HB STUDIOS Q&A vol. 3

[Radman]

A demo will be crucial in obtaining an edge over the competition me thinks. Either that or plenty of footage showing just how good the games features are.

 

[ryyounger]

the lack of license I can cope with, just means having a few hours changing names etc ( as long as we get edit mode ) however the lack of manager mode does worry me. I completely agree that gameplay has to be priority, but I really don't see us getting another release for a few years so longevity has to be there. The argument that if we can play online is there it will enable a long life of the game, doesnt really work with me due to the fact that everyone will only play with the best teams and like has been wrote previously, people quitting if losing. This has been proven to me on fifa many times, everyone barcelona and if you get a lead they disapear. Hopefully there will be a decent edit capability to enable us to make a league etc.

 

[Duckdee]

Ok, EA's budget for rugby 08 couldnt get the liscensing for any French/Irish/Scottish/Welsh or Italian club kits/ names in some cases, nor the liscensing for international teams like samoa/tonga or even the french players.... i guess HB studios with its megre budget in comparison is going to have alot less

Wasn't that due to another game getting exclusive rights?

 

[Jayatron]

Yeah i'm pretty sure that's correct, a game called Rugby Challenge. Had the rights to the Top 14, Celtic League, Super 10 (I think) and a few of the international teams. Game play was beyond a joke bad though.

 

[londonirishboy]

wot no heffler?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

What's a heffler?

 

[lynam1104]

World league they fly half your team stated with.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Heffler was the fly half on World League mode!

 

[lynam1104]

I used him a t FB i wanted Donald cus he was better but he can't kick so i kept him and put at FB.

 

[giblett80]

I am so glad that a Rugby game is being developed again its great news. From what they have said I am guessing that the game will be very similar to the old rugby games just with improved graphics. Whilst this is all well and good I think its very important that some sort of manager mode is implemented even if it just involves a simple transfer system (involving buying and selling rather than direct trading as in previous games). As well as this I think research into teams and players so information in terms of appearance and stats is as correct as possible so as to avoid situations such as David Strettle international england winger looked like a prop and not being quick at all Rugby 2008. If different league rights can be obtained having the seperate contests would be fantastic, however I understand this could be a hard task although surely the irb would be the ones to speak to? I think the major change in gameplay should be a more fluid open play kicking system, in old versions it has always been very clumpy looking and not very challenging. Anyway just my thoughts cant wait to see what comes out of it.

 

[dan the man]

HEFFLER!!! wasn't he named after one of the game designers or something?

 

[david.soper]

Yeah, i was looking forward to managers mode too!! just another boring rugby game with no depth by the sound of it!!! why cant people put the energy into rugby as they do to football!! for example fifa!!

 

[horchard]

Well it seems everything the public are wanting from this new game hb studios say "it’s not one of the core gameplay elements we are focusing on this time around" Well what is the core gameplay elements!! From the sound of things you might as well take rugby 08 make it HD update teams and make it look slightly cooler! For goodness sakes no wonder why rugby doesn't sell there crap games!

 

[Dizzy]

i think thats exactly what is going to happen horchard

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

I think a lot of us need to remember that HB are the only guys who've successfully made a rugby game that at least flows like rugby in the past. They got better and better from the dismal 2004, to the average 2005, the brilliant 2006 and then reached a plateau with Rugby 2008.

I think we've got a lot to hope for from these guys as they are not having their first crack at rugby and many of us may be in preference of this ***le once the Rugby games come out next year.

HB are known for keeping things tightly wrapped until the later stages of development and that's always better than over-promising and under-delivering.

 

[markshaw]

I just dont understand how making a proper franchise mode is so hard.

 

[nickdnz]

I think people are looking at this really badly at the moment. HB haven't releaced much information because of obligations to licences etc. Sounds like they're working really hard to bring out a polished rugby game. We don't know what features to expect until more information is releaced, which providing HB take care and time in their product, may take a little while longer. It seems many poster would rather have the game releaced quickly and hurridly than for HB to take their time and well manage resources, so when the game is releaced, it will be another vast improvment on their previously great rugby ***les. I for one, am really looking forward to this.

 

[dan the man]

Yeah, I've had hours of enjoyment from Rugby 06 and if Rugby 2012 was a polished version of 06 with updated rosters and some extra features i would be pretty pleased.

 

[Hamez]

I think a lot of us need to remember that HB are the only guys who've successfully made a rugby game that at least flows like rugby in the past. They got better and better from the dismal 2004, to the average 2005, the brilliant 2006 and then reached a plateau with Rugby 2008.

I think we've got a lot to hope for from these guys as they are not having their first crack at rugby and many of us may be in preference of this ***le once the Rugby games come out next year.

HB are known for keeping things tightly wrapped until the later stages of development and that's always better than over-promising and under-delivering.

I agree, but I do think Jonah Lomu Rugby got the pace and the feel of the game very well.

 

[TRF C A Iversen]

I agree, but I do think Jonah Lomu Rugby got the pace and the feel of the game very well.

True, an all time classic, but that wasn't made by either of the two currently known Rugby developers. My point was that HB have experience making Rugby games and have made reasonably good ones, whereas the other current developer hasn't as yet made one, so HB should still be entitled to (or have well earned) a degree of good faith in their products.

HB are also very well known for keeping things under wraps until later in development, which may mean there are plenty of pleasant surprises coming further down the line.

I think assumptions can sometimes be made one way or the other too early by fans, based on too little information.