Ashes Cricket 2013 Cancelled

[barmyarmy]

505 Games announce today the cancellation of Ashes Cricket 2013. The game was released briefly on Friday 22nd November 2013 on digital PC portal, Steam, but has since been removed by 505 Games following negative consumer feedback.

505 Games released this statement today:

?As most people who have followed the project closely can affirm, the development of Ashes Cricket 2013 has been fraught with challenges almost from the outset. The chosen developer, even with their many years of cricket game development experience, was unable to overcome the unexpected challenges that the chosen game engine threw up, even with multiple extensions to the development schedule. At the start of the project, 505 Games received all assurances from the developer that the engine was up to the task of creating a dynamic, cutting-edge cricket game for the modern age across multiple platforms, and unfortunately those assurances were found to be misplaced.?

?The net result of the challenges we have faced was a game which, despite our best efforts over the course of a 2 year development, couldn?t meet the quality benchmarks of either us, our licensors or our customers. 505 Games? main priority right now is to protect the Ashes name and that of the ECB and Cricket Australia, and do what we can to recompense the cricket community.?

?As the licensee and publisher of name for Ashes Cricket 2013, 505 Games would like to apologise publicly and sincerely to our licensors, the ECB and Cricket Australia, and their respective partners/sponsors, who have been nothing but patient and supportive of us throughout the challenges this project has presented, and who, ultimately, we have let down. ?

?Our deepest apologies, however, are reserved for the fans of cricket and cricket games worldwide. 505 Games prides itself on being a safe pair of hands on which gamers of all tastes and denominations can rely to put their best foot forward to create compelling gaming experiences. It is clear that, in this instance, we have fallen way short of our stated aims and failed to deliver. We know that the mitigating factors, as highlighted above, hold little solace to the hordes of excited cricket fans worldwide who had hoped this year to be able to play out their fantasy of playing in the Ashes series.?

?The people who purchased the game will be contacted very shortly with details of a full refund.?

...

 

[asprin]

First one to read Waiting for further details.

 

[BRAB]

This is HUGE!! All hail Don Bradman Cricket!!

Seriously though guys, spare a moments thought for the poor developers at trickstar, this wasn't their fault.In fact, spare a thought for all involved, they just dreamed to big, and unfortunately, it exploded in their faces.

A sad day for cricket gaming

 

[77Martyr]

Inevitable really.. Time for big ant to make their move?

 

[blockerdave]

Best result possible, really. Good news.

But why oh why did they release it at all? All their fine words of apology ring extremely hollow.

 

[angad]

Awesome!!! Finally sanity prevailed!!!!!

 

[asprin]

But why oh why did they release it at all?

Contractual obligations maybe? A full refund, however, was a good thing to do.

 

[ricky87]

So first it was Codemasters and now 505, feel sorry for them.

 

[mattk]

Lets hope their release hasn't done too much damage to the market. Hopefully consumers and retailers will recognise it as a real anomaly

 

[MattW]

Extremely glad that this crap won't make it onto shelves. I have no sympathy for 505 - basic quality control would have avoided this - it doesn't take releasing it to angry customers to know you have a bad product.

While I wasn't fussed about a refund, happy to have another excuse to plough money into the steam sales.

 

[whiteninness]

I love that the "safe pair of hands" line made it in there.

 

[SibiNaayagam]

What a loss...

 

[MattW]

I love that the "safe pair of hands" line made it in there.

Perhaps Trickstar thought the ball would warp into their safe pair of hands?

 

[angad]

So, Big Ant Cricket 2014............The 'Only' Cricket Game to Play in 2013????

 

[SibiNaayagam]

^Not sure what Dec 2 2013 holds for us though