Brian Lara International Cricket 2007
Encyclopedia
Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 (BLIC 07) is a cricket computer game from Codemasters
available on PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
, PC
and Xbox 360
(Also Xbox Live
enabled). It is endorsed by West Indian cricketer Brian Lara
. It follows Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
released 2 years earlier. It was released on the 23rd March 2007 during the 2007 Cricket World Cup
, which is a similar launch tactic used by Codemasters for the release of Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
, which was launched on the first day of the 2005 Ashes series
. The game was released in Australia
and New Zealand
under the name of Ricky Ponting
International Cricket 2007 and in India
as Yuvraj Singh
International Cricket 2007.
held an open day in October 2006 which was attended by six staff members at PlanetCricket and one member from the Codemasters
forum. The seven were shown the game being developed as well as given a demo of the current alpha build. Another open day was planned for March 2, 2007 where gamers got the chance to try out the new game.
The open day was a large success in generating support from the game as this extent of customer relations is unheard of to cricket gaming fans which puts Codemasters
in a positive light as a company that cares for its customers. The community liaison officer (and web editor) Peer Lawther (aka Rubbergenius) also aids this.
for Xbox 360
users.
has the official licenses, not Codemasters. All official ICC World Cup stadiums will be in the game and there is a special ICC World Cup mode where Codemasters has the license to use all official teams, stadiums, kits and equipment of the tournament.
, One Day Internationals, ICC Champions Trophy
, Twenty20
, Bowling, Fielding, Batting practice as well as net practice
sliced in with 16 tutorial mini games.
, David Gower
, Ian Bishop, Bill Lawry
and Tony Greig
. This is the same team that was on Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 although initially Jeff Thomson
was announced as a commentator but not included in the final game.
with improvements in most areas. There was criticism, reviewers complained of a lack of improvement in the graphics despite being a next generation game, and the gameplay being too easy. Other reviews commented on how the game might not appeal to non cricket fans. Also criticised is the lack of statistical tracking that occurs during television coverage of cricket despite claims it emulates the coverage well. The game has been praised for its relatively realistic simulation of real cricket.
The cricket-gaming community has taken less well to the game. The official Planetcricket.net Review gave the game a 3 for gameplay and a 6 overall. The review claimed that:
Put simply the game has major pacing issues and the AI is depressingly stupid."
announced that a patch
was planned for the PC
, with an Xbox Live update also under development. Due to the limitations of the platform nothing was planned for the PlayStation 2
version.
However, following the release of an Xbox Live update which only fixed some issues experienced with the console versions online multiplayer, Codemasters announced that attempts to create any further had ended due to time and financial constraints.
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
available on PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and 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...
(Also Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
enabled). It is endorsed by West Indian cricketer Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
. It follows Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 is a cricket video game from Codemasters, available on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows PC platforms. released on 21 July 2005, which was the first day of the 2005 Ashes series...
released 2 years earlier. It was released on the 23rd March 2007 during the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, which is a similar launch tactic used by Codemasters for the release of Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 is a cricket video game from Codemasters, available on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows PC platforms. released on 21 July 2005, which was the first day of the 2005 Ashes series...
, which was launched on the first day of the 2005 Ashes series
2005 Ashes series
The 2005 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 21 July 2005, England and Australia played five Tests, with the Ashes held by Australia as the most recent victors...
. The game was released 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...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
under the name of Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
International Cricket 2007 and 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...
as Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
International Cricket 2007.
Codemasters Open Day
CodemastersCodemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
held an open day in October 2006 which was attended by six staff members at PlanetCricket and one member from the Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
forum. The seven were shown the game being developed as well as given a demo of the current alpha build. Another open day was planned for March 2, 2007 where gamers got the chance to try out the new game.
The open day was a large success in generating support from the game as this extent of customer relations is unheard of to cricket gaming fans which puts Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
in a positive light as a company that cares for its customers. The community liaison officer (and web editor) Peer Lawther (aka Rubbergenius) also aids this.
Demo
On the March 9, 2007, Codemasters released a playable demo of BLIC 07. The demo allowed the player to complete 3 overs of batting and bowling using the national cricket teams of England and Australia. It was available for download from the official website for PC users, and the Xbox Live MarketplaceXbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
for 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...
users.
Improvements
BLIC 07 is the first cricket computer game to have online play included. This is available on Xbox 360 and PC only (not PS2).Licensing
Not all players names featured in the game are real. Only those in the licensed tournaments are. However warm-up games can be played for the tournaments with the proper names (ODI mode only). As in BLIC 05, players' names are fake because Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
has the official licenses, not Codemasters. All official ICC World Cup stadiums will be in the game and there is a special ICC World Cup mode where Codemasters has the license to use all official teams, stadiums, kits and equipment of the tournament.
Gameplay
There are several game modes, such as ICC World Cup, Test matchesTest cricket
Test 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, ICC Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. It was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998 and has been played every two years since, changing its name to the Champions Trophy in 2002...
, Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 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...
, Bowling, Fielding, Batting practice as well as net practice
Cricket nets
Cricket nets are practice nets used by batsmen and bowlers to warm up and/or improve their cricketing techniques. Cricket nets consist of a cricket pitch which is enclosed by cricket nets on either side, to the rear and optionally the roof. The bowling end of the net is left open...
sliced in with 16 tutorial mini games.
Commentary
Commentary is provided by Jonathan AgnewJonathan 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"....
, David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
, Ian Bishop, Bill Lawry
Bill Lawry
William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
and 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...
. This is the same team that was on Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 although initially Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...
was announced as a commentator but not included in the final game.
Reception
Initial reviews of BLIC 07 were average to good. The game was viewed as a solid replacement for Brian Lara International Cricket 2005Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 is a cricket video game from Codemasters, available on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows PC platforms. released on 21 July 2005, which was the first day of the 2005 Ashes series...
with improvements in most areas. There was criticism, reviewers complained of a lack of improvement in the graphics despite being a next generation game, and the gameplay being too easy. Other reviews commented on how the game might not appeal to non cricket fans. Also criticised is the lack of statistical tracking that occurs during television coverage of cricket despite claims it emulates the coverage well. The game has been praised for its relatively realistic simulation of real cricket.
The cricket-gaming community has taken less well to the game. The official Planetcricket.net Review gave the game a 3 for gameplay and a 6 overall. The review claimed that:
- "Ultimately, whilst Codemasters have undoubtedly worked hard on this title and implemented some nifty new features it seems they have neglected the sine qua non of cricket gaming – the gameplay.
Put simply the game has major pacing issues and the AI is depressingly stupid."
Patch
On March 30, 2007, CodemastersCodemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
announced that a patch
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
was planned for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, with an Xbox Live update also under development. Due to the limitations of the platform nothing was planned for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version.
However, following the release of an Xbox Live update which only fixed some issues experienced with the console versions online multiplayer, Codemasters announced that attempts to create any further had ended due to time and financial constraints.