Tiger Woods 12 Features the Masters, Tiger-Free Box Art; Launches in North America on March 29
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters will launch in North America on March 29 and elsewhere around the world on April 1 for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 (with added Move support).
The game will feature "historic" games from the Masters tournament, giving golf fans a chance to relive and play through the tournament's most memorable moments. Although the game's box art does not feature Tiger Woods' likeness, the famous golfer is no doubt still the star, as fans will have a chance to play through all four of his Masters tournament victories.
"For more than a decade, the Masters Tournament has been the most requested and coveted feature for the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR franchise among our fans," EA Sports boss Peter Moore said in an announcement press release. "Pairing the number one golf video game franchise with the most prestigious golf tournament in the world is a perfect marriage and we're thrilled to bring our fans this exciting opportunity to experience Augusta National Golf Club like never before."
The game's star, Tiger Woods (at least by association of name) added, "This is great for the sport and will connect a new audience with the Masters, a tournament I've been fortunate to experience since 1995. Continually growing the visibility of golf is important to attracting newcomers to the sport, and I agree that showcasing the Masters Tournament in the game will bring an entirely new dimension to that approach."
Other new and enhanced features include "The Caddie Experience," where players will learn and take strategic advice from their trusted caddie; a new career mode, giving players the chance to go from amateur to Masters champ; the choice of "over 20" professional golfers; and the sultry tones of a new commentary team featuring Jim Nantz and David Feherty. A complete breakdown of features, as listed from the announcement press release, can be found below.
The shift of focus to the world-renowned tournament shouldn't surprise sports fans, as Tiger Woods 11 failed to capture the same attention as previous games in the series. In June 2010, NPD analyst Anita Frazier noted that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 sold only "32 percent of what last year's release sold in it's introductory month at retail." In June 2009, the Wii version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 had a strong debut at fourth overall for the month.
New features and enhancements include:
Masters Moments: Play through memorable, historic moments as players try to measure up against some of the sport's greatest legends. Tiger at the Masters: Relive each of Tiger's four wins at the Masters by attempting to equal or beat his scores in each round of the Tournament. The Caddie Experience: Behind every great golfer is a trusted and reliable caddie. Players will have a caddie by their side on every swing, providing strategic advice, from shot selection to reading greens, helping them become a more successful golfer. The Closest Thing to Being There: For the first time ever, EA Sports utilized a new state-of-the art laser scanning technology at Augusta National Golf Club to laser scan every hole featured in the game. This will provide players with the most authentic digital representation of the Tournament and Par 3 courses. Every tree, every azalea and every undulation in every green was recreated down to the smallest detail. Broadcast Presentation: Feel the emotion of every swing as called by the all-new commentary team of Jim Nantz and David Feherty, who headline a completely revamped TV broadcast presentation package. Career Mode: The all-new career mode will closely mirror the journey of an amateur golfer's rise through the ranks and chase the title of Masters champion. New Players: Over 20 professional golfers to choose from, including Zach Johnson (2007 Masters Champion) and Bubba Watson (2010 Ryder Cup - Team USA). Championship Courses: Take on the best of the best on sixteen of the world's most celebrated courses, including Augusta National Golf Club, Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Australia), Atlanta Athletic Club, TPC San Antonio, St Andrews Links and Pebble Beach Golf Links.
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Haxim
replyI hope the new features add a bit to the game. Took a pass on Tiger last year because it really didn't look much different.
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I don't think it's scandalous, I think that is what you call brilliant marketing. Instead of a big story where they dump Tiger and move on, they decided to shift focus to one of the most legendary golfing traditions ever. I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes their new IP model, maybe they'll drop Tiger and start doing a series of releases themed on the majors, all the while hoping a new dominant golfing force will emerge that can helm the series.
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If that were the case they would have done that in the previous version, which launched after those issues came into the public eye.
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My understanding was that they didn't expect the scandal to influence sales of the game, but then TW11 performed poorly (possibly because of the scandal, possibly not) so then this would be the version where they'd try to downplay his involvement to mitigate any external factors that might influence sales again.
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I think it's guilt by association. That series needed something new. Tiger not being on the box in general might be the primary reason.
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I agree. I've been a fan of the series for a while now (and I don't even follow golf) and 11 was the first game in a long time I didn't pick up. I sort of miss a lot of the 'fantastical' elements from the older games. The weird courses and shooting gallery type training challenges. The move to ultra-hyper realistic professional golfing DX makes me long for a ridiculous golf game like the old Outlaw Golf or something.
Also, do you check your Shackmessages often?
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TW11 performed poorly because it didn't really add anything (ball trails, alright needed, but the Ryder Cup, really?) Tiger's face and/or name still carry weight in the world of golf, most of it awe due to his accomplishments so far. Like him or not, he's one of the game's greatest players. Up there with Sarazen, Hogan, Jones, Nicklaus and Palmer.
While I'm sure it could be said that EA did back off some by adding Rory to the cover, it could also be said that it was due to the Ryder Cup and McIlroy being one of the best European golfers. Given the storied history of Ryder Cup history, I'd be willing to say it's more of the latter rather than the former.
Golfers (amateur ones) really don't give too much of a crap about Tiger's personal life, many pro golfers are just as guilty of infidelity, and those of us who golf and follow the Tour know that. Tiger just was, like his golf game, bigger and more expansive than they were. Most of us just wanted to see him play golf and if the game truly adds something and isn't an incremental release (like Madden and the other EA sports games have) then it will be worth a purchase regardless of the cover art.
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