Thankfully though, the other great summer sporting event, if not the definitive sporting event, does offer a chance of delivering British success.
Cleverly, Ghostlight has taken advantage of the Olympics with its brand new International Athletics title for handhelds DS and PSP. This winning combo of some of the oldest sports in the world and two of the finest modern consoles is set to notch up a huge number of sales for retailers.
“International Athletics is the most realistic athletics simulation available on the Nintendo DS and the only athletics title on the Sony PSP this summer,” says Adrian Clews, marketing account manager for Ghostlight.
“We have focused on the realism of 14 varied track and field events playable in Quick Event, Tournament and Multiplayer modes, set within renowned international stadiums.”
Those 14 track and field events are more than enough to keep gamers happy, whether they are participating in 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 metres, 110 metres hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500 metres, hammer, running target rifle shooting, rapid fire pistol shooting or flinging arrows in archery. Phew!
International Athletics makes the most of both handheld formats, as Clews explains: “The PSP controls are still akin to the classic athletics simulators, harnessed with strong visuals on the PSP’s stunning wide screen. The DS version utilises the touch screen controls, enhancing the games playability and interactivity, particularly with younger audiences.”
The summer release does indeed coincide with the Olympics, and Ghostlight rightly believes this will give the title an added boost.
“The Olympics never fails to put athletics on the map and captures the attention of the nation and global media,” explains Clews. “We’ve had very little to cheer about this year in terms of sporting achievements, so we expect everyone to get fully behind the British team. Undoubtedly athletics being in the spotlight this summer will have a significant impact on sales with children and adults taking the opportunity to relive the heroism of the Olympic athletes on their handhelds.”
So with the games buying public focused on the Olympics, what has the retail community made of the Ghostlight sporting title’s chances?
“Retail has been hugely supportive of International Athletics on both DS and PSP formats, forecasting strong sales during the Olympics and throughout the year. The athletics simulator genre is a proven format for retail and confidence has remained high with buoyant pre-orders on both formats across all major retail sites,” Clews tells MCV.
As an added extra, International Athletics has been endorsed by UK Athletics, the governing body of British Athletics. “The endorsement is expected to boost sales in the UK and add substantial value to the product.”
So whether they want to sprint, shot putt, hurdle, jump, or take part in any of those 14 activities, Ghostlight’s International Athletics gives gamers a chance to try their hand at a wealth of track and field events and get physical without the need for sweat and tears.
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