HB Studios Convert RFU Licence

HB Studios Convert RFU Licence

MILTON KEYNES, England, June 21, 2011/PRNewswire/ --

    - HB Studios Hold Exclusive RFU Licence for Official Rugby World Cup
2011 Videogame

    Further to the announcement of the forthcoming release of Rugby World
Cup 2011 on 26th August, international publisher 505 Games and developer HB
studios have today announced the games exclusive partnership with the Rugby
Football Union (RFU). The official licensing agreement grants the exclusive
use of the Rugby World Cup 2011 England team strip, emblem, players'
likenesses and the Home of England Rugby, Twickenham Stadium, within the
game. With further licensing deals to be announced in due course, Rugby
World Cup 2011 will be the authentic rugby gaming experience this summer.

    Rugby World Cup 2011 is the official game of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New
Zealand and HB studios and 505 Games have been granted the exclusive rights
for the tournament's official game by Rugby World Cup Limited. "From a
developer perspective, working with an official licence always opens doors
on the way to creating a more immersive gaming experience," commented
Alastair Jarvis, General Manager at HB studios. "At HB, we feel uniquely
placed when it comes to rugby game development, and tying up a deal such as
this only makes our dream of creating the definitive, authentic rugby title
achievable."

    The first rugby title on this generation of consoles, Rugby World Cup
2011 will feature the Home of England Rugby, Twickenham Stadium, as one of
its many showpiece stadia. Player likenesses for the England squad have been
secured and implemented into the game with HD presentation detail extending
to the inclusion of thigh tape, wrist tape, finger tape and scrum caps.

    Rugby World Cup 2011 will challenge players to pick from the 20 Rugby
World Cup 2011 participating teams and attempt to lead their team through
the pool phase, and progress to the final with the opportunity to lift the
prestigious Webb Ellis Cup. National rivalries, venues and player
personalities are perfectly captured as participants will fight for the
pride of their nation in either solo play or with up to three other players
in local multiplayer matches. For the first time, HB Studios will give
players the chance to fight for the glory of their country online by
challenging other players to one-on-one matches on Xbox LIVE(R) online
entertainment network and PlayStation(R)Network."As with any sports title,
we feel authenticity is key with Rugby World Cup 2011, and with that in
mind, the involvement of the RFU was an essential element of this title,"
commented Ian Howe, President, 505 Games "With further partnerships yet to
be announced, we're confident rugby fans from around the world will be
impressed with the roster of likenesses and stadia within the game."

    Paul Vaughan, Business Operations Director from the RFU commented "With
20 teams lined up to compete in this year's Rugby World Cup and fans from
around the world preparing for the event, the tournament is promising to be
an amazing spectacle. Adding an official video game to the many ways fans
can get involved in the event and support their home nation feels like a
natural synergy. We are delighted to be a part of the game and to help make
it as authentic as possible. Rugby World Cup 2011 from 505 Games will give
fans the chance to play rugby before, during and long after the Webb Ellis
Cup in 2011 has been won."

    Rugby World Cup 2011 will be available for the Xbox 360 and
PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system on August 26th 2011. For more
information, please visit the official website at
http://www.rwc2011game.com

    About HB Studios.

    HB Studios is the largest video game developer in Atlantic Canada.
Founded in July 2000, HB has shipped 32 titles with over 200 SKUs across
Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft,
PlayStation(R)3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation(R)Portable, Windows
PC and PlayStation(R)2 selling more than 17.5 million units. For more
information, please visit http://www.hb-studios.com/

    About 505 Games

    505 Games is a global publisher of video games, publishing games for all
ages across multiple platforms including, Xbox 360(R) video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft, Sony PlayStation(R) 3, Nintendo Wii(TM)
and DS, Windows PC, Facebook, iPhone(R), Xbox LIVE(R) online entertainment
network, and PlayStation(R)Network.

    505 Games has offices in key territories around the world to publish and
distribute its library of successful titles which include ArmA II, IL2
Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, the Cooking Mama World series, Naughty Bear,
Backbreaker and Zumba Fitness.

    505 Games is headquartered in Milton Keynes - UK, with international
offices in Lyon (France), Munich (Germany), Milan (Italy), Madrid (Spain)
and Los Angeles (U.S.A). A further network of key distribution partners
based in Nordic territories and Australia enable global distribution of
505's titles.

    To see the latest releases, news and more about 505 Games go to:
http://www.505games.co.uk

    About Rugby World Cup 2011

    Rugby World Cup is the crown jewel of the sport and a prominent global
property - with television coverage of Rugby World Cup 2007 spanning more
than 200 territories, reaching a cumulative audience of 4 billion viewers.
Rugby World Cup 2011 is being held in New Zealand for the first time since
the inaugural event in 1987. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in
48 matches across 12 Host Cities between 9 September and 23 October 2011.

    About RFU

    The Rugby Football Union is the National Governing Body for rugby union
in England and supports participants and fans from the grassroots to the
national team.

    Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Source: 505 Games

Luke Geoghegan & Dean Barrett T: +44(0)207-421-7600