Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters in Stores Now

[keithlewis]

Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters has shipped in North America. For the first time in franchise history, players can experience the rich history and tradition of the Masters Tournament and begin their own journey to become a Masters champion. The game is available on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™. The game also supports PlayStation®Move and Wii MotionPlus™ motion controllers.

“We’re excited to bring our fans the immersive and authentic Masters experience that they’ve been anxiously waiting for”

In addition to the opportunity to play Augusta National Golf Club, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters offers a series of enhanced and innovative features, including a completely revamped career mode, all-new caddie system, fresh broadcast presentation, new courses and PGA TOUR golfers. For the first time ever, EA SPORTS™ laser-scanned every hole at Augusta National Golf Club to provide players with the most authentic digital representation of the Masters Tournament. Every tree, every azalea, and every undulation in every green was recreated down to the smallest detail.

“We’re excited to bring our fans the immersive and authentic Masters experience that they’ve been anxiously waiting for,” said Nick Wlodyka, Executive Producer for EA SPORTS. “This has long been the number one feature our fans have requested, so we’ve pulled out all the stops for this year’s game to ensure that our players feel as though they’re actually stepping foot onto the historic grounds of Augusta National Golf Club. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters caters to a wide range of gamers and golf fans, and the Masters Tournament integration will help introduce our award-winning franchise and the game of golf to a whole new audience.”

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters contains various enhancements and innovative features including:

* Career Mode: Beginning a career as an amateur, players work their way through Q School, the Nationwide Tour, and the PGA TOUR.

* Caddie Mode: Players pair up with their own caddie, who provides strategic advice to help them become a more successful golfer.

* Masters Moments: Players relive and play through memorable, historic moments of the Masters and see where they measure up against some of the sport’s greatest legends.

* Courses and Players: Players can choose to play as or against more than 20 professional golfers, including new additions Zach Johnson (2007 Masters champion), Rickie Fowler (2010 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year) and Bubba Watson (2011 Farmers Insurance Open champion). In addition to Augusta National Golf Club and its Par 3 course, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters features 14 of the world’s most celebrated courses, including Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Australia), St. Andrews Links, and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

For the first time, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters for the Wii will feature Wii Balance Board functionality. Designed to promote golfer balance, the feature allows players to earn “Balance Points” to activate a power shot. Mini-golf, a family-friendly mode which originally debuted in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 11, is available again with the inclusion of five courses, including a new Boardwalk style layout.

Augusta National Golf Club, its Par 3 course and 19 courses are included in the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12 Collector’s Edition, developed exclusively for PlayStation 3 while 25 courses are featured on the Wii.

In the lead up to the Masters Tournament, EA SPORTS has unveiled a series of marketing initiatives to extend awareness of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters.

* EA SPORTS Golf Preview Show: From March 19–April 9, EA SPORTS is airing a syndicated television show giving fans a preview of the 2011 golf season. The broadcast includes an exclusive interview with Tiger Woods about his favorite memories and tips for attacking Augusta National’s second nine, a roundtable discussion with writers and editors from Golf Digest and Golf World looking at golf’s major storylines and players to watch, insights from Rickie Fowler about how he’s using Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters to prepare for his inaugural appearance at the Masters, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this year’s game. To view segments from the EA SPORTS Golf Preview Show, visit www.facebook.com/TigerWoodsPGATOUR.

* Advertising Campaign: On March 21, a 30-second television commercial began airing nationally. The spot, entitled “List of Champions,” features past Tournament footage of former Masters champions such as Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus alongside gamers playing the course through Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. Narrated by broadcaster Jim Nantz, the commercial highlights the ultimate fantasy of this year’s game – consumers’ first-ever chance to play the Masters.

* Courseview: EA SPORTS recently introduced a new up-close, panoramic view of all 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club utilizing course imagery from Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters. Launched on Facebook, Courseview puts viewers on the course and offers a 360o tour of each hole. The graphics utilized in Courseview are the result of an intensive and innovative new process undertaken by EA SPORTS to bring Augusta National Golf Club to life in the game. To view Courseview, visit www.facebook.com/TigerWoodsPGATOUR.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters is developed in Orlando, Fla., by EA Tiburon and retails for $59.99 on Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and $49.99 on Wii™. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12 Collector’s Edition, exclusive for PlayStation®3, is available for $69.99.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 12: The Masters will go on sale worldwide on April 1.

For more information about Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters, visit http://www.easports.com/golf or follow the game on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EASPORTS_Tiger and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TigerWoodsPGATOUR.

For in-game assets, go to www.info.ea.com.

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions, and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA ELITE basketball, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active.