Paul Heyman has recalled how the original ECW video game defied expectations in 1999 by smashing sales records and forcing a rushed sequel to meet unprecedented international demand.
In an interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Heyman reflected on his decades-long involvement in wrestling video games, from the Acclaim-published ECW games to today's WWE 2K26.
Nobody really believed in the ECW video game back in 1999. And when it came out, it smashed every record that was available at the moment. So much so that they bumrushed the next game, which was called Anarchy Rules, as fast as they could out the door because the pre-orders, especially from overseas, had reached a level that had never been seen before.
The Gaming Industry's Unique Evolution
Heyman noted that the gaming industry has undergone a transformation unlike any other entertainment sector, simultaneously consolidating and expanding.
We have witnessed the game industry both consolidate and expand at the very same time. It's a most unique industry and if you don't pay attention to it on a daily basis, you're going to miss so much of what's going on and where the cultural curve is taking it.
Data-Driven Development in Modern Games
Unlike the scrappier approach of the late 1990s, Heyman explained that modern game development is driven by extensive research and analytics.
There's someone that's running analytics. There's someone that's running metrics. There's someone that is doing surveys. There is someone that is doing site testing. There is someone that gets a test group into a room and says, 'Well, if you play this, if you play that, should this person look like this? Should that person wear that?'
He emphasized that staying ahead of trends is essential for survival in the competitive gaming landscape.
There is always and has been since day one a dramatic effort to stay a year ahead of the curve because when a video game falls behind the curve, it can never recover. It becomes yesterday's news. It becomes Pac-Man. It becomes Space Invaders.
WWE 2K26 launches March 13 with over 400 playable characters.
