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The Daily Grind: Do sports MMOs matter to you?
For the longest time, whenever you'd hear the word "MMO," you'd have to mentally add "RPG" at the end. The two were inseparable, making up most of the games that we here at Massively cover. But now we're facing an evolving genre that includes MMOFPS and MMORTS titles as well as many others. There's always been one MMO genre that hasn't gotten a lot of coverage or general enthusiasm from the wider MMO playerbase, and that's the sports MMO. I know its out there. I've heard whispers and rumors of its legend. There's even solid evidence of its existence, as we just heard of the development of a new racing MMO called The Crew. I'm guessing that in addition to racing games, there are baseball, soccer, and even golf MMOs. They're just not within my sphere of interest. But what about you? Do sports MMOs matter to you? Do you follow or play any of them? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
ESPN launches more second screen coverage with golf's US Open
ESPN is further boosting its major sports coverage by producing a raft of extra material for golf enthusiasts at the US Open. And the outlet will be doing the same during the British Open, along with Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open for tennis. The network is employing a special team during the tournament (including some not normally involved in golf coverage) to supplement the main ESPN broadcasts with featured group and hole coverage, hole flyovers, shot tracking and more. Some of the extra goodies will appear on ESPN3, DIRECTV, and USOpen.com. All that means you might need to drag that extra TV out of the spare room, and possibly your Xbox, laptop or tablet. Who says watching sports reduces your attention span?
Take-Two registers '2K Golf Links' domains
EA's Tiger Woods series may have some competition. It would appear Take-Two is preparing to tee off with a golf series of its own, Internet sleuth supererogatory discovered. A pair of Take-Two domain registrations for "Links2KGolf.com" and "2KGolfLinks.com" were recently made through a third-party company called Network Solutions. Now Take-Two could be making a brand-new series or the publisher may have acquired the rights to the Links series from Microsoft – supererogatory thinks it's the latter. We've followed up with Take-Two and Microsoft for clarification and will update this post accordingly.
Pebble gets a golf app now, two-way app support within a month
Pebble and its developer partners have been working at a manic pace in recent days, and they've just released a flood of status updates that prove they're not easing up. Along with confirming that the first red watches have shipped inside of the past week, Pebble is now claiming one of its first notable golf apps through an updated version of Mobile Software Design's Freecaddie. Would-be PGA stars can check the hole distance and par when paired up with an Android phone, with iOS support due soon. At least some owners can look forward to a bright future, too. An SDK update within the next month will allow two-way interaction between apps and watches, albeit only with Android devices in any realistic way -- iOS releases bound for the App Store won't support bi-directional use "at this time." That's certainly an unfortunate discrepancy, although we may be too busy perfecting our swings to notice. [Image credit: Thomas Harbinson, Twitter]
Report: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 isn't happening
Tiger Woods PGA Tour is going to sit the next round out, according to sources speaking to Kotaku. The site has been informed by folks with knowledge of the series that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 – which was to be outsourced – isn't happening in the wake of EA CEO John Riccitiello's departure. An in-house team will work for the next two years to make Tiger Woods 16 and take advantage of next generation systems.EA responded: "We don't comment on speculation about our franchises. We have nothing to announce today about future games on the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is now available on PS3 and Xbox 360."An EA Sports representative also tells us the company will be delivering patches this week to fix known issues with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14.The Tiger Woods brand has hit a rough patch these past few years. EA reaffirmed its relationship with Woods in 2010 despite the golfer's penchant for putting around. Later that same year EA did note it'd like to see the golfer winning to make their relationship worthwhile. But, here's the hard truth: As much as EA may want to move on from Tiger, um, name another golfer...
Oakley gives Bubba Watson a hovercraft to replace his golf cart (video)
While there's plenty of tech to improve your swing, the golf course itself doesn't see too much innovation which is why this attention-grab from Oakley and Bubba Watson is even more enjoyable. The audacious golfer decided that he was tired of pootling around courses in a golf buggy, so his new sponsors enlisted the help of Neoteric Hovercraft to build him a whip that isn't restricted to the cart path. In fact, with the BW1 hovercraft, Watson can take shortcuts across water hazards and through sand traps while shaded under the traditional golf buggy canopy -- making it the perfect ride for the eccentric 2012 Masters winner. If you'd like to see the other golfers stare in slack-jawed disbelief, then head on past the break for the video.
3BaysGSA Putt: a Bluetooth golf gadget that puts eyes in your putter (hands on)
Motion sensor-based golf devices are all the rage these days, but they mostly target the full swing. Can such electronics be accurate enough to measure a much smaller stroke, namely the all-important putt? Since golf season's nearly here, we decided to find out with the $200 3BaysGSA Putt, a tiny, lightweight device that fits in the handle of a putter and relays stroke information via Bluetooth to an Android or iOS device. As Engadget's resident golf nut, yours truly put the device through its paces both objectively and in a less-than-formal way to see whether it could accurately track a stroke. Will it help you lift your putter in victory, or make you wrap it around a tree? Hit the break to see how we did.
Game Golf system caddies your tee-to-green stats, doesn't pack your clubs (video)
For those of us obsessed with chasing the proverbial white ball, accurate stats are tough to come by -- unlike the pros who have every drive, chip and putt scoped to the nearest inch. That inspired Golf Game, a system that pairs NFC with current golf tech like GPS and motion sensors to track your every duff. It uses NFC-equipped tags that pop into the end of each club and a hip-mounted "GYG" device to collect the data with a battery life of two rounds (about 8 hours) -- and no need to pack a smartphone or tablet onto the course. The golfer then "tags" his club against the hip-worn device prior to taking a lunge, and every shot from a 300-yard drive to a 5-inch putt is duly noted. After the round, all that info can tell the story of your game via an iOS, Android or web app, displaying stats like driving distance, greens in regulation and putting. You'll also be able to create competitions among friends through the Game platform, and brag (or cry) about your play via Twitter, Facebook or email. The system's been backed by top-ranked players Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell, and is now on Indiegogo where the creators are seeking $125K to get it off the ground. A minimum $149 pledge will get you a Game Golf device by July (estimated), though if you're willing to pony up $500 for a limited edition autographed by the above pros, you could see it as early as May. Hit the PR or video after the break for more, or tee up one of your own at the source. %Gallery-180545%
SwingTIP lets your golf club and iPhone join forces to improve your swing
Proving yet again that there's pretty much nothing that can't be made to work with an iOS device, a product called SwingTIP, on display at CES 2013, creates a link between your golf club and your iPhone or iPad. The lightweight sensor (US$129.99) connects to your device via Bluetooth and sends detailed data on every swing to a companion app, with the goal of showing you what you're doing wrong and offering suggestions on how to improve your game. Hopefully they're more helpful than some we've received over the years. In addition to working with its companion app, the data produced by the SwingTIP can be uploaded to a website and used to create scorecards. These can be shared with your golfing coach so they can provide further feedback. The sensor itself slides onto a mounting bracket on your club's shaft, and additional brackets can be had for $19.99 apiece in case you don't want to move the one that's included to different clubs.
GolfWeather is a missed opportunity to help golfers
GolfWeather is an outgrowth of GolfWeather.com, which helps you check the weather before you head to the golf course. The app covers more than 20,000 courses in several countries up to a week at a time. You get hour-by-hour temperature predictions, cloud cover, humidity, wind and chance of rain, and if the weather is suitable for playing. For a free app GolfWeather is OK, but doesn't really do as much as it could. I showed it to an avid golfer friend, and he basically yawned, because just about any weather app will give you the same information. While GolfWeather does have an impressive lists of golf courses, it doesn't use GPS to tell you which courses are near you, or provide maps to get you to those locations. It's a missed opportunity. Also missing are any details about the golf courses such as ratings, hours, fees. There is a similar app called Latest Golf Weather, which is US $0.99, and has pretty much the same features. If I were a golfer, I'd want more information, even if I had to pay more for the app. %Gallery-172412%
SensoGlove revamp brings automatic pressure check, stops us from strangling our golf swing
Hand rookie golfers a driver and they'll frequently make the classic mistake of gripping the club as though their lives depend on it. A seasoned veteran knows that a little give and take might be needed, which is why Sensosolutions just updated its long-serving SensoGlove to better encourage a balanced hold. The new automatic sensitivity toggle will offer a recommended grip through the LCD based on how tightly the club has been held in the past; throttle the 9 iron often and you'll be asked to loosen up. Longer battery life is also in the cards versus the older model, although we're reaching out to determine how many more holes the glove will handle in one charge. No matter how you slice (or hook) it, the newer SensoGlove is shipping for $89 in versions for both hands and multiple sizes.
Football fans score additional content in Sky Sports for iPad update
The app devs over at Sky Sports are having a busy year, and after improving their iPad offering for the F1 season, they're back with a "second screen" update for football (soccer) fans. Just in time for the start of the UK Premier League season, the new Football Match Centre adds a content bar alongside your chosen stream showing team and player info, in-depth stats of the match in progress and a hand-picked Twitter feed for related musings. You might think the devs deserve a break, but sadly there's no time -- next on the agenda is a similar update for the Champions League tournament, then they're bringing the second screen to golf fans before the Ryder Cup starts next month.
Pangya Tomahawk players can win in-game rewards in Treasure Hunt event
Pirates are cropping up everywhere, even on golf courses. Players of the free-to-play golfing game Pangya Tomahawk have the opportunity to win rare in-game rewards like a pirate costume by participating in a special crossover event called Treasure Hunt. For a limited time, players can take part in this online board game that could net prizes such as rare costumes, premium golf clubs, and in-game currency. Joan Kim, Pangya producer, stated that SG Interactive wanted to treat players to something a little different. The result? A board game powered by the golfing gameplay in Pangya. Players can earn chances for Treasure Hunt dice just by playing either nine or 18 rounds of golf on any of the game's courses, then use the dice rolls to move the caddy around the online game board. Every space on the board has a chance at winning in-game rewards, but there is also a chance of losing progress if defeated in the mini-games lurking on some spaces. Check out the gallery below for a look at the prize outfits. [Source: SG Interactive press release]%Gallery-162625%
Motorola MOTOACTV update adds Twitter and Facebook to keep you company during marathons
If you wish you could tweet during that round-the-block 5K, then Motorola's latest update to MOTOACTV is for you. The fitness computer will display Facebook and Twitter messages on the device as well as offering more accurate mapping, easier WiFi network setup and more flexible workout planning. Additionally, golfists who plumped for the Golf edition get some more links-appropriate features like tee location options and putt distance-tracking. You can get the update by connecting the device to your computer and Motocast will handle the rest.
Alternative Wii U controller design makes brief appearance on Twitter, goes into hiding
Excited for Nintendo's new tablet-esque controller? So are the kids in TT Games' QA department. An over-excited tester tweeted out an image of a slightly different Wii U slab than the one we laid hands on at E3 2011, teasing "look we what we have at work!" Answering the call does indeed reveal something worth looking at -- a somewhat wider looking Wii U slate featuring two full-sized analog sticks (as opposed to 3DS-like circle pads), a pair of unmarked button-like squares, and a new starboard home for the controller's plus and minus buttons. The tweet was summarily pulled, of course, but not before our friends at Joystiq nabbed a screenshot. Naturally, the rumor mill started right up, churning out speculation of developer specific slabs, early prototypes and late redesigns. The truth? We'll probably need to wait until E3 to find out, but we reached out to Nintendo for a comment all the same. We'll let you know if we hear anything more than the usual "Nintendo doesn't comment on rumors and speculation" line.
Callaway upro mx+ will show you a real view of the golf course, won't give you a mulligan
While Callaway has been helping you navigate the golf course for awhile, all its imagery has been abstract; that's not much help if it turns out a patch marked "rough" on one hole is really shorthand for "crocodile-infested swamp." To that end, Callaway is launching the upro mx+, an upgraded version of its GPS tracker that uses real overhead photography to give a more realistic impression of the green, as well as to hint whether or not there's any chance you'll get your ball back if you mess up. Along with the static images, there's video flyovers to get a feel for the land at a perspective closer to your own. The updated touchscreen device also touts yardage calculation and an upgraded uexplore service for checking out scores and golf courses. The mx+ will carry a $249 price tag when it hits shops on May 30th, though the true-to-life graphics will freely emphasize just how much you're over par.
Nintendo patent application lends a look at Wii U's core technology, add-ons too
Little did we know that, just two months after we were trying the Wii U for ourselves, Nintendo was busy patenting nearly everything its unique game console would have to offer. A pair of just-published US Patent Office applications filed last August get into the nuts and bolts of how the controller and the legacy Wii remote will play with the new device. It's clear that the patent work had started before Nintendo had redesigned the main system -- the box at the center of the patents looks like the existing Wii -- but it does show the nitty-gritty of things we only saw at last year's Nintendo E3 keynote, such as the gun attachment or playing golf with a combination of the Wii U controller and the traditional Wiimote. Nintendo also gave itself some wiggle room on the controller's screen size: although the LCD is officially 6.2 inches across, the patent allows that it might be "5 inches or larger." We're wondering how much of the overall look and technology will survive through to the finished Wii U design's unveiling at this year's E3. For now, though, you can explore the patents yourself at the links below.
Motorola MOTOACTV now likes Ice Cream Sandwich, to its nutritionists dismay
Motorola is pushing out an update for the MOTOACTV that'll improve the dinky machine's calibration with heart rate monitors and improved media selection. Golfers who plumped for the tailored edition of the unit will find links-friendly features like better score tallies and longer-distance club suggestions. The concomitant mobile app also gets a bump to make the unit compatible with Ice Cream Sandwich handsets -- although we'd suggest avoiding too many sugary snacks if you're off for a run.
HTC Golf allegedly appears in press shot sporting ICS and Sense 4
The HTC Golf, as it's known by codename, has been rumored to be in the works for quite some time now, but today marks our first virtual encounter with the device. Thanks to a leaked press image acquired by PocketNow, we can finally get an idea of what HTC's alleged entry-level slab may look like. Aside from being coated with a fresh version of Sense, the 3.5-inch Golf is also said to be packing an underwhelming 480 x 320 display, a single-core CPU, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage (expandable via microSD). Additionally, word on the web has the Golf as being an eventual member of the outfit's Wildfire family, though we'd hold off on giving it a different dub just yet. Either way, perhaps this one will be good enough to wave goodbye to that ChaCha of yours.
Golf MMO Pangya United celebrates three years with item giveaway
SG Interactive is celebrating the third anniversary of popular golf MMO Pangya United today with giveaways galore, including daily prizes, a scavenger hunt, a golf tournament, store discounts, and double XP bonus weekends. Players who do nothing more than log in to the game from now until April 25th will receive daily chances to win special gear and outfits that are exclusive to this third anniversary. The double XP weekends will take place from April 14th to 15th and from April 21st to 22nd from 11 a.m. EDT until 5 p.m. EDT each day. In addition, we've been given a few item codes of our own for 25 interested readers. These codes will unlock a special golf ball in game called the Comet. We have redemption instructions and 10 codes included after the cut, but we'll be giving out the other 15 throughout the rest of the week on our Twitter and Facebook pages, so stay tuned!
