EA is cosying up with Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament to launch a new edition of its PGA Tiger Woods game so players can virtually step onto the grounds of Augusta National and play to capture the famous ‘Green Jacket’.
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters will go on sale in North America on 29 March and worldwide on 1 April. The game will be available on the Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, with support of the PlayStation Move controller.
In a statement released yesterday, EA said The Masters and five additional courses will also be included in the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12 Collector’s Edition, developed exclusively for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.
“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,” said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS.
“Pairing the No 1 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.”
Woods himself added his own take on the new edition of the game: “I am very happy and excited that the Masters Tournament is featured in the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR game.
“There are many new and unique elements in the game that will make everyone feel like they’re really competing at Augusta National. 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,” added Woods.
Hole 13 at the Augusta course in the latest EA PGA game. Photos courtesy of EA
New features and enhancements of the game include the facilities to:
- Play through memorable, historic moments as players try to measure up against some of the sport’s greatest legends.
- Relive each of Woods’ four wins at the Masters by attempting to equal or beat his scores in each round of the Tournament.
- Have a caddie by their side on every swing, providing strategic advice.
- Take on the best of the best on 16 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.
EA has also devised a new state-of-the art laser scanning technology at Augusta National Golf Club to laser scan every hole featured in the game.
The company says 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.
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 won Best Individual Sports Game at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.
