Appearances not matching on screen coupled with players complaining about the ratings on a new Rugby league video game in Australia. That’s what National Women’s Rugby League (NRLW) and National Rugby League players in Australia have been complaining about with NRLW players like Millie Elliott of Sydney Roosters and Kennedy Cherrington of Parramatta Eels criticising the newly launched rugby video game in recent days. The Rugby League 26 video game was launched on July 17 earlier this month and the last ten days have seen rugby players association taking up the matter with Elliot being the first to criticise the game over the looks and ratings of the players. Elliot, who is married to NRL player Adam Elliot, rated that her character ‘looked nothing like her’.
“(Adam) sent me the photo of my character and I will say it looks absolutely nothing like me. It looks nothing like me. Adam looks like his own doppelganger. It looks exactly like him. And also, apparently I’ve been rated out of 100 (at) 53. I don’t know if that’s good? So that’s not very good apparently. That’s an insult? Right, OK. So firstly it looks nothing like me and secondly, I’m the sh**test footy player on there. You’d think with AI and all this technology these days, that they could get it looking a little similar,” Elliot told Triple M.
The Rugby League 26 Video Game was first announced by the NRL on June 25 earlier this year and was released on July 17 this month over different gaming platforms like Playstation, Xbox and personal computers. With the game’s producing studio Big Ant Studios developing the game and undertaking the facial scans of the players apart from other data in association with the NRL over the last few weeks, the game has seen a lot of glitches since its launch including lag time as well discrepancies in terms of facial features well as player’s ratings. Apart from Elliot, who also complained about her ratings, Eels star Kennedy Cherrington was also critical of the game. “This might seem petty, but as a player that features in the new RL26 game, I’m not happy. Maybe we should just be grateful that we’re in the game but overall I know the fans aren’t happy too. From the facial scans to the player ratings & even the gameplay nahhh. I was so keen to get sweaty on the game this weekend! But it’s put me off. That update better be incoming soon haha.” Cherrington posted on X earlier.
As per Australian media, players scans were done between games and more scans are set to take place in the next week’s NRLW Magic Round in NewCastle with other scans in NRL also scheduled to take place later in the year. As per Sydney Morning Herald, the Rugby League Players Association has privately questioned the roll out of the video game followed by the player complaints in recent days. “The first part is obviously remedying the issues and the concerns [with the game], and having the NRL work with us. And then any activation that involved player IP use, particularly on this scale that obviously impacts the way this has, that requires involvement and inclusion [of players] up front. That’s the learning from this.” Newton told Sydney Morning Herald.
As per the paper, some of the clubs and players did not know about the facial scans to be done during the past few weeks. When contacted by Sydney Morning Herald, the studio’s chief executive Ross Symons talked about the issue. “We went to great lengths to capture NRL and NRLW players in person. All players – equally from both the NRL and NRLW – who chose to attend the photogrammetry sessions are accurately and faithfully represented in the game.” Symons told Sydney Morning Herald.
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