Ashes Cricket 2009
Encyclopedia
Ashes Cricket 2009, is a cricket
video game developed by Transmission Games and published by Codemasters
in the UK and by Atari
in Australia. It has been released for the PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
and Microsoft Windows
. A Wii
version, developed by Gusto Games, has also been released. The Wii version was released simply as Cricket in Australia. A sequel, International Cricket 2010
was released on 18 June 18, 2010.
The game is licensed by the ECB
(England and Wales Cricket Board), Cricket Australia
and the Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC), owners of the Ashes Urn. It includes all the official players of the Australian cricket team and the England cricket team, however the other teams are not licensed.
visualisations during play.
The game features two player co-op play, with up to four player versus matches. The PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions also feature full online multiplayer. The PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions also feature a coaching mode where they can learn the disciplines of batting, bowling and fielding from Sir Ian Botham and Shane Warne
.
The game features commentary by Tony Greig
, Jonathan Agnew
, Shane Warne
, Ian Bishop and Sir Ian Botham.
(† Only on PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows versions.)
, bounce in Australia
, extra turn in India
and extra speed in West Indies.
(† Only on PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows versions.)
A beta patch for PC was released on 21 September 2009. A second beta (beta version 2) for the PC was released on 28 September 2009. An official announcement on 12 December 2009 confirmed that there would be no further patches for the PC, and that there will not be any patch released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. This has primarily been due to the game developer Transmission going into receivership.
The patch for the game was confirmed to be in progress during a Q&A conducted with Codemasters Producer Jamie Firth by Planetcricket.net. Among the issues addressed in the upcoming patch are the prevalence of run-outs, as well as excessive run rates, edged deliveries not carrying, and incorrect bowler speeds. The estimated dates for the release of the patch were initially "...within two weeks."
In the Game there is a Legends Mode (not in Wii version) where Sir Ian Botham and Shane Warne give you tips on Batting, Bowling and Fielding. There are also Batting and Bowling challenges which you can complete.
The 360, PS3 and PC version ranked at the top of rahul the all format UK charts according to Chart Track during the first week of release. The Wii version ranked first during the week beginning 15 August.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
video game developed by Transmission Games and published by Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
in the UK and by Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
in Australia. It has been released for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. A Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
version, developed by Gusto Games, has also been released. The Wii version was released simply as Cricket in Australia. A sequel, International Cricket 2010
International Cricket 2010
International Cricket 2010 is a cricket video game for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game was developed by Codemasters and Trickstar Games, and was released in the United Kingdom and India on 18 June 2010 and scheduled to be released in Australia on 21 October 2010...
was released on 18 June 18, 2010.
The game is licensed by the ECB
England and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
(England and Wales Cricket Board), Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia, formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket...
and the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC), owners of the Ashes Urn. It includes all the official players of the Australian cricket team and the England cricket team, however the other teams are not licensed.
Overview
According to the game, the game includes an intuitive, interactive bowling control scheme and dynamic and intuitive batting, with greater coverage and shot choice than previous games. The game also features official Hawk-EyeHawk-Eye
Hawk-Eye is a complex computer system used in cricket, tennis and other sports to visually track the trajectory of the ball and display a record of its most statistically likely path as a moving image. In cricket and tennis, it is now part of the adjudication process. It was developed by engineers...
visualisations during play.
The game features two player co-op play, with up to four player versus matches. The PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions also feature full online multiplayer. The PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions also feature a coaching mode where they can learn the disciplines of batting, bowling and fielding from Sir Ian Botham and Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
.
The game features commentary by Tony Greig
Tony Greig
Anthony "Tony" William Greig is a former English Test cricketer and currently a commentator.Born in Queenstown, South Africa, Greig qualified to play for England by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall batting all-rounder who bowled both medium pace and off spin. He became captain of the...
, Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Philip Agnew is an English cricket broadcaster and former professional cricketer. He was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and educated at Uppingham School. He is nicknamed "Aggers", and, less commonly, "Spiro"....
, Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
, Ian Bishop and Sir Ian Botham.
Game Modes
- The AshesThe AshesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
- Test CricketTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
- One-Day Internationals
- Twenty20Twenty20Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
- Customisation
- Legends Coaching
Teams
(Licensed Players) † (Licensed Players) † † †(† Only on PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows versions.)
Grounds
Following stadiums are available although some are locked initially. Stadiums are unlocked as the game progresses and feature geographically-accurate conditions and climates, as well as true-to-life crowd noise and atmosphere. Players can expect swing in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, bounce in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, extra turn in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and extra speed in West Indies.
- Lord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
(LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) (MiddlesexMiddlesex County Cricket ClubMiddlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
) - Edgbaston Cricket GroundEdgbaston Cricket GroundEdgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
(BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
) (WarwickshireWarwickshire County Cricket ClubWarwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
) - Headingley StadiumHeadingley StadiumHeadingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
(LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
) (YorkshireYorkshire County Cricket ClubYorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
) - The OvalThe OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
(LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) (SurreySurrey County Cricket ClubSurrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
)
- MCGMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
(MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
) Referred to as "Melbourne" on the Wii version - SCGSydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
(SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) † - The Gabba (BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
) †
- Wanderers StadiumWanderers StadiumBIDVest Wanderers Stadium is a stadium situated just south of Sandton in Illovo, Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Test, One Day and First class cricket matches are played here. It is also the home ground for the Highveld Lions, formerly known as Gauteng .The stadium has a seating...
(JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
) Referred to as "Johannesburg" on the Wii version - Newlands Cricket GroundNewlands Cricket GroundNewlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town is a South African cricket ground. It's the home of the Cape Cobras, who play in the SuperSport Series, MTN Domestic Championship and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions. It is also a venue for Test matches. Newlands is regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket...
(Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
) †
- Sabina ParkSabina ParkSabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
(JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
) Referred to as "Jamaica" on the Wii version. - Sir Vivian Richards StadiumSir Vivian Richards StadiumSir Vivian Richards Stadium is a stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. It was built for use in the 2007 Cricket World Cup where it hosted Super 8 matches. The stadium usually caters for 10,000 people, but temporary seating doubled its capacity for the 2007 Cricket World Cup...
(Antigua & Barbuda) † - Queen's Park OvalQueen's Park OvalQueen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the...
(Trinidad & Tobago) †
- Harare Sports ClubHarare Sports ClubHarare Sports Club is a cricket ground in Harare, Zimbabwe. Initially known as Salisbury Sports Club, Harare Sports Club has served as the primary cricket venue in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe since its inception. The ground became a Test venue in October 1992 when Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test,...
(HarareHarareHarare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
) †
(† Only on PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows versions.)
Demo
The Demo consists of a 6 over (3 overs per side) Ashes Test match at Lord's where the player is able to choose whether to bat or field. The demo was released for the Xbox 360 on 24 July and for the PC on 30 July, there was no Demo released for PlayStation 3. A "demo extender" enabling the number of overs to be increased was quickly released.Patch
A patch was released on before 23/09/09 for the PC version.A beta patch for PC was released on 21 September 2009. A second beta (beta version 2) for the PC was released on 28 September 2009. An official announcement on 12 December 2009 confirmed that there would be no further patches for the PC, and that there will not be any patch released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. This has primarily been due to the game developer Transmission going into receivership.
The patch for the game was confirmed to be in progress during a Q&A conducted with Codemasters Producer Jamie Firth by Planetcricket.net. Among the issues addressed in the upcoming patch are the prevalence of run-outs, as well as excessive run rates, edged deliveries not carrying, and incorrect bowler speeds. The estimated dates for the release of the patch were initially "...within two weeks."
Reception
Official PlayStation Magazine awarded the game an 8 out of 10. IGN UK scored it at 8.2, The Guardian and Times newspapers each giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Planetcricket.net gave it 7.5. SPOnG.com's Tim Smith awarded the game 85%.In the Game there is a Legends Mode (not in Wii version) where Sir Ian Botham and Shane Warne give you tips on Batting, Bowling and Fielding. There are also Batting and Bowling challenges which you can complete.
The 360, PS3 and PC version ranked at the top of rahul the all format UK charts according to Chart Track during the first week of release. The Wii version ranked first during the week beginning 15 August.
External links
- Official Ashes Cricket 2009 Site
- Official Codemasters Site
- Official Transmission Games Site (Developers)
- Ashes Cricket 2009 First Impressions
- Codies unveils Ashes Cricket 2009
- Ashes cricket 2009 release date of game in UK
- Ashes Cricket 2009 Release Date in South Africa
- The Guardian review
- The Times review
- IGN.UK review
- Planet Cricket.