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Ubisoft hopes this summer’s World Cup will help it crack the ‘polarised’ football game genre.
The publisher will launch Pure Football for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in May, which is fronted by former England captain Steven Gerrard.
And Ubisoft brand manager Phil Brannelly believes that the association with Gerrard and the hype surrounding the World Cup will see the game fly off shelves throughout June and July.
Ubisoft are committed to making a name for itself in the sports genre in general and the launch of Pure Football and, later this year, Shaun White Skateboarding, are both steps towards this goal,” he said.
We have very realistic expectations for Pure Football and will be supporting it with strategic marketing activity and promotions.
The whole furore surrounding England’s campaign this year will really whip up a frenzy in June and July, and spark interest in the game. Especially with Stevie G on the pack.”
This isn’t Ubisoft’s first attempt at a football game – the publisher released Academy of Champions for Wii in 2009.
The genre has proved to be a particularly hard one to crack, with FIFA and PES dominating sales.
But Brannelly is confident there is still room in the market for football games that are a little different.
Pure Football is positioned as an action title alongside the current dominant football simulation titles and offers consumers something a bit more fun and light hearted,” he added.
If you want simulation football, you have two options. If you want anything else, there is nothing.
Our ambitions are to take one step at a time in what is very much a polarised genre, with one game in particular dominating, but there is always room for other titles.
Ubisoft is very proud that Steven Gerrard put his name to Pure Football and shows Ubisoft means business.”
