Golfing video game series
Video game series
Links
is a series of
golf
simulation
video games
, first developed by
Access Software
, and then later by
Microsoft
after it acquired Access Software in 1999. Microsoft also produced its own series of golf games based on
Links
, under the title
Microsoft Golf
. The
Links
series was a flagship brand for Access, and was continued from
1990
to
2003
. The first game in the series,
Links: The Challenge of Golf
, won
Computer Gaming World
'
s 1991 Action Game of the Year award.
[1]
Several versions of the game and
expansion packs
(containing new courses
[2]
and golfers
[3]
mainly) were created for the
Mac
and
PC
over the years. In 1996, Access Software introduced
Links LS 1997
, the first of several
Links
games to use the
LS
(
Legends in Sports
) title.
[4]
A version for the
Xbox
named
Links 2004
was released in November 2003. It would be the final game in the series. In March 2004, Microsoft announced the cancellation of its 2004 lineup of sports games, allowing the company to focus on improving such games. The company stated, "Links is something that we're taking a hard look at what we need to do."
[5]
At the end of 2004, Microsoft sold Indie Built (formerly Access Software) to
Take-Two Interactive
.
[6]
[7]
Indie Built was later shut down in 2006.
Many members of the development team now work for TruGolf, a golf simulator company based out of Centerville, Utah.
[8]
In 2021, TruGolf re-acquired the rights to the Links series, re-releasing classic editions on
GOG
, as well as a new title,
Links E6
, the first in 17 years.
List of games
[
edit
]
The following games were developed by
Access Software
Microsoft
produced the following games after its purchase of Access Software in 1999.
- Links Extreme
(1999) Windows
[10]
- Links LS 2000
(1999) Windows
- Links 2001
(2000) Windows
- Links Championship Edition
(2001) Windows (includes
Links 2001
,
Links Expansion Pack
, a course designer, a course converter and 4 new courses)
[11]
- Links 2003
(2002) Windows Microsoft Game Studios
[12]
- Links 2003 Championship Edition
(2003) Windows (includes
Links 2003
and
Links 2003 Championship Courses
)
[13]
- Links 2004
(2003)
Xbox
[14]
Course disks
[
edit
]
The following disks add additional courses to the main
Links
games.
Microsoft Golf
[
edit
]
Before its purchase of Access Software, Microsoft published a series of golf games similar to
Links
, under the title
Microsoft Golf
. The first three games in the series are Windows-compatible versions of the early
Links
games, which were published for DOS. The first three entries in the
Microsoft Golf
series were developed by Access Software for Microsoft, and were sometimes labeled by publications as
Links Lite
.
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
Microsoft subsequently published
Microsoft Golf 1998 Edition
and
1999 Edition
, which were developed by
Friendly Software
as separate games not based on
Links
.
[17]
[21]
[22]
After Access Software was acquired by Microsoft in 1999, Microsoft produced
Microsoft Golf 2001 Edition
, which was based on
Links
, and then discontinued the
Microsoft Golf
series to continue with the
Links
series. The following games were produced in the
Microsoft Golf
series:
Reception
[
edit
]
Computer Gaming World
in 1996 ranked the 1990 version of
Links
fifth on the magazine's list of the most innovative computer games, stating that the game "may have inspired more 'business machine upgrades' than any other game".
[29]
In 1996
Next Generation
ranked it 69th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", contending that "many prefer EA's
PGA series
, but
Links
takes the title by a
hair's breadth
. With real life courses, and enough stats, sliders, and options to choke a horse,
Links
re-creates everything but the swing (which is still accomplished with a 'three click' power bar)."
[30]
During 1999,
Links LS 2000
sold 104,225 copies and earned $4.6 million in the United States.
[31]
Links 2001
rose to 240,000 copies and $8.2 million in the United States by August 2006, which made it the 84th-best-selling computer game released between January 2000 and August 2006 in the region. Combined sales of all
Links
games released in the 2000s reached 720,000 copies in the United States by August 2006.
[32]
In the United States,
Links Championship Edition
sold over 100,000 copies by August 2006.
[32]
Links 2003
was a nominee for
PC Gamer US
'
s "2002 Best Sports Game" award, which ultimately went to
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
. The magazine's Dan Morris called
Links 2003
"a terrific game".
[33]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Staff (November 1991). "Computer Gaming World's 1991 Games of the Year Awards".
Computer Gaming World
. No. 88. Golden Empire Publications, Inc. pp. 38?40, 58.
- ^
Devil's island course expansion
on
GameSpot
- ^
Davis Love III golfer expansion
from TheComputerShow.com
- ^
Sengstack, Jeff (August 15, 1996).
"Links LS"
.
GameSpot
. Archived from
the original
on December 12, 2004.
- ^
Robinson, Jon (March 29, 2004).
"Game Over"
.
IGN
. pp. 1?2. Archived from
the original
on June 5, 2004.
- ^
Feldman, Curt (December 17, 2004).
"Take-Two helps Microsoft get out of sports game"
.
GameSpot
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
GamesIndustry International (December 17, 2004).
"Microsoft sells off sports game studio to Take Two"
.
Eurogamer
. Archived from
the original
on December 4, 2011.
- ^
"Golf Simulators - Indoor Virtual Golf & Software - TruGolf"
.
TruGolf
.
- ^
Links: The Challenge of Golf
at
MobyGames
- ^
Links Extreme
comment
at Games.net
- ^
Microsoft LPGA Press Release
Archived
2009-03-26 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Links 2003
comment
Archived
2007-10-11 at the
Wayback Machine
at GameNationTV.com
- ^
Links 2003 Championship Edition Press Release
Archived
2009-03-26 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Links 2004
review
Archived
2007-10-12 at the
Wayback Machine
at ArmChairEmpire.com
- ^
Links Golf Courses Library
at LangKong.com
Archived
July 13, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
May, Scott A. (April 1997). "Links Lite: Microsoft Golf 3.0 Levels the Field for Win 95 Golfers".
Computer Gaming World
. p. 112.
- ^
a
b
Lackey, Jeff (June 19, 1998).
"Microsoft Golf: 1998 Edition"
.
Computer Games Strategy Plus
. Archived from
the original
on April 18, 2003.
Microsoft's golf sims in the past could be best described as "Links Lite": they were basically slightly modified versions of the venerable Links series.
- ^
May, Scott A. (October 1998). "Swing Time! Microsoft Steps Out of LINKS Shadow With a Decent New Golf Game".
Computer Gaming World
. p. 260.
Licensed from Access Software, versions 1-3 were essentially LINKS LITE [...]
- ^
Rosano, Paul (July 12, 1998).
"Microsoft's 'Golf' Has Handicaps"
.
Hartford Courant
. Retrieved
June 20,
2019
.
- ^
House, Michael L.
"Microsoft Golf 1999 Edition review"
.
AllGame
. Archived from
the original
on November 15, 2014
. Retrieved
June 20,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
McDonald, T. Liam (February 17, 1999).
"Golf 1999"
.
GameSpot
. Archived from
the original
on October 5, 2003.
[...] previous incarnations of Microsoft Golf were essentially Links Lite for Windows.
- ^
Products
Archived
2009-03-25 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"Links LS 1999"
.
GameRankings
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
"Links Extreme"
.
GameRankings
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
"Links LS 2000"
.
GameRankings
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
"Links 2001"
.
Metacritic
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
"Links 2003"
.
Metacritic
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
"Links 2004"
.
Metacritic
. Retrieved
July 19,
2019
.
- ^
"The 15 Most Innovative Computer Games"
.
Computer Gaming World
. November 1996. p. 102
. Retrieved
25 March
2016
.
- ^
"Top 100 Games of All Time".
Next Generation
. No. 21.
Imagine Media
. September 1996. p. 47.
- ^
Rosano, Paul (February 13, 2000).
"The Best Don't Always Sell"
.
Hartford Courant
.
Archived
from the original on April 2, 2018.
- ^
a
b
Edge
Staff (August 25, 2006).
"The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century"
.
Edge
. Archived from
the original
on October 17, 2012.
- ^
Morris, Dan (March 2003). "The Ninth Annual
PC Gamer
Awards".
PC Gamer US
.
10
(3): 48?50, 54, 58, 60, 66, 68, 70.
External links
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]
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