Ashes Cricket 2013 Cancelled from Steam, Publisher Offers Refunds [VIDEO]

After severe backlash from critics and owners alike, publisher 505 Games has stepped in by not only apologising to fans but also has cancelled the sales of its cricket video game, Ashes Cricket 2013, pulling it off Steam.

The game went through several rough phases of development, delaying it by several months and now the game will be dropped completely. The game was developed by Trickstar Games and was released for PC on 22 November. It was also expected to be released on consoles like Wii U, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; however, its console launch will not be a possibility any more.

The decision to cancel the game was taken up after it received negative consumer feedback. The game was also criticized for its poor quality.

"As most people who have followed the project closely can affirm, the development of Ashes Cricket 2013 has been fraught with challenges almost from the outset. The chosen developer, even with their many years of cricket game development experience, was unable to overcome the unexpected challenges that the chosen game engine threw up, even with multiple extensions to the development schedule," said 505 Games in a statement.

The publisher said that the developer had given it assurances on the game. "At the start of the project, 505 Games received all assurances from the developer that the engine was up to the task of creating a dynamic, cutting-edge cricket game for the modern age across multiple platforms, and unfortunately those assurances were found to be misplaced."

"Our deepest apologies, however, are reserved for the fans of cricket and cricket games worldwide," the company added.

What Next? - Refunds

505 Games has offered full refunds to people who purchased the game, promising that it would get in touch with them "very shortly" to initiate the process.

Engine

The game was built on Beta version of Unity3D Engine and a new gaming system was built on it for better gameplay.

Licensed from ECB and Cricket Australia

England Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia jointly gave the rights to develop the game. ECB said that it was "extremely disappointed" with the product and apologised to its buyers, BBC reported.

Australia-based Trickstar Games have also developed International Cricket 2010 and this was not their first cricket video game.

(YouTube Courtesy: Matt Whitehorn)