New Golf Club content or game info dropped by producer

[OnlookerDelay]

I just got through listening to a TSN 1290 interview with The Golf Club 2019's Executive Producer, Shaun West. The interview was triggered by the renewed interest in video games, and particularly sports video games. It's a 12 minute interview and it's really professionally done, but for the first 11 minutes and 40 seconds it rehashes what most of us already know about the game... things get really interesting in the final 40 seconds, when Shaun is asked:

Is there another Golf Club coming up in the future?" Shaun's response started out like I thought it would with "I assumed you would ask me that and right now we don't have any info (or news... there's a warp in the audio and I can't tell whether he said info or news - I could hear both of them depending on how I'm listening) about what we're working on". We've read that here in the forum on a couple of occasions.

What I totally didn't expect to hear was what he followed that up with: "but you can stay tuned and I think there's some cool stuff coming up that we're in the works with... with 2K and PGA TOUR on to get some content out there"

Now let the discussions of what he meant by "some content" begin, as I struggled right away with whether he meant new game, or new DLC PGA TOUR courses and possibly PGA Tour player models incorporated into the game? Either way, it's good to hear something new is coming, although I'm hoping strongly that it's a new game, updated with the thought of the XBox Series X and PS5 in mind!

[lowpaiddonkey10]

Just what I've been waiting for. Pay HB for DLC courses that some of the best designers have already done. No thanks.

[OnlookerDelay]

Quote: Originally Posted by lowpaiddonkey10

Just what I've been waiting for. Pay HB for DLC courses that some of the best designers have already done. No thanks.

LPD10, could I ask you to listen to the last 40 seconds of that interview and tell me what you think he might be referring to?

https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-12...1290-1.1464491

He's a Canadian and his definition of "some content" may not equal mine. Whatever he means, it involves them working with 2K and the PGA TOUR. That still could mean a new game, but it just as easily could mean new courses and/or players. He also probably constructed his nebulous answer in such a way so as to not violate a contract with both entities.

He said that he anticipated this question would be posed to him, so I'm sure he'd already thought out how he'd answer it. What he said he obviously had the green light to say, but he didn't say anything conclusively enough for me to give the nod to DLC over a new game. Hopefully he'll chime in to the discussion that's now going on about it in the official forum. He may well do it, yet still be coy enough to not give a definitive answer.

[scagwi]

I listened to that last 40 seconds and I have to say..

Nothing about that tone made me even remotely think a whole new game is coming.

That truly had a feel, to me, like some more career content or pro golfers and maybe more licensed courses would be coming.

At best, I think one would hope that a "major patch" would be part of whatever they are working on - particularly after what will probably be two years since the last game and any patches/updates.

[OnlookerDelay]

Quote: Originally Posted by scagwi

I listened to that last 40 seconds and I have to say.. Nothing about that tone made me even remotely think a whole new game is coming. That truly had a feel, to me, like some more career content or pro golfers and maybe more licensed courses would be coming. At best, I think one would hope that a "major patch" would be part of whatever they are working on - particularly after what will probably be two years since the last game and any patches/updates.

I got to thinking about this a bit more, after reading your impressions about what Shaun said... if it is just DLC courses and/or players, how off the path would that be, to offer DLC like that to a game that came out two years ago, and hasn't had ANY DLC in its history? Forza 7 has been out for three years and is still getting DLC and updates, but it's been getting a steady stream of both since its launch, so it's no surprise to its customers that DLC is being offered, and they're conditioned to buy it.

I can't say that there are enough TGC 2019 owners out there who would jump at the chance to purchase new officially licensed PGA TOUR courses and/or PGA TOUR AI player models, even Pollyanna fanboys like myself would have a hard time doing it, and I'm one of the rare breed that thinks HB Studios did a good job at recreating the six PGA TOUR courses they included with the game... they're able to get a broader array of custom assets and objects in their officially licensed courses than the end user, because they're not bound by theme restrictions. I'll really be shocked if this is what the "new content" turns out to be because I don't think it will sell enough to net them a substantial return on investment.

As to your final point, if they offered a patch/update that was substantial enough, as part of a DLC update, I'm the type of sap would would be willing to pay for it, but it would have to address three issues:

1.) The tempo influence on the swing would have to be changed from affected hook/slice to pull/push and swing path from pull/push to hook/slice.

2.) The granularity of full swings would have to be tuned enough to allow the player a realistic chance of executing a 95% swing within a couple of percent (like you can in PG with RTSC). If they're able to do this, I'd expect to see a substantial reduction in the effect of lofting and delofting a shot. It's ridiculous to be able to vary a club's distance +/- 10% by doing this!

3.) Get the approach shot spin physics right, such that I could hit a 165 yard approach shot with a 7-iron off a clean lie in the fairway, and have it not run through a 40 foot deep, moderate firmness green after landing just short of pin high.

Finally, it would help the Society play considerably if they could clue the leaderboard in during tournaments, as to what hole the ghost players/balls you're playing your round with so they won't display their scores from 4 to 11 holes ahead of the hole they're actually playing with you... that often times totally kills the drama of Society play, while I'm trying to maintain the 'fog of war' about it!

[scagwi]

I guess thinking of it as "DLC" in the traditional sense might be us missing the mark.

After marinating on it a bit last night...

My guess is that there is a "new game" that they charge full price for, but it will include more PGA courses, some real golfers, an "all new deep career mode" (they will say all the buzzwords to get people excited, don't worry)..

But I expect the core game and experience to be yet another evolution of TGC.

Basically, I expect them to charge full price for what could have been, in large part, updates to TGC2019 and/or DLC to that game.

Call me cynical, but the gaming world these days can make one think this way - lol

For TGC fans, I suspect this will be a great thing. For people not currently interested in TGC, I don't expect what they release to pull us in.

I would like to think there's a full 2k "curveball" here with an all new engine and ground up, big studio influence, reboot -- but I just don't believe golf warrants that investment and 2k partnering with HB (vs doing their own golf thing from the ground up to compete with HB) sort of supports that thought.

There's "some" market there that can be tapped into, but as EA has shown us, it's a fools errand to pump big studio dollars into this niche and expect much beyond red ink.

[OnlookerDelay]

Oh, everyone... please note that I changed "new content" to "some content"... after parsing Shaun's warbly audio interview more carefully, that is what he actually said. It sounds even less sexy than added or new content

[ComfortablyLomb]

A new golf game would be a good thing. Even a major update would be a good thing.

The swing control system needs major love. Especially for the short game. It's clunky, unresponsive, and unfun. Tiger's was significantly better. As always, still I think a click-based swing should be included as an option. The devs should be doing everything possible to encourage people to play the game and there's a split in golf game players between those who like analog sticks vs. clicking. Frankly, the analog swing has kept me from playing this series and I adore golf games.