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.

 

[Marbig]

I do appreciate how people forget that I'm not here to announce anything, even after the times it's been said. Nor is it my job to even supply anything, I'm doing it cause I want to give even just something, but that's fine I don't have to be here. I'll cancel the creators I have lined up as well, so enjoy release day! I have three other games to take care of and monitor.

I feel I need to add /s cause I'm sure someone will take it seriously.

These no good AFL fans are taking you for granted. Can you give us some info on Rugby 24?

 

[Michaels]

I do appreciate how people forget that I'm not here to announce anything, even after the times it's been said. Nor is it my job to even supply anything, I'm doing it cause I want to give even just something, but that's fine I don't have to be here. I'll cancel the creators I have lined up as well, so enjoy release day! I have three other games to take care of and monitor.

I feel I need to add /s cause I'm sure someone will take it seriously.

Snubbed again

How many likes on a tiktok to get the launch code 1-2 days early to live stream the game properly via console / PC prior to the 13th?



This time next week this thread is going to be out of control.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Anyone know the list of eligible games? (JB Hifi)

Imagine if Evo and Evo 2 are on it

 

[StoneyHawk]

Here are a few screenshots from AFL LIVE 2004 season mode which show some things I appreciated in this game. Firstly here are The season menu options to give some context.
View attachment 1650515
Next we have the screen which shows when you click on a teams setupView attachment 1650516
Was very thorough. Below shows team management selection. Big fan of the ease at which you could compare player matchups.View attachment 1650518
Even more depth for comparing player match ups!
View attachment 1650521
The tactics were great for its time. You could even assign different basic tactics to individual players.View attachment 1650520
Lastly my favourite, the media awards leaderboards. This screen below would automatically come up at the end of a round. Great for tracking Brownlow votes, Coleman, top 10 leaderboard for various stats. Really cool. PS- was probably the highlight of AFL video games for me as a child. I would literally play a whole season using all 16 teams to impact the stats. The only AFL video game that actually produced realistic stat leaders. Midfielders leading disposals etc.View attachment 1650522
Anyway these are some of my favourite aspects of an AFL game apart from gameplay of course.

I just hope that when you are placing the team in to positions that the whole field fits on one screen. I hate that its spills in to two screens.

 

[JNT BA]

Snubbed again

How many likes on a tiktok to get the launch code 1-2 days early to live stream the game properly via console / PC prior to the 13th?



This time next week this thread is going to be out of control.

Last time I assist you with your live stream

 

[dwwaino]

This time next week this thread is going to be out of control.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

I just hope that when you are placing the team in to positions that the whole field fits on one screen. I hate that its spills in to two screens.

Yeah agreed.

It's wild how many features the old IR Gurus games actually had though (and AFL 99 before them) that we either haven't seen since or are only just matching now. Those screenshots are really good, and the game is almost 20 years old.

We have no indication yet that AFL 23 matches (let alone exceeds) the tactical options for kick ins from behinds and ruck contests from AFL 99. My fingers remain crossed, but it's just mindblowing to me that no game in a quarter of a century has done so.

 

[T2B_]

I’m still here . And I’ll happily send a video once I get it . You can say embargo this , blah blah blah. But if you think that things like this don’t happen you’re very naive

Bookmarked

 

[SugarShane]

What mode will you guys be checking out first, when you play it for the first time?

Big time guernsey nerd so I'll be heading straight into the academy first I reckon. Suss out the guernsey and customisation options. Then probably jump into a single match and try and nail the controls before starting a management career.

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

Yeah agreed.

It's wild how many features the old IR Gurus games actually had though (and AFL 99 before them) that we either haven't seen since or are only just matching now. Those screenshots are really good, and the game is almost 20 years old.

We have no indication yet that AFL 23 matches (let alone exceeds) the tactical options for kick ins from behinds and ruck contests from AFL 99. My fingers remain crossed, but it's just mindblowing to me that no game in a quarter of a century has done so.

For whatever reason, sports games often go backwards in terms of modes, details and user experience over the years, only to reintroduce old features as “new”. Obviously different situation here with multiple different developers though.

Someone who knows more about the gaming industry, can you explain why that happens or am I just imagining things?

 

[FearTheBeard13]

Big time guernsey nerd so I'll be heading straight into the academy first I reckon. Suss out the guernsey and customisation options. Then probably jump into a single match and try and nail the controls before starting a management career.

Ditto here. I’m already stoked the Pies swooping jumper is in the game much less all the other teams’ ones!

 

[Michaels]

View attachment 1650562

Anyone know the list of eligible games? (JB Hifi)

Imagine if Evo and Evo 2 are on it

I did see this too.

I haven't done this before, but was wondering how it works when it comes to pre orders done online. do they just refund you the amount once games are traded in possibly?

 

[SugarShane]

I’m still here . And I’ll happily send a video once I get it . You can say embargo this , blah blah blah. But if you think that things like this don’t happen you’re very naive

I don't work in a video game store, just general IT, but one of our suppliers sells console games. I once got WWE 13 the day before release because I ordered it through them for myself at wholesale price and it came in the day before release (obviously so it could be sold the next day).

What was I going to do, leave it at work?

Had people begging for a receipt but since our store is independent and the "salesperson" was me, I wasn't about to get in shit for it.

I have no doubt JB employees do the same, a mate that works at EB reckons he's done it a few times too, as long as it doesn't go through the system they're all good.

 

[Michaels]

Hey I modded the Richmond board for a few years and had to deal with our gameday and autopsy threads..

I will keep you in my thoughts.

 

[Michaels]

Last time I assist you with your live stream

I owe you an Ovaltine for that!

 

[Treehill23]

4 pages since lunch time
I 100% expected some sort of big news or a gameplay video or something… How disappointing

 

[palmomagpie]

I feel that going forward, dev engagement in this thread is going to be non-existent. Let’s not scare them off pre-game, because we’ll need them post game for feedback and patching. Both sides of the field have good opinions but I feel like it’s getting quite hostile - if I wanted that I’d hang out at school pick-up with the other parents. Happy Easter all

 

[Swooping_Magpie]

4 pages since lunch time
I 100% expected some sort of big news or a gameplay video or something… How disappointing

same here. honestly reckon we should make it so only Ross and JNT BA can message in this thread

 

[eddo1025]

I know that a standalone academy won't be coming to PC before the official launch, but will a standalone academy be available on Steam once the game is officially released? There's a lot of custom content I'd like to create ie logos and that's only really possible via the PC academy.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

same here. honestly reckon we should make it so only Ross and JNT BA can message in this thread

Serious question for JNT BA, and I know your hands are tied in a lot of respects, but cutting through all the crap has this thread been useful in terms of the ideas/suggestions people have had? Everyone in this thread just wants the best game possible and I genuinely believe they've had the game's best interest at heart, even if other people disagree with some of the ideas/suggestions, that's what discussion boards are all about. Can you say if any of the ideas generated here have been implemented in the game, or attempted and abandoned for whatever reason?

You don't even have to say what they are if you're not allowed to, but as you've done all the work reading this thread and collating everything, I'm sure you'd like it if your work doing all that has actually been beneficial to the game too.

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

Serious question for JNT BA, and I know your hands are tied in a lot of respects, but cutting through all the crap has this thread been useful in terms of the ideas/suggestions people have had? Everyone in this thread just wants the best game possible and I genuinely believe they've had the game's best interest at heart, even if other people disagree with some of the ideas/suggestions, that's what discussion boards are all about. Can you say if any of the ideas generated here have been implemented in the game, or attempted and abandoned for whatever reason?

You don't even have to say what they are if you're not allowed to, but as you've done all the work reading this thread and collating everything, I'm sure you'd like it if your work doing all that has actually been beneficial to the game too.

I’d imagine the benefits would be very limiting to this point in time. There hasn’t been anything confirmed as being up to date for us to give feedback on since the goal kicking in September last year. The real use for this thread will be when the game comes out or up to date gameplay vids just before hand.

It would be good to have something substantial today or tomorrow to give feedback which could contribute to the day 1 patch. Was looking at the Cricket 22 gameplay video and that came out a month before release. Shame we haven’t got something by now.

 

[bdawwg1021]

View attachment 1650562

Anyone know the list of eligible games? (JB Hifi)

Imagine if Evo and Evo 2 are on it

PS5 and XBX titles. Evo 1&2 was prior to the new consoles being released.

I'd imagine in regards to Switch games, it's possible, but given the game itself won't be on switch then I highly doubt it.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

I’d imagine the benefits would be very limiting to this point in time. There hasn’t been anything confirmed as being up to date for us to give feedback on since the goal kicking in September last year. The real use for this thread will be when the game comes out or up to date gameplay vids just before hand.

It would be good to have something substantial today or tomorrow to give feedback which could contribute to the day 1 patch. Was looking at the Cricket 22 gameplay video and that came out a month before release. Shame we haven’t got something by now.

Agree that we have no idea what's up to date or not, but we've still provided feedback on what we have seen. For example we all pointed out issues with the reveal build. Some of the things we pointed out might not have been noticed by the developers because they're too close to it. It's like with writing, you should always put it aside for a while before editing, or get someone else to read it, because things previously missed will then be picked up. We also suggested things and had ideas before anything at all was revealed. That could have been useful during development.

Agree with the rest of what you've said though.

 

[stkilda7894]

What mode will you guys be checking out first, when you play it for the first time?

Academy - I wan't to find out what is actually licensed and what not. You'd think 8 days out from release we'd know if we have the make state and u18 teams/players/stadiums, but seems like we'll all find out at launch.

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

Can someone make a bot to join this forum so that whenever someone asks a question about the game it just responds with “Find out April 13th”.

Would save a lot of time