Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Preview

[RaychelSnr]

A golf game might be the hardest type of sports game to develop, if only because of the audience golf brings to the table. Golf’s barrier to entry has been minimized in recent years, and being an individual-based sport that does not have an age limit means that there are a whole lot of different types of golfers out there -- and thus golf gamers out there. Nevertheless, the Tiger team is tasked with the job of appeasing all of these sects of golf fans while satiating each one’s desire to have a suitable golf game on a yearly basis.

And when it comes to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, the Playstation Move version might be the development team’s best chance to appease all those fans this year.

Read More - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Preview

[DocHolliday]

From your Preview, it seems like the same old Tiger with a new shiny course. I will pass. Another year of lifeless golf with no soul? Who would have thought that from EA......Jokes.

[OnlookerDelay]

Chase, do you know if there's a vertical first-person view option in addition to the horizontal one? I know the Wii version of Tiger Woods 11 the vertical True View option, which I strongly prefer to horizontal.

Also, I take it there's no "cut to the finish" option for First Person view? I liked the way the Wii version of Tiger Woods 11's True View cuts to the finish.

[ChaseB]

Chase, do you know if there's a vertical first-person view option in addition to the horizontal one? I know the Wii version of Tiger Woods 11 the vertical True View option, which I strongly prefer to horizontal.

Also, I take it there's no "cut to the finish" option for First Person view? I liked the way the Wii version of Tiger Woods 11's True View cuts to the finish.

I know cut to finish is in the game, but yeah not sure about within True View.

Can you explain the difference between the vertical and horizontal option? I think I know what you're talking about but just a brief explanation would help. (Regardless, I can't answer the question since I don't know, so it's more for my own knowledge).

[orthostud23]

Good read. Not really any new info but still a good read.

I have been on the fence about getting this and not getting this game and I think I will go with my gut and again not purchase this title.

[OnlookerDelay]

Chase, in a nutshell, it's like this.... with horizontal (default) True View/First Person, the club swings from right to left on the screen, with vertical, the club swings from bottom to top of the screen. Vertical makes more sense to me because the ball goes in the same direction in which both my own stance is aligned as well as my on screen golfer's stance.

With horizontal First Person/True View, I feel like I'm hitting the ball at a 90 degree angle from the swingpath of the club.... hope this makes sense?

[fsufan4423]

I'm remember being so excited to play this title once the 360/PS3 came out with all the possibilities and advancements the game could have, and it's been nothing but agony year after year.

As much as I love golf, can't see buying this game until major improvements are made.

[jestep123]

This game is going to be really good. I actually think 11 was good with the Move. I think it was very underated (probably because its an EA game).

I have Cerebral Palsey so I have never and will never play on an actual course in my life. I have gotten every EA golf game since 97 when it was still just called PGA TOUR. Being able to use the motion controllers a \nd play a round of golf with my brothers (neither of whom are disabled) is an awesome feeling that I never thought I would be able to experience.

Just one man's opinion, but if you like the sport of golf, you are going to be doing yourself a disservice if you dont pick this one up at some point.

[ChaseB]

I'm remember being so excited to play this title once the 360/PS3 came out with all the possibilities and advancements the game could have, and it's been nothing but agony year after year.

As much as I love golf, can't see buying this game until major improvements are made.

I think from a gameplay perspective it's hard to argue with most of what is brought to the table in a Tiger game on Wii or PS3. In terms of customizing your experience, it really goes further than any sports game out there. But if you are in agony about some of the surrounding elements of the game, I hear you 100 percent.

[ChaseB]

Chase, in a nutshell, it's like this.... with horizontal (default) True View/First Person, the club swings from right to left on the screen, with vertical, the club swings from bottom to top of the screen. Vertical makes more sense to me because the ball goes in the same direction in which both my own stance is aligned as well as my on screen golfer's stance.

With horizontal First Person/True View, I feel like I'm hitting the ball at a 90 degree angle from the swingpath of the club.... hope this makes sense?

I think I got it originally, but perhaps I just never really noticed my club going from right to left. I always felt like in first person my follow ended vertically. Although on the green I guess that's more right to left rather than down up?

[Dazraz]

Presentation is where this game lacks. Golf is about drama, tension, & atmosphere. These areas are absent in the PGA series.
As beautiful as PGA 12 looks & as wonderful as it plays EA need to work heavily on presentation if they are to take this game to another level. It's not just about including events such as The Masters it's about bringing those events to life in the game.

[Zinger]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Preview

Presentation is where this game lacks. Golf is about drama, tension, & atmosphere. These areas are absent in the PGA series.

Agree about that. The news about no playoffs in the event of a tie has all but killed my interest this year. Can you imagine - new Road to the Masters mode, we work our way through Q school, nationwide tour etc, finally qualify for the Masters where we have a ding-dong battle with Tiger which ends with the two of us all square after 72 holes, our hearts are pumping... and then a bland computer message pops up 'you win'. Talk about anti-climax! The decisions taken by this bunch of devs never cease to amaze me. I have no doubt that Augusta will look great and be true to life, but that's the only bit of realism I would expect to see in this game.

[ThatRadioGuy]

..

Chase ..

You're the best writer on Operation Sports .. by far. It's not even close.

Keep up the good work.

DD
GA Sports Network General Manager 1999-2001
On the Green Editor-in-Chief

..

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Preview

I think I got it originally, but perhaps I just never really noticed my club going from right to left. I always felt like in first person my follow ended vertically. Although on the green I guess that's more right to left rather than down up?

I don't know how much of the menu navigation you got to do in your hands-on, but there should have been an options menu at some point where "vertical" and "horizontal" 'First Person' view could be selected (provided there is an option for vertical... we already know it has "horizontal" based on the video shown at GamerAccess.com).

BTW, in the GamerAccess.com video interview with Mike DeVault, Mike is demonstrating the Move swing with first person view, and he is actually set up to show the condition I'm trying to avoid. Notice that he is swinging the Move toward the screen (his left hip is facing the screen as if he's hitting an imaginary ball at it), yet the clubhead movement on the screen is 90 degrees out of phase with his physical movement. This was very disorienting to me the time I played my friend's Wii version of TW 11. I showed him how to go in and change it to "vertical", so that now, the virtual golfer's feet are aligned bottom to top on the screen, making them and thereby your swingpaths match direction.

I really hope EA Sports didn't miss putting this option in the PS3 version. It made a huge difference in the quality of immersion I personally sensed in the Wii version.

[OnlookerDelay]

Chase, I had another question to ask... did you get a chance to play a pitch and/or a chip shot in your time with the game? I'd like to know if the Move swing motion required to execute them was proportional to the shot result. IOW, I hope you didn't have to take a full swing to execute a 10 yard chip shot.