Milton Keynes, UK – 5th April 2011 – Rugby World Cup Limited has today announced the appointment of HB Studios and 505 GAMES as Official Licensee to exclusively produce RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011, the official game of this year’s Tournament in New Zealand.
Due to be launched on August for the PlayStation®3 and XBOX 360 platform, the innovative and unique game will reflect in detail the incredible action and passion of Rugby’s showcase sporting event with the most accurate Rugby experience ever created.
Developed by leading Rugby developer HB Studios, RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 represents the studio’s first Rugby game on this generation of consoles and takes full advantage of the available hardware to create a game that reflects the prestige of the world’s third-largest sports event.
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 will challenge players to pick from the 20 Rugby World Cup 2011 participating countries, and attempt to lead their team through the pool phase progress to the Final and 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 friends 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® and PlayStation®Network.
“We are delighted that there will be an official game of Rugby World Cup 2011, delivering the ability to boost the tournament experience for Rugby fans whilst growing the appeal and profile of our sport across all markets. This game will capture the emotion, passion, drama and excitement of what is the biggest sporting event of the year,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
“Developing RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 for Xbox 360 and PS3™ has given us the opportunity to create the definitive representation of a sport we all have such a passion for,” said Alastair Jarvis, General Manager at HB Studios. “The attention to detail in both the visual quality of the game and the representation of the gameplay is second to none. It captures the thrills and excitement of Rugby World Cup in a way we simply have not been able to achieve before. Online play, especially, adds an entirely new dimension to the game, boosting national pride as players challenge competitors from across the globe to their own international matches.”
“It’s a huge coup for 505 Games to be working with HB Studios on this opportunity and we could not be any more excited about this title. Rugby World Cup is one of the top sporting events on the planet and HB Studios have proven time and time again that they are experts in developing sports games that deliver on every level,” said Ian Howe, Managing Director, 505 games. “We’re thrilled to be part of this huge spectacle and to be publishing one of the most visible games of the year.”
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on August 26th 2011. For more information, please visit the official website at www.rwc2011game.com.