Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10: Graphical Improvements

Up until now, the blogs have mainly been focusing on the new features and gameplay that will be found in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10.  This week we thought we'd spend a little bit of time discussing some of the many graphical improvements we are making to this year's game.  Reza Elghazi is the art/environments Producer here on the Tiger team and there is nobody better to tell you all about the improvements that he and his team have been working on this year. 

-Mike D.

Take it away Rez!

Hey gang,

Golf is probably the one sports video game where the environments are essentially the game:  you "play the course", as opposed to simply golfing on top of it.  In Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10, anything from the thickness of the grass to a simple drop on the terrain will affect your game, just like in real life.  So to create a high-quality virtual golf course, accuracy and authenticity are fundamental.  The other caveat of a golf video game is that the smallest detail in the environment will be noticed by the player, as you spend a good portion of your time scrutinizing the course and its surroundings.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 environments showcase dramatic improvements, as we enhanced and revamped practically every area of the game with an utmost attention to the smallest visual details:  we now have more realistic skies, lifelike water reflections, faithful shadows, flourishing vegetation, etc.

This year, the terrain is particularly detailed with improved texture detail and degradation that emphasizes the lushness of the grass.  Transitions between each grass type are a lot smoother especially along the edges of the rough.  Our new 3D tall grass is noticeably optimized and animates more naturally.

With the new dynamic weather feature, we are introducing new overcast lighting, striking cloudy skies, wind and rain effects that actually influence the gameplay.  Players will notice how raindrops splash on different surfaces such as grass, sand, concrete and water.

In conclusion, I think that these visual improvements not only add to the realism of our golf courses, but also help enhance the player's overall game experience.  I now look forward to hearing from all of you and read your comments on our forums, as we publish more screenshots from Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10 golf courses.

To read this original blog post and make comments, visit the Inside EA SPORTS Blog.

  -Reza E.