[Update: Check out our review of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 here!]
Even if you don’t know much about golf, it’s likely that you still know Tiger Woods, the man who has become the face of not only EA’s golf franchise, but the sport as a whole. The infamous scandals surrounding the man’s indiscretions over the past year have done a great deal to tarnish his reputation, and apparently EA Sports is doing some damage control. With the announcement trailer and cover art for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters now revealed, it would appear that Tiger is taking second billing to the game’s greatest tournament.
Whether the decision to spotlight the game’s most famous American course is a direct effort to shift attention from Tiger Woods to the game itself can’t be known, but after the previous game’s shockingly disappointing sales it was safe to assume that the developers would have to change something.
Until now the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club have been unattainable for golf games, making Bobby Jones’ American answer to St. Andrew’s a veritable holy grail of sports gaming. At long last the course and tournament will be making their debut in PGA Tour 12, and the announcement trailer shows just how dedicated the team has been to making the transition a perfect one.
CBS’s Jim Nantz will be narrating the action along with David Feherty, marking another notable addition to the franchise as one of golf’s most-recognized commentators. According to EA, the new voices of the game are just one part of a “completely revamped TV broadcast presentation package.”
Check out the trailer below to see what course EA thinks is capable of stealing some of the spotlight from the one they call Tiger:
The titular golfer is noticeably incognito on the covers of the regular release games, but featured much more prominently on the PS3′s Collector’s Edition. The special edition features the same PlayStation Move-compatiblity as the regular release, as well as five additional courses. For a game bearing his name, the featuring of the game’s subtitle over that of Tiger Woods may lead some to speculate that EA is now doubting the man’s ability to drive sales.
EA boss John Riccitiello had previously implied that the success of the Tiger Woods branding depended on his performance, but EA Sports’ Peter Moore has since clarified that the addition of the Masters to the cover isn’t a reflection on the company’s opinion of Woods. In an interview with Eurogamer, Moore explained the the decision wasn’t based on Woods at all.
Augusta National and the Masters is something that fans have been deprived of, and Moore stated that the featuring of the event on the box art is a fan service, showing that they’re set to give fans something that they’ve been “literally begging for for close to a decade,” and that there is no truth to the idea of EA distancing itself from the face of the franchise:
“If the insinuation is it’s a reflection of EA Sports backing away from its relationship that goes back literally 13 years with Tiger, that’s not the case whatsoever. This is obviously a very important day in our history and an important day in the world of golf videogames, and focusing on the Masters is the right thing to do.
“But Tiger is right there on the PS3 version of the game with Move support, which was very good for us and Sony last year. We’ll continue that…This is something that’s very special, very different. You shouldn’t read anything into the fact that Tiger’s not featured on the box art of that particular edition.”
Not one to turn away any sponsorships, especially given recent events, Tiger Woods has given his approval of the addition to the series, and has high hopes for the result:
“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.”
Conspiracy theories aren’t that likely, since the re-focusing of the game is just good business sense. If they have more than one star on which to focus this recent release, then why not change things up to avoid a repeat of last year’s sales decline? As Moore points out, this is something that fans have been asking for for a long time, so it would seem like the perfect opportunity to drive sales by finally unveiling it to the world.
The game will also feature a few new game modes, like ‘Masters Moments,’ giving players the opportunity to re-enact some of the tournament’s most famous shots. ‘Tiger at the Masters’ should sound familiar to those who have played NBA 2K11, as it calls on the player to measure up to the legend, and relive each of Tiger’s 4 wins. The addition to the NBA 2K franchise was well-liked, so apparently EA is learning from its competition.
Regardless of Tiger’s recent performance, this game already seems to be more focused on the hard work of those at EA Sports than any one athlete. The game is offering an experience that every golfer and golf fan would kill for, so EA is clearly hoping that they’ll at least be willing to pay for it.
Players will have the chance to win a green jacket of their own when Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters is released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii on March 29, 1011.
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I think this is EA’s way of phasing out Tiger’s image to then be replaced by the top golfer of the year. No one wants to buy I game that is all about the Masters.
It’s kind of funny how obvious it is they’re trying to step back from their reliance on Tiger.
Who knows, if Tiger stars dominating everything 2 years from now, the sport and this game will be hot again.
In my opinion the ‘Tiger Brand’ has been permanently damaged. People will never think the same about him again regardless of performance and he knows it and it’s affecting his game.
Excellent. Excellent. I am a fan of the franchise and I am very excited about this.
The Masters “should” take top billing over Tiger. it is such a coveted course its been on gamers wish lists since the days of Links 386 for old PCs. Now where can I pre-order?
You can pre-order just about anywhere but Amazon is the best because you get a 10 buck credit with the regular version and putting boost bonus for the collector’s edition. I heard they really micro measured Augusta and knowing how anal those folks are gives me some hope that the graphics might be improved this year; at least for that course.
I highly doubt that gamers cared at all about Tiger’s transgressions. The “Improved” TWPGA 2011 wasn’t all that great. I for one wish they had kept the previous game’s idea that changed your skills from game to game based on performance. It’s gameplay that make me buy, not the celebrity name on the box.
Yes and a 3d option would be huge because then you could get rid of the grid lines. I know you can do that anyway but in 2d it’s just too hard to read the greens properly. I guess their saving the 3d option for 2013. I love those guys because they’re always thinking ahead !
will the game be available for pc
No, just the big 3 gaming consoles. 2008 was the last year for the PC.
It doesn’t matter what’s on the cover. Tiger woods will still be the best player in the game. We all will still pick him to play with.
I hope EA just makes a higher quality game than 2011. I noticed the choppiness, the frequent blurry visuals and super bright hard to read greens making me revert back to 2010. The inclusion of Nance & Feherty should be a plus. If this release is geared more to an adult client base, that would be a huge selling point for me.
did anyone catch this – look at the date of release – Players will have the chance to win a green jacket of their own when Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters is released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii on March 29, 1011.
Seems they could at least get the date right March 29, 1011 – lol
will tiger woods pga tour 2012 come out on playstation 2
Who cares take ur cheap butt to gamestop trade in the crap that is ps2 and pick up the ps3 get out of the 90′s man
I am very disapointed that Tiger Woods 2011 is not available for PCs. I thought EA Sports was in business to make money. I guess they will not get mine.
Can you upload a photo of yourself and use it to create your image in the game?
Great .That is one huge memorial ! It IS different from all,Thanks a lot for the post. Im a massive fan of the blog,I’m reading every word here.