EA Sports PGA Tour Is Using Laser Scanning Helicopters and More to Deliver the Most Realistic Golf Game Yet

I’ve never set foot on an Augusta National golf course, but after seeing some of the Frostbite engine-powered technology on display, EA SPORTS PGA TOURSo when you sit down and start playing with your Xbox Series X|S on March 24th, you won’t be surprised if you start smelling freshly cut grass in your living room.

This is the incredible level of reliability that the EA Orlando and EA Madrid teams are trying to achieve. PGA TOURNot only are they aiming to revive the iconic video game sports franchise, with lifelike accuracy from the physics of the ball and the types of clubs, but also the majesty of the game. We want to bring home what it’s like to step on a few feet. The world’s finest golf course.

To bring them to life, the team gets exclusive access to these courses, seeks advice from leading geologists, uses state-of-the-art photogrammetry, helicopters (with lasers!), planes, Drone-assisted GPS mapping technology was used to help map each course. We also carried out ground he mapping and on-site photography on all courses to capture the most detailed information. All of this makes for a great looking game.

Begin at some of the PGA TOUR’s most iconic spots, including the Island Green at TPC Sawgrass, the crazy 16th hole at Scottsdale, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill and each leg of the FedEx Cup. These are what the development team calls the “30 Bucket List Course” in-game.

“We went to New Zealand and made Tara Iti. Golf Digest list of the world’s greatest courses‘ says producer Ben Ramsoul. “Also on the international list are Banff Springs in the Canadian Rockies and Evian Resort in France. There are three courses in the list course. “

stop and smell the flowers

At this point in the first look demo, we saw an in-game capture showing the amazing level of detail possible with the Xbox Series X|S. It features realistic shots of Augusta’s Founders Circle and the beautiful azaleas that surround it. this iconic course.

“Augusta’s team of botanists ensured that every tree was properly placed and [piece of] Continuing to show other detailed shots, including a hyper-realistic crowd using Frostbite’s crowd system and a lone cypress perched on the cliffs of Pebble Beach, Ramsour said:

“The use of photogrammetry was particularly helpful in capturing every inch of rock formations and foliage from the real thing. We mapped the course,” continues Ramsour. “The chopper was equipped with a laser designed to find gold mines and oil reserves. density.”

All this visual fidelity isn’t just for show. This data helps inform all other aspects of play. That means more realistic terrain, slopes, ball behavior and surface dynamics, allowing players to experience these iconic courses like never before.

let’s go club

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR‘s Pure Strike system is powered by ShotLink, the real-time scoring system used by the PGA Tour, and TrackMan data, which calculates ball flight measurements and swing analysis. This means players have all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course like a pro. It’s a whole new level of golf simulation that’s never really been tackled before thanks to the power of his Frostbite on Xbox Series X. |S.

“One of the most influential ways players interact with Pure Strike is through shot types,” explains Gameplay Designer Craig Penner. “By introducing 20 different shot types, every time you get close to the ball, you can not only choose the club, but also the type of shot you want to hit. Because they are unique, there are over 1300 unique physics profiles under the hood that enhance these shot types, and we developed them using data from ShotLink and TrackMan to ensure that each shot is actually expected ball velocity. , to generate launch angles, spin rates, and shot dispersion.Players can attack each course and each hole like a pro.TV.”

Speaking of pros, Ramsour was also excited to share some of the work that went into modeling the pro golfers in the game.

“Our characters are really charming! We leveraged the character head and body scanning technology used in Hollywood movies. Our scanning equipment has over 130 cameras that take pictures at the same time.” We took shots in multiple poses so we could see how the players’ facial and body muscles would move when rendered in Frostbite’s animation engine, although the pandemic made scanning difficult. , I was lucky enough to be part of the PGA Tour bubble and scan athletes.”

return of the king

Everything you saw in the first demo plusEA SPORTS PGA TOUR It also packs several other powerful features to make it a truly compelling package, including five major championships on the LPGA Tour, an overhauled player creation feature, competitive multiplayer modes, and more. doing. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Ready to reclaim the crown as one of the best video game golf franchises.

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR It launches for Xbox Series X|S on March 24, 2023 and is available in two versions: Standard ($69.99) and Digital Deluxe Edition ($84.99). EA Play’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members Save 10% On Your Purchase EA SPORTS PGA TOUR From Microsoft store. For more information on the EA Sports PGA Tour, visit the official site here. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire here for the latest and greatest news and previews for your favorite Xbox and Windows games.