Producer Q&A: Grand Slam Tennis and MotionPlus

Find out more about Wii MotionPlus development from our chat with Cyrus Irani, Assistant Producer of EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis.

With the recent release and constant hype surrounding Wii MotionPlus, many gamers are left wondering if the device is worth the purchase.  More precisely, are the EA-supported bundles worth the purchase?  MotionPlus is being supported by two key EA Sports games, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis.  So far, reports give the thumbs-up to both games.

Many still may be on the fence, so here to give us a glimpse on their approach to developing for the accessory is Grand Slam Tennis Assistant Producer Cyrus Irani.

The Wiire: To start, what are some key differences in developing games for the MotionPlus peripheral compared to standard Wii controls?

Cyrus Irani: The Wii MotionPlus offers more sensitivity and control, and with that, design decisions become harder because we have to manage what the user intends to do with what their action motion is. This can be good and bad, depending on the context. It can make it more accurate and engaging for the user but if not careful it can make it more accurate and frustrating.

Your team has noted that it has had to "limit the fidelity" of the MotionPlus device in your development. What can you say about the responsiveness and accuracy of the device, and how has it affected your development process?

Cyrus: Again, it's about finding the balance between a user's intention and their actual motion. Too much fidelity can result in a frustrating experience for the user and with this game, we want our users to enjoy a great tennis experience.

Have you encountered issues with calibration of the device in-game? If so, how has your team worked around these issues?

Cyrus: While using Wii MotionPlus, calibration does adjust over time but Nintendo also realizes this and we have guidelines from Nintendo outlining how often the user needs to recalibrate.

Many consumers will wonder what difference MotionPlus controls will make in Grand Slam Tennis. How would you describe the tangible difference in controls?

Cyrus: We're really happy with the game's controls with and without Wii MotionPlus. It's really authentic to tennis either way you play the game. But Wii MotionPlus gives users an even more authentic one-to-one motion that maps to your in-game player. To play Grand Slam Tennis is to truly perform authentic sports motions. The tennis experience grows with added shot depth and pin-point ball placement as Wii MotionPlus recognizes racket roll and end stroke position.

How do you think MotionPlus will affect the scope of the games industry?

David McCarthy, Executive Producer of Grand Slam Tennis and Vice-President of Development: In certain respects I think Wii MotionPlus has changed how we look at product design, in that it allows us to play to our strengths more than ever before. We're now able to deliver control solutions that really do give you the feeling that you are placing wicked top spin on a cross court forehand in Grand Slam Tennis. The arrival of the device has made product development a little more complex, but also very rewarding for sports fans everywhere.

Many wonder what uses the accessory will have in future games. What would you personally like to see that uses MotionPlus?

Cyrus: Personally, I'd like to see a light sabre game or a game revolving around using [ninja] weapons.

When creating Grand Slam Tennis for Wii, what was the approach in the design of the game?

Cyrus: We created this game with the platform in mind so it's been developed specifically for the Wii and with Wii consumers in mind. Our main goal was to ensure that it really felt like users have the racket in the palm of their hand and be able to control the ball on the court. That meant no matter what stage of the project, we were constantly tuning and improving what that felt like across all features. In terms of presentation, it was stylized that's fun for the platform. The major tennis stars are recognizable with their signature elements exaggerated.

Although the roster of tennis legends seems really full, a few noteworthy names are missing. Are there unlockable players within the game?

Cyrus: Why would you need unlockable players? :)  Right out of the box you've got a great roster of 23 licensed players who collectively have won 136 Grand Slam titles, that includes last week's French Open where Roger Federer (one of our cover athletes) tied Pete Sampras for most all-time. We're really proud of our player line-up; it combines some greatest players in the history of the sport from the past and some of the biggest stars in the sport today.

EA has a great history with online support for Wii games. What are some ways that Grand Slam Tennis will get gamers online?

Cyrus: Grand Slam Tennis has some great online features that makes this appealing. Not only can gamers log on and find new opponents and challenges around the world, but players can add to their nations' point total on the Battle of the Nations leader board. So every win contributes to helping your country to tennis supremacy.

What can you tell us about the control options in the game? We know of MotionPlus support, but are there options to not use the Nunchuk similar to Wii Sports tennis, or perhaps make use of Nintendo's Classic Controller?

Cyrus: The core experience of Grand Slam Tennis is with Wii remote only and about swinging the racket and concentrating on timing and aiming. But we do support the Nunchuk so gamers can have full control of their players' movement, making it as accessible or as complex as people want their experience to be. Grand Slam Tennis one of the first titles that's compatible with Wii MotionPlus and we're proud of that since we believe it takes the existing authentic tennis experience to an even higher level. We don't have support for the classic controller because we found the experience wasn't as immersive in this way, plus the real beauty of Grand Slam Tennis on the Wii is performing real sports motions and feeling like you're actually playing tennis.

What was the selection process like for your cover athletes?

Cyrus: We actually have nine different covers, which really showcases the dynamic international flavor of tennis. In addition to the global and North American covers, we have different ones by region including Germany, Spain, Australia, UK, Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark), France, and Japan. The regional covers tend to include a local star so Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is one of the cover athletes in Japan and Boris Becker in Germany and Andy Murray in the UK. Another major name you'll find on most of the covers is John McEnroe. Not only is he a tennis icon and perhaps the most recognizable figure in the sport, he's also exclusive to Grand Slam Tennis, which we are also extremely excited about.

Tennis Party Mode boasts a dozen party games for fun multiplayer sessions. What are some of the games in this mode?

Cyrus: The Party mode is all about making tennis social and fun with multiple players. We have three party modes and a dozen different games. In keeping with the authenticity to the sport, the games utilize unique rule twists based on drills used in tennis academies. Some of the rule twists include:

· Tag Team: 2 on 2 with players rotating and taking turns hitting the ball

· Aussie Doubles: 2 on 1 and the players rotate after each set

· Drops and Lobs: use the drop shot and lob winners for double points

· Champs vs Chumps: time based game, take turns swinging, win the rally to become a champ

· King of the Court: beat the king to become king, only the king earns points

· Netmasters: Net shots are worth double points

· Triplets: Similar to Aussie doubles where (2 on 1) but the players do not rotate around

Grand Slam Tennis, along with Wii MotionPlus, can be found in stores now bundled together for $59.99 ($49.99 without).  The Wiire would like to thank Cyrus for taking the time to give us insight on MotionPlus development.  Keep watch for more on MotionPlus and Grand Slam Tennis (as well as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10) in the future!