Rugby League 2 announced for PlayStation 2 and PC

News by GamesIndustry International Contributor

Published on Feb. 25, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wellington, New Zealand - February 25, 2005 - Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty Ltd (HES) announced today the development of "Rugby League 2" for PlayStation^®2 and PC. The game follows on from the highly successful 2003 release "Rugby League", which debuted in Australasian charts at number one.

Building on the powerful game engine that was embraced by both gamers and people passionate about Rugby League, the game developer Sidhe Interactive has spent over 12 months creating a brand new sequel, packed with all new functionality and refined gameplay, graphics, controls, and competitions. Players, sponsors, and stadiums have all been updated to reflect the 2005 season.

"We are extremely pleased with the achievements of the first title" said David Robles, Business Development Manager for HES. "We have continued to develop our relationships with clubs, players and coaches over the past year and we are all very excited about the new product".

Adding to these comments David Gallop, CEO of the NRL said, "We're excited about the announcement of the new game as we view this as the celebration of our great game. It provides an expansion of the game that allows friends and families the chance to play in the boots of their favourite players and teams."

New features of "Rugby League 2" include -

Multiplayer online play for all platforms, allowing competitive and friendly play over the Internet, player rankings, and statistics.

All major teams and competitions including the NRL, SuperLeague, State of Origin, City versus Country, and a range of International Teams.

Brand new gameplay features including ball stripping, shoulder barges, diving on and kicking the loose ball, contesting the high ball, pass to playmaker and more.

New multi year Franchise Mode, including player contract management, injuries, judiciary, and mid season representative games. - Highly realistic, individually modelled likenesses for over 500 players and referees.

Lifelike animation, motion captured by Weta Digital, the VFX wizards behind The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Mario Wynands, Managing Director of Sidhe Interactive, the development studio behind the title said, "Rugby League 2 will build on the strong foundation we have established, delivering an even richer and more engrossing sports gaming experience. We are committed to creating a title which fans will enjoy even more than the first".

"PlayStation 2 owners will be very excited by the quality of this game and the host of new features that have been included". says Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment.

Rugby League 2 is expected for release on PlayStation^®2 and PC in the second half of 2005 under "Tru Blu Games", the publishing division of HES.

**********

Note to media: Screenshots from the game are available for download from http://www.sidheinteractive.com. Permission is given for these to be used in your publication or website.

**********

Contact:

David Robles

Business Development Manager / Producer

Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty Ltd

Ph: +61 2 9533 3055

Fx: +61 2 9533 3277

www.hes.net

league@hes.net

Mario Wynands

Managing Director

Sidhe Interactive