EA Sports™ Rugby 09?

[dangandan]

Would this be a possibility. Who knows. Im hoping this topic can inform myself and others if there has been any talk or is it all just a nonsense ***le? This topic however should not include what you would like to see in it because we all know those threads can go on and on and nothing ends up happening the way we like and plus all of us have already similar ideas as to how we'd like to see the next game EA Sportsâ"¢ brings out. No this is more of a place where people can share authentic gossip to give those - like me - a new Rugby game to look forward to. A place where people can feel free to share links to sites that have just that little bit of hope for what can be a great game..

 

[BOKean]

dont get your hopes up

 

[Dmx#1]

Hmmm....If you want EA to make a rugby 09 game I suggest you start sleeping with a lot of powerful people, because thats the only way there would be another game coming out so soon.

 

[C A Iversen]

I wouldn't be so sure. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but HB Studios have 6 projects in development. Most people can only guess what four of those ***les are likely to be, so the possibility of a Rugby or Cricket game (or both) this year does exist.

It's just 50-50 either way.

 

[dangandan]

Well just as long as there is conversation about it is the main thing. And its always great to have hope for future EA rugby games for sure! I emailed the hive to ask them if there was any and i mean ANY talk about a new game but am still waiting on a response since i only sent it yesterday.

 

[dangandan]

no word yet.

 

[sambãd5]

im sure there will be another rugby game out. i cant see it coming out intill end of year. if not, start of next. i wouldnt understand why ea would stop making them, there is a market out there for it. with talk of an american super 14 team, and the game expanding in asia and eastern europe it is a very good investment. i cant see it being 3rd gen either. but the last of the 2nd gen series, surely.



but what not to do is make a wishlist. looking at 08, they have made nemerous basic errors. and we can only expect what they have given us over the last year. new rosters, new uniforms, slightly better gameplay, slightly better graphics.

 

[Nidhogg]

What I don't get is why Konami don't have a go. They are a Japanese producer, and have done great with Pro Evolution Soccer in the past. Japan itself is a potential market for rugby (why they didn't get the WC, I'm still baffled) and rugby has a large fanbase. Theoretically it should be marketable enough.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Yeah but they probably look at how many copies EA have sold and realise that it's not alot for a game and thus it's not all the marketable when you consider not everyone will buy both, so it'll be even less than the small amount of rugby based games already sold. Konami seems to concentrate of the ***les they've done well with already, such as PES, Silent Hill etc etc

 

[Nidhogg]

There are two possible reasons for rugby ***les not selling too well, 1. there isn't a large market, 2. it isn't being marketed enough.

I'm more than willing to accep that the market for rugby games is smaller than for football ***les, but surely it could be larger. A few causes for this could be:

1. EA is filthy rich as it is and are more interested in investing in ***les that are already popular and need no marketing.
2. There is no established fanbase (like Madden) that will guarantee x amount of copies sold for each new version on a yearly basis.
3. There is no real competition, thus no need to produce really good ***les that will win awards and perhaps attract more gamers than just the hardcore rugby fans.

 

[Cymro]

What I don't get is why Konami don't have a go. They are a Japanese producer, and have done great with Pro Evolution Soccer in the past. Japan itself is a potential market for rugby (why they didn't get the WC, I'm still baffled) and rugby has a large fanbase. Theoretically it should be marketable enough. [/b]

Interesting point .....

If Japan would have won the rights to host the World Cup then I could easily see a Konami version coming out! Now the reason for this is that the Jap's (not a racist mark before we go there) would absolutly go mental for this as it would be a new craze. The fact is the next WC should be hosted by Japan, with Larkham there the game should pick up!

 

[dangandan]

All of the above are actually very valid points.

 

[BLR]

Ah, the Yankee Super 14 team being a catalyst for a gaming drive into the US would be great....that is where EA would actually pick up thier game to Madden standards to get a significant chunk of the US market...

 

[C A Iversen]

I'm quietly confident that news of a rugby ***le from EA/HB will be filtering through around the late 2nd quarter of this year. Release to be around mid/late Feb '09. Will be next-gen.

 

[sambãd5]

but one thing is for sure, when ever locksley is lerking around theres something to look foward to.

 

[OTSAA]

What i really just dont get is they make shitty cricket games annually! Dont get me wrong im a big cricket fan but the latest games are arse. And even tho the rugby games are average as they are bloody fun to play....Surely rugby would outsell cricket...i mean coommmon! Codemasters there ya go make us a ruggers game ya ********

 

[Brainpowerd]

Actually, in looking at the most recent release histories for both Cricket and Rugby, the games tend to see release every other year. So next up would appear to be Cricket '09 and Rugby would be an '10 ***le. With the focus of development being geared towards the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, I would expect that the upcoming releases for both are going to be on one or more of those consoles.

Both ***les tend to perform moderately based on their global sales and, at least with Rugby, EA has been able to garner some exclusivity in licensing rights for some teams. This goes a long ways towards determining which teams are in the game, how it's marketed, and where. So far, it looks like England (and former English colonies) is the primary target market but with the new rule changes, I think it will ultimately force an engine change for the game as will any development for the newer consoles.

Considering that Peter Moore (an Englishman) is the president of the EA Sports brand at EA, I don't think there will be a dropping of either Cricket or Rugby but he will be hard pressed to justify any expenditures to increase the budgets for either product at this time. Both sports are growing in the US albeit very slowly but with ESPN taking an active interest in Rugby and EA's current long-term partnership with them, it could help out a lot in getting both games further exposure to newer markets.

Bottom line: Look for an announcement on Cricket '09 in the next two to three months and look for Rugby '10 next year.

 

[C A Iversen]

I'm sure that a Rugby game will come out in early '09.

 

[kingwilko]

On the subject of cricket games look for an announcement in the next few weeks about the first next-gen cricket game on the market

 

[Nidhogg]

Actually, in looking at the most recent release histories for both Cricket and Rugby, the games tend to see release every other year. So next up would appear to be Cricket '09 and Rugby would be an '10 ***le. With the focus of development being geared towards the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, I would expect that the upcoming releases for both are going to be on one or more of those consoles.

Both ***les tend to perform moderately based on their global sales and, at least with Rugby, EA has been able to garner some exclusivity in licensing rights for some teams. This goes a long ways towards determining which teams are in the game, how it's marketed, and where. So far, it looks like England (and former English colonies) is the primary target market but with the new rule changes, I think it will ultimately force an engine change for the game as will any development for the newer consoles.

Considering that Peter Moore (an Englishman) is the president of the EA Sports brand at EA, I don't think there will be a dropping of either Cricket or Rugby but he will be hard pressed to justify any expenditures to increase the budgets for either product at this time. Both sports are growing in the US albeit very slowly but with ESPN taking an active interest in Rugby and EA's current long-term partnership with them, it could help out a lot in getting both games further exposure to newer markets.

Bottom line: Look for an announcement on Cricket '09 in the next two to three months and look for Rugby '10 next year.[/b]

I'm sure there'll be a new Rugby release by EA. I'm also sure it won't be a big step forwards concerning gameplay/teams etc.

The EA strategy: "keep on releasing the same game over and over again"