The Wii has thus far been a haven for developers with last-gen experience lacking the money to make the jump to 360 or PS3. Today's announcement of Rugby League 3 for the platform is no different.
This will be the third game in the "Rugby League" series, which have all been developed by New Zealand studio Sidhe Interactive, the previous two titles having appeared on the PS2 and Xbox. And it's a perfect fit for the Wii. As the game is really only enjoyed in a few parts of Australia, New Zealand and the UK (and, on a good day, France), there's just not a market for an expensive, shiny "next-gen" version of the series.
But dusting off the existing PS2 engine for another go-around on an equivalent system? Makes perfect sense.
Like the previous games, there'll be both club and international teams from all over the world to choose from, along with 32 real-world stadiums, along with commentary from Andrew Voss and a full-blown franchise mode.
I played the first game and hated it (it was a shoddy mess of a game), but it's been three years since Rugby League 2, so hopefully that's enough time to have fixed things up a bit.
It'll be released across PAL territories towards the end of the year.