Multiplat AFL 23 - PS/Steam Releasing May 4, Xbox TBC

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

WHEN CAN I PLAY? READ BELOW:

• PlayStation (Physical): Thursday 4 May
• PlayStation (Digital): 8:01am AEST Thursday 4 May
• Steam: Currently 8:01am AEST Thursday 4 May, may be moved to 12:01am AEST
• Xbox (Digital or Physical): TO BE CONFIRMED, unlikely to be 4 May

Spoiler: Specific Big Ant quotes about the release:

Those that pre-ordered PS versions will be able to play on Thursday, disks will have already been mailed by retailers, they will also be available in-store.

Steam will also be available Thursday.

Stating the obvious, we are still having issues with XBox.

Seriously, anyone that looks hard knows there’s issues - why do you think there are so many exclusives for a particular platform that are not marked as exclusive, but are only on that platform.

If I took that road, life would have been a lot easier.

Xbox digital and retail will release at the same time - that is not a decision we get to make.

It applies now and I will no doubt pay a price.

Spoiler: Other Quotes

Re: commentary team

Spoiler: Other Quotes

Hamish is still there, Daisy didn't make it into the final version of the game.

We added Gary and increased the workload of Harf.

Re: game availability/release dates

I can never give 100% guarantee about anything in the future, but as it stands today, the statement I am prepared to make it that all stock that is at retailers on 4 May will be available for sale.

As to the amount that will be there for sale, and whether it is enough, that is a question I cannot answer.

It will be made digitally available on the various platform holder electronic stores.

Clarifying, the game will not release prior to 4 May 2023.

I am vague as there is one platform that has had sufficient stock at retailers and the other has not, and I cannot name them (contractual reasons).

The game will not be further delayed because of the numbers of units in stock.

Re: Steam listing

I've already put in a request for the screenshots to be replaced with current ones, they'll probably only be there for a day.

As much as the feedback has generally been positive, these are old, meant to be placeholder only and were not meant to go live.

Re: playing lists

All playing lists are accurate for the 2023 season.

Re: content creator footage

This is all prior to day one patch (as some have noted updates like numbers etc are apparent)

Re: Career mode

A head's up on Career mode.

At the AFL 23 Launch night I mentioned the non-team based Individual Career Mode in an interview with Dean (Twistie3). As alluded to at that same event, we were working with the AFL and AFLPA to include as many past legends in the game as possible.

The great news is that we have received approval for far more AFL legends than were previously envisaged, but this has meant that we had to make the tough decision to divert resources away from the Individual Career mode development. The individual Career Mode function will not make it into AFL 23, Career Mode will be entirely team based. I expect this mode to be include in future iterations of the game.

Re: microtransactions

You do not have to make purchases, things can be earned.

Re: general development

So fundamentally flawed, in so many ways, it’s bananas.

We are doing AFL as it’s a passion project, without us doing it there would not be one being made.

So much more upside with making games that are played internationally, let alone one that will not even be played in every state in this country.

 

[netslave]

As far as I'm concerned, Evo2 has just caught up to and passed AFL Live as the best football game released.
But AFL Live is a 10 year old game, thats multiple generations of technology behind Evo2.
I believe that a current gen AFL game released by BigAnt would smash Evo2. They are focused on sports titles and they already have the foundations in place and would have the budget and expertise to really nail it.
But even if BigAnt do have an AFL game in the pipeline, they won't be able to confirm or deny until it's pretty much complete anyway, people can read anything they like into cryptic tweets

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

As far as I'm concerned, Evo2 has just caught up to and passed AFL Live as the best football game released.
But AFL Live is a 10 year old game, thats multiple generations of technology behind Evo2.
I believe that a current gen AFL game released by BigAnt would smash Evo2. They are focused on sports titles and they already have the foundations in place and would have the budget and expertise to really nail it.
But even if BigAnt do have an AFL game in the pipeline, they won't be able to confirm or deny until it's pretty much complete anyway, people can read anything they like into cryptic tweets

But you only have to look at Bigants most recent sport titles on PS4, tennis, lacrosse, rugby league and cricket to realise that they are behind Evo 2 quality.

 

[netslave]

But you only have to look at Bigants most recent sport titles on PS4, tennis, lacrosse, rugby league and cricket to realise that they are behind Evo 2 quality.

Some of those titles aren't so recent. The latest cricket and tennis games maybe but they now have more staff and finances since the Nacon deal.
Theres still something not quite right with Evo2's AI and match engine, sim a season and you'll see what I mean, the ladder results, scores and player awards going to nobodies. It's fine to play with mates or just fire up a few games though.

 

[tombomb]

But you only have to look at Bigants most recent sport titles on PS4, tennis, lacrosse, rugby league and cricket to realise that they are behind Evo 2 quality.

The Big Ant cricket games, especially Cricket 19, are so far ahead of any AFL game that has ever been created on any platform.

 

[Treehill23]

The Big Ant cricket games, especially Cricket 19, are so far ahead of any AFL game that has ever been created on any platform.

Too bad the CPU bowls every delivery down leg on Hard difficulty in the new game and they never put a fielder there to stop the boundary
Also the fact that they don’t set a defensive field in a test match unless your batsman is on 150 plus
Also the fact that it’s scripted so that the CPU HAS to hit a boundary in every over in a test match
Need I go on ?

Shit is whack. Don’t know why people defend shit games just because of who makes it

 

[tombomb]

Too bad the CPU bowls every delivery down leg on Hard difficulty in the new game and they never put a fielder there to stop the boundary
Also the fact that they don’t set a defensive field in a test match unless your batsman is on 150 plus
Also the fact that it’s scripted so that the CPU HAS to hit a boundary in every over in a test match
Need I go on ?

sh*t is whack. Don’t know why people defend sh*t games just because of who makes it

yeah, none of that is true in my experience.

but im sure you can ask for a refund and then go back to afl evo2.

 

[Treehill23]

yeah, none of that is true in my experience.

but im sure you can ask for a refund and then go back to afl evo2.

Yeah of course it isn’t
Big Ant can do no wrong can they

 

[tombomb]

Yeah of course it isn’t
Big Ant can do no wrong can they

The Big Ant cricket games are pretty good, but they have some issues and a lot of room for improvement. They are still the best cricket games that have been made and I have played them all.

AFL evolution games are just novelty arcade games that I think most would lose interest in after a few days.

 

[melbournemartin]

Too bad the CPU bowls every delivery down leg on Hard difficulty in the new game and they never put a fielder there to stop the boundary
Also the fact that they don’t set a defensive field in a test match unless your batsman is on 150 plus
Also the fact that it’s scripted so that the CPU HAS to hit a boundary in every over in a test match
Need I go on ?

sh*t is whack. Don’t know why people defend sh*t games just because of who makes it

Based on Cricket 22 yeah?

Cricket 19 was really good IMO but this was a step back. Just like Bradman 14 was good and Bradman 17 was a step back.

Big Ant gets a lot of credit for their community engagement, particularly back when AFL Live 1 was a thing, but overall if you look at all of their football, cricket and tennis games, they have a reputation for releasing buggy/flawed games. At least they put in the effort to largely fix them, but you'd still expect more on release.

 

[Treehill23]

The Big Ant cricket games are pretty good, but they have some issues and a lot of room for improvement. They are still the best cricket games that have been made and I have played them all.

AFL evolution games are just novelty arcade games that I think most would lose interest in after a few days.

I’ve played them all too but that doesn’t mean they’re good games
People just choose to look past their flaws because ‘it’s the best they’ve had’
I’m not defending AFL Evo 2 in any way here but I did enjoy that game whilst also realising that it had plenty to improve on
Regardless of that tho, my original post had nothing to do with AFL itself
Rather I was expressing my concerns with the mess they’ve just released. Yet people will still defend them to hell and back
I only mentioned a few of my issues that I’ve experienced so far as this is obviously an AFL thread but if I wanted to, I could write out a whole list of things that destroys the replayability of the current version and I won’t be the first or last person to say that

 

[Treehill23]

Based on Cricket 22 yeah?

Cricket 19 was really good IMO but this was a step back. Just like Bradman 14 was good and Bradman 17 was a step back.

Big Ant gets a lot of credit for their community engagement, particularly back when AFL Live 1 was a thing, but overall if you look at all of their football, cricket and tennis games, they have a reputation for releasing buggy/flawed games. At least they put in the effort to largely fix them, but you'd still expect more on release.

Yep. Cricket 22
Cricket 19 did a lot right and you’d think upon releasing a new game, you’d at least have the foundation of the previous games in working order but it’s just not the case and as you said, they have a knack of releasing buggy games.
Hence why I’ll never defend a game based on who or who doesn’t make it
Community engagement is obviously a great way to help improve titles after release, but at what point do we stop accepting half arsed releases based on who develops the game ?

 

[melbournemartin]

Yep. Cricket 22
Cricket 19 did a lot right and you’d think upon releasing a new game, you’d at least have the foundation of the previous games in working order but it’s just not the case and as you said, they have a knack of releasing buggy games.
Hence why I’ll never defend a game based on who or who doesn’t make it
Community engagement is obviously a great way to help improve titles after release, but at what point do we stop accepting half arsed releases based on who develops the game ?

I pretty much agree with all of that. Training wheels are well and truly off for cricket games. Cricket 22 was very poor.

 

[In The Rod We Trust]

I pretty much agree with all of that. Training wheels are well and truly off for cricket games. Cricket 22 was very poor.

Cricket games peaked at Shane Warne Cricket 1993 on the Sega Mega Drive.

 

[melbournemartin]

Cricket games peaked at Shane Warne Cricket 1993 on the Sega Mega Drive.

Those sound effects are still world beating. Basically ripped straight from the tele.

 

[melbournemartin]

^^^ Brian Lara/Shane Warne Cricket 99 for those playing at home. Never played 93.

 

[Xtreme]

^^^ Brian Lara/Shane Warne Cricket 99 for those playing at home. Never played 93.

The greatest cricket game of all time (well the makers had a good run - essentially most of the people behind Allan Border's Cricket/Graham Gooche's Cricket were behind those games - all the way through Cricket 2010. Excluding some of the EA games in the mid 2000's iirc). Out of all of the cricket shots, I got most excited when I was able to emulate the ground sweep shot. The playstation version was good, but I loved it on pc (slightly different playing rosters as well).

 

[Treehill23]

Well, pretty disappointing that there’s no word on a new AFL game this year
Makes you wonder how long it’ll be until we actually get one on next gen consoles.
Took 4 years for one to be released on the PS4 I guess

 

[Archer_11]

Well, pretty disappointing that there’s no word on a new AFL game this year
Makes you wonder how long it’ll be until we actually get one on next gen consoles.
Took 4 years for one to be released on the PS4 I guess

My prediction of the current state - and I hope I'm wrong:

• With the acquisition in place BA have made a new pitch to take back the licence.
• The request sits somewhere between Navcon, True Blu and the AFL, with a pledge to look at it 'one day'. i.e maybe never.
• WW is thinking about Evo3 built on UE5 eyeing a 2024/25 release. Zero urgency from TB, the AFL or anyone else.
• We'll get a season pack this year and possibly every year thereafter for Evo 2 until the next release, with the cupboard bare in terms of actual gameplay improvements.

Ross' hint that something is afoot is either a reference to an encouraging conversation behind the scenes (perhaps with Navcon) or maybe a hint that something like Lacrosse 22 is on the way. Better than nothing but little to get excited about.

 

[Quivorir]

Are these predictions based off anything?

 

[Mkcaptain]

Bigger than Netflix: Video game content is the new king

A land grab for content is on between the global technology giants as they set their sights on locking in the next cohort of consumers into a web of subscription-based streaming services.

www.smh.com.au

Of course the question of consolidation is far from theoretical for Big Ant; the studio was already acquired last year by expanding French publisher Nacon for €35 million ($56 million).

"I’ve been given a directive already, to make sure that if there are appropriate studios for us to acquire that we have those talks,” he said.

“There’s a run on for content, and Australian content is very well regarded. We service the markets well, we speak everybody’s language, we allow development when the sun is down for them, and COVID has proven that things can be done remotely.”

I found this bit interesting in an article featuring Ross over the weekend. This is of course baseless speculation, but with the backing of Nacon, could we see Big Ant buy Wicked Witch?

 

[Archer_11]

Are these predictions based off anything?

Idle speculation gazing upon the 30 year vacuum that is AFL gaming news.

I don't doubt for a second that Ross is interested, but influencing the passive triumvirate that is Navcon, Tru Blu and the AFL is surely a massive undertaking with no guarantees.

EDIT - Except for the part that is BA buying WW above - WOOHOO!

p.s. Jokes (not really jokes).

 

[Mkcaptain]

 

[robertto]

Oh my lord. It's actually happening. Check Ross's Twitter.

Wonder if this is just the deal closed though and it will take a year or two to dev. So excited.

 

[Treehill23]

Interesting

 

[dwwaino]

Promoted this to the main VG board for visibility given the new announcement