1822 replies to this topic

[Greensboronclion]

https://steamcharts.com/app/288140
The player charts are fairly steady , to say its dead is not true . I wonder how long it will be before you get bored with the golf arcade and make a return to Perfect Golf

For the Masters this week. My big issue is the total instability of PG right now. I play MS and the meter sucks anymore as I played Rd 1 at Wells Hollow and meter was horrid. I am not the only one who has noticed it and no fix in sight as no Devs around anymore. I will always play PG for certain events and go back and forth but the fact is I can plug my Xbox One in and play in events with 600 people in and that's fun despite it being more arcade than PG. One other note is that the new Xbox X and PS5 will both be backwards compatible to play older games and that means I will have a golf game to play and I am not sure we have PG after August so I want options. I love PG but hat that it's been left to die by devs and it has.

[Affo]

interesting to see that since Sept 19, peak players has risen by 50% and average by about 20%, not large numbers but nice to see people and indeed more people are returning to play PG.

[Affo]

and TGC the same..lockdown having an effect much? lol

[Greensboronclion]

Andy I think the lockdown has helped in getting more people to play as they are bored stiff and around. I still have no doubt that PG is best Sim on market but now options must be kept open as nobody knows if the game goes dark in August. Also update to game in last few days was just to change logo to PG it appears and nothing to the game. I have fixed my computer and am up and running again but not looking for new one at this point as I might not get another one. For what I pay for a decent PC I can buy both the Xbox X and PS5 and gaming is moving there IMHO. We won't see another game for the PC side as it's just not profitable and the consoles are becoming just as powerful as a
Mid range PC so why develop for a few when you can for the masses. Sorry but any new Golf Game will be controller based as that is the future and to be honest not sure we ever get another golf game.

[JCat04]

and TGC the same..lockdown having an effect much? lol

 

and TGC the same..lockdown having an effect much? lol

 

I can see that it's much easier to get a match now in online public matchmaking, at least on the XBox One version.  The problem is that you have no choice over course, conditions, match type or duration, nor even club set.  All to often I find myself pitted against a highly skilled player using Beginner clubs!    Even though the match will use the tees of the highest club set, it's still more advantageous to use the Beginner set because it's almost impossible to miss the fairway with them.   When you do find another player using the same club set, it makes for a pretty good match.  I've probably made a couple dozen friends over the last two years using it.

 

I'll also add a player to my blocked player list if they're using Beginner clubs, yet they're a Master club level player.   I was close to 200 in that list, the last I checked, but it did help cut down on the mumber of mismatches I'd draw with a pool that size filtered out. 

 

I've also noticed the numbers have picked up in the official Society tournaments by 20 to 30%.  Heck, even the private Society I manage has gotten a little kick in participation.  I'm sure people have more time to play the game now, with all the lockdown requirements, so it might help cyber golf in the long run.

[Greensboronclion]

Jcat04 what society do you run on Xbox One. I use only Master clubs and your correct with beginner clubs pretty tough to miss a fairway. By the way I am still working on my game and in that TGCC Masters Qualifier was like 275th place.. Looking for a Society if you have openings.

[JCat04]

I just got through listening to a TSN 1290 interview with The Golf Club 2019's Executive Producer, Shaun West.  The interview was triggered by the renewed interest in video games, and particularly sports video games.  It's a 12 minute interview and it's really professionally done, but for the first 11 minutes and 40 seconds it rehashes what most of us already know about the game... things get really interesting in the final 40 seconds, when Shaun is asked:

 

"Is there another Golf Club coming up in the future?"  Shaun's response started out like I thought it would with "I assumed you would ask me that and right now we don't have any info (or news... there's a warp in the audio and I can't tell whether he said info or news - I could hear both of them depending on how I'm listening) about what we're working on".  We've read that in the official forum on a couple of occasions.

 

What I totally didn't expect to hear was what he followed that up with:  "but you can stay tuned and I think there's some cool stuff coming up that we're in the works with... with 2K and PGA TOUR on to get some new content out there"

 

Now let the discussions of what he meant by "new content" begin, as I struggled right away with whether he meant new game, or new DLC PGA TOUR courses and possibly PGA Tour player models incorporated into the game?  Either way, it's good to hear something new is coming, although I'm hoping strongly that it's a new game, updated with the thought of the XBox Series X and PS5 in mind!

[Buck]

I'm hoping strongly that it's a new game, updated with the thought of the XBox Series X and PS5 in mind!

 

Me too.

I realize not all share my view on this, but I personally have zero interest in "TGC 4/2021" as yet another minor evolution of the same core experience.

 

It's time for a big leap in gameplay, physics, visuals - just a full new gen experience that comes across as "what Rory might have been by now" if EA had kept going all these years.

[JCat04]

Me too.

I realize not all share my view on this, but I personally have zero interest in "TGC 4/2021" as yet another minor evolution of the same core experience.

 

It's time for a big leap in gameplay, physics, visuals - just a full new gen experience that comes across as "what Rory might have been by now" if EA had kept going all these years.

 

 

I can understand this sentiment.  I don't expect much of a change in the game's engine/experience... I can tolerate the graphics, even though I know they could do much better if they'd adopt a new engine.  What will probably frost my butt about the next game is that it will still use this same counterintuitive, tempo determines hook or slice/swing path sets push or pull, swing interface!  As much as I play this game (almost daily) this still sticks in my craw.  If they would do a vice versa with that model, the game would mesh with my senses and instincts so much better.  I understand this makes the game play tougher, but it just doesn't resonate with my senses.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm embarrassed that I can get as much entertainment as I do out of a golf game that's as flawed and counterintuitive as this one    If they fixed me three major complaints about TGC, I shudder to think of how much of my time would be consumed by it!

 

For your final point, I just can't see a developer/publisher investing the kind of money and resources it would take to deliver a revolutionary new generation experience, at least in a golf game.  That's why I've conceded myself to the idea that it will have to be on Unity.

[JCat04]

Jcat04 what society do you run on Xbox One. I use only Master clubs and your correct with beginner clubs pretty tough to miss a fairway. By the way I am still working on my game and in that TGCC Masters Qualifier was like 275th place.. Looking for a Society if you have openings.

 

It's called "DSP - Digital Sportspage".  It's a collection of sports gamers who used to be readers of the sports gaming webzine I co-founded back in 1997, called Digital Sportspage.  One of our writers created a "Digital Sportspage" message forum after the magazine folded in 2002, so that the readers would still have a place to congregate, and discuss sports gaming, among other things.  We'd love to have you in our Society, although we do both Master and Pro clubs in our tournaments.  We have some really competitive tournaments though.  Our only membership requirement is that the player registers with the Digital Sportspage forum, so that they can get all the info about the Society and provide feedback in our "The Golf Club 2019" message thread.

 

Here's a link if you're interested in joining: http://forums.digita...php?f=1&t=16719

[theclubpro]

For those who haven't got the game yet, it's in the humble bundle this time around.$12.31 ..PC only though.

https://www.humblebu...s-game-together

[JCat04]

For those who haven't got the game yet, it's in the humble bundle this time around.$12.31 ..PC only though.

https://www.humblebu...s-game-together

 

I'm not familiar with how the humble bundle works, but if you can get TGC 2019 for $12.31 through it that would be a good deal.  I followed your link and tried to make sense out of how it works, but you have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to do so!?  I saw NBA 2K 20 as part of a bundle.  I tried it on XBox Live's gamepass and was really disappointed in it.  It looks great in videos, but when I'm playing it I feel like I'm little more than an animation sequence coordinator.  It doesn't have the freedom of motion and action quality that I feel in NBA Live, but it definitely looks better.

[Buck]

This man gets it...  (username Silver)

 

... IMO there is absolutely zero point releasing a new version of TGC unless it has some substantial graphic improvements and the console versions are designed specifically to utilize all of the upcoming hardware upgrades. With these new Sony & Microsoft consoles confirmed to be coming out as soon as within 6 months, which finally feature big hardware upgrades such as high speed SSD's, 16GB RAM and big improvements to the GPUs, using 'console limitations' as an excuse for poor graphic performance will no longer hold up for game developers releasing on the next gen consoles. So with trees and distant objects flicking on screen like a light switch, objects with flat/lifeless textures, jaggered bunker faces with horrible shadowing etc. until they can raise the bar significantly, there is zero point to a new version. 

Everyone loves the idea of the game, and its simplistic and non-exaturated gameplay (which is why TGC was always successful in the first place), so if basic bugs were non existant and the graphics and in game physics improved dramatically, only then would a new version be warranted as the feature set of the course designer and gameplay is there, and it's what people have aways enjoyed. 

Obviously many other features could be added or improved upon as well, but to me, TGC's biggest downfall going forward is going to be the graphics and feel of the game. I hope to see a new version on the PS5, as well as Mac version (why not right?), with smooth transitions between fairways and roughs, many new textures so that courses can look unique from one another and not just flat green grass... anyway, you get my point. Now over to you HB Studios 

[Buck]

In other words, if they release just a content update in a game that isn’t a dramatic upgrade and somewhat of a revolution (vs evolution), particularly after two years off, I think it’s really going to fall flat on its face.

 

It feels even more important the closer we get to this winter when brand new consoles are out and the expectations jump up substantially 

[JCat04]

This man gets it...  (username Silver)

 

... IMO there is absolutely zero point releasing a new version of TGC unless it has some substantial graphic improvements and the console versions are designed specifically to utilize all of the upcoming hardware upgrades. With these new Sony & Microsoft consoles confirmed to be coming out as soon as within 6 months, which finally feature big hardware upgrades such as high speed SSD's, 16GB RAM and big improvements to the GPUs, using 'console limitations' as an excuse for poor graphic performance will no longer hold up for game developers releasing on the next gen consoles. So with trees and distant objects flicking on screen like a light switch, objects with flat/lifeless textures, jaggered bunker faces with horrible shadowing etc. until they can raise the bar significantly, there is zero point to a new version. 

Everyone loves the idea of the game, and its simplistic and non-exaturated gameplay (which is why TGC was always successful in the first place), so if basic bugs were non existant and the graphics and in game physics improved dramatically, only then would a new version be warranted as the feature set of the course designer and gameplay is there, and it's what people have aways enjoyed. 

Obviously many other features could be added or improved upon as well, but to me, TGC's biggest downfall going forward is going to be the graphics and feel of the game. I hope to see a new version on the PS5, as well as Mac version (why not right?), with smooth transitions between fairways and roughs, many new textures so that courses can look unique from one another and not just flat green grass... anyway, you get my point. Now over to you HB Studios 

 

Yeah, he hit all the marks.

[theclubpro]

I'm not familiar with how the humble bundle works, but if you can get TGC 2019 for $12.31 through it that would be a good deal. I followed your link and tried to make sense out of how it works, but you have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to do so!? I saw NBA 2K 20 as part of a bundle. I tried it on XBox Live's gamepass and was really disappointed in it. It looks great in videos, but when I'm playing it I feel like I'm little more than an animation sequence coordinator. It doesn't have the freedom of motion and action quality that I feel in NBA Live, but it definitely looks better.

Nothing to it .when you buy it,they give you a key or keys.then you just put the keys in on Steam to activate the game.My friend called me up last night and asked me if Steam was free.i said yes and he told me they got WGT on Steam now..it’s the mobile version though..I’ve played it before.i like the top golf part,it’s pretty fun..

[JCat04]

In other words, if they release just a content update in a game that isn’t a dramatic upgrade and somewhat of a revolution (vs evolution), particularly after two years off, I think it’s really going to fall flat on its face.

 

It feels even more important the closer we get to this winter when brand new consoles are out and the expectations jump up substantially 

 

As I replied to him in the official forum, it's hard to take Shaun's reply of "some content" to the question about a new golf club in the podcast interview and conclude "new game" out of it.  I think Shaun *may* have been being coy with his answer because he's bound by the terms of any marketing/publishing agreement that would be in place with 2K and PGA TOUR over anything they would release under their license.  This would apply to premium DLC all the way to a revolutionary new game, in my view.  Still, if I were an Executive Producer of a hot new game that was going to tap the power of the next-gen consoles; I'd have a hard time tempering my answer to a question that was fishing about it, all the way to "some content".    

[JCat04]

Nothing to it .when you buy it,they give you a key or keys.then you just put the keys in on Steam to activate the game.My friend called me up last night and asked me if Steam was free.i said yes and he told me they got WGT on Steam now..it’s the mobile version though..I’ve played it before.i like the top golf part,it’s pretty fun..

 

I'll have to ask my son about this; maybe he can show me how to work it, although honestly, there's not that much I really want right now on the PC, and I've already got TGC 2019 for it.  

[Buck]

Still, if I were an Executive Producer of a hot new game that was going to tap the power of the next-gen consoles; I'd have a hard time tempering my answer to a question that was fishing about it, all the way to "some content".    

 

Yeah - it's sort of the exact opposite of how it's been building with MSFS.

 

I honestly think we are engaging in some fairly wishful thinking to go too far down the path of "2K and PGA tour are keeping a huge new release under wraps and can't say too much!"..

 

It's a golf game - It has nearly zero mainstream interest and "hiding it" for some big surprise release is basically antithetical to building buzz, anticipation and ultimately momentum.  It would seem a peculiar choice on the part of 2k/HB to do so here.

 

Also, it's not like discussing something upcoming would likely be keeping anyone from buying what's out there now.

If you are interested in a PC (or console) simulation oriented golf game, the landscape has been essentially static for almost two years.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong JC, but the only major upticks in TGC interest of late are when it goes on clearance sale pricing or gets added to "free" ways to play through "vaults" and "packs" through MS/Sony, yeah?

 

(Note about all of the above - I absolutely realize this is perhaps out of HB's control - quite likely in fact if 2k is still involved)

[JCat04]

Yeah - it's sort of the exact opposite of how it's been building with MSFS.

 

I honestly think we are engaging in some fairly wishful thinking to go too far down the path of "2K and PGA tour are keeping a huge new release under wraps and can't say too much!"..

 

It's a golf game - It has nearly zero mainstream interest and "hiding it" for some big surprise release is basically antithetical to building buzz, anticipation and ultimately momentum.  It would seem a peculiar choice on the part of 2k/HB to do so here.

 

Also, it's not like discussing something upcoming would likely be keeping anyone from buying what's out there now.

If you are interested in a PC (or console) simulation oriented golf game, the landscape has been essentially static for almost two years.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong JC, but the only major upticks in TGC interest of late are when it goes on clearance sale pricing or gets added to "free" ways to play through "vaults" and "packs" through MS/Sony, yeah?

 

(Note about all of the above - I absolutely realize this is perhaps out of HB's control - quite likely in fact if 2k is still involved)

 

I don't get the impression that HB Studios and 2K have an integrated approach to development, marketing and publishing like Microsoft and Asobo Studio have for MSFS 2020.  If there is a product in development, I'd say HBS is fully handling the developing, and 2K would be directing the marketing and publicity.  2K seems to treat TGC 2019 like an aftermarket product, as it doesn't get the same stages as NBA 2K and WWE 2K20.

 

I agree that it's wishful thinking to think there's a totally new, next-gen tapping, golf game coming for HB Studios.  I'm almost shocked that Shaun would admit they have "some content" in the works in the interview, as closed mouth as they've been for the last 16 months!  I'm curious to see what they come up with, but I'm certainly not expecting a new game, let alone a revolutionary new one...

 

The other uptick I've seen in TGC 2019 besides the two factors you mentioned is that considerably more people are playing it now online, seemingly in conjunction with more people being stuck at home during the COVID-19 lockdown.  How many of those are just now buying it I'm not sure.  I use the public matchmaking feature to gauge how many people are playing and now, at least on the XBox One X, I get a match within 30 seconds.  Two months about that number would be more like 5 to 6 minutes.  The participation numbers are up probably 25 to 30% in the official tournaments also. 

 

I'm glad you added the note about 2K at the end of your post.  I get the impression there's not a close working relationship between them and HBS.  I can see 2K being pretty domineering about how HB Studios speaks of and represents the game in terms of marketing and publicity.  There may be a magic date that once it's reached, HB Studios will be able to talk about it a bit more, as was the case with TGC 2019.  I'm expecting that to be about new licensed PGA TOUR courses and possibly a new them, but hoping for more... a lot more