WWE 2K15: Takeaways from Next-Generation Developer Q&A

Fans of WWE and video games have been pining for information on the next-generation version of WWE 2K15. The current-generation version was released on Oct. 28, but for those thirsty for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One WWE goodness, it only served to whet the appetite.

Thankfully, video and content information is beginning to make its way to fans online. On Friday, a developer Q&A on Twitter helped to shed some light on questions fans had about the upcoming release.

Here are the highlights.

Enhancing the Paint Tool

Per the developers, the traditional paint tool will not return. However, the WWE virtual universe has been promised that a new feature is coming that will go above and beyond the old tool.

The development team said: "We’ll be announcing a new feature that goes far beyond the Paint Tool in PS3/360."

We'll soon find out the details, but the creation suite is more important to wrestling games than any other sports-themed game. Where old favorites are removed, it'll be important to add things that take the concepts to the next level.

When Will Paige Be Available?

Paige is being touted as the incentive for ordering the $24.99 Season Pass. The only issue is, no one is sure when the WWE's newest Diva will be available for download. 

The developers had this to say: "Paige’s in-game character is being finalized now; we hope to announce her release date very soon."

When she is added, there's no doubt she'll be a nice addition to the roster. But it's hard to totally sell the Season Pass as a major benefit without knowing the date of availability for one of the biggest perks.

Old Shield Threads and Alternate Attires

WWE Superstars and Divas' attires change like the wind. Because of that, it's difficult for a development team to keep up. One fan asked if the Shield members (Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose) would have their new attires.

They responded: "Ambrose and Rollins will not have their new attires, but you can create alternate ones for them in our Creation Suite." 

This might not appeal to some fans, but if you love creating and flexibility with character specifics, you'll appreciate the opportunity to make alternate attires.

Not only does this give you the opportunity to keep up with WWE programming, it also lets you come up with attires that don't even exist.

Face Scans for the Full Roster?

Per the developers, over 90 percent of the roster had their faces scanned for the game. The Rock was not one of the Superstars captured with the improved technology. 

Hopefully, the Great One will be rendered in a manner that isn't too far beneath the Superstars who were scanned.

15 Years in MyCareer

image from WWE 2K15, provided by 2K Sports

During the Q&A, we learned that the MyCareer mode in WWE 2K15 can span 15 years. The developers said: "MyCareer can span up to roughly 15 years—especially if you play through as both a fan favorite or rule breaker!"

The MyCareer model in NBA 2K15 takes a player from a rookie to a veteran. The WWE 2K version will do the same thing. While 15 years might seem a little short when you consider Superstars such as Triple H, Big Show, Mark Henry and others have had careers that easily exceed that time frame, in a video game, this should be sufficient.

Just 25 Created-Superstar Slots

Perhaps the biggest bummer is related to the amount of Superstars you can create. The current-generation version has 100 slots, but the next-gen will have only 25.

That will drastically limit how much gamers can expand their experience. For many years, gamers have used the created Superstars slots to fill in the gaps left by licenses and such. Unfortunately, this year we'll only have 25 opportunities to expand the virtual universe.

Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist.