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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.
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?
Sony's 2011 PGA Tour event to be shot in 3D
Ok, this isn't quite the 3D sporting event we were expecting next after the BCS Championship and World Cup soccer, but the more we think about it, the more Sony and the PGA's plans to shoot the 2011 Sony Open in 3D makes sense. Golf on an HDTV is an absolutely beautiful sight, and the ability of 3D to let us see from the golfer to the ends of the fairways in Hawaii and keep everything in focus should not be underestimated. Of course, that's more than a year away, and Sony is planning to test out its 3D equipment at the upcoming 2010 event first. We'll see if any networks are ready to broadcast this PGA Tour Stop in the best quality available by that time -- or if the British Open is at least in HD.
Airport diversion: Adrenaline Golf Online
I think the iPhone really solves the 'sitting at the airport with hours to kill' problem quite well. As iPhone owners, we know we can browse the web, catch up on email or the news, even check to see why your flight is late. I have another suggestion. Give Adrenaline Golf Online [iTunes link] a try. It is one of the few games that really harnesses the power of 3GS graphics, but look quite good if you are on older hardware, and it works fine on an iPod touch too. The game is basically miniature golf, with a pretty accurate physics engine. There are 72 courses in 3 different game modes. You can play online with golfers all over the world, or just play by your lonesome. There are 4 different playing environments for 18 courses, which is how you get a total of 72. There is beach, forest, lava, and night. The animation and rendering of water and reflections is really stunning. The game play is challenging, and I easily blew an hour working through a couple of the courses. All the courses have 3 difficulty levels, and have interesting challenges in getting your ball in the hole past a series of animated obstacles. I'm not really a big game person, but I was instantly hooked by Adrenaline Golf. If I have any criticism it is that it is hard to predict how a particular hole will play and how far the ball will roll. Eventually I got the hang of it. It might seem a little pricey at U.S. $4.99, but I think the effort involved in making this game was substantial, and I didn't mind the higher tariff. If you're stuck at an airport or have time on your hands I suggest giving this game a try. I think it is especially good for people who like pool and miniature golf. Here's a gallery of some screen shots: %Gallery-79255%
101 MiniGolf World fills a hole in DSiWare lineup
Proving that there really are (really) games being made for DSiWare without "Sudoku" in their title, Teyon has announced 101 MiniGolf World for Nintendo's DSi download service. The game, which gets it name from the fact that it features six 18-hole courses, has yet to be dated -- but at least we can get a look at it. We became excited briefly when the announcement mentioned support for eight players ... until we parsed the next few words and realized Teyon means by passing your DS around. Still, the developer is promising "mind-blowing obstacles, loops, pipes, ramps" and so forth. It would be nice to have a new DSiWare title blow our minds rather than our DSi Points.
Trust in Casio's Japanese Exilim EX-FS10S, it'll turn your bogeys into birdies
Sure, we could rattle off a list of specs -- and if you're curiuos, it's a 9.1 megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom and 720p video -- but you know what's really gonna have Casio's Exilim EX-FS10S flying off shelves? The ability to stand it behind your tee and show you exactly how you screw up your swing, with special help of the company's trademark 1000 frames per second burst mode. The catch is, while the EX-FS10 is already available in US, only the Japanese model seems to have your golf buddy. Bummer.
Video: Mantys golf caddy wants to electrify your game
Hmm, an electric vehicle for upright bipeds that is steered by shifting one's weight ... that sure reminds us of something. Where this little putt-putter differs is in having four wheels, which tends to be a comfortingly large number for the sort of folk who can't be bothered to (or just plain can't) walk when golfing. And this is definitely targeted at golfers, with the official announcement set for the Golf Europe fair in Berlin this Sunday. The machine comes with turf-saving tires (whatever those are), 18 kilometers per hour top speed, a range of 36 holes, and holders for scorecards, cups, balls and tees. You'll find another product shot after the break, along with a delightfully cheesy promo video.
Rumor: Xbox Avatar golf game
Supposedly leaked footage of Avatars playing golf has hit YouTube this week (find it after the break) and some are wondering if it's video of an upcoming golf title featuring the Xbox 360 characters. At E3 2009, Microsoft revealed the casual racing title Joyride -- a free, upcoming XBLA game featuring Avatars -- so it isn't out of the question for Avatars to star in another casual game. The footage showcases Avatars enjoying a rousing game of golf, but still looks very early in development (if it even is). Perhaps it is an actual upcoming game, but it could also be some an Avatar update to the XBLA title 3D Ultra Minigolf or even some XNA-based genius. Time will tell on this rumor.
BBC promises Open Championship in HD next year
Despite inexplicably choosing to broadcast this year's British Open in standard definition, the BBC pinky swore at a news conference Wednesday that next year, all would be in high definition, it just hadn't been ready yet to invest in HD cameras. As it is, even with thorough widescreen coverage from ABC & TNT, and DirecTV dropping in one of their snazzy HD Mix channels for the event, we'll still know deep down that we're not watching it in the best quality available. So, F1, you're on deck, no excuses.
2009 British Open broadcast confirmed in standard def on TNT & ABC
Bad news golf fans, HDSportsGuide has confirmed that yet again, this year's British Open will be in standard definition on ABC and TNT. At least it will be in native widescreen and the event will be covered thoroughly, including shots from ABC's Segway-mounted Steadicam and X-MO super slow motion camera, but we still can't get over living in a world where the WNBA draft is in 720p and one of golf's major championships and F1 racing aren't.
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.
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.
DirecTV's HD Mix extended to cover the entire U.S. Open weekend
The U.S. Open gets started tomorrow from Bethpage State Park, and beyond the ESPN & NBC coverage, DirecTV is extending its HD Mix channel for all four days for the first time. That should help keep an eye on the leaderboard, main broadcast and whatever combination of specific areas of the course, interviews, or particular golfers one wants to follow, all available in high definition of course. After the Mediate/Woods showdown last year, we hope they're not locked in to doing only four days of broadcasts.
Pangya: Fantasy Golf trailer showcases characters, multiplayer
It's been a long time since PSP fans had a good original golf game. Unless Sony announces another Hot Shots Golf game at the upcoming E3 press conference, PSP fans may want to pay attention to Pangya, a Korean-developed golf game that's being translated for PSP release. The gameplay mechanics are similar to those found in Clap Hanz's games, but the cuteness level is cranked up to dangerous, heart-melting highs. This trailer showcases all the rather-standard features of the game, including 8 player multiplayer.%Gallery-63080%
EA reveals Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online
When you just read the name of EA's newly-announced Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, you were probably hoping for the same thing we were: a massively multiplayer golf/RPG hybrid that rewards Magical Big Bertha drivers for completing timed raid instances.Sadly, it's a golf game that you'll be able to play through your web browser on courses such as Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass and St. Andrews. There's no pricing announced yet for the fall release, but we know it will have a "multi-tiered subscription structure" and beta sign-ups are open now.It sounds neat, but we can't help but be bummed we'll never get to putt grind for our epic golf cart.
Wii Sports Resort features ... golf and table tennis?
Nintendo of Japan's new commercials for the Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort use some very slick high-speed camera footage to illustrate the realistic motions used in, among other things, table tennis and golf. New in-game footage found in the commercial reveals that two of Resort's new minigames will be retreads of things seen in previous titles -- table tennis was covered in Wii Play, and golf, of course, appeared in the original Wii Sports. Nintendo must be very confident that MotionPlus improves these games significantly. We still don't know how many games will be included in Resort, but if two of them are going to be encore presentations, there had better be a lot of games. We totally understand Nintendo wanting to take a second crack at table tennis, we must admit, because Wii Play's version is not where it's at.%Gallery-27709%[Via N-Europe]
A look at three new Gameloft iPhone games
I have been in love with Gameloft games on the iPhone since I bought my first one last year. Not only do their games have great graphics, they also have great controls and game play. Gameloft has recently released several new iPhone/iPod touch games, and I'm going to give you a first look at three of them: Terminator Salvation, Assassin's Creed, and Let's Golf. Terminator Salvation ($5.99 US)If you have followed the Terminator franchise or television series, then you may already know the plot of this game. In this third person shooter, you'll travel around as John Conner, the leader of the resistance against the machine invasion. The game is in a 3D landscape of Los Angeles in 2018, and the gameplay is what we've come to expect from a Gameloft game. There is an "analog" control in the bottom left of the screen that allows you to move around; when you are ready to pan around the landscape, you can do so my touching and dragging anywhere on the screen. By touching the fire button in the bottom right of the screen you can fire the weapon. There are four different control types to choose between: using the Virtual Pad (details described above), the wheel pad (drag your fingers along the corner of the screen to adjust viewing angle), the accelerometer (tilting the iPhone/iPod touch to move the characters around on-screen), or reversed accelerometer. You can also reverse the orientation of the screen in the controls; this is a feature that I think all iPhone games should have. In the game, you can play either the roles of John Conner or Marcus Wright -- when you assume each of the characters, you will gain different abilities. There are 6 weapons and 8 levels that you can unlock, which will undoubtedly provide you with many hours of play. This game really packs a punch in the iPhone gaming scene and is definitely worth a look. You can check out Terminator Salvation on the App Store for $5.99 US. %Gallery-63553% Assassin's Creed ($9.99 US)Assassin's Creed has been around for a few years on many of the larger game platforms (PS3, Xbox, etc.), but recently came to the iPhone/iPod touch, and puts the same great gameplay into the hands of players around the world. In the game you play a master assassin named Altaïr who goes out on a quest to find an object that will end the crusades in the Holy Land. In this realistic 3D RPG, you'll find yourself in sword fights, learning combat moves, and in hand-to-hand combat with enemies you encounter. You will be able to earn 6 weapons throughout the game, and there are mini-games to unlock. I love RPG games, and this one definitely kept me coming back for more until I completed every level. Hands-down, this is the best iPhone game that I have ever played -- I was blown away from the first time I picked it up. Beautiful graphics, great controls with virtual "analog" stick, and great cinematic cuts in-between levels and missions.You can check out Assassin's Creed on the App Store for only $9.99 US -- this will well worth the price in my opinion. %Gallery-63554% Let's Golf ($4.99 US)The iPhone has its fair share of golfing games, and I've taken a look at a few of them myself, but I have yet to find one that provides both great gameplay and great graphics. Until now. Let's Golf provides the right amount of features that any golfer would love to have, such as the ability to control what your player looks like or precision controls for your swing.You have the ability to choose between several playing modes including instant play and tournaments. There are also over 63 holes located in 4 separate 3D environments: Fiji, America, England, and Scotland. If you are a casual player, you'll enjoy the basic controls, but if you are an experienced virtual golfer, you can switch to the advanced controls where you can precisely adjust the power of the swing and even add spin. For $4.99US, this game is packed with features, and even includes a local Wi-Fi multiplayer mode that will allow you to challenge your friends to a golf match. You can check out Let's Golf in the App Store. %Gallery-63555%
Joystiq hands-on: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, now with frisbee golf!
We took Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 through the paces recently -- Wii MotionPlus included -- and encountered a fair bit of confidence from product manager Randy Chase, who said, "You know ... I just realized that this is going to put those really expensive digital golf swing analyzers out of business." Actually it's not quite that accurate, but it's getting there. Perhaps one day you can look forward to suckering golf wannabees out of thousands of dollars by charging them for "lessons" from Tiger Woods himself.Randy took a few swings with Tiger Woods back in March, and we're happy to echo his sentiments. It's very rewarding to switch over to the MotionPlus and watch your golfer avatar follow along pretty darn precisely with your swing. It not only makes the game feel more intuitive, but (amazingly) coaxes you off the couch. No slumped flailing here!Before you go on, let us point you to some additional media Xbox 360 and PS3 screenshots Videos: Wii and Xbox 360 / PS3. %Gallery-63036%
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10: The video tour, Wii edition
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 will be hitting all major consoles and handhelds, but the Wii MotionPlus really makes it stand out on Nintendo's flagship game unit. It offers a greater degree of club control than we've ever seen in a game, though don't expect it to make you a better golfer ... unless you can somehow graft a Wiimote onto your club. You can check out Tiger's WiiMotion Plus in action here, and then head after the break to see new videos depicting the Live Tournament mode, as well as the new golfers and courses in the game.%Gallery-63036%
Joystiq hands-on: Pangya Fantasy Golf
Ntreev needs to pull all punches for its upcoming Pangya: Fantasy Golf. It's not like PSP is without a fantastic golf game. In fact, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 may have been so complete that fans may never need another golf game ever again.Pangya doesn't really change the way golf is played, but its super-cute graphics and adorable story mode should help it stand out. The story of Fantasy Golf is rather trite, and its mere existence is an interesting oddity. Characters are shaped from the same cliche anime molds we're familiar with, but the stunning art really makes these characters come to life.%Gallery-63080%
