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.

Black Bean Games has signed a synchronization agreement with Warner Music UK and UK rock band Biffy Clyro, which went top ten with its smash hit album “Only Revolutions”. SBKX, will include two of Biffy Clyro’s most popular songs ‘That Golden Rule’ and ‘Mountains’, which both went top ten in the UK. Under the terms of the deal, ‘Mountains’ will also be used in the game’s trailer, and in an upcoming radio promotion.

“The Biffy Clyro tracks definitely bring an emotional punch to SBK X, and they contribute to making the game an immersive experience. The fast-paced action of the race combined with the pure rock adrenaline of the music is an entertainment package that gamers will love!” said Fabrizio Vagliasindi, Strategic Marketing Coordinator at Black Bean Games. “We look forward to other collaborations with Warner Music in order to enrich the Black Bean Games line-up with the added value of music”.

“We worked with Black Bean to make sure tracks were chosen that would bring atmosphere and excitement to the game, in a way that would make sense for the band. SBK®X is a great way of bringing Biffy Clyro’s music to a new audience, driving further discovery of their latest remarkable album, five months after it was released and just in time for their new single ‘Bubbles’.” said Ali Johnson, Senior Director, Synch Licensing at Warner Music UK.

A ‘Legendary Roster’ function, graphic enhancements, career mode, new online features, arcade and simulation modes are amongst the improvements that make this version of SBK X a must-have for every bike enthusiast and petrol-head gamer.

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.