Inside Blog – My Q&A With Greg Rinaldi on Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online

Recently, Jeremy Bennett, from the Back Nine Blog and the EA SPORTS Forums where he is a Moderator, sat down with Greg Rinaldi from the Tiger Woods Online team to discuss the game and its current open beta state:

Jeremy Bennett (JB): For those who may be brand new to Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online, what is the best way to describe the overall experience?

Greg Rinaldi (GR): Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online is the first browser-based, online, streaming sports simulation from EA SPORTS. This revolutionary addition to the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR franchise allows players to access their favorite golf title from just about any internet-enable PC or Mac. This means that you can play Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online virtually anywhere; at work, at home, at the airport or even at your in-laws’ house…but wherever you are, you’re only one click away from your next round of golf.

Continued after the jump…

Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online – Open Beta is Now Live!!!

For those who have been in the beta, or signed up recently for the open beta.  It is now live.  Make sure to post any feedback, bugs, glitches, and any other problems in the forums that are found on the main page of the game’s website http://tigerwoodsonline.ea.com

EA Sports Re-Evaluating Tiger Woods Partnership?

While Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online will go on full steam ahead, it now appears EA may be re-evaluating their relationship with Tiger Woods.

In a third-party survey released through Greenfield Online, following routine questions in regards to other sports titles, these questions were asked:

• EA SPORTS makes a Tiger Woods video game. Has the controversy made your impressions of EA SPORTS more or less favorable, or has it had no impact?
• Has the controversy made you more or less likely to buy a Tiger Woods related video game in the future?

ebgames.com currently lists summer the upcoming console versions of sports mainstays Madden NFL 11 and NCAA Football 11 – both of which come out after Tiger Woods PGA Tour last year – but there is no EA Sports golf title listed.

Will we see Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11? Or will it be simply EA Sports PGA Tour 11 with no Tiger on the cover?

Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online Open Beta Starts Soon

The open beta period for Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online is about to begin.  Make sure to head over to the website to sign up of if you haven’t yet.  Any information that is pertaining to the game can be found at the website as well.

What Will 2010 Bring For The Tiger Woods Gaming Franchise?

With the obvious controversy that has surrounded Tiger Woods over the past few months, I had taken a hiatus on posting anything on the Back Nine Blog as I waited for the situation to play out, and how EA Sports was going to react to the situation.  Now was the calendar turns to 2010, it is definitely time to start firing up the Back Nine Blog again and look toward this new year, which could be a banner year for golf gaming, regardless of the controversy.

Probably the biggest story of 2009 was the controversy surrounding Tiger Woods.  Which leads to a very interesting question.  What will he do to repair his image, and when will he address the public.  These questions are relative unknowns; however, the gaming franchise of Tiger Woods seems to be continuing with a “business as usual” approach.  Promoting these games is going to be real tricky; however, there is no denying that EA Sports has two great games on their hands.

Later this month, EA Sports will unveil Tiger Woods PGA Tour online.  A revolutionary online game that engages both the sport and the social networking aspects of online play on the PC.  Through various beta testing periods, the community has gotten a taste of what this great marriage of sport an social networking has to offer.  More details regarding this game will be delivered once they come out.  I have gotten first hand looks at this beta, and it is definitely worth taking a look at.

Later this summer, we should be able to expect Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.  Last year the game’s release date was pushed back to June, a welcome change with the cluttered summer/fall schedule of EA Titles.  Nothing has been divulged as of yet regarding Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, but when you take a look at how the developers listened to the community not only on the retail version of the game, but with updates to the title as the year went along…you can’t help but notice the community’s resounding cheer for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10.  This momentum is going to carry of to the 11 title this year, regardless of the controversy in my opinion.

I look forward to another great year with the Tiger franchises, and would love to wish you a Happy New Year, and thanks for checking out the Back Nine Blog!