NEWS - Monday, June 10, 2002
World Championship Snooker To Hit Xbox
Codemasters is to extend its award-winning official snooker video game series with the announcement of World Championship Snooker 2003. Officially licensed from World Snooker, the official body of the sport, the game is currently being developed for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC formats and is expected to launch in winter 2002. Continuing the genre-leading brand’s reputation as the most realistic snooker video game, World Championship Snooker 2003 will bring all the skill, tension and atmosphere of professional snooker matches to game screens. Boasting a new complex artificial Intelligence system developed using new neural network techniques and an advanced and enhanced game physics and visual engine, the title will be an engaging and intuitively playable game for the far-reaching audience the sport attracts. In the UK, over seven million people watched the recently televised Embassy World Championship Snooker final - a greater number than the FA Cup Final attracted. Presentation will be TV-realistic, with camera views from roving cameras, in-pocket, over-pocket and pocket to player cameras. All the star players featured are being captured in high detail and will be represented in their true likeness thanks to an improved character modelling system (9,000-15,000 polygons per player model). A new animation system will create natural character movements, including full facial expressions. With photo realistic balls, tables and venues, the game will be astonishingly detailed right down to particle chalk dust effects and chalk marks on the table felt. In addition to the series of snooker championships featured throughout the game, the title will also introduce two Pool games - 9 Ball Pool and English 8 Ball Pool. A unique aiming system will assist players in building high-scoring breaks in a very realistic manner and will ensure the whole playing experience is incredibly immersive. Says Mike Hayes, Codemasters' Marketing Director: "That the series of World Championship Snooker games has been so popular, with a continual presence in the video game charts, is a testament to the sports on-going popularity across a wide consumer audience. “World Championship Snooker 2003 is set to continue the series' success and will be another genre-leading title in Codemasters' sports game portfolio." World Championship Snooker 2003 is currently in development at Blade Interactive Studios, the team responsible for previous PlayStation editions of the series, and will launch this winter for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC.Source: http://www.codemasters.com
