Opinion: Why 2K & WWE Should Bring Back ‘GM Mode’

Beginning in 2000, WWE started producing video games, first beginning with ‘WWF SmackDown!’ Now seventeen years later, the company is still affiliated with the yearly games. The latest release, ‘WWE 2K17’ has me pondering a feature I have wanted back in the game since it was removed. I, of course, am speaking about General Manager mode, or GM mode for short.

What is GM mode?

It is funny how much us fans take for granted before it is taken away from us. While many people probably disliked a feature such as GM mode in the video games, I feel many more were fans of it, myself included. It was a hard blow to learn that ‘WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009’ would not feature the mode and every subsequent game that has followed has only made me want it more.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of GM mode, I will lay the basis for you. You take control of a general manager and choose which show you control. From here you would draft male and female superstars to your roster under contracts that last from five weeks up to a year to get yourself set up.

Next, you would take control of the show you selected to be the general manager of. You would set up various feuds, matches and pushes through the selection screens. There were additional purchases you could make to unlock characters or storylines you could use for your feuds to draw interest in your show.

The end goal of GM mode was to defeat your rival brand/s in ratings. Along the way, you’ll have to come up with intriguing and dynamic storylines to keep your viewers interested, while maintaining your talent for a better work environment.

For some, GM mode was something vibrant and fun to play with. For others, it was more critical, down to contract negotiations and one-upping the opposing show/s. Regardless of how you’d play, it was rarely boring.

With the disappearance of GM mode after ‘Smackdown vs. Raw 2008,’ I have been disappointed to an extent in every game since. While I won’t go so far as to say I have disliked a game purely for the absence of this mode, I did dislike that it wasn’t still featured.

I, like many other fans, realize that the company wanted to experiment different modes and test their limits as opposed to becoming too reliant on GM mode, which was arguably a heavy selling feature of ‘Smackdown vs. Raw 2007’ and ‘2008.’

Was it worth removing? Honestly, it depends who you ask. In my opinion, having it removed made many people realize what they had taken for granted and what was right in front of them. At the same time, many people wanted something new from the series, so I can see the need for removal.

Why was GM mode removed?

As the years have progressed, WWE have toyed with various game modes, bringing back the classic ‘story mode,’ but have yet to allow GM mode to make a comeback. Is there a reason behind this? My assumption would be that there is. Fans have consistently asked for GM mode to be included in the game again but nothing has come of it.

One of the reasons I feel this may possibly be the case is the size of the roster and the appropriate branding. Currently, WWE have the biggest roster they’ve ever had, with many superstars on ‘Raw,’ ‘Smackdown Live’ and in NXT. Coupled with this, the company now also have ‘205 Live’ and the ‘U.K. Special’ with potential for an all-women show for the Network. While this would likely not make the cut for a possible ‘WWE 2K18’ version of GM mode, it would in future iterations.

Concept on 2K16 created by Element Games on YouTube.

This could be too much to comprehend for the people working at Take-Two Interactive, the current developers of the yearly games, to handle. So much of their time seems to be spent on altering and adding new superstars, from what I gather. While some people may be fine with each yearly game being an updated roster, I am not.

GM mode or not, the game should be compelling and have a huge replay value. While I am not saying ‘WWE 2K17’ doesn’t have any, not much has changed from ‘WWE 2K16.’ Roster wise, however, it was obviously my favorite game. The more the merrier.

I strongly believe GM mode should return to the games due to the fan reception and feedback being so strong. I don’t ask solely because I am invested in the return of what I consider to be a beloved mode, but because I know so many of the people out there that had the chance to play it want it. I also want to see people who have never got the chance to play the mode before get a chance to play.

Is there any possibility of it returning at all?

As we have seen through the last few games created by 2K, they have brought back features or modes loved by the fans. While this hasn’t been all at once, there has been a steady inclusion of content re-emerging in the video games.

GM mode is obviously one of the most loved modes the video games have included so a possible inclusion in any version of the game would likely lead to more sales, as many people declined buying copies of the games due to a lack of new content or even specifically for the fact that this mode still hasn’t been reintroduced. So yes, I do see it returning to the series. The bigger question is when. That is something we simply don’t know.

While there are many other features to be added such as match types, creation suite modes and even Story Creator, I strongly believe 2K games have a strategy to where they add an additional couple of features in the games each more to drive up sales, rather than completing everything and potentially having no huge sales point for the next year.

Screenshot taken from Teeming Tubby Emu on YouTube.

While that may just be a theory, it is important to note that 2K have said numerous times that they try to put as much content as they can into the games but some of it doesn’t make the cut. If you look at the other 2K sports franchises, you will notice that their modes always seem to be featured and improving despite changing rosters with more players. This may be due to the series not being as popular as the larger series, like NBA but it is still nonetheless suspicious to me.

A new idea?

With 2K claiming that much of their time is spent adding new superstars and editing their move sets, there is less time to focus on other areas of the game. As previously mentioned, this year alone could make room for the athletes of ‘205 Live,’ and even perhaps those wrestlers in the ‘U.K. Tournament’ that was featured on the WWE Network earlier this year.

One way I believe WWE and 2K could work around this for GM mode specifically is to make and release a game for PC, Mobiles and Consoles that costs either the base game price or half the price of the usual yearly games. From here, they have control over what they do with it, but here are some suggestions I have for such a game.

The first is to exclude the match feature. While this may alienate a certain portion of the potential buyers, I doubt it would affect them too much. The main feature of GM mode is to control the show, not to participate in it. However, changing the style back to arcade from simulation solely for this game could also work.

From here, depending on the route they take, they could have superstar images or models (if match feature is included) included into the game that are updated over time with new entrances, attire and keep up to date with their appearance.

Picture taken from EWR.

I see two potential options for this game to keep 2K and WWE consistently updating it to add new superstars, match types and so on and so forth. The first is to create a monthly or yearly fee like for the WWE Network where 2K will release monthly patches that add new features, superstars etc. Another is to keep it at the base value but charge for packs of new superstars, general managers, storylines and templates etc.

While this idea may seem farfetched, it isn’t impossible. From a business perspective, releasing the game with either model could work. Think about Minecraft. That has a base cost and has updates every so often. This game could have a similar model.

Conclusion

I think GM mode is a historical, beloved part of the WWE franchise and I think in some way, the mode needs to come back to the games. Could it appear in ‘WWE 2K18?’ I guess time can only tell. However, I would be fine with its exclusion if GM mode was announced separately as a game of its own as I suggested earlier.

Did you like GM mode? Would you like to see it return? What do you think of the ideas I suggested? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page or Twitter account. Additionally, you can find me on Twitter at @SOSNH1995.