It's Official: Virtua Tennis 3 for PS3

[8_Bit]

Via IGN:

Oops! Sorry, I can't post the link yet, because I don't have 15 posts. But IGN has screens right now. [EDIT: Links are now below in Post #5]

This looks nice. Not sure if screens are from PS3, as IGN has a habit of mixing them up, but still looks good.

[UPDATE: Press release says release date is Spring 2007]

[VG Aficionado]

Yeah, I just saw it in the news, looks nice.

I agree that we don't know if that's PS3's or 360's version. It always bothers me that multiplatform games never actually show the PS3 version, but that may change once E3 2006 is over.

Screenshots here (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64054)

[CreativeWriter]

Honestly, the pics look less good to me than Top Spin 2 (look at the characters' shirts), though I'm sure Virtua Tennis will play better.

[8_Bit]

Virtua Tennis is a good title. Not surprised it's coming to PS3, but glad, nonetheless.

I caught the Virtua Tennis bug bad on Dreamcast. Virtua Tennis 2 wasn't as big for me.

[8_Bit]

Here's the IGN link:

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/703/703131p1.html

...and here's another brief story about it:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives/2006/04/25/virtua_tennis_goes_photo_realistic.html

Sorry for the original post with no links.

[frosty]

The graphics suck. Madden looks better. I've seen current gen games that have come close to that.

[LiquidEagle]

yeah...the graphics are pretty weak but I'm sure it'll be fun. Virtua Tennis has always been a fun series :-D

[VG Aficionado]

I guess I haven't seen many tennis games lately. My favourite one was Tennis on Gameboy (Mario was the referee :)) And the other one I ever played was on Atari 2600, so...

[LiquidEagle]

If you own a Dreamcast you should pick up Virtua Tennis for it, VG. It's incredibly easy to pick up and play with up to 3 other people for doubles games, and it's really fun whether you do multiplayer or play against the CPU. Mario Tennis games on N64 & Gamecube weren't too shabby either, of course ;)

[VG Aficionado]

I haven't played any sports game since PS1 era (not taking into account racing games), as I prefer other genres. However, they're always damn fun to play with friends, so I'll make sure to refresh my tastes with PS3 :)

[n-rage]

Those screenshots are from the arcade version running on a Lindbergh. (Xboxyde)

First post :)

[VG Aficionado]

Thanks for the info n-rage, and welcome to the forums :hugegrin:

[cliffbo]

looks okay to me. boy a lot of people are going to be disappointed at the graphics on the PS3!

[RavenFox]

looks okay to me. boy a lot of people are going to be disappointed at the graphics on the PS3!
Those are arcade screenshots Cliff.:happy:

[D3adcell]

The game looks ok, just the character models need some work.

[Dorbin]

Yeah, nothing more than "ok", but with a release in spring 07 they will have more than enough time to drastically spruce up the models for the 360 and PS3 versions...which they definitely need to do.

But I am very excited either way.

[cliffbo]

i only ever judge a games graphics when they move, and only ever judge a game when i play it.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

yeah. I thought from the comments I'd see something really mediocre. It's not as bad as some of you made it out to be. It looks pretty nice imo. Man, gamers are a spoiled bunch. Those aren't bad graphics, but you put 'em next to other things that we've seen and talked about and suddenly they're teh suck omg!

I mean, when thus commanded by the hardware, the game accurately represents a game of tennis.
sheesh. just a thought.

[satriales]

I think the screenshots look good. I've not seen what Top Spin 2 looks like yet though, but to me this is a big leap from xbox and ps2. Gameplay is bound to be great as it's Virtua Tennis.

Edit: Top spin 2 doesn't look that great IMO. Here's a comparison (I know Virtua Tennis is not a gameplay shot, but the graphics should still be the same just different angle)
Virtua Tennis
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/5209/virtuatennis320060425002114121.jpg

Top Spin 2
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6141/topspin2200602230717548318wg.jpg

[DofD]

Yeah, the graphics presented in the screen shots aren't all that bad. Definitely better than current gen. Also much better than the tennis game I was looking at on a 360 this past weekend (EBGames display). Now where is the next gen beach volleyball game!

So many people are setting themselves up for disappointment in the graphics of the PS3. People need to remember that there is more than just the PS3 involved in how good or bad a next gen game will look.

[venomv]

Everything looks really good I think, except the characters, they need some defenant work, and the way I see it they should be the focus........

[LiquidEagle]

Well my eyes aren't sore or anything from looking at it, But I certainly think they're capable of better modelling on both the crowd and our players, though the arena environments look real nice. Also, the props they have like the Gatorade canisters & stuff just look very bland IMO.

Like I said though, this game is definitely gonna be fun still.

[CrumCon]

Im dissapointed with the graphics, not to be a gfx-whore.. but a simple game as Tennis should have real-life looking gfx, since they could use most of the system power for just few characters on screen, a ball, two rachets etc etc.

[D3adcell]

Well the camera on a tennis game is not going to be nearly as close up as rockstars Table Tennis. So it's not going to look as detailed until they show a replay or something.

[cpiasminc]

Body scans usually come out to be pretty lousy. I remember seeing a 3d body scan of The Rock, and he pretty much looked like a buff version of Boris Karloff. In any case, it's not Virtua Tennis has been about graphics nor has it really been a high enough budget or long enough dev cycle to really experience refinement on anything significant to speak of. It's more or less one of those "sure money-makers" by virtue of the fact that it can be made so cheaply in comparison to a lot of other titles.

[Domination]

Via IGN:

Oops! Sorry, I can't post the link yet, because I don't have 15 posts. But IGN has screens right now. [EDIT: Links are now below in Post #5]

This looks nice. Not sure if screens are from PS3, as IGN has a habit of mixing them up, but still looks good.

[UPDATE: Press release says release date is Spring 2007]

It looks good, but these are only stills. I need to see a running version. I think it really helps to define a lot about the game.

[GTShotoKen]

I am already, putting this on my wishlist.

Virtua Tennis to the Dreamcast was one of the greatest sports games of all time.

Most people thought very low of tennis as a videogame, but when Virtua Tenis roled around; boy did alot of people change their minds.

My dad used to hate most videogames other than madden, but ever since I brought my old dreamcast over to his house; he's been addicted to Virtua Tennis ever since.

[Dorbin]

Well my eyes aren't sore or anything from looking at it, But I certainly think they're capable of better modelling on both the crowd and our players, though the arena environments look real nice. Also, the props they have like the Gatorade canisters & stuff just look very bland IMO.

Like I said though, this game is definitely gonna be fun still.

Agreed. They need to make sure the characters look swell, as they are a focal point (and its easy enough for designers to focus on them in this kind of game).

In general I am not a graphics whore, but in sports games I am. Sports games are built completely around realism - they are meant to directly reflect their real world counterpart.

[cpiasminc]

In general I am not a graphics whore, but in sports games I am. Sports games are built completely around realism - they are meant to directly reflect their real world counterpart.
Ask yourself this, though... how badly is it worth it when you're working on a sports title that isn't exactly the most popular sport in the major regions of distribution? This is as compared to say, football in the US, or baseball in both the US and Japan, or cricket throughout most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

It's just as well to work more laboriously on the simulation aspects of the title and produce it on a much lower budget, saving your money for the blockbusters.

Most people thought very low of tennis as a videogame, but when Virtua Tenis roled around; boy did alot of people change their minds.
Not me... But then, I've been playing tennis since before most of the people on this board were born. It's not that people think lower of Tennis as a video game, but as a sport in the first place.

Though much as I enjoy playing table tennis as well, I have to wonder about Rockstar's decision to do a table tennis title... you're talking about something that is inherently a constricted space, and requires really quick reaction times, and there isn't much of a view of the table if the player's body gets in the way. Well, who knows how they'll implement that.

[Dorbin]

Ask yourself this, though... how badly is it worth it when you're working on a sports title that isn't exactly the most popular sport in the major regions of distribution? This is as compared to say, football in the US, or baseball in both the US and Japan, or cricket throughout most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

It's just as well to work more laboriously on the simulation aspects of the title and produce it on a much lower budget, saving your money for the blockbusters.

Oh, I'm not saying it's not a good move by the developers to want to save money and all that on this kind of game, and I agree with your analysis. I was just saying, from my personal opinion and point of view, that unlike with other genres I do obsess over graphical quality in sports titles, and that to me it is almost as much a defining characteristic of the game as gameplay is (although gameplay is still obviously tops in my book).

[Viano]

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2006/04/26/103,1146017681,52323,0,0.html

aight ppl, according to famitsu, the pictures that have shown are the arcade version..

[Dorbin]

I realize that, and I think it was mentioned elsewhere in this thread (thanks for the confirmation though). I'm sure it'll be nicely updated once it hits the 360 and PS3.

Even if it isn't, provided the gameplay holds up I'm definitely getting it.

[Z]

this is what I feel:
I am not a tennis fan. in gaming, I put tennis with golf and bowling. it seems a little 'strange' to me to see games made exclusively for such sports- although I haven't seen a bowling game in the past two generations on consoles.

I played with a couple of tennis games early on on PS1 and PS2. they were nice and I had fun, but nothing serious or addictive. I tried Tiger Woods Golf for the first time two weeks ago. it was my first ever golf game aside from a cell-phone one I tried 2 years ago. I liked how you used the analogue stik to represent the swinging motion of the club.

the thing is how these games are represented to me. in the back of my mind, tennis and golf are 'for rich people' more than something the kids can play out side in visits. so I never thought of playing them on consoles.

Though much as I enjoy playing table tennis as well, I have to wonder about Rockstar's decision to do a table tennis title
I was going to bring that up :).
to me, as you can read above, would be more interested in a table tennis game than just a tennis game since it would seem to be more arcade-like. it should be much more fast past, precise and focused. perhaps like what Burnout is to to other racers?
I want to see a video from a gamer's perspective.

[VG Aficionado]

Hmmm...

http://powersmash3.sega.jp/

Nothing really new there anyway.

[cpiasminc]

in the back of my mind, tennis and golf are 'for rich people' more than something the kids can play out side in visits. so I never thought of playing them on consoles.
That's kind of odd to me... I've never seen a hundred dollar bill in my life, and I've played tennis for well over 20 years. Yeah, there's the whole yuppie country club image, and because golf courses are such huge pieces of real estate, that's pretty much the only way they can be funded. But as far as tennis is concerned, I've always lived in places where there may be groups of 3-6 public tennis courts out at some arbitrary street corner that are maintained by the city and you can just use them anytime you want. And even if you can't find that, every public high school in existence has at least 4 courts -- again, free for use when available.

Granted, these would always be hardcourts, which take little maintenance. Because clay or grass courts do require constant care, you pretty much only find those in clubs.

Similarly, with equipment, rackets that were $250 5 years ago have trickled down to the $20 range now. That's about the limit of what I'd ever spend on a racket, anyway.

[Smokey]

tennis isnt a yuppies sport, now golf is a yuppies sport but alot of (average joes) play golf now. i cant see the point of it, actually i cant see how the even call golf a "SPORT". but table tennis isnt as readily played but is an awsome game. and cpi ive seen about 5 $100 bills (AU) in my life ive mainly got em from MEDICARE when ive gone in to claim money back.

[VideoGame mania]

Yes,I'm happy I like tennis we need more games like this,cant wait to try it out

[GTShotoKen]

Not me... But then, I've been playing tennis since before most of the people on this board were born. It's not that people think lower of Tennis as a video game, but as a sport in the first place.

Though much as I enjoy playing table tennis as well, I have to wonder about Rockstar's decision to do a table tennis title... you're talking about something that is inherently a constricted space, and requires really quick reaction times, and there isn't much of a view of the table if the player's body gets in the way. Well, who knows how they'll implement that.

The same could be said for golf, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour isn't exactly a bad game, nor is it doing bad in sales.

Frankly, I don't care for Tennis at all as a syndicated sport, nor do I find it that enjoyable to play in real life, but in a videogame...it's fun as hell (at least in Virtua Tennis).