November.

Well, at least it's the first time I've seen a somewhat specific timeframe given; other than the generic December 31st, or 4th Quarter or whatever dates that are normally given until the real date is released.

Anyway, I was reading a http://wii.ign.com/articles/966/966623p1.html at IGN.com, and (bold mine)...

EA is developing two titles making use of the new tech, Tiger Woods Golf 10 and http://wii.ign.com/objects/142/14275416.html. Grand Slam Tennis is the mega publisher's very first foray into the world of tennis games and has been made especially for the Wii — although 360 and PS3 versions will be coming in November...

Of course, this was written by a UK reviewer, so the November release date that was mentioned is most likely for those outside of the U.S.. For those of us in the U.S... October, maybe? It's as good a time as any.

Either way, and until further notice, it looks as though we may have a starting point for a countdown.

By the way, just out of curiosity: a show of hands -- who's a PS3 owner and who's a 360 owner?

EDIT: Yeah, I'll be playing Grand Slam Tennis on the PlayStation 3... whenever it comes out.

Good find


And I am going 360

I have both consoles Isaac, 360 & a PS3.

Great news man i may get the ps3 version

Good news. I wonder how it will look? Id prefer the realism of TS3 without the overweight and strange looking players.

I know some of you will say gameplay is more important, which is very true - but with the power of these consoles there is no point creating a game that cant have good game play and show off the capabilities , they've done it with others.
Hopefully they've had a separate team working on it separately so it looks good but isnt rushed.

I can hope anyway

Oh and ill be on 360 with it

xbox.KSN19 wrote:Good news. I wonder how it will look? Id prefer the realism of TS3 without the overweight and strange looking players.

I know some of you will say gameplay is more important, which is very true - but with the power of these consoles there is no point creating a game that cant have good game play and show off the capabilities , they've done it with others.
Hopefully they've had a separate team working on it separately so it looks good but isnt rushed.

I can hope anyway

Well, you know it's going to look realistic, and it's going to look amazing. This is EA we're talking about, and if nothing else it's going to look good.

The gameplay though, yeah, is always the catch. And I think we're going to be safe there, too. I mean, they're not going to go Virtua Tennis on us and make it an "arcade" game; Sega already has that market cornered. So the only question remains is how much of a simulation will it be? And on that I just look to Tiger Woods for any possible hints.

In Tiger Woods this year they're going to have a new feature called http://tigerwoodspgatour.easports.com/blog.action?blogId=PrecisionDeVault. And I bring this up because the addition of this is basically giving you three different ways to putt (there were already two other options). And this may not be entirely accurate, but you can maybe look at it as now having a choice between "Easy," "Medium" and "Hard" (in terms of difficulty levels) in the game options menu when it comes to putting in Tiger Woods.

Now, applying that to Grand Slam Tennis and you can see maybe having an "Easy," "Medium" and "Hard" in the game options menu in not only overall gameplay levels, but also in stroke production levels. And much in the same way with Precision Putting and how (via an on-screen meter) "It'll be up to you to dial in the amount of power you think is necessary to execute the putt successfully," you can also apply something like that to a "Precision Stroke" feature for your ground strokes in Grand Slam Tennis.

Of course, a "Precision Stroke" feature where you determine how much power you want on any given shot can easily overcomplicate things when applied to a fast-paced game like tennis. But like with anything it's all in how it's implemented. And if it's implemented in a way that, well, works, then as a gameplay option it can be a godsend for those of us who want a truly challenging simulation.

Basically what I'm talking about -- and I've only played the first Top Spin; and I only played it for a short time because I didn't like it -- but basically what I'm talking about is just the opposite of the Risk Shot. Where the Risk Shot was... "risky," I guess, what I'm talking about with a "Precision Stroke" feature on your ground strokes is total and complete control over your shots.

And I guess to add this, from the official Grand Slam Tennis website; and it's from http://tennis.easports.com/blognews.action?itemID=Cover-Announcement (bold mine):

This fall, EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis will also be served up for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. With stunning realism, it will feature innovative control systems and robust online** capability. Classic matches from the past will be recreated, along with simulated dream match-ups that weren't possible before.

Classic matches from the past will be recreated

Interesting. And I can think of a number of ways right off the top of my head on how this can be utilized; obviously a rematch of 1980 Wimbledon, Borg vs. McEnroe pops up first.

Stunning Realism

That was a given. But just in case it wasn't, those who may have had doubts now know that the PS3 and 360 version will look like all of the other next-gen EA Sports titles. And I'm guessing it'll have the Tiger Woods Photo Game Face feature, so you can "use photos of your face to create an ultra-realistic likeness of yourself in the game" for your created player.

Robust online capability

This is going to be the most important thing, I think. Online ranking system. Online tournaments; obviously having the ability to play the 4 slams online is chief among that.

An Innovative Control System

Hmm... I wonder what that could be? A "Precision Stroke" feature, perhaps?

Lots of sites such as Play.com and Amazon.co.uk (UK) are listing the PS3/360's release date as the 25th of September. I hope this is true.. really can't wait for this game. Probably top of my list this year as it is a bright year for Tennis and i'm going to Wimbledon and the ATP World Tour Finals

ps3.The_Juice wrote:Lots of sites such as Play.com and Amazon.co.uk (UK) are listing the PS3/360's release date as the 25th of September.

That's interesting.

And I noticed in the Wii cover announcement it stated that, not only has the shipping date in the U.S. moved up one day, from June 16th to June 15th, but also the release date for the UK version will ship on June 12th.

So, if that order of release holds for the PS3 and 360 version, and the September 25th date on those UK sites that you listed holds, then those of us in the U.S. may be looking at a September 29th release date; the first Tuesday after the 25th.

Hmm...

And of course what this means is that, not only will we obviously be getting the game earlier, which is terrific. But it also means that we'll be getting game information for the PS3 and 360 version earlier than expected.

Oh, and thanks for the information that you gave us.

And yes, I'm jealous that you're going to Wimbledon and the ATP World Tour Finals. I live in New York City and I go to the U.S. Open every year, but I'm still jealous that you're going to Wimbledon and the ATP World Tour Finals.

Off Topic:
I am really excited as they will be my first Live Tennis events, Wimbledon is a hell of a choice for such a milestone

Now i just need to know who else will be in this Wii version and i'll be happy.

If this new date is right it is about a week after the USO if I am right. Jealous of both of you, I live in New Zealand so get to see next to nothing.

cem_ea_id.Chelsea-Kiwi wrote:If this new date is right it is about a week after the USO if I am right.

Yeah, actually, it would be about two weeks after the http://www.usopen.org/

This new possible release date though is kind of weird. Because I remember http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/45/88408.page#2094887, and if this new release date holds (and with the new information I'm now guessing a U.S. release date of September 29th), then I almost guessed it back then...

cem_ea_id.isaaclawrence wrote:

cem_ea_id.Chelsea-Kiwi wrote:16th of June. I think what they are going to do is release the Wii version then make the next-generation one once they see how popular the game will be so for Next gen expect it to be released towards the end of the year if I am right.

That would be my guess, too. Of course, I wasn't expecting the Wii version until near the end of the year, either, per the original website -- and as it turns out we're getting it in a little over 90 days.

Anyway, so it's looking like this: the Wii version will come out the week before Wimbledon (the Wii on June 16th or 18th; whichever, and Wimbledon starts on June 22nd). So perfect timing.

And since the PS3 and 360 version will obviously miss the perfect "week before Wimbledon" release date (what with Wimbledon being in the game, and obviously a big marketing point for EA), I guess their next best date would probably be something like August 25th, the Tuesday before the U.S. Open start date, August 31st. Although, I think that's right around the time Madden comes out, so that probably wouldn't be the best time to launch a new franchise.

Whichever the case, yeah, somewhere between August of this year and January of 2010 (the start of the Australian Open) is when we'll probably see it on the PS3 and 360.

EDIT: My guess, and just pulling a number out of the air, is Tuesday, September 22nd.

Not bad, huh.

And slightly off-topic: I really hope Sony and EA get together and do a Grand Slam Tennis Space for the http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/01/08/ea-announces-ea-sports-complex-for-playstation-home/ on PlayStation Home. I think that would be kind of cool.

And speaking of Fight Night (as I use this post like a Twitter Page or something):

I'm trying to come up with a cool nickname for my created boxer.

I really like Isaac "The People's Champ" Lawrence.

Or maybe, Isaac "Lightning" Lawrence.

EDIT: Okay, scratch the above, because of the http://us.playstation.com/ps3/playstation-move/index.htm I decided to wait and get the next version of Fight Night.

Anyway, when the next version comes out my ring music, the music my fighter will come out to, will be something by http://www.miles-davis.com/; I haven't decided on what yet, though.

(Probably something from either http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=192675467&s=143441 or http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=158709328&s=143441, two of my favorite Miles Davis albums.)

Haha

Good that you got a PS3.. you sound pretty serious about Tennis, and it would be nice to give you a beating online in the not so distant future

I think a good name for you as a Fight Night create-a-boxer would be... The Professor. You come across as a very intelligent individual, so it suits you just fine.

One other thing (and this is in relation to Grand Slam Tennis): I'm still amazed that Fight Night is going to have http://fightnight.easports.com/boxers.action?version=fightnightround4, and I've read that it'll be 48 when all is said and done.

Contrast that with the 22 that have been mentioned in various articles for Grand Slam Tennis. And I guess we'll see if that's just for the Wii, or if it goes for the PS3 and 360 version, as well.

And speaking of Fight Night in relation to Grand Slam Tennis again: Grand Slam Tennis for the PS3 and 360 is supposed to have "stunning realism." If this stunning realism is anything like what was in that http://blog.fightnight.easports.com/archive/2009/04/04/fight-night-round-4-physics-video.aspx... Poo-Pow.

EDIT: Also, on "stunning realism": it's for the Wii version, but the lastest video in the http://www.tennis.easports.com/media.action on the main site has John McEnroe throwing his racquet.

I'd like to see the PS3 and 360 version of that.