World Tour Golf
Encyclopedia
World Tour Golf is an 1986
computer game by Evan and Nicky Robinson
and published
by Electronic Arts
(EA) for Commodore 64
, Amiga
, Apple IIGS
and DOS
.
in 1985
, they were unsure about what kind of game they wanted to develop next. Developers and producers at EA at the time were playing Nintendo Golf
, and the emerging power of MS-DOS
-based PC games led the two programmers to undertake an ambitious golf game that would include a sophisticated golf course
editor.
Evan Robinson worked on the game and graphics code (which was adapted from code written by Dan Silva for an internal EA editor named Prism, which eventually became Deluxe Paint
) for WTG, while Nicky Robinson created the editor. In 1986 it was unusual for a game to have more than one programmer, and this gave them an easy way to neatly subdivide the work. It also allowed WTG to be a significantly larger game in scope than many contemporary titles. The editor supported the accurate (for its day) re-creation of real golf courses, as well as comical courses that were made up of a series of islands, 270-degree doglegs, etc. This followed in the spirit of Racing Destruction Set
, which had been developed at EA the year before.
EA had expected the game to do reasonably well, but it became a hit and received a Software Publishers Association Gold Disk award for sales.
World Tour Golf was EA's second sports title and its second sports hit, and it represents a link in the chain that led to the founding of EA Sports
. Madden NFL
was already in its early stages of development when World Tour Golf shipped. Don Daglow
, who produced WTG, teamed with programmer Eddie Dombrower
to create hall of fame title Earl Weaver Baseball
the following year. When Richard Hilleman
and Scott Orr
turned the initially-unsuccessful Madden franchise into a hit in 1991
the company created the separate EA Sports brand.
#132 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4½ out of 5 stars.
1986 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
computer game by Evan and Nicky Robinson
Nicky Robinson (game programmer)
Nicky Robinson is a computer game programmer, one of the earliest women to enter the field. Her career spans over twenty years, and extends back into the classic gaming era with such recognized titles as Star Control and Mail Order Monsters, on which she worked with Evan Robinson and renowned game...
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
(EA) for Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Apple IIGS
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
and DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
.
Summary
When the Robinsons completed work on Mail Order MonstersMail Order Monsters
Mail Order Monsters is a 1985 computer game created by Paul Reiche III, Evan Robinson and Nicky Robinson and published by Electronic Arts for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit family home computers....
in 1985
1985 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
, they were unsure about what kind of game they wanted to develop next. Developers and producers at EA at the time were playing Nintendo Golf
Golf (video game)
Golf is a sports-simulation video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1984 for the Nintendo Family Computer...
, and the emerging power of MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
-based PC games led the two programmers to undertake an ambitious golf game that would include a sophisticated golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
editor.
Evan Robinson worked on the game and graphics code (which was adapted from code written by Dan Silva for an internal EA editor named Prism, which eventually became Deluxe Paint
Deluxe Paint
Deluxe Paint is a bitmap graphics editor series originally created by Dan Silva for Electronic Arts .The original version was created for the Commodore Amiga and was released in November 1985...
) for WTG, while Nicky Robinson created the editor. In 1986 it was unusual for a game to have more than one programmer, and this gave them an easy way to neatly subdivide the work. It also allowed WTG to be a significantly larger game in scope than many contemporary titles. The editor supported the accurate (for its day) re-creation of real golf courses, as well as comical courses that were made up of a series of islands, 270-degree doglegs, etc. This followed in the spirit of Racing Destruction Set
Racing Destruction Set
Racing Destruction Set is a car racing and motocross computer game that was published in 1985 by Electronic Arts. It was developed for the Commodore 64 computer system, and was advertised as being Commodore 128 compatible...
, which had been developed at EA the year before.
EA had expected the game to do reasonably well, but it became a hit and received a Software Publishers Association Gold Disk award for sales.
World Tour Golf was EA's second sports title and its second sports hit, and it represents a link in the chain that led to the founding of EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
. Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
was already in its early stages of development when World Tour Golf shipped. Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
, who produced WTG, teamed with programmer Eddie Dombrower
Eddie Dombrower
Eddie Dombrower is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known as the co-creator of the seminal baseball games Earl Weaver Baseball and Intellivision World Series Baseball...
to create hall of fame title Earl Weaver Baseball
Earl Weaver Baseball
Earl Weaver Baseball is a baseball computer game , designed by Don Daglow and Eddie Dombrower and published by Electronic Arts. The artificial intelligence for the computer manager was provided by Baseball Hall of Fame member Earl Weaver, then manager of the Baltimore Orioles...
the following year. When Richard Hilleman
Richard Hilleman
Richard Hilleman is an American computer game and video game producer best known for his work creating the original Madden Football game for video game consoles for Electronic Arts. Apart from Madden, Hilleman was a key figure in building the massive EA Sports brand and has spent over 20 years...
and Scott Orr
Scott Orr
Scott Orr is an American computer game and video game designer best known as the original lead designer on the first video game console versions of the North American best-selling game, Madden NFL Football...
turned the initially-unsuccessful Madden franchise into a hit in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
the company created the separate EA Sports brand.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1988 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#132 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4½ out of 5 stars.