SBK X Superbike World Championship will be launching in the UK in May 2010 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC DVD. The game from renowned Italian developer, Milestone Studios, and published by Black Bean Games is now in its fourth generation and SBK X harnesses the thrills and exhilaration of this international racing series in bullet-fast, high-definition glory.The Superbike World Championship, also known as SBK, is the international racing series that features real motorbikes available in showrooms for Joe Public to buy. It’s this relevance to the everyday biker that has catapulted SBK’s popularity in the UK and other countries around the world since it began in 1988.
Motorbike racing as a videogame offers a radically different and spine-tingling challenge for players compared to car racing games. Remove the sure footing of four wheels, introduce sub-two-second 0-60 acceleration, tarmac flying past you at 180MPH, and you’ve got a taste of what’s in store.
The challenge for the developer has always been to digitally recreate what are essentially two purely analogue machines working in perfect unison: the rider and the bike. For example, the rider’s position affects cornering, acceleration and braking, whilst the bike’s weight has to be shifted and power carefully applied at the rear wheel to deliver the blistering speeds these bikes are capable of on the tracks.
Most importantly, Milestone have worked all this control into a simple and accessible arcade mode, making it possible for anyone to pick up and play, but with enough depth and detail to satisfy committed petrol heads and bike tuners thanks to the full simulation mode.
SBK X features 1000cc and 600cc machines from Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, MV Agusta, Suzuki, Triumph, and Yamaha with the 14-track racing roster, which includes Germany’s notorious Nürburgring.