Rugby World Cup 2011 - XBOX 360 PS3 - Springboks exclusive license

Sidhe Interactive might have been facing an impossible task when they attempted to gain rights to the Springboks and Super Rugby teams from SA.  SARU denied the use of any SARU players names,  player likenesses and stadiums within the Rugby Challenge video game and offered exclusivity to 505 Games and HB Studios title Rugby World Cup 2011.  There seemed to be a nice air between Sidhe Interactive and HB Studios and not what you might expect from competing developers creating such a closely related title.  This really feels like a raw deal for Sidhe Interactive as from the get go they were creating a title that included Super Rugby teams and likely they would have wanted the Springboks for the Tri Nations matches.

From press release this week:

Milton Keynes, UK – [23, June 2011] – Further to the announcement of the forthcoming release of Rugby World Cup 2011 on 26th August, international publisher 505 Games and developer HB studios have today announced the games exclusive partnership with the South African Rugby Union (SARU). The official licensing agreement grants the exclusive use of the Rugby World Cup 2011 South African team strip, emblem, and many players’ likenesses within the game. With further licensing deals to be announced in due course, Rugby World Cup 2011 will be the authentic rugby gaming experience this summer.

Rugby World Cup 2011 is the official game of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and HB studios and 505 Games have been granted the exclusive rights for the tournament’s official game by Rugby World Cup Limited. “From a developer perspective, working with an official license always opens doors on the way to creating a more immersive gaming experience,” commented Alastair Jarvis, General Manager at HB studios. “At HB, we feel uniquely placed when it comes to rugby game development, and tying up a deal such as this only makes our dream of creating the definitive, authentic rugby title achievable.”

The first rugby title on this generation of consoles, Rugby World Cup 2011 will feature HD presentation detail extending to the inclusion of thigh tape, wrist tape, finger tape and scrum caps.

Rugby World Cup 2011 will challenge players to pick from the 20 Rugby World Cup 2011 participating teams and attempt to lead their team through the pool phase, and progress to the final with the opportunity to lift the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup. National rivalries, venues and player personalities are perfectly captured as participants will fight for the pride of their nation in either solo play or with up to three other players in local multiplayer matches. For the first time, HB Studios will give players the chance to fight for the glory of their country online by challenging other players to one-on-one matches on Xbox LIVE online entertainment network and PlayStationNetwork.“As with any sports title, we feel authenticity is key with Rugby World Cup 2011, and with that in mind, the involvement of SARU was an essential element of this title,” commented Ian Howe, President, 505 Games “With further partnerships yet to be announced, we’re confident rugby fans from around the world will be impressed with the level of detail within the game.”

Andy Marinos, the manager of the South African Rugby Union’s national teams said: “We’re delighted to be a part of giving Springbok supporters the opportunity to win the Webb Ellis Cup over and over again.

 

“HB Studios have gone to great lengths to make this game as authentic as possible allowing Springbok supporters to relive the excitement of the Rugby World Cup before, during and long after the Webb-Ellis Trophy has been won.”

 

Rugby World Cup 2011 will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 computer entertainment system on August 26th 2011. For more information, please visit the official website at www.rwc2011game.com or follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RWC2011game