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.

 

[mickelboy182]

JNT BA
Would be nice to just know that we will not endure another delay, if the Xbox copies do not turn up before the new release, will users on other platforms ie - PlayStation & PC still go ahead on May 4?
I’m sure it would put a lot of people’s minds at ease.
As you’d agree, it’s not much of a fun situation getting excited and then being let down.

Don't be ridiculous, that would be the worst possible thing for them to do. Makes them look terrible for going back on their word.

 

[Flagmantle Pod]

Flagmantle

Hey

 

[mickelboy182]

They also did mention as per cricket 22 that they could not expect other users to wait months for the game release.
It’s more than a fair question.

It's not going to be months so that is entirely redundant.

 

[Sub7ekjr]

I think part of the problem for Big Ant is that as much as this is on Xbox, the game retailers ordered a set amount of Xbox copies. If they release on the other platforms, the retailers would be left holding the bag if people switch their preorders/cancelled them and grabbed a PC/PS copy instead. That's not a risk that BA would be wanting to take if they don't need to, and they've gotta be careful here with what they say.

If it blows out too much, I'm sure they'll just release it anyway, but anything they can do to avoid having to release on the other platforms is worth doing when they only have two retailers that are stocking their game, and they're also trying to keep a relationship with a whole platform too.

BigAntStudios one of my favourite games ever was Premiership Coach 2011, largely for the list management and growing new players etc. How do you guys think the career mode compares to a full-on management simulator in terms of player development, replayability, randomness etc?

If you can't answer that, is there an option to do a fantasy draft to start the career off? Would be awesome to reshuffle the teams around and build up a team of stars that fit my gameplan!

 

[bennymate]

God damn it’s time to take the Good Friday fizzer games off North.

Carlton v Pies would have been a cracker yesterday

Throwback to this braindead take

 

[mickelboy182]

If things get stuck in customs, it certainly can be “months”

This simply does not happen. Weeks at most.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Just need a boat going sideways through the Suez again.

 

[andy_c91]

I think part of the problem for Big Ant is that as much as this is on Xbox, the game retailers ordered a set amount of Xbox copies. If they release on the other platforms, the retailers would be left holding the bag if people switch their preorders/cancelled them and grabbed a PC/PS copy instead. That's not a risk that BA would be wanting to take if they don't need to, and they've gotta be careful here with what they say.

If it blows out too much, I'm sure they'll just release it anyway, but anything they can do to avoid having to release on the other platforms is worth doing when they only have two retailers that are stocking their game, and they're also trying to keep a relationship with a whole platform too.

BigAntStudios one of my favourite games ever was Premiership Coach 2011, largely for the list management and growing new players etc. How do you guys think the career mode compares to a full-on management simulator in terms of player development, replayability, randomness etc?

If you can't answer that, is there an option to do a fantasy draft to start the career off? Would be awesome to reshuffle the teams around and build up a team of stars that fit my gameplan!

Surprised this hasn’t been brought up earlier, most people going down the route of the game is buggy………geez Louise c’mon people start making sense

 

[mickelboy182]

But it does. I’ve had thing held up in customs before for a long period. It does happen.

Not of this scale/commercial interest.

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

Surprised this hasn’t been brought up earlier, most people going down the route of the game is buggy………geez Louise c’mon people start making sense

But it isn’t new, it’s old. It’s been brought many many times over the last 36 hours. What we’re saying is Big Ant shouldn’t have to pay for the mistake by delaying sales, nor should the retailers, nor should the gamers. Any retailer loss should be at Microsoft’s expense - not delaying the game for the platforms which are ready.

Maybe Xbox gamers wouldn’t be happy having to wait, but then again they might reconsider their console of choice? Then Xbox might get their act together as this has been an ongoing issue and they keep getting away with it.

From a PlayStation console owner (with their preordered AFL23 game ready to be picked up at the store)

 

[jc12]

Delays in the gaming industry are very common, even with big triple A titles. No one said 5 years, that's only you. I said it'd be nice "hypothetically" if they had a couple of more years of development, since the sport is very complex and they'd need a lot of development time to cover all the aspects of it.

What first AFL game? Big Ant's first AFL game? They only had 2 years or so on that game, which is fairly short for a sport so complex.

I don't think you're that familiar with the video game industry and its development time. These days, games can get up to around 4 or 5 years of development time, if not more.

A couple more years ? People like you have been saying this shit for ages and it's done nothing. Either say it'll take more years from the start or don't delay it at all , simple.

And if that's the case then they should of done a more later release date then. Doesn't matter what you say, delays ain't good.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

A couple more years ? People like you have been saying this s**t for ages and it's done nothing. Either say it'll take more years from the start or don't delay it at all , simple.

And if that's the case then they should of done a more later release date then. Doesn't matter what you say, delays ain't good.

So, how long do you think is enough time to adapt every aspect of the most complex sport in the world being Australian Rules Football into a video game?

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

So, how long do you think is enough time to adapt every aspect of the most complex sport in the world being Australian Rules Football into a video game?

It will take years and years to have ‘every’ aspect and somewhere in between AFL23 and AFL40 we’ll get there, but it will take time and money earnt from sequel after sequel to get there. Bigant could take ten years on this game but their budget would still be the same as it is now.

If they were to hold the release of AFL23 to 2031, that would turn out to be a worse game then what we would see with an AFL31 which saw prequels of AFL29, AFL27, AFL25 and AFL23 before it. Because there would be more money to invest into it

 

[GoldbergsGold]

It will take years and years to have ‘every’ aspect and somewhere in between AFL23 and AFL40 we’ll get there, but it will take time and money earnt from sequel after sequel to get there. Bigant could take ten years on this game but their budget would still be the same as it is now.

If they were to hold the release of AFL23 to 2031, that would turn out to be a worse game then what we would see with an AFL31 which saw prequels of AFL29, AFL27, AFL25 and AFL23 before it. Because there would be more money to invest into it

We already had 30+ years of incomplete/inadequate simulation AFL video games. It would be preferable to finally get a more complete sim, for their first release since Live 1.

 

[Dez!]

Not surprised it has dissolved into calling JBs to annoy them for no reason.

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

We already had 30+ years of incomplete/inadequate simulation AFL video games. It would be preferable to finally get a more complete sim, for their first release since Live 1.

But it will be a more complete sim, then any AFL game before. Plus we’ll then get an even better one next season/25

 

[GoldbergsGold]

But it will be a more complete sim, then any AFL game before. Plus we’ll then get an even better one next season/25

That being said, definitely could have been more complete had they had more time or had put more work into the gameplay mechanics. Well have to see the final release, but I doubt it'd be a proper sim in this iteration. The fact I will be putting a lot of time into it, I would like to have the chance to simulate most of the stuff you see in the real sport.

 

[FearTheBeard13]

How did this end up talking about AFL 31 GOTHELIONS16 are you having us on mate?

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

That being said, definitely could have been more complete had they had more time or had put more work into the gameplay mechanics. Well have to see the final release, but I doubt it'd be a proper sim in this iteration. The fact I will be putting a lot of time into it, I would like to have the chance to simulate most of the stuff you see in the real sport.

Well don’t buy AFL23 and wait for AFL24, 25, 26 or 27 or until you’re content?

 

[cottoneyeYeo]

this is gonna be a long few weeks

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

How did this end up talking about AFL 31 GOTHELIONS16 are you having us on mate?

I was trying to make a point

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Well don’t buy AFL23 and wait for AFL24, 25, 26 or 27 or until you’re content?

If we did that, there won't be a AFL 24 25, 26, etc.

 

[Cummdog3000]

That being said, definitely could have been more complete had they had more time or had put more work into the gameplay mechanics. Well have to see the final release, but I doubt it'd be a proper sim in this iteration. The fact I will be putting a lot of time into it, I would like to have the chance to simulate most of the stuff you see in the real sport.

GIVE THE MAN GANG TACKLES!!!

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

If we did that, there won't be a AFL 24 25, 26, etc.

Yeah but you are the only one not buying it for that reason If AFL23 is the best afl video game ever, most people thinking of buying, will buy it, perfect or not.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Yeah but you are the only one not buying it for that reason

Never said that, I said I'm going to invest in Big Ant nonetheless. I bought Live 1 twice, and none of WW games, so you know what bandwagon I'm on there.