· Spokesperson: Anthony DeLuca, Top Spin 3 Producer

· Game: Top Spin 3

· Publisher: 2K Sports

· Console: PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii

· Game details:
http://www.2ksports.com/games/topspin3 www.topspin3thegame.com.

I had the great pleasure of being part of a conference call prior to the release of the long awaited Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports.

I had the opportunity to hear what Anthony DeLuca, the producer of Top Spin 3 had to say about the upcoming title.

Top Spin has been the No 1 selling tennis franchise of the past 3 years and let’s hope they make it a fourth with the next instalment.

If you are unfamiliar with the Top Spin series, it is a tennis game created by 2K Sports and offers the player a career mode and totally personal customisable characters, with online match play and mini games to give the gamer high replay value.

Myself as a big Top Spin 2 player has been waiting anxiously for the next in the series and it was a great pleasure to hear what Anthony DeLuca had to say.

Firstly he informed me that the game will be released on Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, with the Wii and DS version being more family orientated and user friendly, taking full advantage of the Wii controller and DS stylus.

So what are we likely going to see that is so different with Top Spin 3?

Anthony was determined to state that this instalment will be graphically advanced compared to its predecessor, something that he is happy and confident to boast throughout the whole conference.

The graphics on Xbox 360 and PS3 will obviously be more graphically advanced compared to the Wii and DS, as these, stated earlier, focus on the family oriented play and accommodate the graphic capabilities or each system accordingly.

Focus has been made on the visuals just as much as the game play. Anthony described how they had introduced ‘dynamic weather effects’ to this title. Explaining how there will be different weather conditions ranging from cloudy, raining and overcast, which can lead to the characters being fatigued easily if it is sunny. Also the use of shading is another aspect discussed, were players can be affected by the stadium or courts structure, leading to it being difficult to see the ball, but not to the point where it makes playing impossible or annoying, more to add a realistic challenge just as if it were real life.

There was one aspect with the last title that wasn’t realistic and that was the fact that it would be pretty impossible for a player to literally run around the court for 20 minutes without tiring. But Anthony assures us that this has been addressed in the title. Many elements can affect the character. As mentioned earlier, weather can play a role in the performance of a player and also the positioning and striking of the ball can make a big difference too. The player also becomes sweaty and dirtier as the fatigue sets in which makes the whole game play even more realistic.

Anthony went onto boast that they have created over 40, yes I said 40, breathtaking venues. Including the US Open, Polland Garros and the Australian Open, not to mention some of the 2K Sports created venues, which judging from Top Spin 2, they are going to be just as much a pleasure and graphically inspiring to play as the last one. Ball physics plays a vital part in the court design. Playing on clay or grass will significantly change the ball physics, leading you to alter your shots and position yourself accordingly.

Dynamic sounds are also a big part of the development. Anthony was asked about the fact that the ball sounded the same when hit on different courts in the last Top Spin. He did say they had introduced more sounds when the ball is hit, especially when different shots are played and on different courts. Also the characters grunts, movement sounds are more realistic, leading to an all round more real feel to the game.

Regarding the sound, Anthony was asked if the idea of ‘Running Commentary’ was added to the game play. They did initially think of adding this element to the game, but decided against it in the final development, stating that it took away from the many dynamic sound effects now on offer in the game.

I asked Anthony whether or not a ‘replay’ function was going to be included in Top Spin 3. That was one element I sadly missed in the last. I am happy to announce that there is going to be a replay feature in Top Spin 3. He said there is the ability to change the camera angle, watch the replay in a small box in the bottom corner of your screen and also have the option to watch the full replay.