Capcom has confirmed that they have secured the exclusive worldwide rights to publish official videogames and peripherals for the motorcycle racing championship MotoGP through 2012. The exclusive four year license covers all console formats including PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC.

MotoGP is the world’s premier motorcycling championship consisting of 18 Grand Prix races hosted around the globe. It features top motorcycle manufacturers such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, Kawasaki, KTM and Aprilia, who provide machinery for the world’s best riders, including reigning World Champion Casey Stoner from Australia, American Nicky Hayden, Italy’s Valentino Rossi, and Spain’s Dani Pedrosa. The 2008 line up also includes Japan’s Shinya Nakano, plus newcomers for the new season, such as 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and last year’s World Superbike Champion, James Toseland, from the UK.

“We are very excited to have signed this long term agreement with Dorna Sports, which for the first time grants one publisher worldwide multi-platform rights to the adrenaline fuelled world of MotoGP,” said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom’s consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. “We feel this move to a single publisher will greatly benefit our ability to develop titles that deliver more authenticity and excitement to the consumer.”

In May 2008 Milestone and Black Bean will release SBK -08 Superbike World Championship for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PC and PSP.

The new game, developed by Italian racing veterans Milestone, is the official WSBK game and will feature new enhancements for the next-gen consoles. Milestone was originally called Graffiti and released the highly acclaimed PC racing game Screamer in 1995. In 1996 the company followed up the success with Screamer 2 and later Screamer Rally. The Superbike World Championship game series was started in 1999 and SBK -08 will be the sixth game from Milestone with these two-wheelers.

In the fall of 2007 THQ is bringing us Moto GP ‘07 for Xbox 360 and PC. The previous MotoGP titles have shipped more than 1.5 million units and assuming nothing goes horribly wrong ‘07 will add to that considerably.

Moto GP ‘07 features complete 2007 rider and team data, new 800cc bikes and Misano has been added to the tracks. Head over to http://www.motogpthegame.com/ for more info.

Italian distributor Black Bean have aquired the official licence of the Superbike World Championship and together with the developer Milestone bring SBK ‘07 Superbike World Championship to video game consoles near us in 2007.

Milestone has plenty of racing game experience with apart from previous Superbike games they are also the team behind games such as Screamer, Racing Evoluzione (Apex in North America) and Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo.

Below are some screenshots from the PlayStation 2 version: