For the first time in franchise history, the Royal Rumble is going online. If there was ever something missing from a WWE Smackdown vs. Raw game, an online version of Royal Rumble was it. I had a chance to try out this new game mode last week, and along with a few other journos, set out to be the last man standing. Unfortunately for me, I was neither the last man, the second to last man, or even third. Maybe I’m getting ring rust.

The Royal Rumble is one of the most exciting pay-per-views the WWE puts on every year, and with good reason. When the winner of a thirty-man battle royal gets a title shot at Wrestlemania, there’s a lot on the line. Now, while the real event can be a giant mess with a ring full of superstars, the video game version in this year’s Smackdown vs. Raw only allows up to six players in a ring at once. There’s enough room to work, and you don’t have to worry about accidently focusing on the wrong opponent. It wouldn’t be a Royal Rumble without other wrestlers in the queue, and in addition to the six players in the ring, six more will be waiting in the wings to join the action. That’s right; WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 will allow for up to twelve different people to participate in an online Royal Rumble. If you’re not one of the first half-dozen guys in the ring, you’ll be watching everything unfold before your number is called. It’s very cool, and adds another level to the online experience that was sorely missing from previous versions.

While most of the action in the ring plays out just like a regular bout, the object of the Royal Rumble (for the few of you uninitiated) is to throw opponents out of the ring over the top rope. You can attempt this at any time, but wrestlers who have just entered the ring have a bit more strength when in comes to battling you to stay in. The more you beat up an opponent, the easier it will be for you to toss them out. Unless you have a finisher loaded up, which will toss someone out without any protest, evicting another person from the ring will result in one of three different mini-games. All three are button-mashers, with the only difference being how they play out. If you’ve got fast fingers, you’ll probably be able to prolong your tenure in the ring, but there’s always someone faster. Even if you’ve just entered the ring, someone with an aptitude for fast fingering will be able to throw you out. It’s a little frustrating, but the game at least gives you a chance to keep your place. I’m not sure how well this tactic is going to work when there are thousands of people playing the game online, clogging up the servers with their created characters, but when everything is running smoothly, it’s a pretty pleasant gameplay experience.

Players will earn prestige points according to how they performed. For every player you throw out, or help throw out, you get points. Like the offline Royal Rumble in years past, when you’re eliminated, you will get to come back as another pro later in the match. The longer you’re able to stick around, or the fewer times you’re eliminated, the more points you’ll be able to earn. While winning the entire Rumble is something everyone will strive for, there can be only winner. The points you can earn even if you don’t win make trying until the very end worth it. If there’s incentive to stick around after being eliminated, there are likely going to be less dropouts, meaning more matches will make it all the way to completion. I’m always in favor of incentives added to make people stick with the match the entire time, as with many sports titles, players will quit the moment they start to lose. Sure, the points only serve to prove how good of a player you are, and don’t really equate to anything tangible, but status is everything online. Your win/loss record may not show just how capable a wrestler you are, but your points sure will.

Putting the Royal Rumble online is a big step for THQ and the Smackown vs. Raw franchise. Giving the fans the option to finally prove their mettle around the world, instead of just their living room, is going to go a long way in not only keeping the game fresh, but also creating a more complete virtual WWE experience. I’m eager to see how well the feature holds up when there are thousands of people playing at once and lag is thrown into the mix, but as it stands, the online Royal Rumble is easily one of the best new features in WWE Smackdow vs. Raw 2011.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 is due out on October 26 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.