Moving onto Sports games in general, how hard is it each year when you're releasing annual iterations of a game like PGA Tour, to come up with new features every time?

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It's a challenge, but I think we do a very good job with it. Every year we have to make sure we innovate and add new content and keep developing, keep building on what our community tells us they want. We've been making Tiger Woods and the PGA Tour games for fifteen, twenty years now...

I remember playing one on my Mega Drive way back...

And I think it was on the before that, so it's every year we have to add something new. In Tiger Woods 08, people had problems with the mode, so with Tiger Woods 09 we introduced a massively improved online mode and simultaneous online play. This year we've built upon online even more. Last year, people also weren't satisfied with the putting, so we've improved the putting and then added new modes, new courses and some new players. Every year there's a challenge, but it's like every game when you're making a sequel; you have to keep making sure that you bring something new and fresh, otherwise people just won't buy it.

What's the most significant new feature for Tiger Woods 10 then?

The first thing you do is improve the things that need fixing, so we've improved putting and online play as well as adding some new bits of content. This year Tiger Woods 10 is all about tournament golf, so firstly we're launching the game earlier than usual. We're launching in July ahead of the PGA season, which allows us to take more advantage of the tournaments that are going on. We've added the USGA and Open license, so now we've another major tournament to market the game around and get people excited about the game. They're the main additions, but the there are things like dynamic weather, which is a pretty cool feature and there'll be other things that we'll announce in the next couple of months that we're pretty excited about.

Do you ever have a massive list of features for a new game and hold some of them back for the following year?

I'm sure there are people in the teams that have a list as big as the wall of things they want to put in there, but I think they go down the list and say, 'we need this now, and we'll maybe leave that until next year.' I don't think it's a case of, 'here's our ten-year road map, here's what everyone's getting each year.' If there's a ten-year road map, it's probably factoring in cost or time or a license that's maybe unavailable or taking longer to negotiate. It's not like we're this evil company that's as thick as thieves. Every year we want to give people the best game we possibly can, but obviously having priorities means certain features might take longer to get into the game.

Can you give us an overview of the 2010 line-up?

Well, if I were a gambling man I would assume there'll be an NHL, an NBA, a Madden, a FIFA, obviously there's Tiger, Tennis and there's another Fight Night coming. There's also EA Sports Active, which is our fitness offering that's out around the end of May. I think that's the complete line-up. This year we've been very much like, this is EA Sports and we've added two completely new games this year as well as Fight Night, which hasn't had an update for a few years since Round 3.

So, a big year for EA Sports then?

Yes, we've got a very big blockbuster line-up for the Sports label. I think it's a kick-ass year. I mean I've played almost all our games that are out this year including Fight Night 4 and EA Sports Active, and they're absolutely top-notch games.

EA Sports Active is clearly your response to the popularity of Fit then?

Well yeah, it's a fitness game for the Wii. I actually think it's fantastic. Wii Fit very much took a more eastern, wellness approach - core balance etc. I think our game is very westernised, more about cardio-vascular fitness. I think it'll be really appealing to a lot of people and it really can get you fit. It's a cool game.

Fight Night this year is absolutely brilliant too. Fight Night Round 3 was initially the killer app game for and number 4 just totally blows it away. It really is fantastic.

What's the biggest thing we can expect from Fight Night Round 4 then?

The big inclusion is obviously Tyson. It's Tyson's first videogame appearance since Tyson's Punch-Out!! on the NES. There are all the usual great boxers in there and the same control system using the analogue sticks - it's brilliant.

Which version of Tyson are we getting then?

I think there's actually three...I'm not quite sure. I think there's multiple versions of Tyson in there from the young bruiser, to the um...I don't think you can bite ears, but there'll be various levels of Tyson.

But no Frank Bruno?

I don't know actually! I've only seen it, but it's not a game I work on. It just looks like a really great game.

Can't wait to play it! Thanks for your time!

You might also wish to peruse our recent previews of Tiger Woods 10 and Grand slam Tennis.

By Richard Walker