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Weather reports signal dark ominous clouds forming over Okinawa Golf Resort. Other strangeness reported: disemboweled elephants in the Great Safari, pillaged villages around the Euro Classics course and loitering Spartans around the great Oceania lobster.

Judgment day has come, all bow before the one known as Kratos!

Yes, all the rumors are true: Kratos, the one and only, has made his way to Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds… and he’s looking to claim his rightful seat as the God of Golf!

In all honesty, integrating Kratos into Hot Shots Golf was by far one of the best experiences, as we got to work closely with the God of War team and the casts of characters (voice over, animators, etc) that created Kratos in his original form.

If I had to pick one of the most fun parts, it would have to be our VO sessions and watching (listening?) T.C. Carson jump into the Kratos role in a completely new environment… trust me, there were plenty of eye-watering-side-splitting laughs that day…

But aside from VO, the Clap Hanz team paid a great deal of attention to all of Kratos’ characteristics when animating him and hi chain-drivers.

So starting this Thursday, Kratos will make his way down to your local PS3 via download. You can take him out to a nice single player round offline and once you’ve mastered his technique, give it a go online against all the puny mortals that dare defy you.

- ChrisHM

Now that this week’s humpday is done and over with, we are but a working-day (and then some) away from the glorious freedom that is the weekend. I for one, plan to take some time soak in some rays and join a couple of Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds tourneys using the new Oceania course and perhaps maybe some Highland CC action as well.

But enough of my plans… lets talk Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds update, and particularly about the blog post for each update… which among other things, usually had a comment such as this:

So is there never going to be a US demo of this game? I’m not dropping $60 on a game I’ve never played before.

or one of these:

Will the demo of this become available on the US store as well? And if so, when?
Really want to play this game, but would love to get the demo first.

or sometimes something like this:

Is there going to be a demo of Hot Shots Golf for those that would like to try it in order to make a decision if they want to buy it?

Well, for all of you that so patiently waited for the Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds Demo, this one goes out to you: as of today, Thursday, June 26, 2008, all North American users can now download the HSG:OOB Demo from the PSN store!

The demo is quick in-depth sample of the Hot Shots Golf experience. You’ll be able to start off with beginner character Jasmine, perfect the new advanced swing system and graduate onto intermediate player Felipe. If you’ve got a friend about, just jump into the offline multiplayer option (max 2 players) and hit the links.

So now, with the demo being released, you’re weekend should no longer be plan-less. Here’s how I see it playing out:

- Thursday: Play demo with Jasmine; perfect character and new advanced swing system
- Friday: Perfect Felipe; buy Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds
- Saturday: Build up your favorite character’s loyalty
- Sunday: Get online and join a couple of tournaments; dominate the competition.

Looking forward to seeing you guys online!

G’day lads, happy Friday! Chris here again, dropping in on you with a little update from the latest news from the smallest continent in the world… Australia.

As you’ve most likely already experienced (and shame on you if you haven’t) the greatness that is traveling through Hot Shots Golf (Africa, the Alps, Japan), there is no amount of text that could possibly describe the Dingo goodness that you’ll be sure to experience with the new course… drumroll please… Oceania Resort Course!

True, true – just turn on your PS3 and get a-downloading, once that’s completed, log on to the PSN store and purchase the key to access the content. Vegemite not included.

This is a complete 18-hole course (with a long and regular tee variation). It’s also by far one of the most difficult courses on the Hot Shots line up, with plenty of natural obstacles such as sand traps, waterholes, rocks, and kangaroos. Ok, maybe not kangaroos, but they will be on the course - so make sure to not feed the animals (especially the alligators!).

As far as design goes, we’ll, it’s always to the Hot Shot standard. You’ll have traffic flowing through, some hot air balloons floating about, etc. The course is littered with various “out-back” nods… and it even comes complete with a giant lobster.

You’ll be able to play this course both online and offline, we’ll have some special tournaments set up for it as well. Check out some more the images below.

That’s about it folks, I’m about to have a Tim-Tam slam and get going on another 18-hole round. See you guys on-line!

Hot Shots internets ftw! We’ve got two wowtastic demos over at the PlayStation Store; a nifty new forum space where you can discuss various Hot Shots Golf topics; and videos up on Amazon and Best Buy — we’re fully maximizing the powers of the internet for the benefit of man/woman-golf kind.

With this in mind, we’ve also computated all the computations needed for a true global online tournaments experience, so make sure to set all PSP’s on Wi-Fi this Tuesday, June 3rd and get ready to open up and get to know your fellow Hot Shot Golfers from across the globe!

Tis true, now for the first time in Hot Shots history, all people from across the world can join hands (virtually) and hit the links for both 16 player friendly matches and blood curdling tournaments. After each hole, all the participants will line up to show off their crazy costumes, scores and swap quick one-liners with the preset chat system… throw down a full yo mama battle (ok, so maybe I exaggerated a little bit)!

Regardless of your play style (casual or hardcore), you’ll quickly find a match to fit your golfing needs on any of the 12 courses and 11 new characters.

See you again next week with more on Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2!

Having been on the Hot Shots team has been both exciting and hard work, and now with the Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 launch but a few weeks away, I’m feeling a bit introspective, so I’ve composed a small Haiku to honor its “gone-gold” status:

Lucky hole-in-one
Hot Shots Golf June 3rd for you
Chicken nugget pet

Yes, it is true – Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 has now gone gold … and yes, you can also have chicken nuggets as pets.

Characters
We’ve got 11 new characters to unlock and level up, but the fun part is that you’ll also be able to unlock all the characters from the original Open Tee; however, it will not be in the traditional unlocking system: you’ll have to explore each course with different characters and costumes, as special combinations will be required to find each original Open Tee character – it’s one gigantic HSG party.

Unlocking New Items
As you move up through the Challenge Mode, new items will be made available for you. Spend some time in the Wardrobe testing out different combinations – you’ll notice that certain items will boost your character’s power, accuracy and spin. The more items you unlock, the more you’ll be able to unlock your character’s potential!

Courses
Keeping true to the Hot Shots Heritage, each course is designed with one thing in mind: fun. Fans of the series will be glad to see some of the classic Open Tee courses returning as well as be treated to brand new greens in exotic locations (no passport required).

Hole-In-One Mini Game
If you’re looking for a quick-feel-good-fix, jump into the Hole-In-One Minigame and try to beat your own score and sink the holy grail of hole-in-ones! Perfect for that quick 15 minute Hot Shots fix.

So ends this week’s Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 update. See you all next week, and in the meantime, feel free to write some HSG Haikus – Chris out.

If you’re looking for that special something to get you through the weekend – look no further, we’ve got some great news from the Hot Shots camp that will make you jump for joy, dance and move your feet (all simultaneously). So without any further ado, please turn on your PSPs as we welcome Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 into the Hot Shots family.

True, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 is set to launch this coming June 3rd, so you best start getting ready to revisit the greatness that is Hot Shots on the go.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be delivering weekly updates on some of the new game features, videos, screens, etc. As usual, we’ll also be at hand to answer some of your questions and listen to you comments.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that in vein to its PSP heritage, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 will have over 300 customizable options for you to dress your character (of which there are 22) in the usual Hot Shots crazy nature. If you’ve ever dreamed to don a penguin (the animal, not the villain) outfit, here’s your chance. You say you like Dutch Flower dresses? Open Tee 2 has that too. Panda bears? Check. Dracula, bunny, log, astronaut, matador, hula skirts, Eskimo: check, check, check.

Even if you think your darkest fantasy is to be an equine French maid with a pet chicken named Roscoe is not doable — think again.

So besides an infinite matrix of combinations at the tip of your fingers, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 has 16 player global online gameplay, 8 player ad-hoc games, an addictive mini-game, and really cool secret unlockables. You can check also out a brand new Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 video showing the character customization in action on Amazon.com. Yes, there’s going to be plenty to talk about for the next few weeks, so make sure to come back and check the PS Blog for more info.

Hey kids, Chris here again, coming in to roll out the red carpet for two very stylish new addition to the Hot Shots family… Gloria and Alex.

You might have been hearing some news around the interwebs on pricing, availability and player level – but lets make it official:

• Each character will be available for purchase over the PSN at .99 USD.
• Alex skill level will be intermediate; Gloria’s is expert.
• Both characters will be available to purchase on the 15th.

Now, in previous posts there have been some comments of the content being on the disc and needing a key to unlock it, so let me go ahead and clear that up for you: all the content on the physical disc can be accessed without additional purchases – it’s that simple. The “core” or “shell” of the on-disc game has a sort of plug-and-play feature that lets us quickly deliver content (such as characters and new courses) without clogging up your pipes, which also makes it easier for you to purchase the new content from the PlayStation Store (once you decide to) and access it right away. So if you’re tired of getting schooled by some young punk – you can quickly gain access to one of the more advanced players and unleash your mighty golf wrath upon them.

Everyone, regardless of buying new content or not, will be required to download the new patch. It just keeps the game running smoothly… some wonky things start to happen online players are running different version of the game.

That’s it for today’s Hot Shots Golf news… cue the exit song…

Being just one day shy from a much needed weekend — isn’t every weekend a needed weekend? – I’m sure many of you have already penned in various activities in your filofax/pda/napkin/bathroom mirror/etc; and while I’m not here to judge how the quality (or legality) of your weekend plans, I am here to let you know that if there are some time gaps between your fun-doing, you can fill it up with some serious Hot Shots Golf online action.

So what’s with all the noise? Simply put, it’s the much awaited (and promised) Stroke and Match Online Play download patch that is making its way around the wired – for FREE! No coupons necessary, no forms to fill, no seminar to attend… it’s gratis (free). To take advantage of this very-berry unlimited offer, follow the steps below.

• Insert Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds disc into PS3
• Go to the online features
• Watch the goodness stream into your PS3 from our servers.

* Note: please make sure to have a valid PSN account and to be logged on prior to download.

So what’s in the new menu item you ask? First of all, this new Online feature will let you roam about the course as you see fit, taunt other golfers while you wait your turn, and be magically transported back to your spot once it’s your turn - - and of course, this new feature will also take advantage of all the HSG rules you’ve come to love and expect.

Also, we’ve been really happy to see the crazy avatar combinations you’ve come up with, so to mix it up a bit, we’ll be adding some more items as we move along… but in the meantime, we’ve thrown in a soccer balls in a couple of the lobbies to get you guys going on some impromptu footie action.

Meanwhile, back at the hamster ranch…
Some of you might have experienced some server issues in the past few weeks – and we’ve noticed them too! So to mend this we’ve fed the server hamsters and greased the wheels; things should be running a lot smoother now.

That is all for now today, but keep an eye out for more Hot Shots Golf news on DLC content - - till then, see you here, or there or maybe even over there.

Hey guys, it’s been a while since the last Hot Shots Update … we’ve been a bit swamped here what with the endless hours we play… I mean work… on Hot Shots Golf; however, the timeless idiom is indeed true: all good things must come to an end.

Well for us at least.

And now, we’re officially done with the production side (in a way) of things, and the past few year’s worth of blood, sweat, and tears has finally come to fruition: Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds is officially available nationwide, at retail outlets near you.

I know we’ve been kinda quiet, and the questions have been building up; however, lest you think that we’re all fun and games (well we are in a way) – we’ve been hard at work, like for example hosting various online tournaments both in person and virtually online… and you can check out some of the results here, here, and here.

Right, moving on: “so what’s next Chris?” you might ask. To that I’ll answer “DLC” – as in Downloadable Content… of which we’ll have plenty of, and not just extra characters or new outfits… but actual new game modes, which brings me back to the first paragraph: our work is not finished yet.

What can you expect? You’ll just have to wait and see… but it’s really going to put the “Go” in Golf (is that cryptic enough for you?); it’ll knock you down and under; it’ll make you feel like you’re a small speck on a giant planet… anyways, I could go on and on with cryptic clues – but I won’t. Just be ready for an update from yours truly to unveil some of the cool things we’ll be offering in our downloadable content department.

While you wait for these great goodies to come by, you can spend your days (weeks, nights, months) building up your character’s loyalty and pinning them against the best players (worldwide) in the new Real Tournament online mode. If you’re up for a little friendly match, jump in to the lobby and kick start a quick 8-player match. Just in the mood to hang? Drop into any of the lobbies available and strike up a conversation with players from all over the world… just make sure you sharpen up your international etiquette beforehand, oui?

And please don’t forget the coolest gameplay addition we’ve brought and that is the new Advanced Shot mechanic. We didn’t make the game look this good so you could go through an entire round staring at a power meter! Plus, this system makes the game just that more challenging, so gaming and golf fans alike will really appreciate the nuances the shot system offers. We love it here…we hope you do too.

Oh, and so do the critics. Check out these rave reviews from IGN, G4TV, GameZone, Gametap, and Cheat Code Central.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, it’s only fair to start dealing out some details on the some of the new features you’ll get to experience in Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, the reasoning behind the new title and what you can expect from the hours (hours, upon hours) of great golfing fun, both online and offline.

One of the things that the Hot Shots franchise has been known for is the way that it’s always found new way to immerse the player into the sport (be it golf or tennis). As past installments go, there’s always been a new something-something that’s had fans returning for more - of course, its needless to speak of the core features (fun characters, ease of use and great courses) that constantly bring in new fans as well.

While on the topic of new features, one of HSG:OB’s new cool features is the new shot mechanism, also known as Advanced Shot Mode.

As the image above shows, the Advanced Shot Mode (ASM) functions pretty much the same way as the traditional method. However, all the visual cues as to when to strike will rely more on you (the player) paying attention to your character’s swing motions.

Step 1: Like previous versions, you’ll have to adjust the direction of where you’d like to ball to go (where it eventually goes… that’s where the next steps play a crucial role).

Step 2: Once you press X your swing will commence. A good tip for first timers is to see the natural trajectory of the golf club… so hit X once and just watch the club as it progresses through from start to finish. One thing that you’ll notice is the club flashing twice (once yellow, once red). Try to remember these points as they’ll come in really handy!

Step 3: This is the point of no return! Start off the swing mechanism and watch the natural progression… and hitting X at any point will stop and start the downswing… this is how you set the power to your stroke, and you have to gauge the strength by the flashing points! Hitting X at the top of the swing (red flash) will set your power at 100%; hitting X at the yellow mark will put enough strength on to get to the cup (if you are close enough)… however, don’t forget to take the elements into consideration: the yellow mark is enough strength under optimal conditions (no wind, no rain, flat course, on the fairway, etc).

Step 4: Now you’ve done it, the club is hurling at an unmentionable speed towards the ball, and the Hot Shots Golf physics engine beings its true-to life calculations, taking account your character’s features (strength, loyalty, etc) as well as the course conditions (wind, ground condition, club, angle, etc)… it’s a digital chorus of 1’s and 0’s… but never mind that… you have to focus.

Once you set the power, you’ll see a white circle slowly contracting to the center of the ball. This is your moment of zen: you must press the X buttons at the precise moment when the ball and the contracting circle are each the same size and complete a virtual circle of life.

Final: The second (millisecond) you’ve strike the ball, the physics engine takes over and applies your timing into the trajectory physics. Here is where you’ll either see the ball fade into the horizon or just have it hit you on the head - - and you’ll know instantly how you did too! There are four icons that will appear at the moment of impact:

• Tortoise: you hit X too late.
• Rabbit: you hit X too early.
• Skull: for whatever (personal) reason you just didn’t press X within the allotted time period aka you got pwned.
• Music note: you hit X at the right moment and the ball is on its way to becoming one with the hole.

That in short is the new Advanced Shot Mechanism. Fans of the traditional method will be able to use that method as well, but if you want to add that extra bit of power (and challenge) ASM is the only way to go. Sure, at first you might get a bunch of animal icons and skulls thrown your way to start up your own pet cemetery… but with enough practice and dedication you’ll be a true Hot Shot champ.

I leave you now with this little gem: