Reliance Entertainment owned Zapak and Jump games continue their licensing streak. Both gaming divisions of ADAG will develop an online and mobile game respectively, based on cricketer Ishant Sharma. The mobile game, titled ‘Cricket Fever’, will feature different forms of deliveries, with the player trying to bowl the batsmen out. The online version, titled ‘Power Bowler’ features a similar set of gameplay mechanics, except an insignificant difference in number of overs. The release quotes Rohit Sharma, COO, Zapak, stating the gaming portal has over 18 cricket games and more than 80,000 users playing them everyday. Considering his statement that all the games are equally popular, that’s an average 4,444 users playing each game daily on average.

This is Jump’s second indigenous sport-star license acquisition, they have previously developed two games based on Indian footballer, Biachung Bhutia. ADAG recently acquired rights to develop six mobile games for Manchester United for 2008 for a reported $100 million, with the first title expected to be released in April. ADAG seems to be going the EA way, it has also licensed rights for Bollywood celebrities including Bipasha Basu, Malika Arora, Sameera Reddy and even, hold your breath, Shaan. Do big ticket names help offset gameplay? I seriously doubt a 2d sprite can compensate for lack of gameplay unless they manage to map player characteristics (ala Pro Evolution Soccer). Updates awaited on mobile game pricing.

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