Rugby League Live Game Coming to 360 & PS3
by dkpatriarch
© 2010 David Hilton
When the Wii console got the long-awaited new Rugby League game earlier this year I was disappointed.
• Update: Check our review of the game now.
I was disappointed not because the game was coming (I in fact got it for Wii), but instead was unhappy that I’d be attempting to use the Wii-mote controls with it (awkward) or have to use a wired Gamecube controller instead (my kids have chosen this option as well). I wanted a wireless controller version on 360 or PS3.
Now that is going to happen. It has just been announced that Rugby League Live will be coming to the 360 and PS3 on my birthday, September 2nd. Perfect timing or what?
The version on the Wii by Sidhe was good but limited partly due to that console’s specs and partly due to the fact that unlike EA Sports, which has huge teams working on their sports titles, a smaller developer making a sports game can’t always compete at the top level, their game looking a bit rough in comparison.
The 360/PS3 game is not Rugby League 3 and has been developed by Melbourne’s Big Ant Studios, with some help from Sidhe, though the publisher remains Tru Blu Games.
Tackle Him . . . .
So another small developer, but still we expect things, don’t we? We expect the graphics to be more polished, the movement to be less jerky, and for there to be changing stats for each player based on their potential rating each year (a stats category I haven’t found in the Wii Rugby League game but find and love in my ice hockey NHL games).
What good is it getting a promising young rookie you know from watching the NRL has plenty of potential to get better for you the next season (but much cheaper to buy) only to find that he doesn’t change his stats?
I hope they are also offering offline multiplayer as well, as that doesn’t seem clear from the press release, or that will take away my bouts against my NSW-born sons.
I’m pretty keen to see how this game turns out, and if there will be a way to actually make the NSW Blues play better in State of Origin games. Otherwise I’m going to have an easy time beating them, which, like the real contest, just won’t be as exciting! Go the Maroons!
UPDATE 29/06/10: There has been some clarification about the game and the roles of Sidhe and Big Ant Studios in its production:
- Big Ant (based in Melbourne) are the developer of the title
- Sidhe were not involved in the development of this title, though they were aware it was in development from the outset
- Sidhe did provide some QA testing resource towards the backend of the project, though was not the primary testing resource
- Rugby League Live is not a port of Rugby League 3. It is a seperate title based on different technology.
- Some commentary, stadium, and motion capture/animation data from Sidhe RL titles was supplied to Big Ant to assist with development, but it is not clear how this may have been used in conjunction with new assets created by Big Ant in the final version.
Here are all the details and some pics:
SYDNEY, Australia – June 28, 2010 – Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty Ltd (HES) today announced the development and release date of Rugby League Live for PlayStation®3, and Xbox 360® due for release on September 2nd 2010.
“Rugby League Live brings all the hard hitting action and excitement of the greatest game of all to your lounge room”, said David Robles, Business Development Manager for HES. “The demand for a Rugby League game on Playstation®3 and Xbox 360® has been staggering. We have listened to our fans and we are delighted to make this announcement”, said Robles.
The features of Rugby League Live include:
- · 40+ licensed teams from competitions such as the NRL, Super League, State of Origin, City v Country, and World Cup.
- · 30+ realistic stadia from around the world.
- · 4 player multiplayer.
- · Bone crunching tackles and impact camera replays.
- · Field and uniform degradation.
- · Create your own players, teams and competitions.
- · Multiple replay angles and commentary by Andrew Voss.
- · Join friends for head to head & co-operative online play via PlayStation®Network, and Xbox LIVE®.
“Rugby League Live for Playstation®3 and Xbox 360® is an exciting addition to the NRL licensing range,” NRL Director of Marketing & Commercial, Paul Kind, said.
“The head to head multi-player feature available online is a first for Rugby League gaming and the enhanced design and interactive features provide a dynamic experience for all gamers”, said Kind.
Rugby League Live is expected to be released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and France on September 2nd, 2010. More information about the game can be found at http://www.trublu.com.au
© 2010 David Hilton
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- Tackling is hit or miss…
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- Try time!
xxxxxx
Filed under: 3rd Party Games, Console gaming, Editorial, Industry News, New Game Information, New Xbox 360 Games, Press Release, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | 360, Big Ant Studios, NRL, PS3, Rugby League, Rugby League game, Rugby League LIve, Rugby League Live Game, State of Origin, Super League
I thought the game was okay, can do some nice hits on it
If this game was made similar to that with the manager mode, It would be a much better game.
But my personal opinion is that it should have proper seasons, such as the Fifa football games where you can do the “Manager Mode” for 15 seasons, buy and sell players, train players up better things like that, and obviously the graphics could be a lot better
Just my opinion
it looks like a good game from the videos and the tackles dont look all that good and the kicking looks abit easy but im still going to get it, i play in the london youth league and im obessed with rugby league and i really want this game but im not sure if they sell in my town :S :/ but i really hope to get it for xmas
Well after much excitement, anticipation, and spent money I must say, from my own personal perspective, Rugby League Live has turned out to be a little bit of a disappointment
Many things are lacking right from the opening menu, to customization, to actual game play itself
The main menu is tainted with obscenely loud rock music, just doesn’t set a rugby league mood. Setting up a quick game is quite difficult, given that all you want to do is have a quick game. You have to go through choosing the teams, roster if you like, as well as the strip you play in, which all requires the usage of about 80% of the buttons on your control. Ridiculous! Instead of just x to go forward and triangle to go back, you now have to use O, R1 and R2 (PS3 terms) and a couple of others can’t really remember.
Customization is lacking big time. In previous games you could customize everything from stats, to birth dates, to the size of the players arms. Customization in these games is important as it adds longevity and more options to the game
While it is cool that the uniforms, rosters and stadiums have all been updated, it’s a shame that game play has not, in fact, I rate the game play of rugby league 2 a lot better, smoother, and realistic. Big call I know. First of all game play itself is very, very fast. It’s like a game of touch. Might take a while to adjust to. The graphics are substandard to say the least, and quite unrealistic. The fact that 9 out of 10 tackles you make would rate in the channel 9 “Brut Big Hit” competition also adds to the fakenes of this game. The frustration of useless AI (Artificial Intelligence) players also annoys the heck out of me. I miss a tackle on Greg Inglis and my other mates who are within the length of an arm to G.I just stand there and watch him get away to score. I can’t even beat QLD on the game! Haha. The players are quite unresponsive to your controls. They take a while to actually run after you shift the stick for him to run. If a player breaks the line you’re better off leaving the full back in AI mode to catch him. I guarantee that if you try and control your full back you won’t catch him.
I’ll close with some good things
There are a couple of cool additions to this game. The step is L3 stick in PS3 terms, don’t know and don’t care what it is for Xbox lol, but you can actually control which way you want to step, which takes away the risk from previous games of getting the ball down the flank, coming to the full back and stepping out because the randomization of the R2 button has made your player step that way. Has happened to me many times. When kicking, an arrow pops up showing you where your kick is going to go, which makes 40-20s a little easier. Also with the kick, your outside backs chase there little hearts out which is good. In the opposition red zone the cross field kick actually works, because your little digital outside backs run for it. I’ve scored a couple of tries from the cross field kick and I must say, the level of satisfaction I received from achieving that was huge. And that’s about it for the pros
All and all cons far out score pros. If Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is a solid 9/10 I’ll rate this 5/10
The pros are a step in the right direction and I hope another league game comes out that is developed by EA
Still should be a good blast with the boys though
I’d say hire it before you buy it, you might actually like it. I can’t believe I’ve written this much about a game. Nothing else to do
By the way I only played it for about an hour so I might get used to it. And I’m no super game genius either so this is a rough over-view. I’m glad to have rugby league on my ps3 now. MEAN!!
Thanks for the early impressions.
I really hope they’ve made it so that there is a ‘potential’ stat like in NHL so that the rookies with high potential get better over the seasons, while as players age they lose potential and start to show their age.
That way you build your team by getting rookies and playing them over several seasons to improve.
I have to say that not being able to jump into a quick game sounds annoying and loud music is never needed, but is seen to be for some reason.
EA will never make a Rugby League game as it isn’t a huge worldwide sport (and doesn’t have a big population number of support like say NHL in North America). A shame, but hopefully this game is better than the Wii one?
I had another game last night and found the quick game easier to set up. not to say it’s easy, or as easy as it could or should be. I’ll be wanting to go head-to-head with anyone online tonight look me up user name: fezzaz13 I’ll get on after I’m done on Modern Warfare 2
is it comin out in england
don’t know, check their official website via trublu.com.au/, that should give you some details?
Even if it doesn’t come to the UK or Europe you should be able to import it from here as we are both PAL regions and so it doesn’t matter if it’s region free or not.
It would be cool if they added like an influence stat for the elite players like Cam Smith, Thurston Kurt Gidley and Lockyer etc Just to give them a bit more value in the game.
The full back offensively in the past rugby league games has had minimal if not no input at all in a game, making putting the likes of Jarryd Hayne, or Billy Slater there a waste of time as all they do is tackle and cover a 40-20 if your as good as me.
Your better off putting them at five-eighth or half just to get them the ball. Also add an instinct stat to some players, meaning that they see something down the flanks, some place off-screen (this could be achieved with an indicator on the side of the screen where there are numbers superior to the defense) just to add more opportunity’s for cut-out balls and the all mighty cross field kick
its about time they seen the light and made it for playstation aswell.hope the graphics are awesome but ill just be happy 2 play it on my ps3