Thursday, March 27, 2025

Who Steel City Interactive Should Hire to Get Undisputed Back on Track

 


To get Undisputed back on track and make it the best possible realistic boxing video game, Steel City Interactive (SCI) needs to invest in a diverse and specialized team that goes beyond standard game development roles. Here’s a structured breakdown of the kinds of people SCI should hire or collaborate with:

🔧 Core Game Development Roles (Enhanced with Boxing-Specific Focus)

1. Combat Systems Designers with Real Boxing Knowledge

  • Understands boxing principles, spacing, rhythm, and tendencies.

  • Can design mechanics for realistic movement, punching, blocking, counters, and foot positioning.

  • Can translate ring IQ into gameplay mechanics.

2. Animation Directors and Fight Choreographers

  • Deep boxing knowledge is essential here.

  • Work with fight historians or coaches to capture authentic punch delivery, footwork, defensive reactions, and posture.

  • Develop a library of punch animations with variance in speed, angle, and impact (not cookie-cutter).

3. Physics & Gameplay Programmers

  • Experts in ragdoll systems, momentum-based collision, and dynamic reaction systems.

  • Develop risk-reward systems for swinging wide, falling into ropes, clinch momentum, and exhaustion animations.

🧠 AI and Simulation Experts

4. Boxing-Savvy AI Developers

  • AI that mimics real boxer tendencies, adapts strategy, and doesn’t fight the same each round.

  • Can model defensive fighters, aggressive pressure boxers, counterpunchers, etc.

  • Design CPU vs CPU fights that look like real boxing (for Career, Simulation, or Broadcast Mode).

🎮 User Experience and Realism Balancers

5. Boxing Strategy Consultants / Analysts

  • People who’ve trained or coached fighters—ideally with amateur and pro experience.

  • Help balance gameplay elements like stamina, punch output, timing, and vulnerability.

6. Gameplay Testers with Boxing IQ

  • Former or current boxers, coaches, boxing historians, and even hardcore boxing fans.

  • They help fine-tune what “feels” right—not just what looks good visually.

  • Could also involve well-known YouTubers or streamers with deep boxing knowledge.

🎨 Creation, Customization & Presentation

7. Creation Suite Designers Inspired by WWE/2K

  • Specialists who understand how to build deep yet intuitive customization modes.

  • Experience from WWE 2K, Saints Row, or NBA 2K would be ideal.

  • Can build a system for boxer creation, trainer creation, gym customization, stable building, etc.

8. Presentation and Broadcast Mode Developers

  • Professionals with experience in sports presentation, such as NFL 2K5, NBA 2K, or Madden.

  • Build dynamic camera angles, replays, fight previews, belt ceremonies, and more.

📖 Career & Narrative Designers

9. Career Mode Writers & Narrative Designers

  • Build a living boxing world with dynamic narratives, press conferences, rivalries, gym relationships.

  • Can draw from experience in sports stories, branching narratives, and RPG systems.

🥊 Real Boxing Figures (Hands-On, Not Just Licensing)

10. Boxers as Gameplay Consultants

  • Not just lending their likeness but actively helping define movement, combos, and tendencies.

  • Involvement in mocap reference (if used) or video breakdowns.

  • Include fighters from different eras, styles, and skill levels (amateurs to legends).

11. Trainers and Cutmen

  • Their input on cornerman AI, in-fight instructions, corner feedback, and cut systems.

  • Help develop trainer-stable dynamics and realism in corner dialogue.

📢 Community & Realism Advocates

12. Hardcore Sim Boxing Fans (Collaborative Input Panel)

  • Form a core feedback group who can vet ideas, test builds, and advocate for realism.

  • Include folks like PoeticDrink2u and other idea-driven members of the sim boxing community.

  • Let these voices shape development early—not as afterthoughts.

🧩 Strategic Additions

13. AI/ML Engineers (for Boxer Style Replication)

  • Use machine learning to study footage and replicate real boxer styles without mocap.

  • Train AI to understand fighter habits, timing, combos, and reactions.

14. UX/UI Designers (Specializing in Sports Games)

  • Make the interface intuitive, immersive, and suited to both casual and hardcore sim users.

✅ 

SCI must prioritize a sim-first identity. This team isn’t just about building a game—it’s about building the sport into the game. By hiring across boxing expertise, sports gaming, animation, AI, and narrative design, SCI could elevate Undisputed from a "licensed attempt" to the definitive boxing simulation.



🔁 How Steel City Interactive Can Get Undisputed Back on Track

If Steel City Interactive (SCI) truly wants to get Undisputed back on the right path and fulfill its potential as the definitive realistic boxing video game, then it starts with who they hire and how they structure their dev process.

Here’s a two-part breakdown:

🧠 WHO SCI NEEDS TO HIRE (Hands-On, Boxing-Focused Roles)

🔧 1. Combat Systems Designers (with Real Boxing IQ)

  • People who understand real boxing rhythm, footwork, angles, and spacing.

  • Build mechanics that reflect how boxing feels — not just how it looks.

🎞️ 2. Animation Directors & Fight Choreographers

  • Build punch animations with angle, arc, variation, and realistic weight.

  • Work with former fighters/trainers to capture authentic movement — not generic motion.

🧠 3. AI Developers Focused on Styles & Tendencies

  • AI that mimics real fighter behavior — not just spam jabs or constant pressure.

  • Real counterpunchers, slick movers, aggressive brawlers, survivalists.

🧪 4. Physics Programmers for Punch Impact & Reactions

  • Knockdowns, ropes interactions, tangled arms, off-balance punches, slipping through ropes.

  • Make punch outcomes dynamic — no canned results.

🥊 5. Boxing Consultants (Trainers, Former Pros, Analysts)

  • Input on fighter stamina, punch choices, corner feedback, punch resistance, and clinching.

  • Real boxing minds help balance gameplay the way real boxing works.

🧍 6. Gameplay Testers with Real Ring IQ

  • Let fighters and hardcore fans test the mechanics.

  • Not just bugs — but does it feel like boxing?

🎮 7. Creation Suite Designers (WWE/2K Influence)

  • Build deep customization: create-a-boxer, trainers, gyms, stables, belts, refs, story paths.

  • Think WWE 2K + Saint’s Row + your own boxing world.

🕹️ 8. Presentation/Broadcast Developers

  • Build a real sports broadcast with camera crews, replays, entrances, tale of the tape, analysis.

  • Use NFL 2K5’s halftime shows or NBA 2K's MyNBA broadcasts as a blueprint.

🧾 9. Narrative Designers & Career Mode Writers

  • Dynamic storylines, career branching, fighter rivalries, career-ending injuries, comebacks, weight jumps.

  • A real living boxing world.

🥋 10. Boxers (Hands-On Consultants, Not Just Likeness)

  • Bring in real boxers to contribute to movement style, stamina pacing, and punch patterns.

🔧 11. Trainers & Cutmen

  • Help shape training camps, trainer advice, corner conversations, cut systems, and stable dynamics.

👥 12. Hardcore Sim Fans & Community Advocates

  • Not just influencers. Real sim-heads and dedicated boxing video game idea people.

  • Involve them early, not just during damage control.

🤖 13. AI/ML Engineers (for Style Replication via Footage)

  • Instead of mocap, use machine learning to map fighter tendencies from real footage.

🏗️ HOW SCI SHOULD STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

1. Realism-First Development Pipeline

  • Build the core boxing mechanics to reflect real fight dynamics — rhythm, range, ring control, counter windows, fatigue.

  • Do NOT cater first to accessibility. Make realism the base; accessibility can layer on top.

2. Multi-Tier Testing Phases (with Fighter & Sim Fan Input)

  • Alpha test with boxing consultants and sim community before releasing to the wider public.

  • Build gameplay test rounds focused on just movement, just punches, just defense, etc.

3. Create a Boxing Council / Advisory Panel

  • Fighters, historians, coaches, analysts, and hardcore sim fans.

  • Use them like a QA realism board.

4. Dev Pods Based on Boxing Principles

  • Each pod focuses on an aspect of the sport:

    • Punch & defense mechanics

    • Movement & positioning

    • Career mode realism

    • Presentation & immersion

    • AI strategy and evolution

5. Treat Boxing Like a Sport, Not Just a Fighting Game

  • No more cookie-cutter stamina or identical defense systems.

  • No unrealistic switch-hitting, universal footwork abilities, or arcade combos.

✅ Bottom Line

If SCI wants Undisputed to succeed:

  • It’s not just about patching what’s broken.

  • It’s about building boxing from the ground up—hiring the right people, structuring the right way, and listening to those who understand what makes boxing special.

No shortcuts. No gimmicks. Just real boxing.

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