tennis
Rumours
British Tennis Star Dumped Over “Seven Hours A Day” Gaming Habit
7:00AM AJ Glasser | I guess even celebrities can be broken up with over video games. The Telegraph reports that British tennis star Andy Murray got the boot from his old lady over “seven hours a day” PlayStation 3 binges. More »
Culture
Improv Act Seeks ‘Wiimbledon’ Champ
3:30AM Owen Good | “Wiimbledon Champion” looks great on a resume, especially if whomever’s reading it thinks it’s just a typo. An improv troupe is putting the title up for grabs in a tournament next month in Seattle. More »Hands on with Smash Court Tennis 3
5:20AM Flynn De Marco | It seems that in the age of “next gen” consoles, games are trying more and more to simulate realism. This is most apparent when it comes to sports games. Since most of these titles take place in a small variety of closed environments, it’s much easier spend more of your pixels on other things like sweat and facial animations without skimping on environments. Smash Court Tennis 3 may not have beads of sweat dripping from its players brows, but it makes up for it in other ways like a deep character customisation area and creative playing courts. More »
What: Top Spin 3. When: May 23. Where: Australia
1:00PM Logan Booker | Indeed! Come May 23, you’ll be able to enjoy the athletic antics of a creepy-looking Roger Federer and the ball-slamming serves of a very surprised Andy Roddick. Hey, I’m just going by the box art. Seriously, Federer looks like he wants to stab your dad.
Four platforms can expect the title – Xbox 360, DS, PS3 and the Wii. I’m guessing the PSP doesn’t have the requisite drop volleying skills and the PC’s net game can’t pass muster.
2K Games says preview code should be available later this month. Until code does arrive, I’ll just keep whacking my balls in Virtual Tennis 3. More » 
Nintendo Sponsors Aussie Open
2:40AM Mike Fahey | Once again Nintendo uses Wii Sports to get themselves prominently displayed at a major sporting event. First Nintendo of America holds court at the U.S. Open, and now Nintendo Australia has announced that they have signed on as the “Official Gaming Console Supplier” of the 2008 Australian Open tennis tournament. Visitors to Melbourne Park during the January 14-27 event will be able to participate in the Wii Championships, a Wii Sports tennis tourney, with daily Wii console prizes and one grand prize – a chance to play Wii tennis against Australian tennis vet Mark Philippoussis. Visitors will also be able to get their eyes on Sight Training for the Nintendo DS, with daily prize packages up for grabs. Nintendo sponsors Australian Open [GameSpot] More »
The Prince Of Wii Sports Tennis Controllers
10:42AM Michael McWhertor | The licensing department at Prince—normally a manufacturer of real life tennis rackets and tennis equipment—smells cash. The kind of cash that only casual gamers can provide. That’s why they’re getting into the Wii accessory game with their own Prince branded Wii-mote holders designed for last year’s non-hardcore hit, Wii Sports. Remember that? Well, Linda Glassel, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Image at Prince, says the licensed shells are “really a win-win for players and gamers” and we have a hard time arguing with win-win assessments that come from the VP level. They’ll be available the second week of November for a cheap $14.99. More pics of the princely rackets after this. More »
2K Puts Top Spin On The Wii
5:40AM Mike Fahey | Well here’s one franchise that desperately needed to be ported to the Wii. 2K Sports is bringing their popular tennis franchise Top Spin Tennis to the Wii next spring. Not just a port of the Xbox original or a Wii version of the upcoming Top Spin 3 for the 360 and PS3, but rather a new game built from the ground up with the Nintendo console in mind. Instead of simply making a more detailed version of Wii Sports tennis, 2K’s Paris studio PAM Development is using for a nunchuk + Wiimote control scheme, with the ‘chuk controlling movement and aiming while the remote is used to determine how and indeed if you hit the ball back across the net. “We are excited to bring our popular Top Spin series to the Wii,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “Given the Wii’s unique controllers and the fun family-oriented gameplay, Top Spin Tennis effectively bridges the gap between a sports and a party game.” With support for up to four-players and a collection of party games pack on the disc, Top Spin Tennis could very well wind up more fun than the real thing. More »
