505s Rugby game will have worldwide appeal

The studio behind 505’s Rugby World Cup title claims the release will be one of the biggest games of the year” – and will reflect the advances in the sport itself as well gaming technology.

The game is due in August for Xbox 360 and PS3 ahead of the tournament, which takes place in New Zealand during September and October. It’s the first World Cup game since 1995 and HB Studios’ first rugby game since 2007.

HB Studios’ general manager Alistair Jarvis told MCV: This is the first time rugby will be experienced on 360 and PS3 and the first time we’ll feature online play.

The sport has moved on since we last made a Rugby title, and we’ve captured the flowing nature of the sport as it’s currently played.”

He also believes that the title will have true global appeal: Rugby is growing across the world and in emerging markets such as North America and this year, the Rugby World Cup will be broadcast on NBC. Rugby was recently written about in the Economist as the fastest growing team sport in the US.

Rugby is now played by men and women in more than 100 countries across five continents. The 2007 Rugby World Cup was watched by 4.3 billion TV viewers in over 200 countries. It’s safe to say that as gamers want to play as their favourite teams in the lead up to and during Rugby World Cup 2011, the biggest sporting event this year will spawn one of the biggest games of the year.”