Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

[Steve_OS]

EA REVOLUTIONALIZES SPORTS GAMING WITH GROUND-
BREAKING TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR® ONLINE

Authentic Golf Simulation Streamed Directly to Your Browser

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., - May 29, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that EA Tiburon, the development studio of the best-selling* golf simulation Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® franchise, is introducing an innovative and ground-breaking new product - Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Online. Available this fall, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online is an authentic golf simulation experience that is dynamically streamed to a web browser and requires no game installation, no disc, and no additional peripherals. This game is easily accessible and available anywhere, via a web browser and an internet connection.

“Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online is for anyone who loves golf and is on-the-go,” said Executive Producer Mike Taramykin. “Whether you have ten minutes on your PC in the office, or hours on your Mac at home, this is a golf game that makes time for you. With Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, golf lovers can satisfy their golf fix anytime.”

Stuck at the airport waiting for a flight? If you have an internet connection, just open up your computer and fire up Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online! The game is literally just a click away and has high resolution 3D graphics, delivers a feature rich experience and will be regularly updated with new features.

At launch, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online will include several world class championship courses, such as Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass and St. Andrews, while additional new courses will be available on a regular basis. In addition, a fully stocked schedule of tournaments and multiple community features, allowing fans to connect and compete with friends, makes Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online a community for all golf fans. This community will help shape the game’s evolution, including features such as new course additions, pro shop items, and even tournament conditions.

Your time is at a premium and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online is designed to work around your schedule – suspend play and resume from the exact same point at a later time. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online will be the most accessible and feature-rich golf video game experience available on any personal computer.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online will be offered through a multi-tiered subscription in fall of 2009.

For more information about Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, go to www.tigerwoodsonline.com

[dave374]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

This may have potential.

[baa7]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

This may have potential.

For the online crowd, sure. For those of us who were expecting an offline PC game, it pretty much stinks. And yes, it's been confirmed that TW 10 will not be released on disk, and neither will it be available for download.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

For the online crowd, sure. For those of us who were expecting an offline PC game, it pretty much stinks. And yes, it's been confirmed that TW 10 will not be released on disk, and neither will it be available for download.

I think you can thank the overall poor PC Sports game market and pirates for this....and I don't know too many folks who don't have online access and/or play online games....

[baa7]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

and I don't know too many folks who don't have online access and/or play online games....

That has nothing to do with my concern. I don't play online and never will. Like I said, great for the online crowd. Lucky them. But it stinks and it's disappointing for those of us who play offline. That said, I'm completely happy with TW 08 for the PC. It's a terrific game, and I can see myself playing that game for many more years if necessary.

[baa7]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

I think you can thank the overall poor PC Sports game market and pirates for this.

I don't buy that. EA is obviously in ecstasy over the money they anticipate making by selling online content. I'd say their wet shorts had much more of an influence on their decision to make an online-only game, than excuses about game pirating. If game pirating was such an issue, developers would have completely stopped making games for the PC long ago.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

I don't buy that. EA is obviously in ecstasy over the money they anticipate making by selling online content. I'd say their wet shorts had much more of an influence on their decision to make an online-only game, than excuses about game pirating. If game pirating was such an issue, developers would have completely stopped making games for the PC long ago.

Sorry you don't buy it. Facts are facts and this online method will prevent the mass pirating that has infected the PC Sports game market and PC game market in general. The economics DO NOT LIE...




SOURCE: NPD Data

I will also admit that EA did not treat the PC Sports game market with the same attention to detail and resources that they have with the recent 360/PS3 versions. They are now committed to the future of TW on the PC with this completely new approach to the game. Time will tell if they made the right choices....

[baa7]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

The economics DO NOT LIE...

Interesting. But EA contributed to that dropoff in sales. The Course Architect and the ability to create and use custom courses used to be a huge drawing card for PC gamers. Yet EA made the Course Architect less-and-less user friendly each year, to the point where designers now have to jump through hoops to make a working course. They withheld architect tools available to EA's designers, and as a last slap in the face they removed the CA altogether, along with ability to use custom-designed courses in the game's Tour Mode. All of that contributed to the demise of the PC golfing community. Long-time designers gave up on the series over the past several years out of frustration, and others became fed up the inability to use custom-designed courses while playing Tour Mode.

[dave374]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

The problem with PC games over the years were A) Too many stolen/downloaded games; B) Big-time requirements for your PC and videocard, forcing expensive upgrades.

I know when I was big into PC gaming, I was constantly upgrading my rig.

Now, thanks to the 360 and ps3, I don't worry about such things.

[JEM]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

Tons of games sell well on the PC in spite of pirates so I doubt if they have much impact on sales IMO. Those titles would include Oblivion , Mass Effect , The Witcher , Fallout.. ect. ect. Its clear that the PC market is more about FPS and RPGs while the sports guys have slowly moved to consoles due to various reasons.

It might be different with sports titles since EA releases the same stuff every year and it really doesnt make sense to pay 50$ for a golf game every year ( makes even less sense to pay for a sub ).. I would blame EA before I would blame the " pirates ". PC gamers seem to be a little less forgiving being forced to buy the same titles every year and not see an improvement ( not upgrading the PC with the newest graphics also did not help - Madden ).

This is probably the only thing I will agree with baa7 about... But to me its clear that EA wants to squeeze a monthly fee out of the PC Golfers to line their pockets with.

I dont care for it. TW does not have enough depth to warrant a monthly fee.

The only way for this to work is if they treat it like an MMO and get tons of courses ,tons more equipment , character progression , monthly tournaments with prizes , a shop to buy equipment with ingame money ( gotten by winning and how well you play ) , a drop based system so you can " find " items by making great shots.. ect.

[stykes10]

It sounds like they are going to compete against the likes of WTG.com, which is a REALLY cool game and may be the new way that golf games go.

You can buy new equipment to upgrade, they offer online monthly tourneys which are either free or cost $$ to play. You win real $$ or credits toward equipment.

They currently have the US Open course and are having a virtual US Open qualifying tourney now.

[cdogbuck]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

I certainly hope EA takes heed to what their online golfers will be saying about the beta.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

I certainly hope EA takes heed to what their online golfers will be saying about the beta.

Sign up for the beta and if selected you will find out for yourself. The team building this game is not the EA you are familiar with from past TW PC games....

[Zalf]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

Sign up for the beta and if selected you will find out for yourself. The team building this game is not the EA you are familiar with from past TW PC games....

Divot,

How is the current TW PC community taking the news? I imagine this has to really hamper some of the course creation the current community is built around. I am wondering if this is going to create the kind of situation we have seen in other games(MVP05, Links, etc) where TW08PC will become a commodity.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online (Press Release)

Divot,

How is the current TW PC community taking the news? I imagine this has to really hamper some of the course creation the current community is built around. I am wondering if this is going to create the kind of situation we have seen in other games(MVP05, Links, etc) where TW08PC will become a commodity.

Mixed. Many are worried about custom courses going away and other are worried about not having a DVD for the game itself. When everyone sees the entire strategy that EA is employing, I do believe many fears will be subdued...