but you need an active Xbox Live Gold subscription to use them.
WWE 2K14 gets 30th anniversary WrestleMania mode
WWE 2K14 will include a single player campaign mode that spans the 30-year history of WrestleMania, 2K Sports announced. Called "30 Years of WrestleMania," the mode tasks players with completing over 45 matches separated into five different "eras" in WWE's lengthy history. 2K promises authentic arenas, gear, entrances and other presentation elements, as well as video packages and cinematic cut scenes to set the stage for each match. Much like WWE 13's Attitude Era mode, players will complete objectives to unlock items such as playable wrestlers and alternate attire in 30 Years of WrestleMania, with most goals oriented around replicating moments from the matches as they happened in real life. WWE 2K14 will hit the mat on October 29 for Xbox 360 and PS3. 2K recently announced a special Phenom Edition of the game, which features The Undertaker's "American Badass" character. %Gallery-195822%
WWE 2K14 Phenom Edition brings back the American Badass for $100
2K Sports announced a special edition for WWE 2K14 that features arguably the best wrestler in the business, The Undertaker. Coming in a collectible tin coffin, the Phenom Edition includes a copy of WWE 2K14, an art card signed by The Undertaker, a controller skin, the first disc of "The Streak" DVD set that details the Deadman's undefeated streak at WrestleMania and a special playable version of The Undertaker's "American Badass" character from the Attitude Era. Players that pick up the Phenom Edition also gain access to the Ultimate Warrior in WWE 2K14, a playable character otherwise locked to pre-orders. The Phenom Edition is available for pre-order on Amazon or the WWE Shop for $100. The game is slated to strut into stores on October 29. %Gallery-195175%
WWE 2K14 pre-orders add snarling Ultimate Warrior
Fans of 90s rasslin' can recruit The Ultimate Warrior into their WWE 2K14 rosters with a pre-order on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. The supporting retailers are GameStop, Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Toys R Us and the WWE shop. Though the Ultimate Warrior may be a calculated move in garnering additional sales, it's not the first one made in the game's journey to stores. Former license holder THQ owed WWE $7.6 million for marketing and royalty expenses at the time of filing bankruptcy, and between $15 and $20 million to longtime series developer Yuke's. WWE 2K14 was then acquired by Take-Two, which is pushing the game into the retail ring on October 29.
Yahoo announces six original shows, WWE streaming partnership
It's been just under a week since Yahoo scored exclusive rights to stream Saturday Night Live clips, but the old guard of search has just divulged more of its video plans at its Digital Content NewFront event. Taking a page from Netflix's playbook, the firm announced its original comedy lineup will be released in a "binge-viewing" style á la House of Cards this fall, and added Tiny Commando, We Need Help and Losing Your Virginity with John Stamos to its humor roster. Mayer and Co. also revealed a trio of lifestyle programs called Fashion Recipe, Cinema & Spice and Grill Girls, which are headed online at some point later this year. In addition to its in-house programming, Yahoo's partnered with the WWE to create an online wrestling hub starting this summer, which will include clips, a 30-minute Monday Night Raw pre-show, two original weekly shows with 50 episodes per year, an archive of full historic matches and more. The folks in Sunnyvale are also set to stream video content from Conde Nast Entertainment, and expand their relationship with ABC News thanks to World News Behind the Headlines, Nightline: Online and GMA Live. News junkies will also be able to tune into the CNBC's Talking Numbers. For descriptions of the outfit's original shows -- and how it'd like to catch your attention with ads -- hit the jump for the full press release. [Image credit: Yodel Anecdotal, Flickr]
THQ owed WWE $7.6 million, disclosure statement reveals
A recent disclosure statement filed by THQ revealed details of the terms the publisher came to with the WWE and series developer Yuke's when the publisher folded. At the time of THQ's bankruptcy filing in December 2012, it owed approximately $7.6 million to WWE for marketing and royalties expenses, as well as $15 million to $20 million to Yuke's.According to the statement, THQ, WWE and Yuke's all signed termination agreements on February 12, 2013 that relieved THQ of responsibility in paying WWE and Yuke's of those claims. THQ agreed to pay WWE royalties for sales of WWE games during its Chapter 11 case, and will also pay Yuke's $250,000 in settlement for royalties from sales during the time of its bankruptcy filing.As a result, WWE and Yuke's terminated existing contracts with THQ in order to pursue a publishing agreement for future WWE games with Take-Two. Damage claims against THQ that were eliminated as a result of the termination agreement "may have exceeded $60 million," according to the document.
WWE 2K14 taps The Rock for cover spot
Part-time draw The Rock will grace the cover of the latest WWE game, WWE 2K14. Casey Collins, Executive Vice President of Consumer Products, announced the news (via Pasta Padre) prior to this past weekend's Wrestlemania 29 event, where The Rock lost his championship belt against John Cena. Don't worry, we're sure he'll get it back in time to promote the game later this year.The WWE license was held by THQ for years, up until the company's collapse late last year. THQ then proceeded to auction off its assets, with Take-Two securing the WWE license and placing it under its 2K Sports banner. WWE 2K14 is due this fall.Update: We followed up with 2K Sports to confirm what this game is actually called. The original announcement by Take-Two called it "WWE '14," but Joystiq has confirmed with 2K Sports that the game will indeed be called WWE 2K14. All references to the game in this post have been updated with the correct title.
WWE pay-per-view events coming to Xbox Live
Just in time for this week's WrestleMania XXIX, that goliath of Wrestling Entertainment is setting up shop on Xbox. The service starts today and is available to any fans with an Xbox Live Gold subscription. There's not a lot of detail on what you'll be getting, although you will be able to watch "all" of WWE's pay-per-view events direct from the Microsoft console. You can also put that folding chair down now. Thank you.
Take-Two officially takes over WWE license, WWE 2K14 coming in fall
We knew this was coming last week, but now it's official: Take-Two is now the holder of the WWE license. The first game to come from the new WWE publisher is due this fall, titled WWE '14 – in line with 2K Sports' branding of sports games. [Update: The original ESPN source cited a name change, but Take-Two's press release confirms the new game will be called WWE '14.] Take-Two struck a five-year deal with WWE, WWE executive vice president of consumer products Casey Collins confirmed to ESPN. The previous WWE license holder was THQ, who has been pumping out wrasslin' games since 1999. THQ has since become no more, forced to sell off all its assets to the highest bidder – but before that silent auction, THQ and WWE got together to hold private bidding for the license. According to Collins, Take-Two was the right fit, a publisher he sees as "a leader going forward on these next-gen systems." Not only that, but Take-Two's success with the NBA 2K series also spurred interest, Collins said. "The work they do, and the quality of the games they put out and how they've been able to grow their franchise with not only the simulation aspect of the game, but also the entertainment aspect, we thought they'd be a perfect partner." WWE '14 will launch this fall, a joint collaboration between 2K Sports studio Visual Concepts and longtime WWE series developer Yukes, located in Japan. As part of this five-year deal, Take-Two has also hired on some designers from THQ to work with Visual Concepts. "What we're going to do moving forward is meld Yukes with the team at Visual Concepts, so we can have the best of both worlds," Collins said. "Having Yukes' experience and then getting the Visual Concepts guys on board with them, we think this is going to be a dynamic duo." Collins confirmed that folks from THQ's "Fight Team" were being hired at Take-Two to help Visual Concepts with the transition. "The THQ Fight Team is also being brought over, and they'll report directly to Visual Concepts. Their experience in the marketing, their experience in the development, their experience with our franchise for years ... we thought that it was very valuable to keep that continuity." [Note: Image taken from WWE '13, but you probably knew that because it says WWE '13 right on the image.
