[Pre-E3 2006] SEGA's 40-Love
Looks like P-Bear isn't the only one who loves 4tz...
Published: April 25, 2006
The original Virtua Tennis was arguably the first game to deliver the perfect mix of smooth, subtle, varied animations, spot-on controls and pick-up-and-play gameplay in a way that truly felt -- at the time, anyway -- next-gen. Since then plenty of followers have sought the crown, most of them failing at it rather miserably, but perhaps that's why it's so fitting that SEGA has finally announced that they're bringing the third entry to the series to the PlayStation 3.
Virtua Tennis 3 carries a fairly unceremonious name, and certainly doesn't seek to do too much to upset the balance that the first two games have so perfectly hit, so, unsurprisingly, all the next-gen muscle will be poured mainly into the graphics. Specifically, SEGA's AM2 division will be working to add more animation detail and give the real-life players (none of which have been announced yet) far, far more lifelike detail. The developers are promising a facial animation system that actually shows player emotions, and then coupling it with more varied AI.
Both the familiar Career Mode and the insanely addictive mini-games will make return appearances, bolstered by a more robust Create-A-Player Mode that will (and we're strictly hoping here) allow gamers to finally get something resembling their own face in the game to go up against the pros. That, or allowing us to create some kind of 70s disco dancer with the skills of Bjorn Borg.
"The familiar depth of the Virtua Tennis franchise returns with improvements that can only be fully realized on next-gen systems," calmly explained Scott A. Steinberg, SEGA of America's VP of Marketing. "Great pick-up and playability, life-like details, and incredible physics are benchmarks of the series and will make Virtua Tennis 3 the standard by which all tennis games are judged."
We'll have all the deets -- including hands-on impressions -- of the game come E3, but for now, feast your eyes on five gloriously hi-res shots and drink in all the detail...
Virtua Tennis 3 carries a fairly unceremonious name, and certainly doesn't seek to do too much to upset the balance that the first two games have so perfectly hit, so, unsurprisingly, all the next-gen muscle will be poured mainly into the graphics. Specifically, SEGA's AM2 division will be working to add more animation detail and give the real-life players (none of which have been announced yet) far, far more lifelike detail. The developers are promising a facial animation system that actually shows player emotions, and then coupling it with more varied AI.
Both the familiar Career Mode and the insanely addictive mini-games will make return appearances, bolstered by a more robust Create-A-Player Mode that will (and we're strictly hoping here) allow gamers to finally get something resembling their own face in the game to go up against the pros. That, or allowing us to create some kind of 70s disco dancer with the skills of Bjorn Borg.
"The familiar depth of the Virtua Tennis franchise returns with improvements that can only be fully realized on next-gen systems," calmly explained Scott A. Steinberg, SEGA of America's VP of Marketing. "Great pick-up and playability, life-like details, and incredible physics are benchmarks of the series and will make Virtua Tennis 3 the standard by which all tennis games are judged."
We'll have all the deets -- including hands-on impressions -- of the game come E3, but for now, feast your eyes on five gloriously hi-res shots and drink in all the detail...
