FNR4 DLC Details
by 
EA has revealed plans for upcoming Fight Night Round 4 downloadable content. The DLC will come in two waves one being in early August and the other in early September. The DLC will be available for free for both the 360 and PS3.
- August: New gameplay sliders (punch accuracy, counter punch window, boxer stamina), a new gym, new equipment, and an alternate Sugar Ray Leonard exclusive to the 360.
- September: Button control scheme.
It was almost inevitable that EA would have to add the button controls back given how prevalent discussion around the topic has been with consumers seemingly split down the middle on whether they prefer the analog stick or buttons. EA could’ve avoided all of that however they were stubborn and dismissive throughout development in regards to offering alternative button controls. Now it will over three months after release when the buttons become available via DLC having already alienated many it may be too late. Certainly the claim now that they are providing what the consumers want with choice seems less than genuine after the way they treated the situation over the last several months.
This DLC news is unrelated to a potential patch coming down the line that will adjust the troubling stamina system amongst other things. No ETA or further details has been provided about the patch.
July 7, 2009 at 8:20 pm
FIRST!
July 7, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Grr, I gotta wait until September…ugh
July 7, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Boo at the decision to implement buttons…
July 7, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Why? How does someone playing with different controls negatively affect you? I'm genuinely curious.
No idea if they'll allow buttons online, I'm guessing they won't. But its not like people aren't throwing a million punches with the stick. Buttons or stick doesn't change the way people will play if fatigue is broken.
July 7, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I'll never understand why people think fatigue is broken, everyone I've played that spam punches are tired and then knocked out by round 3 or 4.
I'll answer for him with this pasta, if they were allowed online, would you be in favor of it? despite it creating an unleveled playing field?
July 8, 2009 at 2:53 am
I do believe that a different control can affect the games. But I of a strong mindset in everything that the only way to ensure total fairness is to have all variables EXACTLY the same. Again, thats just my opinion and I tend to be too "logical" for my own good.
July 8, 2009 at 2:54 am
I do believe that a different control can affect the games. But I am of a strong mindset in everything that the only way to ensure total fairness is to have all variables EXACTLY the same. Again, thats just my opinion and I tend to be too "logical" for my own good.
July 8, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I like options and to allow gamers the choice of buttons or sticks is the way it should be. Even for online games, people should be able to use the control scheme they choose. I don't think a button masher would have an advantage….
July 7, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Screw buttons.
July 7, 2009 at 8:39 pm
i dont mind the tpc once you get used to it but anything about any new fighters like mayweather
July 7, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Lame, hopefully they ban the button mashers from online
July 7, 2009 at 9:00 pm
peace to the button mashers LOL, they cried and got what they wanted… My bro cannot play w/ the stick and almost broke my controller LOL… yeah button mashers are very upset
July 7, 2009 at 10:10 pm
F$#@ all the scrubs who have no stick skills….learn something new….and stop crying….I know people who are almost 50 years old and they can play with the stick….your just a loser and need to blame it on the controls.
and there is an advantage using a button vs a stick….
you can press two buttons or more faster than someone can make a series of movements on a stick to throw the same punches….thats an un-level playing field…and why EA put it in there.
Use the little bit of brain you do have and learn how to use the controls the way they are.
SHUT UP and PLAY or GO THE F$#@ HOIME!!!
July 7, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I'll copy and paste exactly what I said on another site:
WAAH WAAH I CANT LERN SUMTHIN NUU! GIMME MAH BUTTONS EA!!!!!!!!
looks like button mashers got their wish, As long as they're not allowed in ranked matches or World Championship Online Mode, I could care less about the option.
Sadly, I think they will be allowed which will ruin the game for people with skill. Button Mashers can complain all they want but TPC users have more skill as we can use any scheme and play, but give them sticks and they whine and cry instead of taking a maximum of 2 matches to get used to it. Anybody with common sense will tell you that button mashers have the advantage because it's obviously alot easier to tap a button than moving the stick (even if it's only .001 seconds difference, it matters).
Today I'm disgusted with EA for giving in to whiners (not disgusted if they're stuck offline or unranked matches though)
July 8, 2009 at 2:11 am
you kinda sound like you're whining right now.
July 7, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I am the only one who thinks twirling your body in circle aka the fake bob and weave is a glitch? Please tell me someone else out there do not like this sort of play in FNR4
July 7, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Pay for Button Control Config or am I wrong?
July 8, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Wrong….The article reads all DLC is free.
July 7, 2009 at 11:11 pm
what are yall talkin about? Everybody talkin about bye to the button mashers or how button mashers are mad. HAVE ANY OF YOU PLAYED FN4 ONLINE YET? This is the most spamming garbage I've ever seen in an online game. Yall think people pressing buttons is what's wrong with it? get outta here. You was probably wack in FN3 and you think it was because of people pressing buttons. Yall are probably some of the main ones spamming the same punches online in FN4. Buttons or stick, if they don't fix the stamina issue this is never gonna be fixed. You couldn't go out and throw punches like that in FN3. Can EA please come out with a game that isn't messed up from the very beginning?
July 7, 2009 at 11:15 pm
just as you're wack with the sticks. Of course people spam if you can't learn to back up, weave, block, and counter punch, you're less skilled than those spammers.
I've never played a spammer that made it to the 5th round of the match because they're too tired from all their spamming to block my punches.
July 8, 2009 at 2:13 am
yeah okay thats a bunch of BS. You obviously haven't read the complaints about the issue with stamina.
July 7, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Believe it or not, I'm not one of those people who believes that they need to be the shit at everything I do. I sucked with the analog stick. Let's not get it twisted though. I'm no button masher. They should take away stamina faster for people who wanna play like that.
It's an option that should be included in game like it was last time. It should be there for the people who just wanna enjoy the game. Even offline. But since it's not being available till September, I might wait longer cause NCAA, Madden, NHL and few other games will be out by then. EA lost my $60.
July 7, 2009 at 11:47 pm
I'm so glad they're adding sliders for counter window & stamina. These were the only issues plaguing the game for me. Now this games go from a 9 to a 10 in my eyes. Why the hell do PS3 owners always get screwed on exclusive DLC?
July 8, 2009 at 12:01 am
I wonder how much EA will charge for DLC number 1! 10 bucks? I would pay that/ Go EA GO!
July 8, 2009 at 12:53 am
Look !!! We live in a free world! Who the FCUK is EA sports, to tell ME or Us how to play our favorite game? I have a broken big finger long time ago, and I really enjoied FNR3. FNR 4 I cant play phisicaly, untill there want be button control. If No buttons for FNR4, let the EA sports puut there FNR4 in theree BIIG smelly AEASSS!!!!
July 8, 2009 at 12:56 am
I already paid for my fnr4 85us dollars. For this unbuttoned SHIT!!!! Now i have to buy buttons control??? FCUK THE EA SPORTS!!!!!! See you in COURT agaisnt EA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Big LIERS!!!!!
July 8, 2009 at 12:25 pm
hey ass clowns read the full post the DLC is fucking FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 8, 2009 at 12:59 am
Hey STICK Players!!! This message is FOR U!!! Why DONT YO, TAKE UR STICKS, THEN PUT IT IN UR ASSES AND TRY TO PLAY FNR4? HUH?!!!
July 8, 2009 at 1:26 am
I think games (especially sports games) are starting to set a scary and IMO unexcepteble precedent with DLC. Every sports game that comes out nowadays comes out with egregious flaws that are then needed to be remedied via DLC. I'm not saying there should be DLC, but it feels like to me that these developers are not doing enough diligent work and relying heavily on DLC. I can understand DLC to fix online bugs that are hard to test for, but all of these AI problems and stuff that should be caught in development being fixed via DLC is just ridiculous.
This kind of stuff makes me not want to buy games until they've been released for a couple months and all the DLC content is available because it's so frustrating waiting in anticipation for a game to come out only to get home and play a bug riddled game and having to wait *again* for the DLC. We're actually paying game developers to be beta testers and at $60 a pop that's pretty steep for essentially a demo. I don't know what the answer is because it seems that we've already headed down this path as most gamers are ready and willing to oblige.
July 8, 2009 at 1:56 am
Cant believe I have to wait until September to play the best boxing game ever made.
July 8, 2009 at 3:16 am
Am I the only one that sees an easy fix for this? Make it an option in the online menu… Make an option to allow you to choose whether you want to fight only the same control scheme or if you are open to everybody.
Also, this is almost a good sign for gaming in general. People will take different side on the DLC Patch argument, but I think it opens up some avenues for developers…. What if the stick only controls were really great and made the game amazing (ala NHL07)? Wouldnt the experiment of a button-less scheme be worth it? Yes, but probably not without the ability to patch it later. Basically it allows the Dev's to be more bold, to try new things. We may be the biggest fan base in all mediums, but there is little arguing that we are also one of the hardest to please. Often times the bold risky move will pay off, other times it wont, but if you can fix it, then it takes a lot of the risk away.
The key thing moving forward is that you try to build the game in a way that patches will be able to work. No small task, but one that will (or at least should be) figured out soon enough.
July 8, 2009 at 3:54 am
Well, if they've alienated people as you suggest, Pasta, too bad for them. It's a great game. In FNR3 I felt like you had more control using the sticks than you ever did with the buttons so TPC hasn't been an issue for me. My guess is they took their stance because they felt if they were eventually going to add buttons, they'd want to do it the right way. FNR4 isn't a fighting game – it's a boxing game. Simply adding the button controls they had in the last version to this version would break the tweaks they've made that make FNR4 so much better. Here's $20 on the table right now that even after they add the buttons, people will still be complaining that they aren't as fast or responsive as they think they should be. Mark my words.
July 8, 2009 at 4:03 am
My name is Ishe Smith, I am a professional boxer, I have boxed 23yrs, had a amateur record of 100-17, and I have a current professional record of 21-3, I was very excited for this game to come out, but once again EA has dropped the ball. I have a whole list of complaints, but I will on list the ones that have pissed me off the most.
1. In boxing the first thing your taught is how to block a punch, hands up chin down is what I learned at 8 years old. You are taught to catch body shots with you elbows, not drop your damn hands to block them. I wish EA would have implemented a system where you can have your hands up and flick the stick down to the left or down to the right to block body shots. The reason punch spammers are having so much success is they go body, head, head, body and it is almost impossible to keep up with defense. Grab Duran or Hagler and you can easy win almost all the time with this technique, which is not boxing at all.
2. The damn stamina is almost unreal, there are only some special boxers in the sport who can honestly throw 100 punches a round and not get tired, EA has it where everyone can do it and not get tired, all you have to do is keep up your stamina with the points system and you will be fine, especially with Hagler and Duran, the biggest cheese boxers in the game, grab them throw 100 punches a round and you will almost never lose. I would have liked them to give you points for each category, so in that way if you come out fighting like a dumb ass just throwing, you would have no points for stamina, if you didnt have good defense then you would barely get points for damage, and health would be I guess given or not given points based if you won the rd, ya know like a real point system. but instaed we got some crazy point system where a guy can be rewarded by throwing 1200 punches in a 10rd fight, not boxing friends.
3. The head butt button needs to be gone all together, I was boxing someone and beating his ass, he headbutted me 4 times, on the 3rd time the ref took a point, what in hell did that do. Anything intentional in boxing, especially a headbutt will automatically cause a point deduction. I can understand the low blow being in the game, because us boxers do that from time to time, sometimes purposely. But I can almost bet my right nut that if any boxer headbutts like they do on the game, a point would be deducted, 2 headbutts, a DQ. You ask why am I complaining about this? It changed the damn fight, I in turn had to focus all my points on damage because I would have been stopped by the 4 times he headbutted me do to damage. You need to get rid of that damn button all together and if your going to allow people to headbutt on purpose the ref should take points the first time and DQ the second, especially since 1 headbutt causes a cut off the top.
4. The game also lacks the ability to move, it feels like I am glued to the canvas, thats another reason spammers once again are able to just keep the heat up and throw punches, because you cant get away.
5. What happened to one hitter quitters? This does happen in boxing ya know, and if a guy is going to constantly throw dumb ass haymakers the whole rd, if he gets counter he should be more hurt than the game lets him be.
In closing I am a real boxer and this game is arcade'ish at best and lacks the ability to show you what real boxing is about, and that is why the UFC game has received so many positive reviews because it really takes technique to play that game, from the ground up, you have to really be on your stuff to reach the top in that game. Fight Night is not a skillful game right now, just come out and throw punches and you will most likely win with certain boxers, and thats the truth. Hopefully it will be fixed with a patch, but if not we still got UFC, NCAA10, and Madden 10 to hold us over. Just my opinions and thougths, God Bless. Look for me on facebook, twitter, or myspace.
Ishe Smith
July 8, 2009 at 9:46 am
EA has been notorious for making cheese fest games; however, in their defense, it's hard to make a game that people aren't going to find exploits and use them all day online. This is why I'm primarily an *offline* player of all sports games. Sure there are games that aren't very fun to play offline, such as FNR4 and UFC for example, but when it comes to team games, I'd much rather play offline season modes.
As for you list of complaints, don't expect these issues to be addressed in any meaningful way. Another thing EA is notorious for is making a game look pretty with bells and whistles but lacking in substance. Any purist and aficionado of a sport will easy spot all of the major flaws in all of their sports titles. They are a make money first company (can't blame them for that I suppose) as oppose to a fundamentally sound and realistic play developer. Many argue that realistic isn't "fun" in video games, but I believe that's the point to being called a "sim"? No? Anyways, I'm not a pro boxer, but I feel your pain. I experience similar feelings when it comes to football and Madden. I'm not even hoping for great anymore, just playable!
July 8, 2009 at 1:49 am
I personally don't use buttons and think that there should only be one option for online, but they should still offer a choice for offline play. Yeah some people are just mashing on the stick but it's a lot easier to beat that and adding buttons won't improve the situation.
While they must not have expected to do this seeing of how long it's taking them, saying it's a response to the community does sound kind of meaningless.
July 8, 2009 at 12:20 pm
hope all you button mashing babies are happy. now you all can stop bitching about it, fight like the game should be fought learn how to use total punch control or sit there and shut up its not EA fault you suck at the game with no buttons.
July 8, 2009 at 12:49 pm
It wouldn't be so bad if the sticks were accurate. Noob!
July 8, 2009 at 5:25 pm
looks like I'll consider buying this game in september, but with Madden coming out idk if I'll want to.
July 9, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Online does not makes sense. I get stunned by jabs and when I nail my opponents with counter uppercuts (after I time their body spam perfectly) that should remove their heads from their shoulders their health doesn't move much more than any other punch. The stamina is terrible, with guys throwing more haymakers than any other punch and still having 75% of their stamina remaining at the end of the fight. If I catch someone with a hard straight (especially if my best punch is a straight) while they are drawn back for a haymaker, they should be stunned, knocked down, or KO'd. Online, I am over .500, but in World Champ mode I am 4-5 with 3 KO's and in only one of my losses was I actually beaten. My other four losses were from spammers who weren't punished by throwing a lot of punches or by the 40+ counters I usually land against those guys. I will continue to play to refine my stick skills, but it's absurd that he who throws the most body punches wins.
July 9, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I think it's funny how you people are calling the people who want buttons "complainers" because you are basically complaining that they are going to implement buttons. EA has brain washed you with there innacurate twirl stick. TPC makes the fighters look like robots. With buttons you're fighter throws what you want him to and it looks much more fluid because your not loading up your punches.
July 12, 2009 at 3:14 am
There is no difference between the button mashers and the stick mashers. I've been in numerous online fights so far where the guy just picks Ali and then throws about 300 punches in each round and easily wins. It's bullshit really. Whether you use the sticks or the buttons, you can still wildly throw punches, and with the stamina not being realistic it makes it stupid no matter which technique you are using.
July 14, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I love how people talk crap about "button smashers" however it takes just as much skill to use the buttons. your not just sitting there smashing away at random buttons, there are certain buttons for certain punches and you have to push a combination of buttons to throw a certain punch(like the uppercut) – stick punchers act like they can walk on water. A stick fighter will get beat anyday by someone who used buttons. Its just that simple. If you use stick, so what. If you use buttons, so what. Its all about what your comfortable with. I'm glad they are making it available in the DLC and I think that the button configuration should have been in the game. Dumb that its not.