World Golf Tour
2008 | |
Genre(s) | Sports (Golf) |
---|---|
Mode(s) | Online single-player and Online multiplayer |
World Golf Tour (abbreviated WGT Golf and WGT by
Co-founders of WGT Media Chad Nelson and YuChiang Cheng
Because of its authenticity in photographing and using actual golf courses for game development, WGT Golf differs from standard console video
WGT Media does not charge a fee to play the HD courses it has developed (although there is a green fee for licensed non-HD courses). WGT Media derives revenue from high-profile online tournament sponsors, advertisements, and in-game micro transactions for upgrading player golfing equipment and for different choices in costume avatar clothing.[11] Tournament cash prizes can be won and then used to buy virtual goods, like new clubs and clothing to customize the in-game avatar.[10] In January 2011, a foursome completed the 100 millionth virtual round of golf played on WGT Golf. In October 2013, World Golf Tour Media released the mobile version for tablets and smartphones.
Game development
WGT Golf is developed using Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium software. WGT Media starts the process of game development by taking thousands of high definition photos of actual golf courses using helicopters equipped with cameras[12] and GPS tracking systems.[8][13] WGT Media then textures the photographs onto the 3D environment,[1] using Adobe Premiere Pro to determine how each of the different surfaces will have an effect on the ball. The terrain is within 1-1.5 inch vertical accuracy of the real world.[5][14] Computer animation, using Adobe Flash CS4 Professional, is then used to create the avatars that are used as the golfer for each player.[8]
To replicate how the golf ball reacts to the club swing, rolls across the green, or bounces down the fairway, WGT Media ran various tests to measure impact and collision data. The data were then entered into WGT's newly created game physics engine to determine how each player's golf swing would affect ball travel based on input by the player.[1]
Lastly Adobe Flash is then used to stream audio and video together for a seamless transition from picture to picture during game play, as a player moves down the fairway or makes a putt.[1][8]
Tiers and levels
WGT Golf players are assigned to "tiers" reflecting their skill. From lowest to highest, the tiers are Hack, Amateur, Pro, Tour Pro, Master, Tour Master, Legend, Tour Legend, Champion and Tour Champion.[15][16]
Players advance from one tier to the next based on their current scoring average and number of rounds played at their current tier. Players are challenged at each successive tier by facing standard playing conditions featuring longer tees and/or faster greens. Players can only rise; players cannot retreat from that tier to a lower one even if the average score rises. Certain tournaments on the site are open only to players in certain tiers, and in some competitions between players of different tiers the players play from different sets of tees depending on each player's tier.
According to player research on the site, as of October 2011 there were over 1,900 WGT Golf players who had advanced to the Legend tier.[17]
Apart from tiers, players are also assigned to "levels" which chiefly reflect the amount of play rather than the player's skill. Players "level up" by earning "experience points," which are based on playing games in certain formats, playing on consecutive days, winning awards and so on.[18] The number of experience points required to rise to the next level increases dramatically as higher levels are reached. Levels are important to players because certain virtual golf equipment may be purchased by players only when they reach a certain level, with the equipment available to higher-level players generally being of higher quality (e.g. clubs that hit the ball farther and more accurately).
Golf courses developed for play at WGT Golf
Stroke play (full 18 holes)
United States
- Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Coos County (near Bandon), Oregon
- Bethpage Black Course; Old Bethpage, Melville and East Farmingdale; New York
- Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington
- Congressional Country Club (Blue Course), Potomac, Maryland
- Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconsin
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Ocean Course), Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- Merion Golf Club (East Course), Haverford and Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- Oakmont Country Club, Plum, Pennsylvania
- The Olympic Club (Lake Course), San Francisco and San Mateo County, California[19]
- Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 2 Course), Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Wolf Creek Golf Club, Mesquite, Nevada[1]
- La Jolla, California
United Kingdom
Canada
- Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club, Whistler, British Columbia
Mexico
- The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, Los Cabos Municipality (near Cabo San Lucas), Baja California Sur
Closest-to-the-hole challenges (9 holes, or in some cases two different sets of 9 holes each)
United States
- Bali Hai Golf Club, Paradise and Enterprise, Nevada
- Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Koele Golf Course, Lanai City, Hawaii
- Manele Golf Course, Manele, Hawaii
- Pinehurst Resort (No. 8 Course), Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky
United Kingdom
- Celtic Manor Resort (Twenty Ten Course), Newport, Wales
Netherlands
- Hilversumsche Golf Club, Hilversum, North Holland/De Bilt, Utrecht
Closest-to-the-hole challenges can also be played on each of the courses that are available for full stroke play.
Future courses
In line with its USGA tie-in, WGT Media has published a preview of the new courses that will be launched on the site in conjunction with the upcoming locations for the U.S. Open:
In WGT's tie-in with The R&A for The Open Championship, it may release further courses in the rota in future years, but so far no long-range commitment between WGT Media and The R&A has been announced.
Criticism and cheating
There has always been criticism from some of WGT's playerbase, a portion of which is aimed at WGT Media's business model and the 'jumpy meter'. The meter, a moving bar used to give the desired direction to the shot, is often disturbingly 'jumpy' (as non-fluid) and results in a considerable disruption of the gaming experience. Some players speculate that it is left unpatched by WGT to further encourage
Another concern has been 'sandbagging," an ongoing issue of skilled players artificially lowering their average score. This practice is used to compete in tournament brackets far below the skill level of the "sandbagger", thus giving them a better chance to place high and win in-game credits at the expense of the other players.
Finally, quitting the game before completion has been a concern since the early years of WGT. It typically occurs when a player is performing poorly and decides to abandon the game, so as to preserve their average score. Players have repeatedly called for WGT to reduce a person's score when they habitually quit as a deterrent to this behavior. In an attempt to remedy these concerns a 'reputation indicator' was introduced, showing players the percentage of finished games of others before the round is started. The advent of challenge games, which require an amount of non-redeemable credits to be put upfront, and which are lost if the player leaves, has also discouraged quitting. Nonetheless, some in the community still call for some sort of punishment to a quitter's score, despite the fact that quitting forfeits a match for the offender and has no negative impact on the score of other players.[20]
Partners and the World Wide Web
WGT Media enters into license agreements with real golf courses and tournament owners such as the United States Golf Association (USGA)[21] and The R&A.[8][14] WGT has also made agreements with equipment providers and other companies including TruGolf, Taylor Made, Adams Golf, Ping, Lynx, Nike, Snake Eyes Golf, Cleveland, Callaway, Titleist, Srixon, Loudmouth Golf, American Express, Sky Golf, Adidas Golf, Ketel One vodka, Lexus, Old Granddad bourbon, and Pilsner Urquell.[12][13]
The United States Golf Association (USGA) partnered with WGT Media in 2009 to co-host the first annual Virtual USGA Championship online.
In 2010, the first Virtual Open (British) Championship 2010 was held at St. Andrews. It was won by AvatarLee, with rounds of 58 and 63, for a golfing trip to Scotland.
WGT Golf can also be launched and played from a number of online organizations including USGA.org, ESPN.com and Facebook.
References
- ^ a b c d e Moltenbrey, Karen (March 2010). "Above Par". Computer Graphics World. pp. 42–43.
- ^ Sowell, Brad (June 5, 2009). "Fore!". BizTech.com.
- ^ a b Ahearn, Nate (August 25, 2009). "World Golf Tour Impressions". IGN. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009.
- ^ a b c Gaudiosi, John (October 6, 2008). "Interview: Start-Up Launches Open Beta for World Golf Tour". GameDaily.
- ^ a b Ahearn, Nate (April 9, 2010). "Tiger Woods Online or World Golf Tour?". IGN. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010.
- ^ CNNMoney.com.
- ^ Kincaid, Jason (October 6, 2008). "World Golf Tour Hits Hole-In-One With Rich Multiplayer Flash Game". TechCrunch.
- ^ Adobe Systems.
- PC World. Archived from the originalon March 29, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
- ^ CNN.com. New York.
- ^ a b c Takahashi, Dean (March 16, 2010). "World Golf Tour raises $10M, expands overseas and explores social games". VentureBeat.com.
- ^ a b Villanos, Joel (April 2, 2009). "World Golf Tour Unveils Wolf Creek". Wolf Creek Golf Club.
- ^ a b Gaudiosi, John (January 3, 2010). "World Golf Tour Partners with SkyGolf for Gaming Tournaments". GamerLive.
- ^ a b "The R&A Forms Long-Term Exclusive Partnership with World Golf Tour". FreshNews.com. April 15, 2010.
- ^ wgt.com
- ^ "Help / FAQ - WGT".
- ^ "Re: Top 100 Legend Averages - September 2011 Ranking". Archived from the original on 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ "Help / FAQ - WGT".
- ^ "World Golf Tour - Free Online Golf Game - New on WGT, the Olympic Club, host of the 2012 U.S. Open - WGT Golf News".
- ^ "How Do People Cheat on WGT?". levelskip.com. April 13, 2016.
- ^
Caoili, Eric (March 17, 2010). "World Golf Tour Picks Up $10M, Partners With USGA". Gamasutra.
- ^ Gaudiosi, John (March 18, 2010). "GDC 2010: World Golf Tour Partners with USGA for Virtual Competition". GamerLive.TV.
- ^ "2011 Virtual U.S. Open Winner - mrenn29". 2011-06-27. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ Hoge, Patrick (March 17, 2010). "World Golf Tour nails $10M Series C". San Francisco Business Times.
- ^ "WGT News - World Golf Tour - Free Online Golf Game".
- ^ "World Golf Tour - Free Online Golf Game - BolloxinBruges - USGA Virtual Champion! - WGT Golf News".
- ^ "World Golf Tour - Free Online Golf Game - 2011 Virtual U.S. Open Winner - mrenn29 - WGT Golf News".
- ^ "World Golf Tour - Free Online Golf Game - AvatarLee - Virtual Open Champion!! - WGT Golf News".
- ^ "World Golf Tour - Free Online Golf Game - 2011 Virtual British Open Winner - StoneColdKiller - WGT Golf News".
- ^ Gaudiosi, John (June 16, 2008). "Almost Like Being There". Portfolio.com.
- ^ Hiawatha, Bary (October 29, 2003). "Game On; Players Add Verbal Jabs To Online Arsenal". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
- About.com. Archived from the originalon 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-08-11.