TNA Triple Crown Winner AJ Styles shares his views on gaming, WWE and why
TNA Impact is great for fans of both...
AJ! How are you?
I'm great! One more day and I get to go home!
How're you finding the UK, have you wrestled here before?
Oh absolutely, a bunch of times. I truly think that's why people are so familiar
with AJ Styles and TNA. A lot of our guys have been here a bunch of times.
What's the difference between wrestling over here and in the States?
You guys enjoy wrestling! You guys aren't spoiled rotten! I love coming over here,
there's always a great atmosphere – I come out here, I'm gonna put it all on the
line.
I thought [WWE's] games sucked so bad a few years ago, that I haven't played the recent ones at all!
We're obviously here for the game, TNA Impact! Big gamer yourself?
Oh absolutely, BIG gamer. We have regular Xbox Live nights in the company which
[World Champ] Samoa Jo thinks he's the king of. A few people online actually found out
my gamertag and it got a bit crazy.
What have you actually worked on within the game?
From the storyline to the motion capture, to what we thought looked good – pretty
much everything. We spent hours climbing on cable for the Ultimate X Motion Capture,
and let me tell you that's NOT fun. But we're happy cuz it's the match people are
probably going to have the most fun with in the TNA Impact game.
How does TNA differ in real life to WWE?
How about wrestling? How about we actually do wrestling? How about the fact that we
do moves you've never seen before? That's basically what it boils down to. And the
six-sided ring. There's a lot of things that are different about TNA, and a lot of
things different about the TNA Impact game too.
Like what?
You know, I wish I could tell you exactly how different it is from the WWE games –
but I thought their games sucked so bad a few years ago, that I haven't played the
recent ones at all! I can't stand their kick and punch, the jerkiness – when I mash a
button, I expect something to happen! I don't want to have to wait, or mash buttons to
do one move. That's not fun to me. I want to pick up a game, and play it. And that's
the thing about TNA Impact – easy to play, hard to master. That's our slogan; it's
what we want fans to take from TNA Impact.
It's the little things that embody TNA. They mean the most. And people notice that – they're gonna go "wow, they've really made a lot of effort with this game"
So you'd say the game embodies TNA itself?
Oh gosh, I think it's right on! I really do! Where we're at with TNA, Impact is
just like it – from the ropes, to the dives, to the blood and sweat that's on the mat
– it's the little things that embody TNA. They mean the most. And people notice that –
they're gonna go "wow, they've really made a lot of effort with this game". That means
a lot.
What superstars are in TNA Impact, and what grudge matches can fans expect?
I think the grudge matches are up to you. You figure out what you wanna do. The
storyline is there for whatever grudge match you want to see, which is off the
charts.
As for superstars, you got Booker T, you got Kurt Angle, you got Sting, you got Rhino, you got Samoa Jo, you got me, The Phenomenal AJ Styles – and loads more. The superstars you wanna play as are definitely in the game. And y'know, you can always make more with the character creator, and there'll be more wrestlers like Christopher Daniels with download content too.
And why should TNA Impact fans pick you?
So I can get online with my created character, and beat you up for being me!!
Hahaha. Thanks AJ.
Interview by: Mark 'Stinger' Scott
Interview Published: 20.06.08