Sony’s innovative Move technology aims to immerse players in the world of motion gaming like never before, and Movemodo has been established to help you navigate your way through this exciting new realm. Created by the team behind the massively popular Nintendo Life, Movemodo is totally independent from Sony, meaning we’ll always give honest, unbiased opinions as we report on everything Move-related.
Check out this recent Interview that we did for Movemodo, a company that does Video Game reviews for the Sony PlayStation Move Gaming System. The Sports Champion Video Game is a collection of six competitive sporting activities that features Disc Golf as an event!!! – Player Interview by Christopher Ingram
When PlayStation Move launched there was one game that truly showed off its impressive 1:1 controls: Sports Champions. The game featured multiple sports, each using Move in its own unique way. One of the sports stood out from the rest, and that was Disc Golf: the precision and accuracy of Move was able to transform the controller into a disc, bringing the sport to life in the virtual world with great success. The superb disc physics allowed players to throw shots however they desired: forehand, backhand, rollers, etc. without even touching a button, but rather by simply swinging their arm just as they would on the course.
Here at Movemodo we enjoy the sport of Disc Golf not only in Sports Champions, but also on the actual course as well. We were lucky enough to recently compete against a few Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) World Champion Disc Golfers in a Disc Golf Tournament in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and while we didn’t stand a chance against them in a competition, we did get to see their amazing skills in action on the course. As the day dwindled to an end, we learned that they were not only champions on the course, but on the Move as well.
So just how good is the disc golf in Sports Champions? Well we asked none other than 2009 World Champion Avery Jenkins to find out.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourselves, and give our readers some insight to each of your accomplishments in the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA)?
My name is Avery Jenkins and I am a Touring Professional Disc Golfer that Travels all over the World playing in Disc Golf Tournaments in the US and abroad. I am the 2009 Disc Golf World Champion, 3X United States Distance Champion, 2004 Japan Open Champion and 2000 PDGA Rookie of the Year. I truly love Disc Golf and I do all that I can to make this one of the best Sports out there.
It’s a goal of mine to make Disc Golf a Mainstream Sport in the years to come. It has the potential to be something great, it’s just going to take some time and a lot of hard work. Players need to realize that we need to take this sport seriously because if we don’t no one else will either, it’s all on us taking it to the Next Level.
As World Champion disc golfers, how accurately is the sport represented in Sports Champions with PlayStation Move?
I believe that the Sports Champion Game represented Disc Golf very well in the simple concept of how the game is played and how the discs fly. One of the most interesting attractions of Disc Golf is the fascination of the flight of the flying disc and the ability to manipulate/control a disc in ways unlike other sports played with a ball. The PlayStation Move allows the player to have this control of the disc, releasing at various heights and angles in order to progress down the fairway toward the basket. I can’t wait for the next version of this Disc Golf game is hopes that it increases in ways of realistic graphics, making you feel like you’re out on the course.
Disc Golf in Sports Champions is brutally difficult on the Gold/Platinum levels, and we’ve heard that you were able to 3-Star the entire game! Did this offer a significant challenge to the World Champions, or was this simply a practice day at the park?
Well to be honest, it did take a while to beat the entire Disc Golf Video Game at the 3-Star Level on every level but we eventually did it. I think that most difficult part of the game was the Challenge Modes and Valarie was definitely the best at those. I think that the game produced enough challenge for those that don’t play Disc Golf everyday and it took lots of practice rounds to beat some of the Platinum Level players that rarely missed a shot.
Now that you’ve completed the disc golf in Sports Champions, do you think PlayStation Move is the perfect tool for bringing gamers a full disc golf title that offers real courses, disc, etc.?
I think that is the natural progression of popular games such as this to evolve, to get better with each and every version. I would love to see the game use the same Discs (Drivers, Mid-Range and Putters) that we use and hopefully play some of the very same Disc Golf Courses that we play on the PDGA Tour. Eventually, it would incredible to have them create realistic PDGA Professional Players, such as us to be included in the game as well. So we can only wait and see……
Not only are you all World Champions in your sport, but also advocates in bringing the sport of disc golf into the mainstream. Do you think that Sports Champions has had an impact in bringing new players to the sport?
I really think that this game has given the sport of Disc Golf some great exposure by including it with the collection of sports on Sports Champions. I would be excited to know if a Disc Golf game such as this brought Gamers out to the Disc Golf Course to check out the real-life sport that we play for a living but it would not surprise me at this point. I know that the more public awareness that Disc Golf receives, the more people will be interested in what it is and hopefully want to try it out. Also in this time of the economic downturn, the affordability of Disc Golf has appealed to the mass of people looking for a reasonably priced recreational activity to enjoy outdoors with friends and family.
Are there any other PlayStation Move games that you enjoy outside of Sports Championship?
To be honest, the only other game that I have played on the PlayStation Move is Bocce on the Sports Champion Game. We vowed that we would not play another game until we successfully beat the entire Disc Golf Game with 3-Stars at every level. Now that’s dedication.
Lastly, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
“When a Ball dreams, it dreams it’s a Frisbee” – Dr. Stancil Johnson PDGA #009
Special Thanks to Christoper Ingram and James Newton at Movemodo for the chance to talk about the (so far) most realistic disc golf video game ever, and hopes that such games will introduce new people to the sport. Interviews such as this and multiple positive exposures will boost Disc Golf into the mainstream. I am looking forward to the future of Disc Golf Video Games in years to come.
I’ve played disc golf for about 4 years now, and have been watching the development of motion tracking games beginning to bring the sport to the screen. I love seeing the sport promoted this way and getting more mainstream exposure but, honestly, I’ve never been interested in trying these games…UNTIL…I read what Avery had to say in this article:
“I would love to see the game use the same Discs (Drivers, Mid-Range and Putters) that we use and hopefully play some of the very same Disc Golf Courses that we play on the PDGA Tour.”
If a disc golf game like this is released – one that mimics discs’ flight characteristics, but especially one that accurately simulates world-class courses on the Tour – I would buy it in a heart beat.
hi my name is james and i am a avid disc golf player. i would have to say i agree on everything my man avery jenkins has said. i think it would be the greatest ideal in playstation history to make a new playstation move disc golf game with new courses,players,discs, etc….. i feel it is by far the most brilliant invention to come to the new gaming era and also to the greatest sport in the world disc golf!!!! please please please PLEASE make one!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for the message!!
Well first off, we’ve written to the makers of “Sports Champions” PS3 Disc Golf Game and we never received a response. Trust me that it would be great to have another Disc Golf Game on the Market and its definitely needed to get us more exposure in the Mainstream Sports but very difficult to get on the inside without the proper contacts at the top.
Once contacts are made, then we would be able to make it happen but it’s going to take some research. Are you willing to do the research?!
Let me know and keep me posted.
-AJ-
I’m on a mission to make this happen. Reason probably why no one wants to make a dedicated disc golf game is that dont see the ROI. I tend to agree, but Im an avid disc golfer and have been since I was 13 now 35. We just launched Around the Rock Disc Golf for all mobile platforms. A feat not easy to complete. We now have a framework to take us to the next step of moving forward on a realistic disc golf sports game. This may take a couple years and I won’t back down.
Alan,
I too share your passion, I only hope that one day that they will produce a realistic Disc Golf Video Game with the actual Players and the Discs that we throw.
It’s great to hear that you have been so active and I wish you the best in your continuous ventures!!
-AJ-