It's smart of WWE to put Sting in a game before debuting him live.

[Creepy Old Man]

Over the past year WWE have often featured Sting. Commentators mention him, Big Show talked about him in a promo, there have been retrospective video clips about him, and he's appeared on the WWE Network. He was the focus of an article on WWE.com by Bill Apter, he has an alumni profile, and they've praised him in various other pieces to do with WCW. Us die hards know all about him, and have remembered anything we forgot.

Still, the kids probably aren't sold, or fully aware of him. Kids sure love computer games, though, and if Sting is the featured character this year, they will want to play as this super cool face-painted dude. Then, when they get to see him live, they'll be ecstatic. Mommy and daddy will be paying for that Sting/Undertaker match on pay-per-view, no doubt about it.

I'm kinda glad now that they didn't debut him earlier. When he shows up, he'll be treated as a legend, not just on the first night due to a debut in a smark tank city, but on an ongoing basis because casual fans are acquainted. WWE proves its genius once again.

 

[wrestler36]

very good point. I grew up with the Stinger, starting around 1990 for me. Initially, when people started talking about Sting/Taker, I was thinking 'give it a rest,' as his best years are more than a dozen years away. But if marketed right, and given a slow burn of information through different media channels, the new generation of fans can get behind him and garner a huge following.

Everybody talks about Sting/Taker like it's the only possible match. Quite honestly, I could live without the Undertaker anymore since his mobility is questionable. I think Sting/Cena can be a good match, or even Sting/Wyatt.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I doubt it'll make any significant difference. After all, it's not like Sting's gonna be wrestling on anything approaching a regular basis when he debuts. He's not going to be the centerpiece of WWE. In fact, now that his potential match with The Undertaker is completely up in the air, who knows if he'll even wrestle at all? Hey may wind up being a babyface authority figure or some sort of goodwill ambassador for WWE similar to Hulk Hogan. In any case, I doubt that younger viewers who aren't already familiar with him will take into consideration whether or not he's on the video game before he appears live or not when it comes to buying the game.

Besides, with the easy availability of the internet to find out info on him, the WWE Network, clips of Sting on YouTube, etc. it's not exactly going to be difficult for people who aren't familiar with him to become so in short order.

 

[DexVendetta88]

Putting Sting in WWE 2K15 isn't a bad idea at all. Along side YouTube, WWE Network etc. video games are another great media to showcase Sting to a much younger audience. Besides this isn't the 1st time they did this. 2K14 had the Ultimate Warrior, and Bruno Sammartino which a lot of young fans heard of, but aren't too familiar with. The technology we have today is there for ppl to look up legends from the past. I've been doing this recently by watching old NWA matches that were way before my time, and I've gained a whole new appreciation for wrestling in general.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think it's a bit of an exaggeration to say it's a "genius" move by WWE to introduce Sting to their audience through WWE 2K15, but it's certainly not going to do any harm. While it is indeed true that many of the younger WWE fans will not be that familiar with Sting's work in WCW (or TNA), with the technology available now it really isn't difficult to look up wrestling from the 80s or 90s, and become knowledgable about the talent back then.

Sting is an icon of the business, and any casual wrestling fan with any interest at all in the past will be aware of him but putting him on the new game as a character will certainly bring him to the attention of the younger generation who haven't seen him, and hopefully encourage them to look up his work on the Network/YouTube/Internet/DVDs etc, and then if he eventually DOES debut on TV the fans will give him an even bigger reaction.

"IIIIIIIIITTTTT'SSSSS SSSHHHHOOWWWWTTIMMMMMMEE!!"

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I don't know. This may be counterintuitive but this reminds me of reading the book before seeing the movie and finding the movie disappointing. Seeing Sting in a video game and then seeing the 2014/2015 version of Sting for the first time live may be a rude awakening. The guy didn't look good in TNA. If he is going to compete in WWE and want a new generation to look at him as the old Sting, WWE has a lot of work to do. Sting has a lot of work to do.

Putting him in a video game sounds like a good way to sell more video games. It probably won't hurt his debut if he ever shows up live but it is not that big of a help. Sting is just continuing to get older while we wait. Hopefully he is using this time to get in shape.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I don't know. This may be counterintuitive but this reminds me of reading the book before seeing the movie and finding the movie disappointing. Seeing Sting in a video game and then seeing the 2014/2015 version of Sting for the first time live may be a rude awakening. The guy didn't look good in TNA. If he is going to compete in WWE and want a new generation to look at him as the old Sting, WWE has a lot of work to do. Sting has a lot of work to do.

Putting him in a video game sounds like a good way to sell more video games. It probably won't hurt his debut if he ever shows up live but it is not that big of a help. Sting is just continuing to get older while we wait. Hopefully he is using this time to get in shape.

Yeah, it depressed me seeing Sting wrestle in a t-shirt in TNA. I'm not expecting him to be anywhere near as ripped as he was in his prime- the guy is over 50 years old, but I hope if his physique isn't that great that WWE at least design him some attire that covers up his body while still looking pretty stylish- something like MVP's would work well.

Looking at some of Sting's attires in his Crow gimmick in WCW, he wore something similar on occasion anyway.

 

[shafe_41]

It will make little to no difference whatsoever. Plus can you sit there and guarantee he's not going to debut by the time the game is released? Nope. At least point, I'm as sick of hearing about Sting in a WWE ring as I am hearing about when people think CM Punk is coming back, if he's coming back, or anything else that has to do with CM Punk. I don't really care. The game isn't going to sell any better because it's been a repetitive game for the last how many years?

It's not a terrible move putting him in the game, but it was only a matter of time anyway. It's not quite a "smart" move. It's pretty much just... a move.