tiger woods
Latest
Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (Wii)
I've played a lot of golf games over the years, from the arcadey Hot Shots series to my all-time favorite, Links 2004. But I've never played anything quite like Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. For someone new to the series on Wii, its MotionPlus controls aren't just a revelation -- they're the only way I want to play golf games from now on. Sorry, Links. %Gallery-87857%
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 swings onto XBLM
Attention, virtual linksmen: A demo for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. This trial version offers players a chance to experience "a fully customizable Ryder Cup match that includes three holes on Celtic Manor Resort." In addition to the Celtic Resort holes, players can also try out three holes of the Liberty National course. The demo also has a unique feature, allowing players to earn in-game experience points by sharing the demo with friends. Using the "console messaging system" to share the demo, players will earn XP for each friend that downloads it. This XP can then be used to upgrade golfer stats in the retail version of the game that launches next month. Just make sure you buy the game new if you want to make the most of that XP online. Xbox.com: Add Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
EA Sports to charge used game buyers $10 to unlock basic online multiplayer
Replace the phrase "I want my two dollars" with the slightly more complicated "I want you to pay me more money for a game you bought used, even though we received full price at retail originally," and you'll have a pretty good grasp on the situation here. For a while now game companies have been waging war against used game sales, most recently resorting to DLC unlock codes in games that can only be redeemed once, making the used purchase less attractive. However, EA Sports has escalated this practice right out of the stratosphere with its new "Online Pass" feature. Basically, the original purchaser is bestowed online functionality, added features, and bonus content, out of the kindness of EA's heart (and a fun-to-enter redeem code), while a used buyer will get a 7 day trial of those things, and then have to pony up $10 if they want to keep at it. Yeah, you heard that correctly: you'll have to pay $10 to play FutureMadden: Robots in the Red Zone online if you bought it used. The first title to get this special treatment will be Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, and after that? Well, we're really hoping this doesn't take off, but the most unfortunate aspect of this diabolical scheme is we really don't see how this could possibly hurt EA's bottom line. Sure, it's evil, but that's never stopped them before.
EA launches free-to-play Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, stands by its man
Electronic Arts has officially launched Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, its free-to-play version of the popular golf game. Players can sign in with an EA persona and play a limited number of featured courses for free (St. Andrews and Sheshan are the two currently available), while earning XP and money for the in-game Pro Shop. Alternatively, for you fat cats out there, packages of points are also available for $10, $20, and $40 that can be spent on in-game items or rounds of golf at locked courses. The game also offers group tournaments and friend-to-friend messaging -- essentially, it's very much EA's attempt to bring the successful Battlefield Heroes model to a new audience. In an interview with CNBC today, Peter Moore made it clear that they're behind both star Tiger Woods and this game. The free-to-play title is designed to pull in an audience of "40-year golfers, mostly male," Moore said, adding that "it's our job to upsell them." If EA Sports can do that as well as the Battlefield Heroes team has, then we may see even more of these free-to-play online titles from the company.
EA: Rumors of lawsuit over South Park episode are 'nonsense'
Today, a recent post on Daily Informer was brought to our attention, which reports that EA has decided to sue over a recent South Park episode, "Sexual Healing." The episode in question shows a mock-up of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, mixing in some ridiculous fighting elements (involving the wife he cheated on) into the golf sim portion of the game. It's really over-the-top, akin to the show's usual satire practices. We contacted EA to get to the bottom of this, to which an EA spokesperson commented the rumored impending lawsuit is "nonsense." So, there you have it: EA is not suing over the episode. Nothing else to see here -- move along.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 trailer shows off online team play
EA Sports' latest attempt to breathe new life into the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise's eleventh installment is an online multiplayer mode, previewed in the "Ryder Cup" trailer posted above. Players will be able to align themselves into teams, and go head-to-head (to-head-to-head, and so on) in an attempt to dominate the lush, rolling greens. The only question that remains is what team you'll choose to enlist in. Will it be team Tiger Woods, who's repeatedly proven his prowess for hitting golf balls into faraway holes? Or will it be team Rory McIlroy, who is exactly one vowel away from being totally awesome?
EA: No Project Natal support for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
When Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 was revealed to have PlayStation Move support, we wondered why EA would support every other motion-controlled peripheral (all two) and not Microsoft's Project Natal. So we hit up EA for an answer. As it turns out, EA just wasn't "in a position" to add Natal support to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 -- but the company doesn't rule out implementation in future installments of the franchise. "We are always evaluating new technologies and Natal would be a perfect fit for the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise," an EA spokesperson told Joystiq, "however we are simply not in a position to do so with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11." There you have it: Natal is a "perfect fit," but Tiger Woods 11 won't have that functionality. Our guess? The Natal dev kits haven't shipped and a post-release implementation patch would not be cost effective.
Tiger Woods 11 to support PlayStation Move
Much like the star it's named for, it seems the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise isn't adverse to trying new things. EA has announced that the next iteration, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, will support the PlayStation Move motion controller to "give gamers an authentic interactive swing experience." There aren't any other details about Move implementation at the moment, but the game is slated for release on June 8 -- well before Sony's motion controller's projected fall release. (And before you ask, no mention has been made of support for Microsoft's Project Natal.) It may be less flashy, but series fans may be interested to hear the game will also feature the Ryder Cup, allowing for two 12-man teams to face off against each other. We say 12-man, but we guess it could be 12 women against 12 men, right? Heck, maybe even 12 women against one man. Can you imagine, one guy trying to keep up with all those women? We sure can't. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 will be available on June 8 for Wii (with MotionPlus support), Xbox 360, PS3 and iPhone. Update: Changed "PlayStation Motion Controller" references to "PlayStation Move," the now official name for Sony's device. [Editor's Note: EA's press release only included a box art asset for the Xbox 360 version. Go figure.]
EA Sports honors 'Game Changers' in its online communities
Over the weekend, EA Sports announced a new community influencers program that it's calling "Game Changers" -- the idea is that the publisher will choose big EA sports fans who use their online community know-how "to improve the experience and overall growth of the EA SPORTS Community." Presumably, you have to yell "EA Sports" whenever you say it, which would be why the name is in all caps. The chosen few will get early access to EA games, as well as represent the community while giving feedback on future releases. They've picked nine guys (no girls) so far, all of whom are active in the various EA communities and forums. They've also posted a video of the program's kickoff, and while we were totally going to make fun of it for sounding like a cliched sports team ("It's the dream of a lifetime, we just go out there to do our best" and so on), that Anton B dude actually gets a little choked up at the end after being honored with Game Changer of the Month. So all right, Anton, we get it. This Game Changers thing may not mean too much to the rest of us (just like the Xbox Ambassador program, it's just a way for the company to connect directly with their community), but everybody's got to have their thing, and this is yours. Rock on for that.
EA Sports Wii/DSi accessory bundles announced
Because your EA Sports games need that extra oomph, EA has signed a deal with Sakar International to produce a lineup of attachments for your Wiimote and -- wait, DSi? Sure enough, the press release mentions "realistic-looking EA Sports golf clubs, tennis rackets and baseball bats for the Wii and Nintendo DSi as well as fitness gear for use with EA Sports Active" as part of a deal EA announced last month. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and 11 on Wii will get a series of golf club attachments for kids on up to adults -- extendable up to 24 or 36 inches depending on the set you acquire -- and Sekar will also offer baseball and racquet accessories for other Wii games like Grand Slam Tennis. As for the DSi, the press release mentions five-in-one carrying kits themed around football, baseball, basketball and soccer -- each kit will include a game case, skin, stylus, and clip-on earphones or headphones. Then there's the EA Sports Active stuff, which comes in two flavors: Starter Kit and Gym Kit. The first will retail for $19.99 and comes with a Wii Balance Board bag, yoga mat, fitness cord, armband and legbands, while the Gym Kit will set you back a bit more at $39.99 and includes a gym bag, yoga mat with a fitness cord and wrist and ankle weights. While we can't really comment on these proposed attachments without at least seeing them first, we just hope EA reads the internet every now and then. Some attachments are great, while others are just a painful memory you wish you could forget.
Peter Moore excited about PlayStation 'Arc,' unsure about OnLive
In a time-honored Peter Moore tradition, the EA Sports head recently opened up for an interview on a variety of subjects in the game industry. This time, the oft fake-tattooed gentleman exposited on the future of OnLive and his company's investment in the upcoming PlayStation Motion Controller (supposedly named "Arc"). "I don't know about OnLive," Moore told CVG, responding to the question of whether or not the cloud gaming service will become the "iTunes of gaming." He does, however, see opportunity in burgeoning distribution and pricing methods. "If a consumer's got five bucks to spend on some cool DLC; if they love Tiger Woods but want to be able to play online and invest $10 or $15 over a period of time ... those are the things we need to look at." As far as his interest in the "Arc" goes, he says that he's seen the hardware in action and thinks it'll be a "great complement to what's out there." He directly points out its distinction from the Wii's motion controller and reconfirms EA Sports' development of games with Sony motion in mind -- he even names tennis and golf as prime contenders as each sport lends to an "authentic sports motion" (at least with what he's seen on the Wii). Frankly, we're just about as excited as could be to finally show off our lacking sports skills as games based on sports creep closer to reality.
It's official: EA sticks with Tiger, announces Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
Though we've already twice confirmed EA's steadfast dedication to Tiger Woods -- and, subsequently, sequels to his popular sports franchise -- EA Sports has gone ahead and announced Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11. Coming in "June 2010" to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and iPhone, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 features the philandering golf star (as per usual) and others from the PGA Tour circuit. No screens or an official release date were given out, but ... umm ... you could always play Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online for free right this minute! It's a browser-based version of the game you know and love! Wait, where are you going?
Moore reiterates EA Sports commitment to Tiger Woods
EA Sports president Peter Moore recently restated the publisher's commitment to golfer Tiger Woods in a blog post, despite the once pristine athlete's incredibly public fall from grace. Moore reaffirmed that EA's relationship with Woods has always been "rooted in golf" and that the company "didn't form a relationship with him so that he could act as an arm's length endorser." As for Tiger's penchant for prowling, the executive concluded, "Regardless of what's happening in his personal life, and regardless of his decision to take a personal leave from the sport, Tiger Woods is still one of the greatest athletes in history." EA told Joystiq in early December that it plans to stand by Woods. The sports superstar may be losing other endorsement deals, but as GI.biz notes, EA Sports put convicted rapist and ear connoisseur Mike Tyson on the cover of Bite Fight Night: Round 4, so what's a little philandering between friends and business buddies? [Via GI.biz]
EA denies Forbes claim over Tiger Woods split
With the recent controversy golfer Tiger Woods has found himself embroiled in, Forbes National Editor Michael Ozanian believes that the biggest name in golf is done being a pitchman. Ozanian claims that companies like Electronic Arts, which publishes the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series, will drop Woods "regardless of what they are saying now." Well, we were actually curious to hear what EA is saying now, so we contacted the publisher. A spokesperson for the company informed Joystiq, "There is no change in our marketing strategy for the franchise. Our strong relationship with Tiger for more than a decade remains unchanged." Site Gamerinvestments.com believes there's "no way" EA is going to drop Woods. Its logic: "There is simply no other golfer that EA Sports can replace him with and there is no way that they are going to stop making one of their most successful games."
Wii MotionPlus sells nearly 500K units before Wii Sports Resort releases
We've got another week until Wii Sports Resort hits retailer shelves, but as per the recently released June NPD numbers, we already know that the Wii's MotionPlus has moved nearly half a million units. Ars Technica dug up the numbers of individual units sold for the peripheral attachment (169,000) as well as the numbers for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 sold w/ MotionPlus (205,000) and found that, a full three weeks before the July 28th release of Wii Sports Resort, the peripheral add-on is already in 374,000 consumers' homes.We all know the old adage "Good software moves hardware," but in Nintendo's case, apparently "barely any software" is enough.[Via Engadget]
Jimmy Fallon beats Tiger Woods at his own game
Fresh-faced late night host (and Engadget superfriend) Jimmy Fallon recently trounced golf superstar Tiger Woods in a Times Square showdown round of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Just as aging classic rockers are incapable of grasping the musical mechanics of Rock Band, it seems Mr. Woods was unable to translate his real-life adroitness to the virtual greens -- Fallon bested him by "a large margin," according to MTV Multiplayer.Try not to take it too hard, Woodsy. We're sure you could beat him at Don't Laugh During Every Freaking Sketch During Your Six-Year Stint on Saturday Night Live 2010.
Jimmy Fallon takes on Tiger Woods this Thursday night
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon host, uh, Jimmy Fallon, laid down the gauntlet for one golf legend Tiger Woods recently, challenging him in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 on Wii. Kotaku reports that Tiger has accepted and will play Fallon on his late-night show this Thursday. We take special interest in this because we've always had a dream of challenging Bill Laimbeer in his stellar SNES basketball romp, Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, so you can bet we'll be cheering Fallon on all the way.
EA and Tiger Woods make viral video magic (again)
It's tough to follow the Jesus Shot, EA's viral video for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 and tongue-in-cheek reference to a glitch found in Tiger Woods 08. But, we must say, EA has managed to strike rich, comedic gold again, as the video after the break for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 featuring Rocco Mediate is pretty damn hilarious. Like, grandpa-with-an-open-fly hilarious.Oh, and some of you may notice something at the end of the clip, to the tune of EA awarding someone with $50,000 for their own viral video. For more details on that, check out the official site.
Trophies: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
Because golf is such a classy sport, Tiger Woods' Trophy list is filled with Gold and Silvers only. If you want some Bronze Trophies, why not try a peasant's game and get off the lawn! View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
US sales of Tiger Woods titles have generated over $500 million
Although Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 just shipped, NPD Group analyst Anita Frasier noted the EA published series has reached the milestone of a half-billion in US sales. Gamespot adds (via Forbes) that the game series is just one revenue stream for the 33-year-old athlete, who is set to hit $1 billion in career earning this year.[Via VG247]%Gallery-63035%%Gallery-63036%
