EA Sports Cricket 10... wait... what?

Was just surfin' the EA UK forums for some insight on BF:BC 2 and MoH Beta, when I came across EA Sports Cricket 10... 

I don't think that Cricket is a 'niche' game, just because it is not popular in America doesn't mean that it is not significant worldwide. It is one of the most popular sports in England, Australia, NZ, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa etc.
 
There have been quite a few cricket games over the years, they're not quite yearly franchises but they have been pretty consistent. That said, these games are not near the quality of Madden or Fifa but cricket is a difficult game to recreate accurately. A 'niche' game would be something like 'Extreme Curling 2010'

Cricket isn't really a niche sport in a lot of parts of the world. It's extremely mainstream in the UK, and plenty of other places e.g. Australia, India, Pakistan etc. And there have been many, many cricket games. EA's cricket series is very average. Codemasters series of cricket games (Which used to be Brian Lara Cricket, and the most recent iteration was Ashes Cricket) is fantastic though, and I've been playing them since the original Brian Lara Cricket on the PS1.

Cricket's huge dude. In India it's the most popular sport, and it's one of the most popular in Australia and the UK. Totally makes sense for EA to make a game of it. There are hardly any copies of Nascar games here in the UK, there wouldn't be any Cricket games in the US.

Well - to a continental European there's nothing more outlandish than Cricket. Even a Polo videogame would not have surprised me more... 
 
Now if you link me a video of EA Sports Polo 10... oh boy. I think I'd break my funnybone.

You guys blow my mind. People and their sports. You never really know somebody until you know their sports. 
 
Come to think of it - is there a 'EA Sports Royal Foxhunt 10'? I really loved hunting in RD:R. I think a well done foxhunt game would be right down my alley.

As someone from a cricketing country, it seems a little insulting to hear another outsider (American?) describe cricket as niche. Its definately doesn't have the global reach of many other sports, but arguably cricket is more internationally recognised than baseball. Anyhow, the game is looking pretty good and am happy to see a return for a cricket game from EA even if I'll never play it. If there was a next gen rugby game though...

" @Dipstick: There have been a whole lot of cricket video games. It's an interesting sport. I'm not sure why you're so surprised, and it certainly cannot be considered a "niche" sport. Why, the first ever international game of it was played in the United States.
 
EDIT: I mean, really. There have been over ten made by EA, not to count the ones by Codemasters and other developers. I'm not hating on you, I'm really not. Your surprise at seeing a cricket game is just... bizarre. It's like an Englishman being surprised that there are ice hockey games. Common knowledge, no? "

I want them to make a rugby game so much. It's probably at least on par with cricket in terms of popularity. Well maybe when the rugby world cup comes in a couple years time they'll make one.

" @ZanzibarBreeze said:

" @Dipstick: There have been a whole lot of cricket video games. It's an interesting sport. I'm not sure why you're so surprised, and it certainly cannot be considered a "niche" sport. Why, the first ever international game of it was played in the United States.
 
EDIT: I mean, really. There have been over ten made by EA, not to count the ones by Codemasters and other developers. I'm not hating on you, I'm really not. Your surprise at seeing a cricket game is just... bizarre. It's like an Englishman being surprised that there are ice hockey games. Common knowledge, no? "

I believe you misread my post. I was saying that he shouldn't be surprised that there is a cricket game out. "

" @ZanzibarBreeze: yeah I was pretty shocked by the fact that the OP considered it a 'niche' sport. More countries and people play cricket then American Football. Not hating on the dude for not knowing it but it is pretty surprising. "

I am shocked! :P  I kid 
I play brian lara and ashes cricket games with my mate quite a lot, they're quite good.

" @Captain_Insano said:

" @ZanzibarBreeze: yeah I was pretty shocked by the fact that the OP considered it a 'niche' sport. More countries and people play cricket then American Football. Not hating on the dude for not knowing it but it is pretty surprising. "

Now about that Brazilian Fart Fetish game.... there no such thing - or is there? "

" @MattyFTM:  How was Ashes Cricket? Heard mixed things about it, but there seem to be big gaps in the release schedules for cricket games. Wasn't EA's last one around 2008? So seeing a next-gen cricket game was kinda like out of the blue. "

" I want them to make a rugby game so much. It's probably at least on par with cricket in terms of popularity. Well maybe when the rugby world cup comes in a couple years time they'll make one. "

" @DEllen: See, now that is a dumb sport. That's just people running into each other, that is. Literally. It's a copy of soccer, except it's a contact sport. You take away, like, two of its rules, and it becomes soccer with dudes just barging into each other. On the other hand, I can see how that might be enjoyable in a video game format... for a little while. "

Yeah, Rugby, invented in the early 19th Century copied "soccer" as you call it (IT'S FOOTBALL GODDAMN IT!!!), which was invented much later. I'm personally not a big rugby fan, but football copied rugby, not the other way round. "

" @DEllen: See, now that is a dumb sport. That's just people running into each other, that is. Literally. It's a copy of soccer, except it's a contact sport. You take away, like, two of its rules, and it becomes soccer with dudes just barging into each other. On the other hand, I can see how that might be enjoyable in a video game format... for a little while. "

What do you mean... wait what? 
 
cricket is fantastic and is pretty big in some countries and is defiantly my favorite sport

" @ZanzibarBreeze:   If rugby is soccer with a few additional rules then should a cricket game exist when there are baseball games around. Surely cricket and baseball are much more similar sports than rugby and football. Anyone who plays rugby or has played rugby would be interested (at the very least) about a new rugby game. The game has a lot of rules and is pretty complex so I can see that it wouldn't appeal to people without any rugby experience.  "

• You can hold the ball
• You can't pass forward

" @ZanzibarBreeze said: I was talking to a friend of mine about both players going down after contact is made. Apparently players are trained to go down at the drop of a hat because they may have a small chance of getting a penalty but now whats happening is both players go down and neither one gets up and walks away because to the ref, the player that gets up and walks away is the one who commited a foul against another player and so will be penalised. "

I can't wait to see the thread on the next Australian Rules Football game that's coming out.

i'll go ahead and be another person saying that cricket is pretty big outside of north america and there are a good many cricket games already.  not EA's first.

Cricket is only popular to the few countries who are good at it. It's always on TV here and it's played alot at the local sports club. Not that I have any interest in it, but it's always good to hear when your country manages wins at something... even if it's Cricket.

Cricket is probably the second most popular team sport in the world, after football.  So not exactly 'niche'...
 
@MattyFTM:  Rugby is based on football.

Wow, cricket can never be classed as being niche. I have fond memories of the Brian Lara games back in the day. Tried the Codemasters ones and couldn't get into them. I can't watch real life cricket and don't follow it at all, but enjoyed the games. 

"  @MattyFTM:  Rugby is based on football. "

" @MattyFTM:  No it wasn't.  It's called 'Rugby football' because it's a variation of football.  You know where the name 'Rugby' comes from right? "

The story I heard was that some dude got frustrated at not being able to handle the ball, so he just picked it up and ran with it; that's why I thought rugby was based on soccer. Could be wrong, probably is.

" The story I heard was that some dude got frustrated at not being able to handle the ball, so he just picked it up and ran with it; that's why I thought rugby was based on soccer. Could be wrong, probably is. "

" @ZanzibarBreeze said:

" The story I heard was that some dude got frustrated at not being able to handle the ball, so he just picked it up and ran with it; that's why I thought rugby was based on soccer. Could be wrong, probably is. "

That's the common myth about a schoolboy called William Webb-Ellis. It is a completely untrue urban myth. "

MattyFTM's only saying that because his great-great-grandfather was William Webb-Ellis and his family has been trying to hide it ever since.

The population of India alone is enough cause to make a Cricket game. 
 
Instead you should be wondering why they made all those Arena Football games

Cricket is not exactly niche. The Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament is now the richest sporting association in the World, it took over the NFL.

" @MattyFTM: Yes, it was invented at Rugby School, whilst they were playing football. "

" Instead you should be wondering why they made all those Arena Football games "

" @ZanzibarBreeze: No, it's a dis on indoor american football.  It has a bunch of wacky rules, and is filled with washed up college players. It's almost as bad as that trampoline basketball league from a few years ago. "

They made a game about Gaelic so their is definitely going to be one about Cricket.