If there is any series that can be termed as the pinnacle of Test cricket, it is the Ashes. For more than a century, the historic competition pitting England against Australia has managed to generate a buzz that few other rivalries in the sport can match.
\nThe latest edition of this series is proving to be no different, despite what is turning out to be a punishing tour for Joe Root and his England team so far.\u00a0 For fans of the sport around the world, there is an opportunity to truly feel the spirit of the Ashes and more with Big Ants Studio\u2019s latest offering.
\nCricket 22 \u2013 the official video game of the 2021-22 Ashes series \u2013 was launched earlier this month. The game is Big Ants Studio\u2019s second major cricket product, following the success of the previous edition named Cricket 19. Despite being one of the more popular sports internationally, cricket continued to suffer from a lack of major video games conceptualised around it.
\nCricket 22 aims to fill some of that void, with the added inclusion of major T20 leagues\u00a0such as the\u00a0Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred and the Big Bash League. Sport360 recently sat down with Big Ants Studio CEO Ross Symons to get a more in-depth look into the game\u2019s development.
\nCricket 22 will feature The Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League and The Hundred. Was a focus on the shorter formats a high priority when developing the game?
\nIdeally, we always want to represent the full extent of the game as it exists in the real world today. The various short-form versions of cricket currently command a great deal of media attention and are loved by fans globally, and are a must inclusion. Of course, we remain true to Cricket 22 also features long-form contest licenses, including The Ashes itself and Australia\u2019s Sheffield Shield domestic competition, and we will continue to build on those licenses as those opportunities arise.
\nIs it fair to say The Ashes is still the highlight of the game’s latest edition? How do you think the game best captures The Ashes experience?
\nThe Ashes is the oldest rivalry and contest in Cricket, so it does occupy a particularly special place to us. We go out of our way to make sure the stadia and players are as you would see them in a televised broadcast, and that the game\u2019s mechanics fully support the intensity of a closely-fought 5-day test match.
\nThere appears to be a deep narrative-driven career mode. How much does that contribute to the overall gaming experience?
\nFrom previous cricket games, we know that people can spend hundreds of hours in our career modes. Cricket 22 adds a narrative and greater sense of character and off-field drama helping players become even more invested, taking ownership of their players as they progress through all the stages of their careers. We hope that people will enjoy this greater depth and nuance as they play.
\nWhat are the main improvements made to the gameplay and animation? Any notable changes to the AI?
\nWe\u2019re constantly building on and improving every element of our games, and Cricket 22 is no different. We\u2019ve added a deeper range of animations to give people more control over everything from bowling to shot-making and further enhanced AI. Loading times are faster, getting you into matches more quickly, and we\u2019ve deepened the \u201cbroadcast quality\u201d of the game. Already we\u2019ve seen people make clips that seamlessly transition between in-game and real-life cricket. That\u2019s how authentic to the sport we\u2019ve been able to make Cricket 22.
\nWhat would you say makes this series so successful? How does it stand up to the competition?
\nCricket is a difficult sport to develop \u2013 there are many different ways to play, and the action on the field is unique, meaning that the approach that you need to take is totally different from every other kind of sports title out there. It\u2019s our passion for the sport and unwavering commitment to provide cricket fans with an authentic, premium cricket experience that has meant that we\u2019ve been fortunate to get such a large following for our titles.
\nLicencing of the game has been expanded to include New Zealand, West Indies and Ireland. Are there plans to extend that to more teams in future editions?
\nWe\u2019re always exploring new licensing opportunities, and while we can\u2019t comment on what is going on behind the scenes right now, we would say \u201cwatch this space\u201d.
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If there is any series that can be termed as the pinnacle of Test cricket, it is the Ashes. For more than a century, the historic competition pitting England against Australia has managed to generate a buzz that few other rivalries in the sport can match.
\nThe latest edition of this series is proving to be no different, despite what is turning out to be a punishing tour for Joe Root and his England team so far.\u00a0 For fans of the sport around the world, there is an opportunity to truly feel the spirit of the Ashes and more with Big Ants Studio\u2019s latest offering.
\nCricket 22 \u2013 the official video game of the 2021-22 Ashes series \u2013 was launched earlier this month. The game is Big Ants Studio\u2019s second major cricket product, following the success of the previous edition named Cricket 19. Despite being one of the more popular sports internationally, cricket continued to suffer from a lack of major video games conceptualised around it.
\nCricket 22 aims to fill some of that void, with the added inclusion of major T20 leagues\u00a0such as the\u00a0Caribbean Premier League, The Hundred and the Big Bash League. Sport360 recently sat down with Big Ants Studio CEO Ross Symons to get a more in-depth look into the game\u2019s development.
\nCricket 22 will feature The Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League and The Hundred. Was a focus on the shorter formats a high priority when developing the game?
\nIdeally, we always want to represent the full extent of the game as it exists in the real world today. The various short-form versions of cricket currently command a great deal of media attention and are loved by fans globally, and are a must inclusion. Of course, we remain true to Cricket 22 also features long-form contest licenses, including The Ashes itself and Australia\u2019s Sheffield Shield domestic competition, and we will continue to build on those licenses as those opportunities arise.
\nIs it fair to say The Ashes is still the highlight of the game\u2019s latest edition? How do you think the game best captures The Ashes experience?
\nThe Ashes is the oldest rivalry and contest in Cricket, so it does occupy a particularly special place to us. We go out of our way to make sure the stadia and players are as you would see them in a televised broadcast, and that the game\u2019s mechanics fully support the intensity of a closely-fought 5-day test match.
\nThere appears to be a deep narrative-driven career mode. How much does that contribute to the overall gaming experience?
\nFrom previous cricket games, we know that people can spend hundreds of hours in our career modes. Cricket 22 adds a narrative and greater sense of character and off-field drama helping players become even more invested, taking ownership of their players as they progress through all the stages of their careers. We hope that people will enjoy this greater depth and nuance as they play.
\nWhat are the main improvements made to the gameplay and animation? Any notable changes to the AI?
\nWe\u2019re constantly building on and improving every element of our games, and Cricket 22 is no different. We\u2019ve added a deeper range of animations to give people more control over everything from bowling to shot-making and further enhanced AI. Loading times are faster, getting you into matches more quickly, and we\u2019ve deepened the \u201cbroadcast quality\u201d of the game. Already we\u2019ve seen people make clips that seamlessly transition between in-game and real-life cricket. That\u2019s how authentic to the sport we\u2019ve been able to make Cricket 22.
\nWhat would you say makes this series so successful? How does it stand up to the competition?
\nCricket is a difficult sport to develop \u2013 there are many different ways to play, and the action on the field is unique, meaning that the approach that you need to take is totally different from every other kind of sports title out there. It\u2019s our passion for the sport and unwavering commitment to provide cricket fans with an authentic, premium cricket experience that has meant that we\u2019ve been fortunate to get such a large following for our titles.
\nLicencing of the game has been expanded to include New Zealand, West Indies and Ireland. Are there plans to extend that to more teams in future editions?
\nWe\u2019re always exploring new licensing opportunities, and while we can\u2019t comment on what is going on behind the scenes right now, we would say \u201cwatch this space\u201d.
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