AFL Live 2 Announced

[whiteninness]

Okay, this is a cricket forum yeah?

I know, but I still think this is worthwhile news. Despite slaving away at this cricket game, and releasing a recent big updated to the NRL game, ANOTHER game is on the way, this one being the second AFL one.

Here is a link to the release on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/notes/tru-blu-entertainment-pty-ltd/afl-live-2-announced/589979147692001

I think that people who link the cricket game when it's released (possibly around the same time) should give this one a go. Maybe they've never heard of AFL or are a pom who has only watched a few highlights before, but video games can be a great way to get a first taste of the sport. I know I got that with Ice Hockey about 10 years ago.

The first game was good, albeit not perfect, but definitely the first ever truly enjoyable AFL game, particularly online.

 

[umosay]

No PC version booooo :P

 

[Stoneyhawk]

Ross....did BA make this game or was it Wicked Witch. Hope it was you!

 

[BigAntStudios]

I am out of direct internet coverage at the moment - unfortunately I have to let it be known that we at Big Ant Studios are not involved with AFL Live 2.

Obviously we are passionate AFL fans (go Blues!!) and would have loved to have been involved however we could not come to terms that suited all parties.

 

[whiteninness]

I apologise, I just read Ross's post on BigFooty and was about to quote it here before he did it himself.

Disappointing, but hopefully Wicked Witch (it is them yeah?) has learnt from the first set of games, where BA made the PS3, 360 and PC versions (much later for PC) and Wicked Witch made the Wii version, which had more features but much less sophisticated gameplay, that was setup for Wii-style "waggle minigames".

If given the option of just a BA AFL game or a BA cricket game + another company's AFL game then I'd choose the latter, but I'd still have preferred BA do both. Probably not possible to do both at a high quality I suppose for a smallish company.

MODS: Possibly worth deleting this thread

 

[Biggs]

In before delete: Cricket > AFL

 

[Stoneyhawk]

I am out of direct internet coverage at the moment - unfortunately I have to let it be known that we at Big Ant Studios are not involved with AFL Live 2.

Obviously we are passionate AFL fans (go Blues!!) and would have loved to have been involved however we could not come to terms that suited all parties.

I knew it.....damn!

 

[MattW]

I wonder where that leaves Big Ant in terms of other sports to leverage their game engine beyond Cricket. Unless it just means you'll get 'Australian Rules Football 15' next year as an unlicensed competitor.

 

[mattk]

I wonder where that leaves Big Ant in terms of other sports to leverage their game engine beyond Cricket. Unless it just means you'll get 'Australian Rules Football 15' next year as an unlicensed competitor.

I would love that so much. I don't think there is much money in an Aussie Rules game without the AFL licence though.

 

[sami ullah khan]

in before delete
Cricket>Soccer

 

[Biggs]

I wonder where that leaves Big Ant in terms of other sports to leverage their game engine beyond Cricket.

Perhaps part of their companies restructuring meant that they cut down on the amount of product they're involved in? Focusing on Cricket and League titles prolly means they've got a wider international audience than just AFL which is pretty limited... considering the resources involved in such titles, more bang for your buck on those two sports? Dunno...

 

[MattW]

Cricket>Soccer

Football > Football.

 

[varunschuey]

Football > Football.

Football > Soccer

 

[whiteninness]

Perhaps part of their companies restructuring meant that they cut down on the amount of product they're involved in? Focusing on Cricket and League titles prolly means they've got a wider international audience than just AFL which is pretty limited... considering the resources involved in such titles, more bang for your buck on those two sports? Dunno...

Cricket definitely but the "international" aspect of rugby league is hyped up more than it actually is. Granted I'm not a Kiwi like you, but from all of my understanding it seems to be a distant second to Union. There is one NZ team in the NRL that isn't overly strong, in comparison with powerful Super15 teams. Comparing the NZ NRL team to the All Blacks is pointless.

You're then just left with England, where RL is a distant fourth behind soccer, cricket and union. Maybe further behind if you include tennis. Again, I'm not a pom either but this is what I believe.

As a broad statement I'd say AFL is slightly more popular than NRL in Australia, although I'm not really interested in a huge debate on a cricket forum. The attendances and memberships are much higher, whilst the NRL gets slightly better TV ratings (although always inflated by State of Origin but hey it's a great spectacle so good on them). Given it takes more effort and money to go to games and buy memberships rather than watch on the tele, I reckon that says something.

Overall, an NRL game would likely sell better if you add on the small international aspect but I wouldn't have thought it'd be enough to say "we'll only go with league from now on". Cricket is a different story though.

One other aspect though is there have been good rugby league games in the past by other companies. They do not have the same negative stigma as the horrible AFL games of the past had.

I think that Big Ant made a very big mistake (I'd love to hear Ross's thoughts) in calling the game AFL Live, because the rubbish games by other companies were also called AFL Live 2003, 2004 etc... I know many people who thought it was made by the same company and therefore they wouldn't bother buying it. A lot of effort was put in by Ross and the team to change the public's mentality, through all of the forum and EB games/JB Hi Fi visits, but the simple naming of it undid much of that good work I think.

 

[timchrist984]

In before delete: Cricket > AFL

in before delete
Cricket>Soccer

No, just no. AFL > Any sport in the world