EA promise "most realistic cricket sim to date" with Cricket World Cup '99

Did you know we’re hosting a World Cup in 12 weeks time? Yes, the Cricket World Cup kicks off (is that the right term?) on May 14 at Lords and Electronic Arts are releasing the tournament’s official game on PC.

Cricket World Cup ’99 features all the teams, all the players and the Hollioake brothers (Adam and Ben) provided the manoeuvres for the motion capture. The game engine features full 3D with unlimited camera angles, including ‘Stump Cam’ and bowler’s eye level. The player statistics have been compiled by the Press Association and EA promise it will be the most realistic simulation of the sport to date.

“Cricket World Cup ’99 is going to be a genuine next generation interactive sports experience,” says producer Michael de Plater. “We have applied significant advances in technology to deliver a revolutionary level of realism, and we’ve spent over a year in design and production to make the game accessible and playable. The core advance is in the dynamic field physics – you can really see the difference when the willow connects with the leather, or when a perfect delivery comes off the seam and catches the edge of the bat.”

Early sightings suggest that Cricket World Cup ’99 certainly looks the part. Hopefully it will prove a match for Codemasters’ accessible Brian Lara Cricket. The game is set for a March release. However, if you want to go and see the World Cup matches live, forget it. Virtually every game is sold out, although there’s one fixture in Amsterdam, of all places, where there are still tickets available.