Maria Sharapova Talks Top Spin 3

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If you're a gamer who just so happens to be a tennis fan, you're eagerly anticipating the release of Top Spin 3, 2K Sports' next entry in the critically acclaimed series. The latest will feature many of the biggest names in the sport today, including Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, American James Blake, and many more. Well, GameDaily had a chance to sit down and talk with Sharapova - lucky bastids - about TS3 and video games in general.

Sharapova, who is still basking in the glow of her 2008 Australian Open championship victory over Ana Ivanovic, talked about how "amazing" her likeness is in Top Spin 3, and she praises the developers for their efforts.

What do you think about your likeness in the game?

"I mean, it's pretty real, considering what I looked like four years ago in video games. It's amazing how real it is. I think the coolest thing is the actual motion of the strokes. That's what really impressed me, with how fluid it looks instead of being very robotic. That's very challenging to make, because obviously everybody has a different form of playing and different techniques. For them to make it look so real is incredible."

That's all well and good, but what about the game itself? As TS3 is attempting to be a true-to-life tennis simulator, we need the accurate gameplay as well. GameDaily asked Maria about the difficulty involved in bringing the real world of tennis into the virtual world of gaming.

What do you think is the most difficult aspect of translating a real world game of tennis into a video game?

"I think the actual speed, the moving and the reaction. The hand to eye coordination. In tennis that is really really important. When you hit the ball, to actually see it and when it's coming to you, you have that kind of rhythm and to feel the distance between the ball and the player."

If you like, you can check out the full interview, and see Maria play James Blake on the Wii. Yeah, they're playing the tennis game. We're definitely looking forward to Top Spin 3, and of course, we're all big fans of Sharapova...I mean, of her play. No, really. She's not just a pretty face; she's one of the best tennis players in the world!

Related Game(s): Top Spin 3

3/29/2008 Ben Dutka

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