zimrahil
Retired Administrator
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2001
- Location
- Birmingham, England
- Online Cricket Games Owned
-
- Don Bradman Cricket 14 - Xbox 360
- Don Bradman Cricket 14 - Steam PC
To cut down on the number of stickies and to make things simpler I have put all the Q & A's into this one thread.
Asked by Barmyarmy:
Are you going to be fixing any of the bugs from Cricket2002 that were still in Cricket2004?
Definitely. One of the first things that we do when we start a new game is go through bugs from the previous game and look to ways of fixing them.
Asked by Stevie:
Are you bringing the game out earlier as a result of the fierce competition with Codemasters?
No. Our development plan is locked to when we felt was the best time to release a game.
Asked by thecricketfan:
What changes have been made in terms of game play compared to the last EA cricket game?
This list is too long to list in this context. However, some key points to note are:
- - Completely new technology has allowed us to deliver a much smoother fluid gameplay experience. We have seen what can be done with this technology by what we achieved with Rugby 2005 this year. Cricket will benefit from the same improvements. Have such a solid technology base means that we can focus far more on perfecting the game play.
- - Utilization of EAC?s motion capture facility has meant that we have amazing data to work with. All of EA?s games are motion-captured here. While this, on the surface, appears to be just visual, capturing over 1000 new moves has meant that we can realistically animate real world cricket game play.
- - The all new bowling HUD and bowling stamina means that the gamer is rewarded for good bowler management and varying line and length according to the pitch and the facing batsman
- - With the new animations, we have been able to deliver even more batting moves, so that batting feels more realistic than ever
- - Fielding is always a challenge for cricket games. We have worked a great deal on refining the system and ensuring that each fielder responds as he should?.and the wicket keeper will field the ball.
Asked by fanirama:
What kind of game engine is powering it and what kind of improvements will we see visually over Cricket 2004.
As with Rugby, we have used the FIFA technology. Not enough can be said about this technology. Working with makes building video games such a joy. As you will be seeing with the screenshots and the movie that will soon be released, Cricket 2005 looks stunning.
Asked by themuel:
Will swing actually be in this game for fast bowlers?
It sure is. The other thing with bowling is that if you bowl consistently good and varied line and length, special deliveries are made available to the bowler. These are different depending on each individual bowler. If the batsman starts to strike back and hits a couple of boundaries, these are taken away until you build up good consistency again.
General:
Will there be any online play?
Not this year.
Asked by Hero:
As Codemasters are implementing new features to make improve their bowling to make it as much fun as possible, what steps have HB taken to enhance the enjoyment of bowling?
Please see above.
Asked by m_vaughan:
Is it going to be released on PCCD or PCDVD?
PCCD
Asked by denver82:
for the second most popular sport in the world are we going to see such a limited (and delayed in the UK) release like last year?
No
Asked by ritwik:
Will we be able to add and edit players, teams and tournaments ?
there is a full player editor offered?the same as FIFA.
Asked by zimrahil:
Does the CPU pace their innings intelligently for a change, like keeping wickets intact for a final assault when chasing a large total in a one-day match, or if CPU only requires 10 of the last 5 overs with 4 wickets left, will it bat sensibly and cautiously to ensure the win and not just slog at every ball. I.e is the match situation now taken into account ?
Yes. This is something that we have worked hard on this year. Writing situation specific AI is a challenge, but something that we believe we have made significant advances on.
Asked by Ste:
what modes can we expect in this years release ?
We have 11 modes in total, but each of these will have a number of sub modes. We have everything from Tests, One dayers, The Ashes, International Tours, Domestic Seasons, C&G Trophy, Frizzell Championship, Pura Milk Cup, ING, the list goes on? The depth of game-play will keep cricket fans playing for a long time.
waleed123:
Will it have official updates at the ea sports website?
I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO HERE. DO YOU MEAN UPDATED INFORMATION? IF SO, THEN YES THAT IS THE PLAN. IF YOU MEAN CONTENT UPDATES DOWNLOADABLE FOR THE GAME, THAT IS NOT THE PLAN AT THIS STAGE.
gamerkid22:
is a demo going to be released?
YES
Skateboarder2:
Will there be any changes in the bowling system to make it as fun and exciting as batting?
WE HAVE UPDATED THE BOWLING SYSTEM. I SPOKE ABOUT THIS IN MY LAST INTERVIEW FOR THE SITE, HOWEVER, IN SHORT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NEW BOWLING HUD THAT MAKES BOWLING MORE INTUITIVE. ANOTHER GREAT ADDITION IS SPECIAL DELIVERIES FOR EACH BOWLER. A BOWLER IS REWARDED FOR CONSISTENTLY GOOD LINE AND LENGTH THAT LIMITS THE BATSMANS RUN RATE WITH SPECIAL DELIVERIES THAT ARE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE BOWLER. HOWEVER, IF THE BATSMAN MANAGES TO STRIKE BACK, THE SPECIAL DELIVERIES ARE LOST UNTIL THE BOWLER ONCE AGAIN WORKS HIS MAGIC.
Zoraxdoom:
Is there rain and Duckworth Lewis in ODIs?
DOES ANYBODY TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE?
Have rules like Free Hits in 20-20 matches or points tables been properly fixed and implemented?
YES, WE HAVE WORKED A LOT ON THESE.
Hero:
Can we expect some historical teams in this game as it is real fun to play with All time great teams of different countries.
THE CHALLENGE THAT WE AT EA HAVE WITH HISTORICAL TEAMS IS THAT FOR THE MOST PART HISTORICAL PLAYERS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO OFFICIALLY LICENSE. HOWEVER, THERE IS A VERY COOL CREATE A PLAYER FEATURE THAT WILL ALLOW USERS TO CREATE ANY PLAYER/TEAM THEY CHOOSE AND TAKE THEM ONTO THE FIELD.
Any thing new added to fielding or you have taken any step to streamline manual fielding?
EACH YEAR WE TRY TO FURTHER REFINE EACH AND EVERY CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE GAME WITHOUT INTERUPTING THE CORE MECHANIC. ONE THING THAT I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS BUILDING GAMES IS THAT THE COMMUNITY LOVE REFINEMENTS, BUT IF YOU GO AND CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM AROUND, THAT VERY OFTEN HAS A NEGATIVE RESPONSE AS IT MEANS THEY HAVE TO LEARN ALL THE BASICS ALL OVER AGAIN.
Will there be a button to save replay?
NO, SORRY NOT THIS TIME. NOT ALL PLATFORMS DEAL WITH THIS VERY WELL DUE TO MEMORY CONSTRAINTS. AS SUCH IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE LEFT FOR NEXT TIME. THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT TOOK PRECEDENCE.
uzi2005:
Will the face expressions be dynamic? like in Fifa 2005 and other Ea brand games?
YES. WE HAVE USED THE FIFA ENGINE AND ANIMATION TOOLS WHICH MEANS THAT OUR FACES WILL ANIMATE AS THEY DO IN FIFA.
Will P:
How about equipment licencing, we have seen in BLIC there will be Bat liscensing. What will Cricket2005 have - licensed bats for example ? If not what is ?
OUR FOCUS FOR CRICKET 2005 HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE PLAYERS AND STADIUMS. PULLING TOGETHER OUR FULL LICENSING STRATEGY FOR TEAMS, PLAYERS, KITS, (ESPECIALLY ALL OF THE COUNTY CRICKET TEAMS), TOURNAMENTS AND STADIUMS HAS BEEN A MONSTER EFFORT AND THE RESULTS ARE AWESOME. ALL THE REAL AND UP TO DATE KITS, TEAM LOGOS AND PLAYERS ETC MAKE FOR A TRULY AUTHENTIC PLAYING EXPERIENCE.
Howzat:
Is there a career mode?
THERE ARE A SERIES OF SEASON/CAREER STYLE MODES THAT INVOLVE TAKING YOUR TEAM ON TOURS AROUND THE WORLD?JUST LIKE REAL CRICKET.
Thurya:
What tournament will you use as South African Domestic, Club or Province or both? Also what about for NZ?
WE DO NOT HAVE OFFICIALLY LICENSED SOUTH AFRICAN OR NEW ZEALAND DOMESTIC TOURNAMENTS AT THIS POINT. THE FOCUS THIS YEAR WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE AUSTRALIAN AND ENGLISH DOMESTIC TOURNAMENTS CORRECT WHICH WAS A CHALLENGE.
1. In the interviews you did for Cricket 2004, you described many things that would be in the game, but were not in the finished product (presumably due to time constraints?). With that in mind, why should we believe what you say about this game?
I HAVE ALWAYS ENDEAVOURED TO BE HONEST AND DIRECT IN ALL INTERVIEWS THAT I HAVE DONE. AT TIMES, THINGS GET CUT AT THE LAST MINUTE DUE TO TIME CONTRAINTS OR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. I ANSWER DIRECTLY EACH AND EVERY TIME?IT IS YOUR CHOICE WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE.
2. In the event of there being any bugs in Cricket 2005 (of course we hope this isn't the case), would you be willing to look at any bug report we give you, and would there be a patch this time?
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT ANY BUG LISTS. AT THE POINT THAT I CAN GAIN A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES, I WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT A PATCH.
3. The bug where the team reverts to the default line-up after the re-load of a saved game was in Cricket 2002 and Cricket 2004. So when you say "One of the first things that we do when we start a new game is go through bugs from the previous game and look to ways of fixing them.", have you actually done this for Cricket 2005?
YES.
4. Will EA actually listen to customers complaints this time? Not a single one of our forum's members recieved a useful response from EA Technical Support with regards to Cricket 2004. Will you be able to give personal assurances that any complaints are sufficiently addressed?
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE THAT I CAN ANSWER. THIS IS FAR TOO SUBJECTIVE. WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE QUESTIONS ARE OR THE ANSWERS GIVEN, I CANNOT MAKE JUDGEMENT OR GIVE ANY ASSURANCE AS TO WHETHER IT IS SUFFICIENT. ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THAT WE TRY AND DO ALL WE CAN AS A COMPANY AND OUR TECH SUPPORT GUYS HAVE AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT JOB SOLVING PROBLEMS OVER THE PHONE OR VIA E-MAIL. WHILE WE WOULD LIKE TO, DUE TO THE SUBJECTIVE NATURE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER, IT IS VERY TOUGH TO PLEASE EVERYONE ALL THE TIME.
5. What is the scheduled date for the release of the demo?
WE ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THIS AT PRESENT. OUR PRIMARY FOCUS WAS ON GETTING THE GAME DONE. I WILL KNOW MORE ABOUT DEMO TIMING IN THE COMING WEEKS.
6. In the screenshots for Cricket 2005, we have seen the following things:
(i) Red ball and white sightscreen used in ODIs.
(ii) Ricky Ponting batted left-handed
(iii) Brett Lee bowling spin
(iv) Ridicously low, and highly un-realistic scores.
Will all these be corrected before the game's release?
YES?THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF THAT CHANGES LATE IN THE CYCLE. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ?TOOLS? IN THE CODE TO HELP TEST STRANGE SITUATIONS?THESE GET REMEDIED THROUGH THE TESTING PHASE.
7. There are fewer stadiums in Cricket 2005 than in Cricket 2004. It seems to us that this represents a backwards step in terms of gameplay. What forward steps have you taken with regards to gameplay? (NOT GRAPHICS)
I HAVE DISCUSSED GAMEPLAY IN A NUMBER OF PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS. ON THE SUBJECT OF STADIUMS?WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW DYNAMIC LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR STADIUMS THAT SEES THE STADIUMS CAST SHADOWS UPON THEMSELVES. THESE STADIUMS TAKE SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER TO BUILD AND AS SUCH, WE COULD NOT COMPLETE AS MANY IN THE TIME THAT WE HAD. WHEN MAKING THE DECISION, WE DID A GREAT DEAL OF FOCUS GROUP TESTING AMOUNG OUR CONSUMERS TO SEE HOW MANY STADIUMS WOULD ACTUALLY BE USED IN GAMEPLAY. WE HAVE THAT WELL AND TRULY COVERED IN CRICKET 2005. PLAYING THROUGH THE GAME, THERE ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH STADIUMS AND THEY LOOK GREAT.
8. You have said in another interview that all international teams would be in the game. I'm sure you're aware that there are almost 100 members of the ICC, so please can you confirm the exact number of international teams and what they comprise of ? Please don't just say something like "all the main international teams."
ALL THE TEAMS THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE 2003 WORLD CUP.
9. In the last batch of answers you sent us was included the following:
Question: Is there rain and Duckworth Lewis in ODIs?
Your answer: DOES ANYBODY TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE?
Many cricket fans understand the Duckworth/Lewis rule. They also expect a cricket game to feature it. So can we please have a serious answer to the following three questions:
(i) Will there be rain in ODIs?
(ii) Will the Duckworth/Lewis method be used?
(iii) If the answer to (ii) is no, what rain rule will be used?
WE DO NOT HAVE RAIN IN ODI?S AND AS SUCH, DO NOT HAVE A NEED FOR THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE. ALTHOUGH YOU BELIEVE THAT MANY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE, MANY MORE DO NOT AND IT IS VERY EASY TO MAKE AN ERROR IN CALCULATION?AS ONE INTERNATIONAL TEAM FOUND OUT NOT SO LONG AGO. WHEN WE BUILD A CRICKET GAME, WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE GAME WITH OUR ABILITY TO APPEAL TO A BROAD CRICKET LOVING AUDIENCE. WITH THE HOST OF OTHER COMPLEX CRICKET ELEMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN CRICKET 2005, THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE DID NOT MAKE THE CUT.
10. Will there be realistic pitch wear, foot marks etc, and if so will this be protrayed graphically as well as gameplay wise. I.e 5th day pitch will clearly show deterioration and will spin more etc
YES, THAT IS THE CASE, HOWEVER, THE EFFECT OF THIS IS BALANCED ACROSS A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS?TEMP, WEATHER, TEAMS PLAYING, INDIVIDUAL BOWLER ABILITY ETC.
And finally Andrew's own general comments.........
One thing that I would like to share is that we as a team build the best game possible given time, resources and technology. The development team have worked huge days, (many of them 7 days a week), throughout the entire development cycle as a result of the passion they have for the product and their desire to ship the best cricket game ever. I am very proud of what they have been able to achieve. I would challenge anyone to ?walk a mile in their shoes?. At the end of the day, while some issues have been present in years gone by, (as with all games), EA is the only company that has consistently brought Cricket games to the market over the last 8 or so years?even when it did not always make great business sense. When the community said that they liked Brian Lara/Shane Warne Cricket, we did a deal with the man who designed, produced and tuned the game. When the community said that they wanted a game that looked and felt at the same quality level as FIFA, we undertook a complete technology overhaul at great expense. No other company has shown such commitment to the sport of Cricket. So when evaluating which title to buy?we have always stuck by our consumers?now it is their turn to stick by us.
Asked by Barmyarmy:
Are you going to be fixing any of the bugs from Cricket2002 that were still in Cricket2004?
Definitely. One of the first things that we do when we start a new game is go through bugs from the previous game and look to ways of fixing them.
Asked by Stevie:
Are you bringing the game out earlier as a result of the fierce competition with Codemasters?
No. Our development plan is locked to when we felt was the best time to release a game.
Asked by thecricketfan:
What changes have been made in terms of game play compared to the last EA cricket game?
This list is too long to list in this context. However, some key points to note are:
- - Completely new technology has allowed us to deliver a much smoother fluid gameplay experience. We have seen what can be done with this technology by what we achieved with Rugby 2005 this year. Cricket will benefit from the same improvements. Have such a solid technology base means that we can focus far more on perfecting the game play.
- - Utilization of EAC?s motion capture facility has meant that we have amazing data to work with. All of EA?s games are motion-captured here. While this, on the surface, appears to be just visual, capturing over 1000 new moves has meant that we can realistically animate real world cricket game play.
- - The all new bowling HUD and bowling stamina means that the gamer is rewarded for good bowler management and varying line and length according to the pitch and the facing batsman
- - With the new animations, we have been able to deliver even more batting moves, so that batting feels more realistic than ever
- - Fielding is always a challenge for cricket games. We have worked a great deal on refining the system and ensuring that each fielder responds as he should?.and the wicket keeper will field the ball.
Asked by fanirama:
What kind of game engine is powering it and what kind of improvements will we see visually over Cricket 2004.
As with Rugby, we have used the FIFA technology. Not enough can be said about this technology. Working with makes building video games such a joy. As you will be seeing with the screenshots and the movie that will soon be released, Cricket 2005 looks stunning.
Asked by themuel:
Will swing actually be in this game for fast bowlers?
It sure is. The other thing with bowling is that if you bowl consistently good and varied line and length, special deliveries are made available to the bowler. These are different depending on each individual bowler. If the batsman starts to strike back and hits a couple of boundaries, these are taken away until you build up good consistency again.
General:
Will there be any online play?
Not this year.
Asked by Hero:
As Codemasters are implementing new features to make improve their bowling to make it as much fun as possible, what steps have HB taken to enhance the enjoyment of bowling?
Please see above.
Asked by m_vaughan:
Is it going to be released on PCCD or PCDVD?
PCCD
Asked by denver82:
for the second most popular sport in the world are we going to see such a limited (and delayed in the UK) release like last year?
No
Asked by ritwik:
Will we be able to add and edit players, teams and tournaments ?
there is a full player editor offered?the same as FIFA.
Asked by zimrahil:
Does the CPU pace their innings intelligently for a change, like keeping wickets intact for a final assault when chasing a large total in a one-day match, or if CPU only requires 10 of the last 5 overs with 4 wickets left, will it bat sensibly and cautiously to ensure the win and not just slog at every ball. I.e is the match situation now taken into account ?
Yes. This is something that we have worked hard on this year. Writing situation specific AI is a challenge, but something that we believe we have made significant advances on.
Asked by Ste:
what modes can we expect in this years release ?
We have 11 modes in total, but each of these will have a number of sub modes. We have everything from Tests, One dayers, The Ashes, International Tours, Domestic Seasons, C&G Trophy, Frizzell Championship, Pura Milk Cup, ING, the list goes on? The depth of game-play will keep cricket fans playing for a long time.
waleed123:
Will it have official updates at the ea sports website?
I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO HERE. DO YOU MEAN UPDATED INFORMATION? IF SO, THEN YES THAT IS THE PLAN. IF YOU MEAN CONTENT UPDATES DOWNLOADABLE FOR THE GAME, THAT IS NOT THE PLAN AT THIS STAGE.
gamerkid22:
is a demo going to be released?
YES
Skateboarder2:
Will there be any changes in the bowling system to make it as fun and exciting as batting?
WE HAVE UPDATED THE BOWLING SYSTEM. I SPOKE ABOUT THIS IN MY LAST INTERVIEW FOR THE SITE, HOWEVER, IN SHORT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NEW BOWLING HUD THAT MAKES BOWLING MORE INTUITIVE. ANOTHER GREAT ADDITION IS SPECIAL DELIVERIES FOR EACH BOWLER. A BOWLER IS REWARDED FOR CONSISTENTLY GOOD LINE AND LENGTH THAT LIMITS THE BATSMANS RUN RATE WITH SPECIAL DELIVERIES THAT ARE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE BOWLER. HOWEVER, IF THE BATSMAN MANAGES TO STRIKE BACK, THE SPECIAL DELIVERIES ARE LOST UNTIL THE BOWLER ONCE AGAIN WORKS HIS MAGIC.
Zoraxdoom:
Is there rain and Duckworth Lewis in ODIs?
DOES ANYBODY TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE?
Have rules like Free Hits in 20-20 matches or points tables been properly fixed and implemented?
YES, WE HAVE WORKED A LOT ON THESE.
Hero:
Can we expect some historical teams in this game as it is real fun to play with All time great teams of different countries.
THE CHALLENGE THAT WE AT EA HAVE WITH HISTORICAL TEAMS IS THAT FOR THE MOST PART HISTORICAL PLAYERS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO OFFICIALLY LICENSE. HOWEVER, THERE IS A VERY COOL CREATE A PLAYER FEATURE THAT WILL ALLOW USERS TO CREATE ANY PLAYER/TEAM THEY CHOOSE AND TAKE THEM ONTO THE FIELD.
Any thing new added to fielding or you have taken any step to streamline manual fielding?
EACH YEAR WE TRY TO FURTHER REFINE EACH AND EVERY CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE GAME WITHOUT INTERUPTING THE CORE MECHANIC. ONE THING THAT I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS BUILDING GAMES IS THAT THE COMMUNITY LOVE REFINEMENTS, BUT IF YOU GO AND CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM AROUND, THAT VERY OFTEN HAS A NEGATIVE RESPONSE AS IT MEANS THEY HAVE TO LEARN ALL THE BASICS ALL OVER AGAIN.
Will there be a button to save replay?
NO, SORRY NOT THIS TIME. NOT ALL PLATFORMS DEAL WITH THIS VERY WELL DUE TO MEMORY CONSTRAINTS. AS SUCH IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE LEFT FOR NEXT TIME. THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT TOOK PRECEDENCE.
uzi2005:
Will the face expressions be dynamic? like in Fifa 2005 and other Ea brand games?
YES. WE HAVE USED THE FIFA ENGINE AND ANIMATION TOOLS WHICH MEANS THAT OUR FACES WILL ANIMATE AS THEY DO IN FIFA.
Will P:
How about equipment licencing, we have seen in BLIC there will be Bat liscensing. What will Cricket2005 have - licensed bats for example ? If not what is ?
OUR FOCUS FOR CRICKET 2005 HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE PLAYERS AND STADIUMS. PULLING TOGETHER OUR FULL LICENSING STRATEGY FOR TEAMS, PLAYERS, KITS, (ESPECIALLY ALL OF THE COUNTY CRICKET TEAMS), TOURNAMENTS AND STADIUMS HAS BEEN A MONSTER EFFORT AND THE RESULTS ARE AWESOME. ALL THE REAL AND UP TO DATE KITS, TEAM LOGOS AND PLAYERS ETC MAKE FOR A TRULY AUTHENTIC PLAYING EXPERIENCE.
Howzat:
Is there a career mode?
THERE ARE A SERIES OF SEASON/CAREER STYLE MODES THAT INVOLVE TAKING YOUR TEAM ON TOURS AROUND THE WORLD?JUST LIKE REAL CRICKET.
Thurya:
What tournament will you use as South African Domestic, Club or Province or both? Also what about for NZ?
WE DO NOT HAVE OFFICIALLY LICENSED SOUTH AFRICAN OR NEW ZEALAND DOMESTIC TOURNAMENTS AT THIS POINT. THE FOCUS THIS YEAR WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE AUSTRALIAN AND ENGLISH DOMESTIC TOURNAMENTS CORRECT WHICH WAS A CHALLENGE.
1. In the interviews you did for Cricket 2004, you described many things that would be in the game, but were not in the finished product (presumably due to time constraints?). With that in mind, why should we believe what you say about this game?
I HAVE ALWAYS ENDEAVOURED TO BE HONEST AND DIRECT IN ALL INTERVIEWS THAT I HAVE DONE. AT TIMES, THINGS GET CUT AT THE LAST MINUTE DUE TO TIME CONTRAINTS OR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. I ANSWER DIRECTLY EACH AND EVERY TIME?IT IS YOUR CHOICE WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE.
2. In the event of there being any bugs in Cricket 2005 (of course we hope this isn't the case), would you be willing to look at any bug report we give you, and would there be a patch this time?
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT ANY BUG LISTS. AT THE POINT THAT I CAN GAIN A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES, I WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT A PATCH.
3. The bug where the team reverts to the default line-up after the re-load of a saved game was in Cricket 2002 and Cricket 2004. So when you say "One of the first things that we do when we start a new game is go through bugs from the previous game and look to ways of fixing them.", have you actually done this for Cricket 2005?
YES.
4. Will EA actually listen to customers complaints this time? Not a single one of our forum's members recieved a useful response from EA Technical Support with regards to Cricket 2004. Will you be able to give personal assurances that any complaints are sufficiently addressed?
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE THAT I CAN ANSWER. THIS IS FAR TOO SUBJECTIVE. WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE QUESTIONS ARE OR THE ANSWERS GIVEN, I CANNOT MAKE JUDGEMENT OR GIVE ANY ASSURANCE AS TO WHETHER IT IS SUFFICIENT. ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THAT WE TRY AND DO ALL WE CAN AS A COMPANY AND OUR TECH SUPPORT GUYS HAVE AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT JOB SOLVING PROBLEMS OVER THE PHONE OR VIA E-MAIL. WHILE WE WOULD LIKE TO, DUE TO THE SUBJECTIVE NATURE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER, IT IS VERY TOUGH TO PLEASE EVERYONE ALL THE TIME.
5. What is the scheduled date for the release of the demo?
WE ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THIS AT PRESENT. OUR PRIMARY FOCUS WAS ON GETTING THE GAME DONE. I WILL KNOW MORE ABOUT DEMO TIMING IN THE COMING WEEKS.
6. In the screenshots for Cricket 2005, we have seen the following things:
(i) Red ball and white sightscreen used in ODIs.
(ii) Ricky Ponting batted left-handed
(iii) Brett Lee bowling spin
(iv) Ridicously low, and highly un-realistic scores.
Will all these be corrected before the game's release?
YES?THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF THAT CHANGES LATE IN THE CYCLE. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ?TOOLS? IN THE CODE TO HELP TEST STRANGE SITUATIONS?THESE GET REMEDIED THROUGH THE TESTING PHASE.
7. There are fewer stadiums in Cricket 2005 than in Cricket 2004. It seems to us that this represents a backwards step in terms of gameplay. What forward steps have you taken with regards to gameplay? (NOT GRAPHICS)
I HAVE DISCUSSED GAMEPLAY IN A NUMBER OF PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS. ON THE SUBJECT OF STADIUMS?WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW DYNAMIC LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR STADIUMS THAT SEES THE STADIUMS CAST SHADOWS UPON THEMSELVES. THESE STADIUMS TAKE SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER TO BUILD AND AS SUCH, WE COULD NOT COMPLETE AS MANY IN THE TIME THAT WE HAD. WHEN MAKING THE DECISION, WE DID A GREAT DEAL OF FOCUS GROUP TESTING AMOUNG OUR CONSUMERS TO SEE HOW MANY STADIUMS WOULD ACTUALLY BE USED IN GAMEPLAY. WE HAVE THAT WELL AND TRULY COVERED IN CRICKET 2005. PLAYING THROUGH THE GAME, THERE ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH STADIUMS AND THEY LOOK GREAT.
8. You have said in another interview that all international teams would be in the game. I'm sure you're aware that there are almost 100 members of the ICC, so please can you confirm the exact number of international teams and what they comprise of ? Please don't just say something like "all the main international teams."
ALL THE TEAMS THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE 2003 WORLD CUP.
9. In the last batch of answers you sent us was included the following:
Question: Is there rain and Duckworth Lewis in ODIs?
Your answer: DOES ANYBODY TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE?
Many cricket fans understand the Duckworth/Lewis rule. They also expect a cricket game to feature it. So can we please have a serious answer to the following three questions:
(i) Will there be rain in ODIs?
(ii) Will the Duckworth/Lewis method be used?
(iii) If the answer to (ii) is no, what rain rule will be used?
WE DO NOT HAVE RAIN IN ODI?S AND AS SUCH, DO NOT HAVE A NEED FOR THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE. ALTHOUGH YOU BELIEVE THAT MANY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE, MANY MORE DO NOT AND IT IS VERY EASY TO MAKE AN ERROR IN CALCULATION?AS ONE INTERNATIONAL TEAM FOUND OUT NOT SO LONG AGO. WHEN WE BUILD A CRICKET GAME, WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE GAME WITH OUR ABILITY TO APPEAL TO A BROAD CRICKET LOVING AUDIENCE. WITH THE HOST OF OTHER COMPLEX CRICKET ELEMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN CRICKET 2005, THE DUCKWORTH LEWIS RULE DID NOT MAKE THE CUT.
10. Will there be realistic pitch wear, foot marks etc, and if so will this be protrayed graphically as well as gameplay wise. I.e 5th day pitch will clearly show deterioration and will spin more etc
YES, THAT IS THE CASE, HOWEVER, THE EFFECT OF THIS IS BALANCED ACROSS A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS?TEMP, WEATHER, TEAMS PLAYING, INDIVIDUAL BOWLER ABILITY ETC.
And finally Andrew's own general comments.........
One thing that I would like to share is that we as a team build the best game possible given time, resources and technology. The development team have worked huge days, (many of them 7 days a week), throughout the entire development cycle as a result of the passion they have for the product and their desire to ship the best cricket game ever. I am very proud of what they have been able to achieve. I would challenge anyone to ?walk a mile in their shoes?. At the end of the day, while some issues have been present in years gone by, (as with all games), EA is the only company that has consistently brought Cricket games to the market over the last 8 or so years?even when it did not always make great business sense. When the community said that they liked Brian Lara/Shane Warne Cricket, we did a deal with the man who designed, produced and tuned the game. When the community said that they wanted a game that looked and felt at the same quality level as FIFA, we undertook a complete technology overhaul at great expense. No other company has shown such commitment to the sport of Cricket. So when evaluating which title to buy?we have always stuck by our consumers?now it is their turn to stick by us.
