User:Sam Pointon/Howzat: The Cricket Umpiring Game

Howzat: The Cricket Umpiring Game is a game in production by Pandora Studios. Currently, it is planned to be released on the Playstation 2, Gamecube and PC platforms. It is scheduled for release in early 2007. The game casts the player as a cricket umpire, and the gameplay focuses on making the correct decisions on matters including but not limited to lbw shouts, wides, and no balls. Also, there are a number of mini games, such as beating off invading rabid gophers with a cricket bat, tackling streakers, and Billy Bowden Says, a renamed Simon says. The player must work their way up the ranks of umpiredom, from a lowly third umpire to an on-field umpire, to a full-blown match referee.

Recent speculation has focused on whether the game will include a level editor, to edit the cricket grounds and place obstacles such as flaming pits of doom and bloodthirsty harpies to make fielding more interesting. The game's developers have, officially, denied this; however, there have been hints dropped that this feature will be included in the game's release. However, the creators have confirmed that seven-arm octopus will be a selectable character to play as, opening the ecchi possibility of tentacle rape, as well as cricket bondage.

Plot
The plot will focus around a young umpire (ie, the user) entering into a cricketing world afflicted by a vicious strife between good and evil forces. The storyline is freeform, and the payer may choose either side, resulting in a different story. However, almost every play of the game will result in a confrontation with the Blonde Knight, Shane Warne (whose special weapon is the lbw shout of DOOM); and Andrew Flintoff, the Gentle Giant (who can bowl bouncers at 90+ mph despite said gentleness).