Last week, we participated in conference call with the producer of Top Spin 3 - Anthony DeLuca, where we were able to ask some questions pertaining to the upcoming Top Spin game. Now for those new to the series, this will be the second outing for Top Spin on the Xbox 360 console.

Among the many questions that were answered, one of them was what direction Top Spin 3 was heading in. Graphics was the obvious answer that we were looking for, but the team also put more of an emphasis on the shot mechanics. They wanted to do away with button mashing, and to make it more fluid. When asked what they were most proud of, we got the answers of improved gameplay, which is taken up a notch, the game being less static then previous versions, doing away with hitting “a” too much, and offering a more fluid game which will make both old and new Top Spin players enjoy the game.

Among the many questions asked, we were actually able to get one of our questions answered - Can we expect any changes from the previously announced playable character roster, and if so, will it involve DLC (downloadable content)?

Initially, they had planned to have characters locked from the start of the game, and as you progressed through the game, more players would become available. However, this idea was scrapped and every player will now be available from the start of the game. This is with the exception of Rafael Nadal, who will only be appearing in the Playstation 3 version due to lincensing agreements with Sony. The characters will also have a signature style that is similar to how they perform in real life.

As for unlockable items, Anthony made it clear that a variety of equipment, animations, clothing brands (from Nike, Lacoste, and Adidas just to mention a few), rackets, and shoes will all be available to unlock as you progress through the game. They do have plans for DLC though, as we briefly heard new characters, equipment, and more.

As for Xbox Live, sadly co-op doubles is still missing, but one feature they did explain was the online World Tour Mode. Every 2 weeks, a new tournament will start, the leaderboards will reset, and a new champion will be crowned, only to continually be restarting as you face random competitors in the competition. Sounds petty interesting if its pulled off correctly, so we’ll be waiting to try out the feature in an upcoming review of the game.

We also hope to have some achievement news very soon, so be on the lookout for it. If we missed anything that you were curious about, leave a comment below!