Software:Virtua Tennis 2009

From HandWiki
Short description: 2009 sports video game
Virtua Tennis 2009
First version of the cover, featuring Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova respectively. The second version of the cover includes Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal. Some covers show Ana Ivanovic replacing Maria Sharapova in the second version.
Developer(s)Sumo Digital
Publisher(s)Sega
SeriesVirtua Tennis
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Wii
Release
  • PAL: May 29, 2009[2]
  • NA: June 9, 2009[1]
  • EU: June 12, 2009 (Wii)[3]
  • AU: June 19, 2009 (Wii)[4]
  • JP: March 25, 2010 (PS3)
Windows
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Virtua Tennis 2009, known in Japan as Power Smash: Live Match! (PowerSmash ライブマッチ！, Pawā Sumasshu Raibu Matchi!), is a 2009 video game developed by Sumo Digital[6] and published by Sega. It is part of the Virtua Tennis series, following Virtua Tennis 3.

Overview

Virtua Tennis 2009 includes a World Tour Mode and a fully integrated online ranking system. Brand new create-a-player options give the gamer the ability to create anyone. The game features more than 40 different courts to play on, including locations such as Dubai and Shanghai, etc. Mini-games are back in this iteration, with 12 court games, including new entries: Pot Shot, Pirate Wars, Block Buster, Count Mania, Zoo Feeder, and Shopping Dash.

The Wii version of Virtua Tennis 2009 is the first game released on that platform to support the Wii MotionPlus feature, utilizing it to enable more advanced gestures.

Features

Virtua Tennis 2009 enhances all of the features from VT3 although some are mostly kept the same:

  • New create-a-player system is improved and fun to use as giving out the birthday date, a new posture feature to choose player service stances, waiting positions and others. A player may enter the first and last names like the other players; e.g. Lewis Bentley.
  • New players such as Ana Ivanovic, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Svetlana Kuznetsova as well as legends like Boris Becker and Tim Henman (Henman is chosen to be the player's coach).
  • Enhanced courts and new-operated ball boys and ball girls (a similar feature in Smash Court Tennis 3).
  • New environment sounds, crowds, background music and low-pitched grunts.
  • Two new camera views with Normal view: Audience view and a Low-view camera, better known as over-the-shoulder camera.
  • All new online-ranking system. A player can join and play with friends and in-game opponents to maintain ranking (no online play is available on the PC version).
    • Additionally, there is a revamped offline ranking system including 239 male and 241 female players made by the developers. Some make cameos as opponents, like famous people such as Beverley Turner, and others such as Sumo Digital staff member Steve Lycett. Other people are not famous and made canonically, such as Lian Fournier, Michelle Reveley, Matthew Squires, etc.
  • New home-select feature with nationality-detector (the player's nationality depends on their home).
  • It has a new weather-system that makes clouds move.
  • There is a new generated 3D crowd and people. They move and cheer whenever players give a winning shot and they also make noise whenever the players stumble during long rallies.
  • Court Feature: New speed of balls like high and slow balls in clay courts, faster and lower in hard and grass courts.
  • Dives from the male players is now replaced by a stumble for less recovery and less chance of noise.
  • Smashes from lobs of other players could be now missed more for more realism.
  • Service or serves is now sensitive to control especially in Wii for harder control of making MAX serve to make it more realistic.
  • Service sometimes goes out, goes wide, etc. to make it more realistic.
  • When turning off in-game or match music, it gives the player more concentration and more realistic experience.
  • Items are not anymore collected from tournaments and may buy them in the tennis store.
  • Tennis Store: Players can use money earned in tournaments to purchase equipment such as racquets and clothing in stores, as well as court passes for use in exhibition mode.
  • Tennis stars have more details and their features are more realistic.
  • There is a new Main Menu design and changed Character Selection screen.

Virtua Tennis 2009 brought new players to use and play (with 11 male players, 9 female players, and 3 male legends to choose from).

Game Content

Playable Characters

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS3WiiXbox 360
1Up.comN/AB−[11]N/AB−[11]
EurogamerN/A7/10[12]7/10[13]7/10[12]
FamitsuN/A28/40[14]N/AN/A
Game InformerN/A7/10[15]7/10[15]7/10[15]
GameSpotN/A6/10[16]6/10[17]6/10[16]
GameTrailersN/AN/AN/A7.1/10[18]
GameZoneN/AN/A7/10[19]N/A
IGNN/A6/10[20]7.8/10[21]6/10[20]
Jeuxvideo.com13/20[22]14/20[23]14/20[24]14/20[23]
Nintendo PowerN/AN/A7/10[25]N/A
OXM (UK)N/AN/AN/A8/10[26]
PC Gamer (UK)68%[27]N/AN/AN/A
PSMN/AStarStarStar[28]N/AN/A
Teletext GameCentralN/AN/A7/10[30]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic68/100[7]70/100[8]73/100[9]70/100[10]

The game received "average" reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7][8][9][10] In Japan, Famitsu gave the PlayStation 3 version a score of 28 out of 40.[14]

Eurogamer pointed out that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions' online multiplayer had been improved, but otherwise complained about a "general lack of ambition".[12] There were concerns that the competition was too easy, taking as much as 10 hours of gameplay before facing a competent opponent. Even the online action often suffered from lag and jitteriness and players "teleporting" to instantly jump across the screen.[16][17]

See also

  • Grand Slam Tennis, a contemporary tennis video game released exclusively on Wii by Electronic Arts that also supports the Wii MotionPlus

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 RubyEclipse (2009-05-08). "Virtua Tennis 2009 moves to June ship date". Sega of America. http://boards2.sega.com/sega_board/viewtopic.php?t=104424. "VT2009 has now been pushed back to a June ship date […] Right now the goal is still June 2 […] the date push is for the US specifically" 
  2. ↑ James Orry (2009-05-19). "SEGA dates Virtua Tennis 2009". Resero Network. https://www.videogamer.com/news/sega-dates-virtua-tennis-2009/. 
  3. ↑ "Virtua Tennis 2009". https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Wii/Virtua-Tennis-2009-283828.html#gameDetails. 
  4. ↑ "AU Shippin' Out: Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-shippin-out-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings/1100-6211976/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=gamespace_news. 
  5. ↑ Virtua_Tennis [@Virtua_Tennis] (2009-06-30). "We're pleased to confirm that the PC release date will be July 3rd. Sorry for the delay but we hope you find it worth the wait!". https://twitter.com/Virtua_Tennis/status/2403960608. 
  6. ↑ "New Sega title". Fandom. 2009-02-05. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/931342-outrun-2006-coast-2-coast/48001740. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Virtua Tennis 2009 for PC Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/virtua-tennis-2009/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Virtua Tennis 2009 for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/virtua-tennis-2009/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Virtua Tennis 2009 for Wii Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/virtua-tennis-2009/critic-reviews/?platform=wii. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Virtua Tennis 2009 for Xbox 360 Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/virtua-tennis-2009/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Richard Li (2009-06-29). "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (PS3, XBOX 360)". Ziff Davis. http://www.1up.com/reviews/virtua-tennis-2009-review. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Kristan Reed (2009-05-29). "Virtua Tennis 2009 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/virtua-tennis-2009-review-4. 
  13. ↑ Kristan Reed (2009-06-19). "Virtua Tennis 2009 (Wii) [date mislabeled as "June 22, 2009""]. Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/virtua-tennis-2009-wii-review. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "PowerSmash ライブマッチ！ (PS3)" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=9108&redirect=no. Retrieved 2023-05-18. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Matt Helgeson (September 2009). "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (PS3, Wii, X360)". Game Informer (GameStop) (197). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/virtua_tennis_2009/b/ps3/archive/2009/09/22/review.aspx. Retrieved 2023-05-18. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Tom Mc Shea (2009-06-23). "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (PS3, X360)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/virtua-tennis-2009-review/1900-6212450/. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Tom Mc Shea (2009-06-23). "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (Wii)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/virtua-tennis-2009-review/1900-6212456/. 
  18. ↑ "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (X360)". Viacom. 2009-06-26. http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=10933. 
  19. ↑ Louis Bedigian (2009-07-22). "Virtua Tennis 2009 - WII - Review". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/virtua_tennis_2009_wii_review/. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Nate Ahearn (2009-06-12). "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (PS3, Xbox 360)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/12/virtua-tennis-2009-review-2. 
  21. ↑ Nate Ahearn (2009-06-18). "Virtua Tennis 2009 Review (Wii)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/18/virtua-tennis-2009-review. 
  22. ↑ Rivaol (2009-07-20). "Test: Virtua Tennis 2009 (PC)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00011171-virtua-tennis-2009-test.htm. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Rivaol (2009-05-22). "Test: Virtua Tennis 2009 (PS3, 360)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00010828-virtua-tennis-2009-test.htm. 
  24. ↑ Rivaol (2009-06-16). "Test: Virtua Tennis 2009 (Wii)" (in fr). Webedia. https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0001/00011046-virtua-tennis-2009-test.htm. 
  25. ↑ "Virtua Tennis 2009". Nintendo Power (Future US) 244: 89. August 2009. 
  26. ↑ OXMUK staff (2009-05-28). "Virtua Tennis 2009". Official Xbox Magazine UK (Future plc). http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=10823. Retrieved 2023-05-18. 
  27. ↑ "Virtua Tennis 2009". PC Gamer UK (Future plc): 89. September 2009. 
  28. ↑ "Review: Virtua Tennis 2009". PlayStation: The Official Magazine (Future plc) (23): 79. September 2009. 
  29. ↑ Darren Jones (2009-07-16). "Virtua Tennis 2009 (X360)". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (66). 
  30. ↑ Roger Hargreaves (June 2009). "Virtua Tennis 2009 (Wii)". Teletext Ltd.. http://www.teletext.co.uk/gamecentral/features-reviews/ac638a898243f7dee3fa9733f33bf547/Virtua%2BTennis%2B2009%2B%28Wii%29.aspx. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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