FACT OF THE DAY
Fact 1. There's eight different pitch types and even footmarks which change progressively; this can be used as a guide to put spin on the ball.
"We're photographing and recording pitches in each of the major countries to get pitch colours, bounce, grass etc all correct"
Fact 2. All round excellent gameplay: there's fully intuitive batting, bowling and fielding in the game, and each is as important as each other
Fact 3. Adding to the televisual style of presentation, Brian Lara International Cricket will also utilise cutting-edge broadcast devices, including Hawk-Eye - fully licensed from its creators, The Television Corporation (
http://www.hawkeyeinnovations.co.uk).
Fact 4. Brian Lara International Cricket unlockables include a classic squad of 20 with the greatest names from cricket history - WG Grace included.
Fact 5. If you want to get your skills up to international standards, there are Practice nets to get in shape.
The practise nets will be very in-depth though - you can get the bowler to bowl specific balls and so they bounce on a specific part of the wicket
Fact 6. In the Friendly match option, you can play a One Day International, Test Match, or Double Wicket game. More info on Double Wicket to follow in tomorrow's Fact of the Day!
Fact 7. Double Wicket cricket, included in the 'Friendly' section of the game, is a very accessible way to play BLIC2005 quickly, featuring two batsmen and two bowlers (so it works well as a two- or four-player game).
You choose which players you would like (a batsman and a bowler, or two all-rounders, would be good - at least one player handy with a bat and one with a ball) and then the amount of overs playable and how many penalty runs any wickets cost.
Then you play the game as usual. If the opposition get a wicket it just means that the batting side are docked runs (the penalty runs mentioned before).
After the set number of overs, the side that was previously bowling comes in and they play their overs at bat. Best score, after the penalty runs have been taken off, wins.
Fact 8. Choose 'One Day International' in the 'Friendly' section of the game and you can change the default number of overs (50) to create a 20:20 match instead.
Fact 9. To get you guessing, there will be multiple commentary teams featuring some of the biggest and recognisable names in cricket. Can't say who yet though!
Fact 10. There's over 800 players animations in the game, fully motion captured
Fact 11. There will be a four-player multiplayer game available (2v2), with the chance for each gamer to join or leave the game at any point.
Fact 12. There will be full use of the modern technology that's used in the cricket coverage on TV - more on this very soon, when I can say more - but I'm sure you can guess what innovations will be alongside Hawkeye to add to the 'TV-style' coverage.
Fact 13. The classic squad will contain 20 players - the greatest names in cricket and you can play against them!
Fact 14. Further to the classic section I was mentioning yesterday - in BLIC2005 you will also be able to replay classic matches, such as the first Ashes test from 1889.
Fact 15. I'll let you know on the full team run down on Monday, but to get you guessing over the weekend, the Classic squad includes 20 members of which 6 are English, 5 Australian, 5 from the West Indies, 2 from South Africa and 1 each from India and Pakistan.
Anyone care to guess on who they are? If anyone gets it right (unlikely I know but it's an honest offer), I'll send them a Codies game and goodie bag.
Please put your guesses on the thread linked below to keep it tidy on this this thread.
http://community.codemasters.com/fo...&threadid=53811
Fact 16. There's six Game Modes: Friendly, Tournament, Challenge, Coaching, Custom, and The Pavillon. I've talked about Friendly already, so next I'll move on to talk about the Challenge mode.
Fact 17. Talking about game modes, 'Challenge', as mentioned on Monday, will have two major parts - the classic matches, and the Beat the All-Stars section.
Fact 18. In the Classic Match scenarios, part of the Challenge mode, we have initially gone for 10 classics.
Fact 19. Brian Lara Criket will have a plethora of well-known cricket sponsors - ad hoardings, teams, bats, balls and helmets will display that distinctive logo or touch to make the game experience even more immersive and encompassing.
Fact 20. Bit of strange one to throw into the fire, just to let you debate this: You don't not control your fielder when you're running for the ball. He'll do that automatically
Fact 21. In the 'Custom' section of the game you can create your own 'best of the best' from all the players in the game, both current and classic.
Fact 22 While there will be a speedometer after you have bowled of course to tell you the speed you bowled at, to control the speed while you bowl, you select the type of ball you want to bowl (using the controller buttons on PS2/Xbox, not sure on PC yet) and then the speed of the ball depends on your run-up, a what point you release the ball, the swing, if your bowler is 'finding his groove' (how bowlers come into and go out of form throughout a match) and the pitch conditions after the ball has left his hands.
Fact 23. The pitch point marker works differently to previous cricket games in that it is active throughout the run-up rather than being set before the bowler starts his run. This allows for late adjustments to the line and length you are bowling right up to the point when the ball is being released from the bowler's hand
Fact 24. The Customise menu of BLIC2005 will include a Player Editor, to edit existing players in the game.
Fact 25. Batting AND bowling can be controlled up until the 'last second' - just as in real life and just as it should be.
Fact 26. Key to the difference between top quality, average, and tailend batsmen in Brian Lara 2005 is in the foot movement range associated with each batsman type and the range of shots available to them. The better batsmen have much better foot movement, allowing them to play shots that tailenders would struggle with, and they also have many more shots available to them (as in real life).
Fact 27. Each player is accurately rated in all batting skill areas ... which affects their timing for each shot type. So as you can see there are a multitude of factors that effectively determine differences between the varying levels of batsman skill whilst playing the game - and we'll have them in the game.
Fact 28. There's no streakers and no pigeons in the game sadly
Fact 29. In the Practice Nets section you can select the batsman and/or bowler you want to be - so if you're facing a fearsome fast bowler in your next match, you can practice your batting against him before the game starts. Alternatively, you can also pit your bowling wits against the world-class batsman that you can select, who might hit you for six in next round and find his weak-points
Fact 30. While Online play isn't supported in this version of the game, multiplayer can make up for it, with the Double Wicket match (covered last month) supporting up to 16 players at the same time (eight teams selected, two players per team).
Fact 31. There are 17 One Day International teams in the game.
Fact 32. Their are nine variables you can choose when setting up a one-off match:
Difficulty (measured by village green to test match)
Match Length (in overs)
Stadium (chose between all the stadiums in the game)
Time (day, night, day/night)
Weather (adds moisture the air, for example)
Pitch Type (Aussie, northern hemisphere, dry Windies pitch etc - that kind of thing)
Ball Degradation (how quick the ball ages)
Ball Type (the usual balls included)
Ball Condition (how old the ball is to start with)
Fact 33. Bowling incorporates four different types of delivery, along with an extra two special deliveries.
Fact 34. One of the classic matches will be Don Bradman's farewell innings v England (OK, it's not the 'Gentlemen of England' but I'm sure you'll let us off) - you also have to get a 100.
Fact 35. While playing a game as the bowling/fielding side, you automatically field the ball to the most dangerous end of the wicket (the one that will most likely result in an out), rather than having a choice of wickets to aim for.
That doesn't mean the CPU does everything for you though...
Fact 36. There are 3 completely licensed stadiums (stadia?) in the game - The Oval, Egbaston and the Rosebowl, while the others are very recognisable even though the names aren't the same (for example, the ground shown in the screens last week).
Fact 37.The Tournament mode will include the World Cup, and the Champions Trophy.
Fact 38. All statistics and records in the game are supplied by our official partner - Wisden (
http://www.Cricinfo.com)
Fact 39. Two facts in a way today - just found out that I was slightly wrong on the grounds in the game. Those mentioned as fully licensed are only the UK grounds - there will be more world-wide...
Anyway, the proper Fact of the Day Thursday 10th
Umpires will have the correct names and some are modelled accurately.
Fact 40. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there will be 10 test match teams in the game.
Fact 41. The stats screens for the game engine will include the scoring 'wagon wheels' as used on TV.
Fact 42. You can play a full 'tour' series against the opposition, choosing the number of ODIs and full tests you would like to play against them.
Fact 43.You can play a full 'tour' series against the opposition, choosing the number of ODIs and full tests you would like to play against them.
Fact 44.In the tournament section of the game all kits will be perfectly recreated and licensed
Fact 45.There are 16 players per squad, meaning about 300 players in the game.
Fact 44. There are 16 players per squad, meaning about 300 players in the game.
Fact 45. The stadiums list will including the 2003 World Cup venues.
Fact 46. The game will include all-time bowling and batting records (Lara's 501 for example) - and if you beat it you will become the record holder in the game's Hall of Fame, unlocking rewards along the way.
Fact 47. Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 is now available to pre-order via our e-shop:
http://www.codemasters.co.uk/eshop/...hp?genre=Sports
And it also looks like there will be an Indian/Asian sub-continent PC version of the game released (still called Brian Lara's). It hasn't been confirmed yet, but there are plans for this.
Fact 48 The tournament section includes a mode similar to the Super Series - containing three ODIs and a six-day test.
Fact 49. In series you can play up to six tests and six ODIs.
The tournament section includes a mode similar to the Super Series - containing three ODIs and a six-day test.
Fact 50. You can save up to three career players in the game.
BLIC looks like it will have a career mode (in fact you can have three careers going at once, one batsmen, one all-rounder and one bowler).
Fact 51. Hope I haven't done this one before...in the Challenge mode you can play the 'World XI Challenge', a gradually harder and harder task as you play as every international team against a World XI.
Fact 52. More about the career mode:
- Create your own Career Player and represent your nation in every available mode
- Set your player’s specialist skills and attributes and earn stat points to improve your player
- Select your real licensed kit manufacturers and bat types and weights
- Hit milestones and unlock Career Player Trophies
Fact 53. In the Customise section you can create your own XI from all of the players featured, design your own tournaments and leagues, and edit an existing player's name and attributes
Fact 54. There are 15 stadiums to choose from in the Exhibition mode.
Fact 55. In the World Cup and Champions Trophy modes you can elect to start at any point; you can do the full tournament or start at the Super Sixes, Semis or Final in the World Cup, and in the Champions Trophy you can start at the Round Robin stage, or the Semis or Final.
Fact 56. There are ten trophies to win for your trophy cabinet.
Fact 57. Boring fact but one for those with superior technology - the game can run at 50hz and 60hz mode.
Fact 58. As I'm looking at a new version of the game this afternoon I'll wait on Fact of the Day, so have a screen today (these aren't going out on general release so I'll have a few to show over the next few weeks exclusively for you) of Shoaib Akhtar instead.[/b]
First Press release(Feb 03)
(Posted Partially Above)
The remaining is
...In a tense battle between batting and bowling, its your chance to defend the honour of your chosen country in gripping One-Day Internationals, atmospheric Test Matches, fast Double Wicket games, challenging tournaments and even historic clashes – including the Test Match of 1882, which led to the creation of the Ashes!
In addition to the world’s best cricket players and stadia from around the world, Brian Lara International Cricket also includes a classic squad featuring some of the greatest names from cricket history.
If you want to get your skills up to international standards, there are Practice Nets to get in shape and then, when you’re ready to play alongside the world’s best, the full team and player editing lets you pick the squad.
Get out on the pitch and experience the fluid, dynamic gameplay mechanics that make batting, bowling and fielding equally enthralling to play.
You’ll be bowling bouncers and hitting sixes in no time if you can take the deliveries from the professionals.
If you’re feeling really competitive, there’s multiplayer action for up to four players, with 2 players per team. Players can join the team at any time during a match, providing perfect drop in or drop out play – perfect if you’re engaged in a 5-day Test!
Visually reflecting the contemporary style of televised cricket, the game will also offer intelligent commentary from some of the biggest and recognisable names in cricket, including Jonathan Agnew, David Gower and Ian Bishop.
Essential for fans of the sport, and a cracking multiplayer game in its own right, Brian Lara International Cricket will bowl you over this summer when it’s published by Codemasters for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. Prepare to don your cricket whites online at
www.codemasters.com/brianlara
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Second Press Release
Designed as the ultimate hit and run experience, Brian Lara International Cricket will come packed with official content thanks to a licence from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body for international cricket, Codemasters announced today.
As an iconic sports gaming brand, Brian Lara International Cricket returns to this summer for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC and the ICC endorsement brings the organisation's world famous tournaments to the title.
You'll be able to step up to the crease and compete with the professionals in cricket's most challenging tournaments including the ICC Cricket World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy.
Featuring all the official ICC One-Day International teams, with 16 players per squad, and stadia from around the world, including The Oval, Newlands, and Edgbaston, Brian Lara International Cricket will be a truly authentic experience.
The ICC deal also brings authentic strips and real name players with detailed facial likenesses to the game. So, in addition to Brian Lara himself, you'll be facing world-class bouncers from the world's greatest bowlers, including Wasim Akram, GD McGrath or Andrew Flintoff or trying to send the bails flying from cricket's best batsmen such as SR Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, or Andrew Strauss!
Brian Lara International Cricket will capture all the exciting, athletic, skilful and technical elements of the sport in the only cricket game designed to make batting, bowling and fielding equally enthralling to play. Brian Lara International Cricket will hit you for six this summer when it's published by Codemasters for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. Prepare to don your cricket whites online at
www.codemasters.com/brianlara
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Screenshots :-
From First PR
http://www.codemasters.co.uk/games/?showdownloads=1584
Direct link(May not work)
Second PR
http://www.codemasters.co.uk/downloads/?downloadid=17779
Or from
http://www.planetcricket.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9467
A scan of the Game's review
http://www.planetcricket.net/files/ps26.jpg
A leaked screenie of Shoaib Akhtar
Source
