The last time EA released a disc-based Tiger Woods game on home PCs, it was in 2008. The message delivered by that long absence, it seemed, was that EA wasn't terribly invested in PC gamers when it came to its flagship golf franchise. Then came the announcement that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 would be coming to the PC, ending the long absence of the franchise. Suddenly, golf fans were rejuvenated, thrilled to be getting a full-fledged port of the Xbox 360 and/or PlayStation 3 version of the game, especially after having only the microtransaction-focused, free-to-play Tiger Woods Online to satiate their needs for so long.

Then Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 for the PC actually came out, and, well...let's just say, PC players might have some semblance of an idea of how Elin Woods felt.

Between EA's official forums, Reddit, and even our own forums, there seems to be an overwhelming opinion about this version of the game: it stinks.

Specifically, it appears that Tiger 12 on the PC is more or less just a reskinned, mildly upgraded version of Tiger Woods Online. Features advertised on EA's official promo page for the PC version, including the much-vaunted "Caddie Experience," are flat-out missing from this version. Additionally, the look and feel of the game is apparently near-on identical to that of Tiger Woods Online. That means no crowd gallery, stiffer animations, and a scaled back graphical engine compared with that of the console versions. True PC Gaming has a fairly detailed (and savage) evisceration of the PC version, if you're interested in learning more.

To add a bit of insult to injury, Tiger 12 on the PC comes with a free three-month subscription to Tiger Woods Online. In effect, you are getting a free browser-based subscription to the same game that you just paid $40 for. So, that'sawesome.

The one piece of good news in this entire debacle is that EA is apparently willingly handing out refunds to anyone who complains. You need only head over to EA's support site, complain accordingly, and you'll get your money back. It's almost as if EA expected some kind of blow back over this situation, as if it knew that people might not be super into the idea of a $40 version of a free-to-play game. And yet, EA went ahead with it anyway, because hey, they already had this free PC game lying around. Why not just shove it out there with a few extra pieces and assume people will be cool with it? Right? Right...?

The last time EA released a disc-based Tiger Woods game on home PCs, it was in 2008. The message delivered by that long absence, it seemed, was that EA wasn't terribly invested in PC gamers when it came to its flagship golf franchise. Then came the announcement that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 would be coming to the PC, ending the long absence of the franchise. Suddenly, golf fans were rejuvenated, thrilled to be getting a full-fledged port of the Xbox 360 and/or PlayStation 3 version of the game, especially after having only the microtransaction-focused, free-to-play Tiger Woods Online to satiate their needs for so long.

Then Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 for the PC actually came out, and, well...let's just say, PC players might have some semblance of an idea of how Elin Woods felt.

Between EA's official forums, Reddit, and even our own forums, there seems to be an overwhelming opinion about this version of the game: it stinks.

Specifically, it appears that Tiger 12 on the PC is more or less just a reskinned, mildly upgraded version of Tiger Woods Online. Features advertised on EA's official promo page for the PC version, including the much-vaunted "Caddie Experience," are flat-out missing from this version. Additionally, the look and feel of the game is apparently near-on identical to that of Tiger Woods Online. That means no crowd gallery, stiffer animations, and a scaled back graphical engine compared with that of the console versions. True PC Gaming has a fairly detailed (and savage) evisceration of the PC version, if you're interested in learning more.

To add a bit of insult to injury, Tiger 12 on the PC comes with a free three-month subscription to Tiger Woods Online. In effect, you are getting a free browser-based subscription to the same game that you just paid $40 for. So, that'sawesome.

The one piece of good news in this entire debacle is that EA is apparently willingly handing out refunds to anyone who complains. You need only head over to EA's support site, complain accordingly, and you'll get your money back. It's almost as if EA expected some kind of blow back over this situation, as if it knew that people might not be super into the idea of a $40 version of a free-to-play game. And yet, EA went ahead with it anyway, because hey, they already had this free PC game lying around. Why not just shove it out there with a few extra pieces and assume people will be cool with it? Right? Right...?

Yeah, I'm not really sure what EA was thinking with this, but the fact that they're offering refunds is an encouraging sign that they are just giving up.

Nice. Filed under "adultery"...

EA really are doing their best to take the "biggest dicks" crown back from Activision.

Hot, hot adultery up in this, dog.

I think EA just got an R&D credit for finding a new way to make people pay for a free game! And they say video game subsidies are a waste of money.

Awesome, EA. Just awesome.

I love that it's being filed under being fucked over

Star Wars MMOs don't pay for themselves

I instantly thought of the MST3K Episode of Pod People of after Joel and the bots doing that song and Joel saying "It Stinks!" That's I feel about that right now.

Tiger Woods, don't make me grab iron.

People pay money for video games about golf? Who knew?

@cabelhigh said:

Awesome, EA. Just awesome.

This. Up there with Activision and Gamestop.

Oh EA it's like you want people to hate you.

Stay classy, EA.

@forkboy said:

EA really are doing their best to take the "biggest dicks" crown back from Activision.

Yea, I am finding this to be the case more and more nowadays. I remember right when Activision was really screwing people over and EA was actively doing the opposite, but now it appears it is mostly just all bad when it comes to massive publishers.

It's always great when you can tell exactly who wrote an article from the headline. :)

It's like they saw the whole Ubisoft and From Dust fiasco and thought, "hey, they screwed people over and offered refunds, and they got a bunch of publicity that way! WE NEED TO ONE UP THAT MOVE."

they give your money back if you don't like it, I think that's cool.

Why can Access Software/Indie Build somehow would rise from the grave and put out a new Links.

PC players might have some semblance of an idea of how Elin Woods felt.

Boom.

Wait till Peter Moore finds the party responsible for this. He's gonna snap some necks then get their names tattooed on his arm.

I can't wait to hear how the the console fanboys will claim this is just elitist PC bitching and not a legitimate problem like every other time we get short changed on a release of a game.

@forkboy said:

EA really are doing their best to take the "biggest dicks" crown back from Activision.

They forgot to at least emulate the part about making boatloads of money doing it first.

It's almost worse this way. They're just being dicks for the sake of being dicks.

This is the year EA made the push to be #1 again.

Oh, in sales? No, no. Biggest dicks.

@crusader8463: I used to play all of my sports games on the PC. Madden. FIFA. Tiger Woods. Even had NHL & NBA games from EA. But they really did do such an awful job at porting them (& of course then just completely stopped bothering to port them) it was awful. Little wonder I ended up having to get a console to fulfill my sporting desires & mainly play strategy games on the PC these days.

Life is not easy for the PC gamer, that's for sure. Tend to be held in contempt by most publishers merely because we COULD easily pirate their games.

Good going EA. Just spectacular. Love the adultery tag for this.fits perfectly

What is it with these mega publishers fighting over who gets to be THE HATED ONE. Bobby going to be getting jealous, mark my words.

You know what, I think 'Derp' pretty much sums up EA these days.

I can't wait to hear how the the console fanboys will claim this is just elitist PC bitching and not a legitimate problem like every other time we get short changed on a release of a game.

the sarcasm is great in this.

I knew that EA was the worst with ports, but not even porting and calling it one? Really?

@TheSouthernDandy said:

Wait till Peter Moore finds the party responsible for this. He's gonna snap some necks then get their names tattooed on his arm.

Don't be silly, Peter Moore was the one who killed the PC versions of EA Sports titles in the first place.

Why can Access Software/Indie Build somehow would rise from the grave and put out a new Links.

This is happening WAY too often this month, fuck.

EA dropped the ball on the PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour after the 05 version. The PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 was so bad, that EA had to patch it just so your ball was effected by slopes. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 was not well optimized and thus they shut the franchise down until the online micro-transaction browser version was released.

I remember when the PC was the place to go for true golf sims and was on the cutting edge for graphics and gameplay, but no more. I wish Links would make a comeback.

We should file a class action lawsuit agains EA for its repetitive bad practices in the hopes that they may learn a thing or two.

Who would want to buy this to begin with? I always wanted to know who buys these games.

Yeah, they did something similar with the last NHL game that they released on PC. People said that it was basically the PS2 version of the game. Also, the online required you to type in an IP adress. In 2008. Yeah.

@forkboy said:

EA really are doing their best to take the "biggest dicks" crown back from Activision.

I hope they washed it first.

hahaha jesus this is ridiculous

@Claude said:

EA dropped the ball on the PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour after the 05 version. The PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 was so bad, that EA had to patch it just so your ball was effected by slopes. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 was not well optimized and thus they shut the franchise down until the online micro-transaction browser version was released.

I remember when the PC was the place to go for true golf sims and was on the cutting edge for graphics and gameplay, but no more. I wish Links would make a comeback.

Links was good. I remember being impressed by the graphics back then. Actually, at this point, I wish any golf game would give Tiger Woods a run for its money, be it PGA or not. As much as I enjoy the console versions, they're starting to feel a little stagnant.

@Sparky_Buzzsaw said:

@Claude said:

EA dropped the ball on the PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour after the 05 version. The PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 was so bad, that EA had to patch it just so your ball was effected by slopes. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 was not well optimized and thus they shut the franchise down until the online micro-transaction browser version was released.

I remember when the PC was the place to go for true golf sims and was on the cutting edge for graphics and gameplay, but no more. I wish Links would make a comeback.

Links was good. I remember being impressed by the graphics back then. Actually, at this point, I wish any golf game would give Tiger Woods a run for its money, be it PGA or not. As much as I enjoy the console versions, they're starting to feel a little stagnant.

Is Tiger Woods another one of those completely shitty cases where EA is the only one who can make an officially licensed PGA game? I can't remember.

Derp indeed.

@iAmJohn:

I think so, yeah. Same with the likenesses of a lot of the golfers, which is a damn shame.

go away Peter Moore everything you touch turns into shit

so since the game shipped without a bunch of features listed on the site and the ads, couldn't EA be held legally responsible for false advertising? god I hope so.

@Lunar_Aura said:

go away Peter Moore everything you touch turns into shit

Come now, that's not entirely fair. He's the only reason Sega didn't go bankrupt, after all.

@iAmJohn said:

@Sparky_Buzzsaw said:

@Claude said:

EA dropped the ball on the PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour after the 05 version. The PC version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 was so bad, that EA had to patch it just so your ball was effected by slopes. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 was not well optimized and thus they shut the franchise down until the online micro-transaction browser version was released.

I remember when the PC was the place to go for true golf sims and was on the cutting edge for graphics and gameplay, but no more. I wish Links would make a comeback.

Links was good. I remember being impressed by the graphics back then. Actually, at this point, I wish any golf game would give Tiger Woods a run for its money, be it PGA or not. As much as I enjoy the console versions, they're starting to feel a little stagnant.

Is Tiger Woods another one of those completely shitty cases where EA is the only one who can make an officially licensed PGA game? I can't remember.

I'm not sure how it works in golf. There's no player union and then you have the PGA and the USGA. Europe has its own tour as does Asia. But I'm sure EA owns the rights to a few.

In Tiger Woods 12, The Open or British Open is called the UK Open. Before EA got the rights to Augusta the tournament was called The Southern Championship or something like that. And the PGA Championship is called the EA Sports Championship.

@crusader8463 said:

I can't wait to hear how the the console fanboys will claim this is just elitist PC bitching and not a legitimate problem like every other time we get short changed on a release of a game.

Don't worry, the PC side bitches enough for everybody.