GAA hurling PlayStation game released

Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland yesterday released the first non-manager hurling PlayStation 2  game, Gaelic Games: Hurling, and the second GAA-licensed football title.  

The games were created by Australia games development studio IR Gurus, the developers of the much-criticised Gaelic Games: Football. As with that game, the new games are endorsed by the GAA. 

As Sony publishes the games, all are exclusive to the companies PlayStation 2 console, and will not at any time be released for the Xbox or Wii.

Both games feature the commentary of Micheál O'Muircheartaigh. The games allow for users to control all current county teams plus New York and London, in “photo-realistic” digital versions of Croke Park, Casement Park, and Pearse Stadium as well as nine other stadiums.

The developer says Gaelic Games: Football 2 includes career mode, improved graphics, an all new control system, new tactics so you can set your team's behaviour, club teams and team editing, and a mission mode to replay historic matches.

The games support up to four players on the one PlayStation 2 console, but no network play. EyeToy is supported, allowing games to put their faces onto in-game players.

"The [first] game it self lacked in certain areas… I’d certainly love to see it progressing on the game it self and taking the whole thin forward", Niall O’Hanrahan, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland told Games Toaster earlier this year. But he added it was “a phenomenon success; it was an Irish game for an Irish audience, for an Irish market”.

"The GAA is delighted to welcome for the first time in its history the licensing of a hurling computer game," GAA president Nicky Brennan was quoted in media reports about the new releases. “We are delighted to work with Sony as they strive to bring two of Ireland's national sports to a medium that many individuals can enjoy".

Comments

[Emmet Ryan]

The boys from the management hurling game, Bainisteoir Hurling, had a stand at T4BB.

Haven't played it myself but what little I've heard has all been positive. I know the makers are big fans of the old Championship Manager and current Football Manager franchises so at least they know the type of market they're after.

Do any of the Games Toaster massive know much about the game itself?

[thatshurlingbaby]

Have played the hurling manager game a lot myself at this stage, it's one for the hurling purist for sure, hugely detailed, very strategic on a micro level, it gets very pyschological and is very challenging, definitely recommend it. Anyone play the PS2 hurling game yet? Have heard only the 1 review so far and that wasnt positive at all...

[Brad Johnson]

I have played the hurling game and i've got to say that there is an improvment from the last football game which was very poor. Graffics are the same but the game play is better. There are names in the game but not the actual inter county players names but it does make the game better with the commentater saying a name instead of the left half foward etc. I would recommened it.