Ashes Cricket

Big Ant Studios, Australia�s premier sports video game developer, has today announced Ashes Cricket. Developed in close collaboration with Cricket Australia, it is the most realistic and authentic recreation of the sport ever created. Ashes Cricket will feature real cricketers, battling it out on real grounds, right from the comfort of your lounge room and will be available on PlayStation�4, Xbox One and PC in November this year.

Ashes Cricket, the first cricket game from Big Ant to be fully licensed, utilises their celebrated photogrammetry technology, which enables photo-real likenesses of the complete men�s and women�s Australian and English cricket teams to be rendered in-game. Added to the fully licensed stadiums, recreated in stunning detail, players will feel like they�re right there on the field as they play.

�There is no competition in cricket that has the heritage and prestige of the Ashes competition� Big Ant CEO, Ross Symons, said. �We�ve worked hard to build on our existing experience with cricket to deliver a truly realistic game of cricket to our fans.�

For players that are looking for a break from the heat of the Commonwealth Bank Women�s Ashes and Magellan Men�s Ashes competitions, all the much-loved features from Big Ant�s sports games will also make a return to Ashes Cricket. Players will be able to create their own players, teams, stadiums and logos. They�ll also be able to create their own competitions and types of matches, from a short, furious five over match, right through to extended, multi-nation Test match tours.

Additionally, players will be able to enjoy a comprehensive career mode that allows them to take their own customised junior cricketer all the way to the ultimate dream; captaining their country to Ashes victory.

To add to the realism of the game, Australian cricketers Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Emma Inglis and Mackinley Blows all had their movements captured in a complex recording process.

Each player was required to move around the 360-degree field playing a wide variety of shots depending on the height of the ball, and whether the shot was aggressive, normal or defensive.

Motion capture data from the Bupa National Cricket Centre was used to recreate bowling actions for the Australian players, while the skills of the in-game competitors have been assessed by Cricket Australia�s Team Performance unit.

Don't Bowl to Maxi there!

�Time and time again players tell us the feature they love most about our cricket games is the deep customisation options� Symons said. �We have produced a true Ashes Cricket game, through and through, but we�ve also made sure that our heritage in sports games remains true�.

�Cricket Australia�s new strategy recognises the growing role that gaming can play in reaching younger fans, and by working with the likes of Big Ant to develop products that meet this need we are positioning ourselves as leaders in the cricket gaming space globally,� said Cricket Australia CEO, James Sutherland. �The anticipation for the summer of cricket is building and this game will give our fans another way to be a part of the cricket excitement.�

ECB Commercial Director Sanjay Patel said: �We want cricket to be relevant and accessible to the e-sports generation, helping us develop an even bigger nationwide following for the game at every level.�Ashes Cricket has been designed to be as life-like and authentic as possible. It�s the ideal way for fans to recreate all the excitement and tension of a real-life Ashes contest in their own living rooms.�Ashes Cricket will be available on PlayStation�4, Xbox One and PC in November this year. Pre-orders are now open! Preorder the game from retail partners: JB HI-FI   EB GAMES