Not to be outdone by 2K Sports' Top Spin 4, SEGA has served up some new details regarding its latest Virtua Tennis effort, including an introductory trailer and hinting at a fairly impressive list of tennis stars that will be included when the game hits center court at a retailer near you later this Spring. Step on up to the baseline and check out the trailer and latest information, available just after the jump.
Just days after announcing that Virtua Tennis 4 was seeing an expanded release for all current-gen platforms, SEGA has put together a teaser trailer showcasing come of the talent that players can expect to see on the court when the game arrives for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii later this Spring.
The initial roster list has some overlap with 2K Sports' Top Spin 4, which will be in stores in March. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, two of the most recognizable names in tennis today, will be appearing in Virtua Tennis 4. On the women's side, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki will be on the player list, as well as newcomer Laura Robson. The overall roster list has yet to be revealed, although the trailer shows some other prominent names including Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovich, Ana Ivanovic, and Andy Murray. While it appears at this stage that Top Spin 4 may have more in the way of "classic" players, we'll have to see what the final roster looks like for Virtua Tennis 4 before making any certain calls.
Perhaps the biggest news about Virtua Tennis 4 is about the game's use of each platform's motion control interface. SEGA had made it clear that the PlayStation 3 version was going to incorporate PlayStation Move technology, and Virtua Tennis 2009 did use the Wii's MotionPlus accessory... but the big surprise is that the Xbox 360 version is going to utilize Kinect. Details are still very sketchy about how the Kinect controls will work, as there isn't any tactile feedback to account for the swing of a tennis racket. Players who prefer playing with traditional controllers have nothing to fear, though, as Virtua Tennis 4 will still let you play from your favorite gaming chair.
It's also worth noting that Virtua Tennis 4 is being developed by the original Virtua Tennis team at SEGA. Sumo Digital has done decent work with previous Virtua Tennis titles over this console generation, but fans of the series should be excited that the original development team is back in control. SEGA is promising a new World Tour mode of play with player-determined decisions that make for different career paths each time a new career is played. The addition of a Match Momentum gauge is a curious one, as Top Spin has had it in the past with mixed results. We'll see how that plays out.
Having said all that, take a look at the introductory trailer for Virtua Tennis 4. It's good to see tennis making a comeback this year, and we're looking forward to bringing you continuing coverage right up to the final review.
