That game developing is hard shouldn't be a controversial notion for anyone who can count to 10 without using their fingers, but i have a very hot take for which genre specifically is the hardest one to program for, and i'd say that's wrestling games!
Which is funny, considering how stereotypically simple-minded the average consumer for this specific kind of games is (i speak from experience).
Walking back on this statement just a tad, realistically at their highest level it's still western RPGs ala Baldur's Gate 3 or Witcher 3 that would give the most headhaches to their conceivers, but i don't think a lot of people realize just how high the bar has been set for grappling simulators starting from the 6th generation of consoles, with the likes of No Mercy, Smackdown and WCW/NWO Revenge.
As someone who has tried and failed to dabble in the creation this kinda product, setting up:
1) A chonky enough character editor for your appearance, moveset and entrance
2) Animating and programming hundreds of moves, taking in mind the specific conditions in which they can happen and how they interact with uninvolved players
3) A CPU that has to consider an extensive variety of scenarios, WAY more than your average button basher
4) Enough match types that can vastly differ from each others and that require the creation of plenty of assets and specific scripts
5) Some sort of single player mode that can piece all of the assets i just mentioned in a way that makes sense, and that successfully replicates the chaotic nature of wrestling in the process
...is fucking hard.
And feeling that first-hand made me appreciate on a whole new level indie developers like Mdickie, for putting together such a funny and unique experience, Sam from Ultra Pro Wrestling, for the incredible work he's doing reviving the AKI formula, and even the dudes at 2K, who have to work with the limitations of the yearly release model and all the DLC garbage imposed by 2K.
Ya'll em effers are cool and i got mad respect for your efforts.
