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.

 

[andy_c91]

looking forward in player career mode to do a pre-season 5km time trial i. Also, wonder if we will be able to do a full pre-season with match sims and the lot. Just imagine having a player that has just been drafted and you rip it up in the pre-season and take a senior player's spot (that should be an achievement).

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

looking forward in player career mode to do a pre-season 5km time trial i. Also, wonder if we will be able to do a full pre-season with match sims and the lot.

Going to love playing through the off season trip to Vegas where your player gets way too drunk, gets photographed relentlessly, and wakes up to a hit piece by Caroline Wilson calling for you to leave the club.

 

[T2B_]

Hopefully the drafting of youngsters is a bit better in career mode than Evo 2. I had a guy in the TSL get midfielder like numbers playing forward, kicked like 50 more goals than the next best guy, ton of marks before national draft... Went Pick 13

 

[stkilda7894]

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.

Hopefully BigAntStudios consider this. They've been excellent in the past in regards to the cricket games and having a free academy on steam. They know as well as anyone it's near impossible to create logos and jerseys on consoles, not their fault, it's just obviously a lot easier to create on the PC. A standalone academy makes life a lot easier for creators who play on consoles.

 

[Freo16]

looking forward in player career mode to do a pre-season 5km time trial i. Also, wonder if we will be able to do a full pre-season with match sims and the lot. Just imagine having a player that has just been drafted and you rip it up in the pre-season and take a senior player's spot (that should be an achievement).

Why do I like the idea of doing a pre-season time trial in player career ?

Jogging along the track having to be smart about managing your stamina across the entire distance - this idea seems stupid but I’m kinda into it for some reason

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

My apologies guys, I haven’t intended to come off snappy or take things to heart today.
Since mid morning I have not been feeling great at all, have just tested positive for Covid and last time I had this I was very sick in hospital so I do apologize for being a bit rough around the edges today.

It’s alright! Hope you have a speedy recovery my friend

 

[andy_c91]

Why do I like the idea of doing a pre-season time trial in player career ?

Jogging along the track having to be smart about managing your stamina across the entire distance - this idea seems stupid but I’m kinda into it for some reason

Honestly it could work lol, thinking about it big ant will play a part in developing the Tour de France cycling game for 2023 and all that game is about fatigue management and when to rip it up.

 

[Treehill23]

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

It feels very similar to when you’re picking a Jelly Bean from that god awful mixed flavours box
Will it be good, or will you be running to the sink to spit it out and find a chaser

 

[Treehill23]

My apologies guys, I haven’t intended to come off snappy or take things to heart today.
Since mid morning I have not been feeling great at all, have just tested positive for Covid and last time I had this I was very sick in hospital so I do apologize for being a bit rough around the edges today.

I haven’t seen any need for you to apologise for anything today tbh
Rest up mate

 

[Xtreme]

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?

Madden/Fifa have done elements of thud for years. 2K are also guilty with the WWE games, remove a feature one year.. bring it back 2-3 years later "all new".

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 s**t 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.

K-Mart got in strife for accidentally selling Gears of War 2 early.

I got Halo 3 from David Jones days before release. And they sold me the Collectors Edition with the embargo sticker still on

The mid - late 2000s was the best. Games like Fifa, Madden (and other titles like Guitar Hero, Forza, Gran Turismo etc) would get put on sale as soon as stock arrived regardless if it was days or a week earlier than the official date.

Memmmmmoriesssssssss

 

[Quivorir]

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

I did consider making one of those classic "Is X Y yet?" internet pages but was too busy at work and too lazy in my free time.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

K-Mart got in strife for accidentally selling Gears of War 2 early.

I got Halo 3 from David Jones days before release. And they sold me the Collectors Edition with the embargo sticker still on

The mid - late 2000s was the best. Games like Fifa, Madden (and other titles like Guitar Hero, Forza, Gran Turismo etc) would get put on sale as soon as stock arrived regardless if it was days or a week earlier than the official date.

Memmmmmoriesssssssss

I picked up my PS2 GTA3 laybuy from Kmart after it had been pulled from shelves, because my mate who worked at Kmart at the time sweet talked the old lady at the laybuy desk, by telling her that I had called up earlier that day to tell them that I was coming in to pick it up, and that's totally why it was wrapped up in black plastic and put aside from everything else, not that it was about to be shipped back.

I still have that copy. One of my favourite gaming possessions.

 

[FearTheBeard13]

My apologies guys, I haven’t intended to come off snappy or take things to heart today.
Since mid morning I have not been feeling great at all, have just tested positive for Covid and last time I had this I was very sick in hospital so I do apologize for being a bit rough around the edges today.

Dont apologise mate. Rest up and get better! Also you made probably the best discovery today of the status of the game so good work!

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

Something I noticed with the set shots in the early dev is the ball never seemed to go through the goal near post height. I hope some snaps will sail high through the sticks and not low all the time.

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

I think the number one way this game is going to succeed is if every game you play feels like it’s own seperate match. Evo 2 struggled with this, every game felt the same no matter who you were playing or who the opposition had on their team.

Super excited to see what Champion Data come up with for these special skills they’ve talked about and even more keen to see how much they affect gameplay. Need stars to play like stars

 

[Ozzie02]

Something I noticed with the set shots in the early dev is the ball never seemed to go through the goal near post height. I hope some snaps will sail high through the sticks and not low all the time.

I think it’s because the people playing the game never moved the cross-hairs high enough when kicking for goal. I could be wrong but that’s what I think

 

[Cummdog3000]

Could possibly be due to players genuinely not knowing the controls, could be due to the dev build, it’s a good point though! I’m confident it will be rectified come next Thursday.
It’s getting super exciting now.
My young fella is very excited, he’s roped the groundsman from his school to come over and have some games next Thursday too!
I take the footy over every day I pick him up from school, loves it!

Can imagine you and the young man both eagerly waiting is only building the excitement more, that’s awesome

 

[palmomagpie]

My apologies guys, I haven’t intended to come off snappy or take things to heart today.
Since mid morning I have not been feeling great at all, have just tested positive for Covid and last time I had this I was very sick in hospital so I do apologize for being a bit rough around the edges today.

All the best mate! Rest up and stay away from the chockies over Easter We’ve got a surge going on over here in Adelaide - my kids class is getting multiple cases daily. Just hope I hold out for release and gather round!

 

[BigAntStudios]

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.

There won't be a stand-alone Academy.

 

[bdawwg1021]

My apologies guys, I haven’t intended to come off snappy or take things to heart today.
Since mid morning I have not been feeling great at all, have just tested positive for Covid and last time I had this I was very sick in hospital so I do apologize for being a bit rough around the edges today.

Feel free to pass it on
I've still never had it, but at a point in my life where I need a good excuse to get a few days off work

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

Didn’t Ross say somewhere that this was the most pre orders Big Ant have ever had on one game? Huge financial incentive to produce multiple games if true

*could be thinking of the budget being the largest ever on an AFL game but my memory hasn’t been great

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

Didn’t Ross say somewhere that this was the most pre orders Big Ant have ever had on one game? Huge financial incentive to produce multiple games if true

*could be thinking of the budget being the largest ever on an AFL game but my memory hasn’t been great

Both are fact.
1. Most preorders for a bigant game ever
2. 5 times the budget of any Australian sports video game in history. So that means at least five times the budget of Cricket 22.

 

[Mootsy]

I suppose an itching question is will the Gabba lights have halogen or LED globes??
but srsly..

Also found this nugget from AFL Live 1, i really liked the fluid motion/animations for banana and snap goals in that there game!

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

There won't be a stand-alone Academy.

Well that's disappointing. Was hoping the features of the Cricket games would be the base upon this was built.

Might increase uptake of the PC version though.

 

[Treehill23]

In just under 3 hours, it’ll be exactly 7 days until the game is officially released.
Wonder when that gameplay is dropping