No this is not a late April Fool’s joke.  Color me surprised and yet intrigued at the same time to witness this but it’s true.  Griffin International, XS Games and Bass Pro Shops are bringing what they claim to be “the most realistic hunting and fishing experience” to the Xbox 360.  And that’s not all they’re bringing.  They’re bringing the very first fishing pole controller as seen below!  It actually looks amazing to me and I actually want to try it! 

Higher Res Image Here

The Hunt and The Strike, upcoming outdoor sports videogames currently in development, aim to deliver the most realistic hunting and fishing experiences to-date, combining detailed environments and engaging gameplay with highly interactive fishing pole and rifle controllers*.  The Hunt and The Strike will be available for Xbox 360, the Wii™, and PC in 2009.  The * means that the rifle controllers are Wii only but at least we get to fish!

“By combining unique fishing pole and rifle peripherals with high-quality, immersive gameplay, The Strike and The Hunt truly capture the thrill of fishing and hunting and the memories and stories that go along with these beloved pastimes,” says Justin Royer, Vice President of Marketing and Brands at Griffin International. “As The Strike and The Hunt will appeal to gamers of all types, we think they have the potential to become the next must-have active, social party games.”

The Strike puts the fishing rod in players’ hands as they head out to their favorite fishing holes, including ten of North America’s greatest lakes.  Featuring realistic lake bottom topography, advanced graphics, life-like fish behaviors, fully customizable characters and an abundance of boats, lures, rods and reels, The Strike offers virtual anglers the most realistic fishing game experience to-date. Players will enjoy a variety of game-play modes including Quick Fish, Career and Bass Pro Shops Invitational Tournament, or they can compete with friends in boat racing and casting challenges.

The Hunt drops players into the wilderness of North America’s most famous hunting locations where players will be able to stalk and hunt their prey using a variety of different firearms-bolt-action rifles, shotguns, pistols, bows, and knives. To help them in their hunt they will use Bass Pro Shops gear and equipment like calls, scents, stands and a uniquely designed GPS to guide the player to the action. The Hunt features three game modes: Quick Hunt, Career Mode, and the Bass Pro Shops Continental Classic Hunting Championship as well as four mini-games (Target Range shooting, ATV Racing, Blind Fire, and Coyote Cruise).

To develop The Strike and The Hunt, Griffin International is leveraging its Psyclone division, a leading developer of videogame accessories, to build the custom fishing pole and rifle peripherals. The software is being developed by Piranha Games Inc., a Vancouver based game development company with 10 years experience and 17 shipped titles.

The Strike and The Hunt are scheduled for release in Fall 2009.  What say you?  Are you ready to hunt and fish?  I know I am!

[Update] – Pricing Info – Peripheral + Game $69.99, Game Only $39.99 (currently there are no plans to sell the peripheral only)