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Driving range with chipping/putting green would greatly enhance WGT

• BethBlackeyes 6 Posts

  Mon, Oct 12 2009 8:35 PM

  Suggest having a driving range, chipping area, and putting green where players can practice with their own eqiupment, as well as try out different clubs and try different balls if desired.  These features should be at no cost.  But if WGT has concerns with the ability to try equipment for free, then arrange it such that players must first purchase the item, BUT if one doesn't like it the the item can be returned, or simply charge a nominal 2-3 credit fee to try the new equipment. 

• txfrog 49 Posts

  Tue, Oct 13 2009 1:20 PM

  A driving range, chipping area and putting green would be amazing.    I don't personally care about the trying out new equipment part but to have somewhere to practice would be phenomenal.

• froggy76 8 Posts

  Wed, Oct 14 2009 8:41 AM

  agreed!!! That would be great  :))

• 103 Posts

  Wed, Oct 14 2009 11:32 AM

  Love the idea.

• Soulcatcher 1,970 Posts

  Wed, Oct 14 2009 3:54 PM

  Beth,

     It is a good idea.

  It has been put forward on many occasions. The best idea is search your idea in the 'SEARCH' function and then use one of those threads to refine the idea.

• stangsswang 1 Posts

  Thu, Oct 15 2009 4:53 PM

  agreed.

• stevengarcia 15 Posts

  Fri, Oct 16 2009 10:43 PM

  A few things..

  1) during practice rounds you should be able to replay your shot.  Over and Over.  That would be extremely simple to implement and not require new graphics.  It's not ideal...but it could be pushed out in the next release with minimal effort.  I know this because I'm a software engineer.

  2) allow people to purchase clubs with ability to try them out on practice rounds.  If they don't like they can return.  Once they use them for a ranked round they are ineligible to return.  very simple.

• andyson 6,415 Posts

  Sat, Oct 17 2009 7:14 AM

  stevengarcia:

  A few things..

  1) during practice rounds you should be able to replay your shot.  Over and Over.  That would be extremely simple to implement and not require new graphics.  It's not ideal...but it could be pushed out in the next release with minimal effort.  I know this because I'm a software engineer.

  2) allow people to purchase clubs with ability to try them out on practice rounds.  If they don't like they can return.  Once they use them for a ranked round they are ineligible to return.  very simple.

  Consider the business aspects of your proposals.

  Item 1 obviates the need for a driving range forever.  (Since once you provide a feature to a customer you cannot take it back unless the customer demands it.)  Thus you've eliminated the Driving Range revenue producing feature.  A range could charge credits for a bucket of balls.

  Item 2, trying new clubs, is best implemented IMO with a driving range as it gives customers a reason to buy range balls.

  I think I've heard somewhere a driving range is being considered by WGT.  So I doubt either of your proposals will see the light of day.

   

• stevengarcia 15 Posts

  Mon, Oct 19 2009 9:05 PM

  I understand most of what you wrote.  I do wonder why you believe, though, that a driving range will be a great revenue driver for WGT.

  I can't imagine many people spending any significant time at the driving range because it's free to play the golf courses.  You'll never be able to mimic all of the weird stances you get playing BPB on a driving range, so just play BPB.  You can play any course as "Practice" and not affect your handicap.

  I think it would be more practical to allow you to replay shots in practice mode, because you'll encounter those more often.

  Additionally, a driving range is less useful, prima facie, for a video game than in real life.  Because golf is much more difficult in real life and driving ranges are cheap.

  What do you think is the primary value proposition for WGT?  Mine two are:

  1) play known, famous golf courses

  2) play golf on highly asthetically pleasing courses, the detail is spectacular

  While WGT can make some easy money getting money from TaylorMade and Ping for use of their products, I certainly will never buy TaylorMade or any other brand based on how I play on WGT.  HOWEVER, I know Kiawah like the back of my hand and will most certainly play there in the future.  Same with the other courses.

  I think a great revenue model for WGT would be to pay-to-play golf courses.  I would pay a couple of bucks to play Pebble Beach, Augusta, Oakland Hills, etc.  But I don't think I'm going to pay 20-30 bucks for a good "set of golf clubs" to play these courses when, in the end, my score doesn't matter at all.

  Just playing the courses itself are quite satisfying.

  (I'm also not going to pay money yet because there are some deleterious bugs that affect gameplay when you do everything RIGHT...like get the right break and hit the meter right, the ball never even starts out straight.  There's probably 3-4 big problems that prevent scoring consistency when you do everything right.)

• andyson 6,415 Posts

  Tue, Oct 20 2009 12:32 PM

  stevengarcia:

  I understand most of what you wrote.  I do wonder why you believe, though, that a driving range will be a great revenue driver for WGT.

  I didn't say it would be a great revenue driver.  Depending what their ROI requirements are, it could be I suppose.

  stevengarcia:

  I can't imagine many people spending any significant time at the driving range because it's free to play the golf courses.  You'll never be able to mimic all of the weird stances you get playing BPB on a driving range, so just play BPB.  You can play any course as "Practice" and not affect your handicap.

  I think it would be more practical to allow you to replay shots in practice mode, because you'll encounter those more often.

  Additionally, a driving range is less useful, prima facie, for a video game than in real life.  Because golf is much more difficult in real life and driving ranges are cheap.

  I would use the driving range quite a bit. since I've upgraded my clubs a couple of times already and probably will do so again.  To score well in this game,  you need to know your clubs inside and out as well as have an accurate trigger finger.  It takes a long time on the practice course to chart how far a wedge, for example, carries and rolls, under different power settings, under all the different conditions of lie and different shots.  Roughly 100 shots.  Then you change balls and start all over again.

   

  Here's a new proposal:  Your idea of replays (Mulligans) during a practice round. But for a nominal fee.  For sake of discussion 1 credit = 1 mulligan.  100 mulligans for $1.  A penny a piece.    Buy as many as you want in the pro shop and go play a practice round.    And hitting a mulligan doesn't add to the wear on the ball.

  How many players would like that?

   

  stevengarcia:

  (I'm also not going to pay money yet because there are some deleterious bugs that affect gameplay when you do everything RIGHT...like get the right break and hit the meter right, the ball never even starts out straight.  There's probably 3-4 big problems that prevent scoring consistency when you do everything right.)

  My experience is the upgraded clubs do what you describe a whole lot less than the starters.  Buy the Redwood putter and see what I mean.