June 24, 2008
I know we last reported that Hank Haney was going to be in Tiger Woods PGA 09, but we had no information on the swing mechanics for the game.
Fret no more! I’m please to report to you that IGN’s has a great write up on this nagging issue in their recent hands-on preview of Tiger Woods PGA 09.
We’ve got some great news to report, though. EA has gone back do the drawing board with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 for Wii and the end result is a game of golf that feels both much more tailored to the Big N’s platform and more polished than it ever has before. You will notice this newfound presentational finesse from the moment the game boots complete with a new interface overhauled with pointer-ready menus, and even better, enhanced in-game graphics. And when you pick up the remote to drive the ball, you’re going to see Tiger’s swing move at a one-to-one ratio with your own — finally.
I wonder why it took EA that long to fine tune the swing mechanics?
The major improvements to this year’s game aren’t accidental. While EA Redwood Shores handled previous iterations of PGA Tour on Wii, Florida-based Tiburon took over duties for 09, erecting a 30-man team dedicated to the Nintendo version. “We decided to move development over to Tiburon mainly because the 360 and PS3 versions of the game are made here,” explains Greg Rinaldi, development manager, Tiburon. “It’s really just one big Tiger team now. One big family, you could say. Although the Wii team is kind of split off a little bit. We do share a little bit with the other guys, but we’re pretty much separate because we want to treat the Wii title as its own thing. It’s got its own set of plusses and challenges.”
Ah it looks like Tiger Woods 08 was a just place holder, until they got their act together and have the new team up and running and firing on all pistons.
More of Tiburon’s take on the swing:
The team at Tiburon took a hard look at the previous Woods titles and decided that they really needed some work, starting, of course, with the swing mechanics, the most important element of any videogame golf experience. “That’s the backbone of the game, the swing. It’s something that we took a really hard look at this year because if that’s not right, the rest of the game falls apart. We took a look at what was done in the past and we felt that it needed some serious overhaul, so we basically almost rewrote the whole thing from scratch this year. And we’ve created a real one-to-one relationship between the Wii remote and the actual golfer’s swing on-screen,” Rinaldi says. “So you’ll notice that as soon as you engage the swing by pointing the remote down and holding the B button, as soon as you start to pull back on the Wii remote, your golfer will do the same. That allows you to really dial in the power percentage that you want. You know, you can actually try to find, well, where’s 80 percent of my backswing? Where’s 100 percent of my backswing? You’ll still have to worry about pacing and the speed of your swing because we’re trying to replicate a real golf swing. Part of it is your backswing and part of it is your pacing. But if you can time it and get the feel of it, you’ll really be able to nail it. It does have a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get over that, it just feels so good. It feels so natural. And we’re having a blast playing it here.”
Not only that the system allows you to Draw AND Fade!
Take your standing position. Twist the Wii remote left and inward to add draw, pull back the controller and make your swing. If you’ve done it correctly, the ball will curve to the left. To add fade, twist the controller outward and make your swing. Done. And combined with the one-to-one system, you’ve got one of the most realistic golfing sims available.
Hmm not the way a real golfer does it, but it is a lot better that the previous titles and the other “kiddy” golf games out there.
Thankfully, there is another alternative. You can manually set draw and fade with the Wii remote when you preview your shots. Hold the A button and the camera will sweep over the course and toward the area at which your ball will land.
Well you can’t beat them all? As long as you have the ability to control the power and pacing of the swing, that is good enough for me. Especially in regard to that horror Chip shot bug in Tiger Woods 07.
In normal swing mode, it’s very difficult to accidentally add draw or fade. Your drives will usually fly straight unless you really slice them. And you can manually add draw and fade at the lie. In advanced mode, your swings are measured more precisely and every nuance could reflect positively or negatively on your drive. In other words, it’s extremely easy to flub a shot if your swing is not absolutely straight, but it’s also much easier to add draw and fade without really twisting your remote inward or outward. In advanced mode, you aren’t able to manually add draw and fade at the lie — it’s an option made specifically for purists who don’t want any traditional assistance.
Finally, some difference in the two modes. I could never tell what they did in the earlier Tiger Woods PGA versions. They both played out the same for me.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the All-Play control option — a setup very clearly created for videogame novices. Rinaldi often cites younger brothers and grandparents, not to mention kids, as the prime candidates for the control configuration, which can be accessed in-game at any time.
I think this is a big one, not only will it cater to many types of players, but the ability to switch it on the fly is powerful, and people can just jump on and off the game anytime even playing with different settings. This increases the group game play experience element by leaps and bounds.
Well all the rest of the bells and whistles are there, a quick stroke game or a full blown PGA career, Tiger Challenges, the ability to jump right into the FedEx Cup, and of cause Hank giving you tips and tutorials in the fully developed club tuner.
However let wrap up this discussion with one last big news, we not are able to run a flight of 4 players ONLINE!
Woods returns to Wii this year, though, with full online play. Not just one against one, but four-player simultaneous play online. “We brought online Tiger to the Wii for the first time this year. It’s something I know people have been asking for and we’re really excited about it. We decided to bring in simultaneous online play. The reason we decided to go that direction is because an online match with four people and 18 holes can take, you know, three hours. So we decided to go the other way and allow people to play all at the same time and it allows you to get through 18 holes in the same amount of time with four people as it would with one person,” explains Rinaldi. “The cool part about that is that you actually still see the other players. You can see their shot arcs, you can see where they are, you can see their score, so it feels like you’re all playing together, but you’re not waiting for them to take their turn. You’re not watching somebody setting up their shot. You’re just playing through. It’s much more of a real-time experience.”
Honestly, I did not quite get how this co-playing would pan out, I supposed you dont have to worry about the slower players, and you just get to play your own game. Regardless it is a good first step, and I can see the potential there.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to this version of this game franchise, and will be doing a full review when I get is. So do stay tune to WiiGolf.net for the latest in Wii Golf action!
Do check out the full article at: IGN
A BIG Thanks to WiiGolf.net reader Spikel for the heads up!
Filed by: MiiGolfer at June 24th, 2008 under Previews
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May 6, 2008
But behind the success of the Wii lies a dirty secret, says GameFunk: That very few quality games are being made for the console. In fact, if you look at the aggregate reviews, most of the games suck. Sure, Wii has some standout titles (Super Mario Galaxy is a classic, one of my favorite games in recent years), but most of the great games have come from Nintendo itself, not from third-party developers.
Via: Yahoo! Tech
Filed by: MiiGolfer at May 6th, 2008 under News
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May 5, 2008
I would love to have a go!
Cries of “Nice shot!” greet the satisfying ping of club against ball as Takashi Ochiai gets his round off to a perfect start. His opponents’ magnanimity could be simple sportsmanship, but it’s more likely to be the effects of the cold beers they are gulping as they track his ball to its resting place bang in the middle of the fairway.
The greens at this Tokyo golf course are pristine, permanently bathed in sunshine and mercifully free of inept beginners failing, for the umpteenth time, to swipe their ball out of a bunker. If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it isn’t.
Links, one of several virtual golf courses to have appeared in Tokyo in recent months, is sating a growing appetite for communal gaming that owes much to the success of the group-friendly Nintendo Wii.
Although Ochiai and his colleagues were brought here by their love of golf – not by an interest in video games – they owe their obvious enjoyment to a powerful piece of simulation software.
The ball’s journey is quickly cut short by a brightly lit screen; a virtual course that keeps a tally of shots played, the distance to the pin and the other vital statistics on which the gaming golfer depends.
The software package calculates where the ball should come to rest depending on which part of the screen it strikes, and how fast it is traveling. Weekend golfers who require work on their swing beware: the software also knows a hideous slice or hook when it sees one.
The system’s maker, 3D, says it has sold 50 golf simulators – at about 6 million yen (£29,250) apiece – and reckons it will have shifted more than a hundred by the end of the year.
Via: guardian.co.uk
Filed by: MiiGolfer at May 5th, 2008 under News
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Rejoice! EA sports has announced that Tiger Woods PGA 09 will be released this summer! I hope they really fix the swing problems! Also guess what? Tiger’s coach Hank Haney will be around to give you in game tips. That is very cool.
EA has formally announced via a press release that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is on the way for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo Wii.
For the first time, the game will feature Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’ personal coach. Haney will assist gamers as they hit the links and will provide feedback based on a player’s performance after a round. Online play has also been reworked and will contain the ability for up to four players to play each hole at the same time.
“Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 is the most authentic golf video game on the market, and we’re excited to bring an immersive experience to the masses,” said Executive Producer Mike Taramykin. “Our partnership with Hank Haney provides fans immediate coaching from one of the top minds in golf. This year’s game brings unprecedented levels of customisation and control, allowing seasoned vets and first time players ‘inside the ropes’ of TOUR golf.”
Also accordingly to QJ.net:
Also thrown into the package is the integration of EA Sports’ GamerNet system into the game for online play, sporting an easy-to-use interface. The GamerNet system also includes daily leaderboards, as well as various challenges that gamers of all playing styles can try out.
Another online play enhancement is Simultaneous Play, which basically lets four players play a hole at the same time. This improvement will definitely make golf rounds even faster, adding an element of frantic gameplay.
I think it is time to upgrade from Tiger Woods 07, dont’ you think? Do stay tuned to WiiGolf.net for more Wii golfing news!
Via: PAL Gaming Network
Filed by: MiiGolfer at May 5th, 2008 under News
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