Tradewest: Capcom rivalry boosts SBK

The rivalry between Capcom’s MotoGP and Black Bean’s SBK series is good for both brands, says publisher Tradewest.

Tradewest will publish SBK X in the UK in May, and the firm is confident that its title can top Capcom’s game in the battle of the motorcycle racers.

Luckily, the amount of motorcycle racing games is limited to only two real contenders – and we’re one of them,” said Tradewest’s senior European brand manager Aidan Minter.

So our expectations for SBK X are very positive. Having seen the competition, I think we’re in very good shape indeed. The rivalry is good – it’s what makes this business fun.

Superbike fans can decide where their true colours lie but overall I’m confident that Black Bean and Tradewest have got the mix just right to deliver a compelling racing game.”

The publisher will also be appealing to motorcycle racing fans with the Special Edition, which features a downloadable Legendary Roster mode.

This enables consumers to race as key superbike icons such as Max Biaggi, Troy Corser and the now-retired four-times world champion Carl Fogarty. This release commemorates the latter’s final race, which should further raise SBK’s profile.

This year represents the 10th anniversary of Carl Fogarty’s fateful Phillip Island crash, so there’s going to be a lot of buzz around superbikes as a sport,” said Minter.

There has been a lot of good retail reaction to the Special Edition, so we’re satisfied that it can do well.”

SBK X: Superbike World Championship is due to hit Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in May.