Augusta National likely for Tiger Woods 12?

[OnlookerDelay]

GoNintendo.com recently published a scan of a Walmart game release sheet for 2011. Three of the items on the list were Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: Masters Edition, for the XBox 360, PS3, and Wii. They were dated 3/29/2011. This would suggest to me that they are timing it for a release just prior to the Masters, therefore in inescapable conclusion is that Augusta National will at long last be part of the Tiger Woods package. Here's a link to the scan, which looks legit to me - http://gonintendo.com/wp-content/photos/console4.jpg

I also read at the official Tiger Woods forum that there was a video on USTREAM, showing the game in some shape, form or manner. That link is now gone as is the video at USTREAM, so obviously someone leaked material that wasn't blessed for release yet.

If they've indeed secured Augusta for this year's game, it couldn't have come at a better time. Tiger Woods 11's sales were down considerably from TW 2010. I have no doubt that Tiger's trevails and lack of media presence late last year and earlier this year have something to do with that. Offering Augusta National in the game will give the series a much needed shot in the arm. I'm also thinking a fully integrated Move and Kinect implementation for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: Masters Edition will help give it a fresh new appeal.

The downside of this 9 1/2 month, shortened development cycle is they probably haven't had time to give the games basic underpinnings some treatment, but as an XBox 360 owner, I'm at least hoping they get the Kinect interface right. I'd like to have a reason to finally buy a Kinect.

[fishepa]

The reason the sales are down for this game every year is because every year it's the same game.

[bluengold34_OS]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishepa

The reason the sales are down for this game every year is because every year it's the same game.

Agreed Paul.............

What they need to do is drastically overhaul career mode. If they start you out in Q-school, and really make you earn your way towards your card, it would have a tremendous impact on the series. They also need to allow the use of DLC courses in the PGA tour mode. That way you truly could have a different course for every tourney.

There are so many cool things they could with the PGA tour mode, which include real time presentation( think cut-away shots to see other players shots), real announcers that actually sound like they are viewing what you are doing. The list here could go on and on, and yet they never implement any of this.

If they do really plan on having Augusta in the game( which I am still very skeptical of ) then that would be a huge step in the right direction.

[JayhawkerStL]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishepa

The reason the sales are down for this game every year is because every year it's the same game.

That is way to simplistic. The game improved in a ton of areas in TW11. But Golf does not need to be an every year game. They could have held those improvements, and then improved the career mode this year, too. It would have felt like a much more was improved.

But calling 11 the same game as 10 is just failing to acknowledge how much it really did improve.

[ComfortablyLomb]

The game certainly improved on the course but until Tiger is gone I don't see career mode being improved significantly. Right now it's basically a Tiger Wood career path simulator. You boost your guy and eventually you're at least in the running in every tournament (yes, generally even on Tour Pro). And even the on the course stuff needs to be completely redone IMO. Sure it's golf-like but this game is like a really dumbed down sports sim. Or I guess arcade golf. Feel free to disagree.

[DivotMaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishepa

The reason the sales are down for this game every year is because every year it's the same game.

TW08 to TW10, agreed. TW10 to TW11, could not disagree more.

[DivotMaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by ComfortablyLomb

The game certainly improved on the course but until Tiger is gone I don't see career mode being improved significantly. Right now it's basically a Tiger Wood career path simulator. You boost your guy and eventually you're at least in the running in every tournament (yes, generally even on Tour Pro). And even the on the course stuff needs to be completely redone IMO. Sure it's golf-like but this game is like a really dumbed down sports sim. Or I guess arcade golf. Feel free to disagree.

Play TW11 with the Move in TOUR Pro with TrueAim on and get back to us on your "arcade golf" comments....

[OnlookerDelay]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jayhawker

But calling 11 the same game as 10 is just failing to acknowledge how much it really did improve.

I see Tiger Woods 10 as being the most significant in the series in terms of making substantive improvements from the previous years. The fully proportional precision putting interface was a HUGE step forward, IMO! I was so tired of the "fire & forget", multiple putter range only interface (now called the "Classic" putting interface in '10 & '12) that I would tire of the game in 8 to 10 weeks. The precision putting interface requires more intuition and touch and this is what keeps me interested in playing the game year round now.

I also thought the inclusion of "Live Tournaments" in TW 10 was a major enhancement. I'll admit; however, that EA hasn't cashed in on the "liveness" aspect of Live Tournaments as comprehensively as they potentially could. Live tournaments would have so much more vitality and immediacy if you had the *option* to play them in groups of two, or more. (I emphasize option because I know many people wouldn't have time, or want to play them in multiplayer groups.)

Secondly, they should give you the option to play your round with a recorded round of a player who has already played the round. Of course, that player should have the right to consent to have their round offered as a recorded round to play along with, as some would see it as an advantage to watch their player play the round. I'm suggesting that you would only see the recorded player play their shot, preferably from your golfer's viewing perspective, and not know what club of shot type they were playing. This wouldn't be any different than a real round of golf.

Finally, Live Tournaments need to have a real time, hole-by-hole leaderboard, in which you can opt to view a leaderboard which may only show the scores of rounds in progress. Think about it, you could organize a shotgun start and everyone can see the hole-by-hole scores of your entire party.