Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) and the Australian Football League (AFL) today announced the signing of a two year licensing agreement which will see SCE Aust., as the exclusive publisher of AFL video games.
SCE Aust. is also pleased to announce the video game title - AFL Premiership 2006 exclusively for PlayStation?2, officially licensed by Australian Football League, due for release in July this year. Benefiting from the new deal signed with the AFL, the franchise is now exclusive to SCE Aust. across all PlayStation? products for the next two years.
Managing Director of SCE Aust. and New Zealand, Michael Ephraim, said "This two year exclusive relationship is the basis for a very exciting partnership between the Australia's leading football code and the global leader of the video game industry. Together, I believe we will create a fantastic range of products for the PlayStation 2 and also the PlayStation Portable in time for the 2007 AFL season."
"This is our second year of integrated activity with the AFL with last year being our inaugural year as an official sponsor of the umpires. Commercial benefits of the relationship have been proven and this license deal solidifies SCE Australia's already strong relationship with the AFL."
The continued support of the AFL has allowed IR Gurus Interactive to develop a game that closely reflects the action of the AFL Season with unparalleled accuracy and recreation of players, clubs, competitions and venues. The 2006 game will feature stunning graphical improvements, alongside additional game modes and features; all adding up to ensure a high quality offering with the next iteration of the franchise.
Gillon McLachlan, the AFL's General Manager - Commercial operations said "The AFL is Australia's number one spectator sport and we are excited to partner with Sony Computer Entertainment Australia as our goal is to assist in delivering Australia's number one sports simulation game."
The PlayStation 2 game AFL 2006 will be available in winter 2006.
good
So no more PC skews? That is a pity...
I personally would also love to see a DS AFL title - even a management title (you can imagine the possibilities using the touch screen). Ahh well... :)
any other info sites pls
Is this better than 2005
yeh
this game will definitely be a "rent before you buy", cannot believe how many times we have been stooged. Last year the playstation magazine gave AFL premiership 2005 8 out of 10. YES 8!!!!!! it was worthy of a 2, obviously its cos sony owns that magazine and sony made the game, hopefully this year there wil be no lies!!!
It's amazing to think that from the conceptual standpoint the best AFL game out there for PC remains EA's AFL '99. I would be disappointed by the announcement as a PC player but given the abomination that is AFL Premiership 2005 I think we're simply being spared more disappointment.
I think the AFL games should look at the EA NBA style of in house management
Have a proper create player (not take a phot and play as another player), proper trades, Players want to move clubs at the end of contracts, have a real draft system where players have certain development levels and have a salary cap be forced to make that tough contarct offer or trade the player.
I like the Franchise idea of playing more then one season, so i guess that maybe AFL 2056 will be the game to own and not hiring to make sure the game offers everything.
Lets maybe get them thinking of a game that we can enjoy
What do you think???
2006 will be using a lot of the 2005 engine again. Sony told IR they have to focus on the gameplay mostly and the significant bugs that cause the game issue.
Also this year they have got a producer, designer and many other key people involved that weren't involved last year. The producer is from the Heroes of the Pacific team, IR realised they needed someone with proven experience in getting a fun game out there on the sports titles as well.
As some friends at IR have told me, this year has actually got game play ;)
Your all wrong AFL Premiership 2005 is a great game with no disapointments
GO FREO
Why don't they bring it out on PC, PlayStation?2 is ok i guess but the PC is just the best. Or if not on PC why not on X-Box 360. They would both have 100(percent) better graphics than the PlayStation?2. I will only but the game if on PC or X-Box 360.
And Also with all the people who think AFL '05 is good you must be retarded or that is the only game you have ever played.
The main reason why there not bringing it out on XBox360 and PC is because they have signed a exclusive deal with Sony, so unlike 2005 they can't bring in other publishers to do the other platforms.
Also IR Gurus have only just started to develop for next gen. Next gen is a big deal to develop for, you gotta think about threading and out of order execution of your code. So it would be a few years b4 you see a next gen title out of IR Gurus.
Does anyone know if you will be able tostart fights in this edition and get reported i think the should base it on the AFL and make it has life like as possible
THERE SOCCER MANAGEMENT GAMES SO WHERE'S OUR AUSSIE MANAGEMENT GAME? AS USUAL THE REST OF THE WORLD GOT WHAT THEY WANT EXCEPT US AUSSIES ALWAYS MISSING OUT, BRING ON THE AFL MANAGER GAME ASAP, IT WOULD ROCK
I believe there was a AFL management game around 2001/2002 or something. Didn't get enough sales so another hasn't been made since.
I cannot believe how many times us AFL fans hav been disapointed by AFL computer games, Without doubt the worst AFL game i hav eva played was last years release, AFL 2005, Wat a disapointmet ! i only ended up playing it a few times and took it back 2 the shop, If 2006 is just and bit of improvement from 2005 then we r looking at getting disapointed yet again, and how can anyone think 2005 was good ! OMG. The camera was the worst, i actually like the camera options on the AFL LIVE titles, why culdn't they just make improvemets( alot needed) on the the AFL LIVE games ! Bring back EA Sports for AFL titles i say
your all nerds who cares ABOUT previous games .just waIT AND SEE
The AFL management game was Kevin Sheedy's Football Coach and to be honest was a fun simulation but also very pain ful to watch the actual simulated match.
Im not sure what to expect i have been trying to find out some info but have only come across bits and pieces. I have heard that there may be a management format built into the game.
Any one got any sites with info let me know.
Thanks
The last bit is to do about the new AFL game obviously
Don't expect miracles. AFL2006 is just AFL2005 as what it should of been.
The AFL games have been, without doubt, the single most disappointing sports videogame franchise ever. AFL 1999 was poor but that still ranks better than the latest installments. The major improvement needs to occur to the gameplay, and improvements are promised every year but nothing really occurs. Have a look at the quality and detail of the NBA 2K series and the Madden series. The developers of these games have more experience and much bigger budgets but AFL gameplay is not even close to realism. When I play NBA 2K6, the game is so close to simulation it is amazing- dribbling, shooting, defending and the AI is practically flawless. In the AFL series marking contests are disgraceful, ruck contests are pathetic, goal kicking is disgraceful, the camera set up is poor, you can not take weave between opponents dodging tackles and you can not smother kicks (that was border-line criminal of the AFL Premiership advertisements sometime ago when players were shown gracefully dodging opponents before bombing goals, and smothering kicks). The flaws are endless and this game will be no different. My fellow AFL and game lovers please do not purchase this game before hiring-it is unbelievable the sales figures that AFL games get in the small Australian market- if you keep purchasing these pathetic installments then the developers will not strive for improvements.
OMG! I just had a look at some screenshots that most of you have probably viewed already- there is a picture of Simon Black (LEGEND) who looks Aboriginal, kicking the ball on his right foot under no pressure. He is a Brownlow Medalist and they do not even know that Simon Black is as predominant a left footer as there is.
I just hope this one is better!
You are 100(percent) right J-Mac how the hell is IR GURUS expected to convince us that they have improved the big issue of gameplay when they cant even fix what a 5 year old could tell you was wrong, to steal your example J-Mac but only because it is a very good one, Simon black kicking the ball on his right foot under no pressure from what looks like a free kick or marking situation in the picture is absolutely disgracefull on IR GURUS part. Ive got ps2 and xbox and waited for last years installment of AFL premiership to be released on the xbox only because i thought the graphics would be slightly better than the ps2. I knew the gameplay was not going to be up to standard but i thought if im gonna play a shit game i may aswell play one that is a little bit better looking. But before i brought it i just happened to see an advertisment for it in one of Australia's games magazines and they had a picture showing a wideshot of the ground Sydney playing against West coast and it actually looked pretty good,then i looked a little closer and and started to see things that pissed me off two Sydney players were both sporting the same number on thier guernsey's, there were alot of tanned bald players that i had prior knowledge of them being very casper like with hair . To tell you the truth I really couldnt say one player really stood out as looking like their real life counterpart. So i thought i might actually read a few reviews of this game before i buy it . I think anyone would know that i didnt buy it after reading just a handfull of reviews. But this time im gonna go with my gut and the fact that not one screenshot of the new game resembles any AFL player past or present and the Simon Black screenshot alone should make people very wary of buying this game. If IR GURUS cant even fix the simple things like which foot a player kicks on there is not a snowflakes chance in hell that the gameplay will be improved this year. BUYER BEWARE BUYER BEWARE BUYER BEWARE BUYER BEWARE BUYER BEWARE BUYER BEWARE BUYER BEWARE!!!!!
GO BOMBERS
Yes Buyer beware, 2006 is only for PS2 and from all talk and screenshots is a minor update of 2005, minor changes to game play and as for graphics, very little has been done.
2007 is supposed to be when Irgru and Sony do a big change, but being PS2 exclsuive, by then I doubt there will be enough people interested in buying it.
We may me left with no AFL computer game at all by 2008 when Sony E.A pulls out.
Sony is not EA btw.
EA Produced the game back in 1998 and many people consider the game one of the best of the AFL series, recent games have been developed by IR Gurus, published by Acclaim until 2004, then in 2005 IR Gurus got the rights for the game when Acclaim went out of business, and made a deal with Sony. In 2005 Sony released the PS2 version, THQ the Xbox and PC versions. In 2006 onwards IR Gurus have a exclusive contract for PS2 only releases.
BTW = Sony E.A stands for Sony entertainment!
And yes I know all of the above, you miss the point!
e.g if the market for this game is say 50k people, but your only going to have it on PS2 format, then potential market is reduced, maybe to only 25k or less.
I am in Market Research / Marketing and although this deal is a great result for Sony in the short term, in the long term it could spell the end of the game. What happens if Sony finds (like EA Sports did) that it did not sell enough to be worthwile. Means in 2008 we have no game at all. From the AFL and IR Gurus point of view not a sound marketing decision.! Sony should ( and I trust they do) realise that like Channel 7 and 10 exclusive rights to AFL TV coverage from 2007, they will on sell to Fox Footy x amount of game. So it would be a good makrting move to on sellit to a PC publisher like THQ.
use r all gay as. it will be a lot better
its normally abbreviated to SCEA or SCEE btw in regards to sony. SCEE = sony computer entertainment europe, SCEA = sony computer enterainment america.
At least thats what we refer to them inside the industry rather than Sony EA. Just confuses everyone.
2006 will be ten times better than 2005.The graphics will be better and there will be more players like Marc Murphy and Dale Thomas.
Go the blue boys
OI DNT SWEAR AT ME U LIL BASTARDS
I have some insider info... and have played the game (this years version). Alas, I can't say it is much better at all maybe minor changes and some improvements. also heard that this years will be the last major update for a while, only minor changes from here on. think its a disgrace that its PS2 exclusive the AFL should kick Sony off the exclusivity band-wagon and let other companies make games for other platforms .. would have been nice to play the latest on an xbox
dont blame IR - blame Sony and most importantly the AFL.. if they get enough complaints from people they may have to change their game
Well, lets see. I know some members of the AFL team at IR, and they are very capable developers. Fingers crossed...
I AM A GOD WALKING AMONGST MERE MORTALS
alot of people dont believe you
i am getting the game in about a week i hope its good can someone tell me where i can see some screenshots of the game??
I'm with the bloke up there, the best AFL game out is the PC afl 99" Best one by a mile. That game play, mixed with drafts, trades, all australian teams. Should be able to change formations and set ups. They should use fifa 2005 & 2006 as an example. Very good idea of gaming
On the Xbox Australia forums there are videos from the demo version of the game
go the crows if this isnt better then afl live 2004 on computer well it will suck
it is loads better then 05, but a major improvemnt could be made if the afl sold the rights to ea sports to make the game.
EA wouldn't be interested. There isn't a big enough market for them. They tried and didn't like what they saw with regards to returns for the money spent on development.
does this AFL actually give you Player Stats at the end of the game.
that was anther disappointment in afl 2005 you play the game and you dont get to see how your players went
I just played the new AFL its Awesome. NOT
did you know that you can hand ball behind a team mate and they can still grab the ball. I must admit the game play does look alot better and the camera angles have improved. However, you cannot rotate the camera to look down field once you take a mark very annyoing. I have only played a demo version and played it before being tempted to buy the original. Whats the main part of footy its state and once again i feel we caould be let down by not knowing the end of match player stats.
lets get a rating system happing to see what everyone thinks.
i give it a 6/10
Bad game!!!!
Nothings changed in 5 years.....still VERY POOR...
2 gig dvd file size says it all...
Graphics,compare it to anything decents 5/10
Gameplay,2/10
difficulty .. haha ... this takes the cake, on my first go i went from a 21 goal victory to a 10 goal loss simply by switching from easy to normal....
Don't waste ya time it truely is a waste!