Rumors that Gran Turismo 6 will be available for the PlayStation 3 this holiday season have just been confirmed.
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Regional competition wrapped up for the Nissan Playstation GT Academy in the U.K., solidifying the date when a new pro race car driver will be chosen.
Fraught with delays and uncertainty, Texas’ latest race track, the Circuit of the Americas, is still under construction. Despite that, a digital version is ready to go, giving gamers the first crack at the new track.
Racing games have really evolved to the point where looking back at the original Gran Turismo or Forza compared to today’s releases is almost comical.
Have an appetite for Cadillac’s CTS-V Racecar? Now might be your chance to satisfy that hunger, with the cars official series in the iRacing.com online video game.
The popular Xbox racing simulator Forza Motorsport 4 has had monthly add-ons ever since it came out in October 2011. For April though they’ve released another car-pack featuring 10 very different and very interesting cars to play with.
The Aplinestars Pack features a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, fully decked out in racing livery. Gamers should be happy to note that 9 other interesting vehicles are included in the pack. For 560 Microsoft Points (about $7) you’ll get access to the 2011 Mercedes-Benz #35 Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3, 2011 Aston Martin #009 Aston Martin Racing AMR One, 2012 Jaguar XKR-S, 1995 BMW M5, 2011 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S, 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE, 1972 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3, 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, 2012 Scion tC and 1997 Volvo 850 R.
Turn10 studio, the company behind Forza Motorsport 4 has provided a cool trailer for the upcoming add-on, which will be available April 3. Check it out below.
Hillary Clinton, along other politicians, relied in past political campaigns on video games translating into real-life violence and consequence.
Please don’t show her this video, lest we endure another lecture on the dangers of digital entertainment. instead laugh at the Super Mario-themed clip featuring a scooter-rider dodging digital cones. Trust us, the video has a funny ending and it’s much better after having seen the full clip.
Watch it below.
Toyota GT 86 chief engineer Tetsuya Tada is turning to the virtual world in hopes of making cars fun for the younger generation.
It might come as a surprise to our readers, but there are actually people out there who couldn’t care less about cars or driving them. In fact, the man behind one of the cars we’re most excited about, the Toyota GT 86, or Scion FR-S as it will be called here, has two sons who fit that description.
Tada’s plan is to allow people driving the FR-S to sync up driving data via the controller area network bus in their car with their home gaming console or computer. We’re not exactly sure how it will work yet, but that data will translate into people being able to “drive in the real world against a virtual F1 driver. They can have fun with the data,” he said.
“Manufacturers like to blame young people for having no interest in cars. Maybe we should blame ourselves,” he said. “Manufacturers provided boring cars and focused on older people, because this is where the money is. We have abandoned young people.”
We’re not sure what he’s worried about, considering the FR-S is going to be a budget-conscious rear-wheel drive sports car, but it will be hard to argue with anything that lets us take our rides to task both in and out of the real world.
GALLERY: 2013 Scion FR-S
[Source: The Truth About Cars]
Go ahead and start the jokes now on how long it’ll be until Gran Turismo 6 sees daylight, but the creator of the famous racing simulator franchise has confirmed GT6 is currently under development. Kazunori Yamauchi made the comments during an interview at the SEMA Show’s Gran Turismo awards, where he also spoke about the new downloadable content (DLC) for GT5.
“Of course we’re working on GT6 already and I think what really will be the separating factor is something that we can’t update through a DLC is something that obviously has to be saved for GT6. Things that we can provide through DLC we will, so that’s really the market difference.”
So how far along are they in developing GT6? We’re not sure. The bigger question now is whether or not it’ll make it to Sony’s Playstation3 or its successor, the Playstation4. And will we have to endure delays if Polyphony decides that development should take place on the next-generation console once it’s officially announced? Guess we shouldn’t hold our breath, something tells us the next generation of drivers will be the ones lining up to get their hands on this one.
[Source: IGN]
Grand Theft Auto, the last word in automotive mischief, is back with its fifth installment. While previous video games in the franchise often follow the rise of a lowly thug making his way up to mob boss, Five follows an older, wealthier, and retired gangster who has chosen to move to a new town and start anew as a family man.
However, if there’s ever a truth in the land of GTA, it’s that trouble will always come looking for you. Check out Rockstar Game’s trailer of Grand Theft Auto V, featuring an obligatory cops and robbers chase scene with an awesome Aston Martin-looking power-retractable hardtop sports car.
If you feel the need for speed, you could win a new 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S.
To celebrate the upcoming release of Need for Speed: The Run, Electronic Arts is giving gamers a little incentive to join the game’s site. You don’t need to buy or pre-order the game to enter. All you have to do is sign up and fill out a few personal deets, and you’re in the running. If you already have an account registered with the site, all you have to do is login.
The contest is only open to people living in the US, Canada and UK, and there are some other restrictions listed in the fine print, but if you’re qualified to enter, what do you have to lose? You can enter of the Need for Speed: The Run contest site. And if you needed extra incentive to enter the contest, you can watch the sweepstakes video after the jump.
[Source: WorldCarFans]
After a half a decade of waiting, Gran Turismo 5 failed to really live up to the hype. But at the driving simulator’s launch the game’s creator Kazunori Yamauchi promised that this was just the beginning; and now we have a clear idea of what he meant.
Starting October 11th, a “Spec 2″ updated version of the game will be available for download with plenty of added features. Two of the most significant additions include the ability to save progress during an endurance race, as well as a new interior view for all “standard” cars. Previously only premium class cars were available with a view from behind the wheel.
Additional upgrades include 11 new NASCAR race cars from the 2011 season, adjustable weather conditions during a race, shortened load times, improve car physics, an improved and enhanced user interface, new features added to the Online Lounge and the ability to use the new Logitech G25/G27 steering wheels. But perhaps the best news is that the entire “Spec 2″ package will be available for download for free.
If you like tuner cars, you probably love the SEMA Show. At the 2011 installment of this custom car show, you could enter your personal ride to be forever immortalized in the digital world of the Gran Turismo game. Interested? Read on!
This year, as in some previous years, Sony/Polyphony will be holding a contest to see which show car should win the prize of being included in the next game. Five categories are open for the contest, which are Truck/SUV, Asian Import, European Import, Domestic Auto or Hot Rod.
The winner from each category will then be judged by Gran Turismo creator Kazumori Yamauchi, who is a bit of a car nut himself. He will pick just one car from the five categories to be sent to the digital lab for it to be reborn in the game. This vehicle will be included in the next installation of the Gran Turismo game.
Seeing how the last game took forever to hit the market, the winner of this contest is advised to not hold his/her breath waiting to see their ride appear in the game. Find out how to enter here.
The 2011 SEMA Show runs from November 1 – 4. Check out AutoGuide’s complete preview and coverage here.
If you like playing Nissan‘s GT Academy, you’ll want to watch the TV series that uses the popular video game to find the next racing superstar. Catch the five-part reality show on the Speed Network, where virtual gamers will compete for their chance to become a professional race car driver.
You get to see the last of a three-part competition, which started with 54,000 people that took to digital racetracks of GT5, hoping to take home the grand prize – a professional racing contract with Nissan. The gamers first competed online, racing Nissan vehicles on a variety of virtual raceways. Only 32 made the cut and they went to Orlando, Florida, to battle it out for the top 16 positions available.
Over the course of a week, the TV show was shot at the Silverstone Racing Complex in Silverstone, England. The brave 16 contestants were subjected to a series of physical and mental challenges, putting their skills to the test with an assortment of races and boot camp-style workouts. Judging to see who will come out on top are former race car drivers: Danny Sullivan (winner of the 1985 Indy 500); Tommy Kendall (the only American to finish Australia’s Bathurst 1000 race); and Liz Halliday (the most successful woman to race in the American Le Mans Series).
The show airs on the Speed Network starting September 20 and will run over five episodes, where the winner will be announced on the last show. As part of their grand prize, the winner will join a four-person team, joining the three winners of Nissan’s European GT Academy, and make their debut at the 24 Hours of Dubai in January 2012.
Teaming up with Activision Publishing, creators of the famed Call of Duty video game series, Jeep has introduced the MW3 Special Edition Wrangler.
Signifying Modern Warfare 3, the latest in the Call of Duty saga which goes on sale this November, the 2012 Wrangler MW3 is offered in exterior hues of either Black or Bright Silver and is based on the Rubicon and features the Rubicon wheels finished in black. Other features include a ‘Power Dome’ hood, and a raft of Mopar accessories, such as winch configured front bumper, special rear bumper, rock rails, taillight guards, Mopar fuel filler door and special MW3 rear mounted tire cover.
Designed for boonie bashing, the Wrangler MW3 sports 32-inch tires mounted on its Rubicon wheels as well as locking front and rear differentials, plus a two speed transfer case. Dealer installed options include a front winch and 2-inch lift kit.
Timed with the introduction of the game, the Call of Duty MW3 Special Edition Wrangler, available in two-door Limited and four-door Unlimited configurations is slated to arrive at Jeep retailers this November.
Ever wonder how race tracks in modern racing games have such a realistic look and feel to them? If you’re as geeky about racing games as we are, you probably did and now thanks to the team at Turn 10, the people responsible for the Forza games for Xbox 360, will show you how its done.
In the video, the team at Turn 10 shows you how they take a real track like Hockenheim and turn it into a video game. They take centimeter accurate measurements and look out for details like elevation changes and cambers.
Forza Motorsports 4 comes out on October 11th of this year.
Hit the jump to see the official video
Happening right now out in Cologne, Germany is Gamescom, the world’s largest trade fair and event for video games and entertainment. And with all the passionate automotive enthusiasts in Germany, it’s no surprise that Sony wanted to make a statement in their booth by teaming up with Audi to show off a whole new way to play Gran Turismo 5. Custom built by quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm, the PlayStation Racing Simulator that’s currently setup at the booth is a full-on carbon-black Audi R8 LMS imitation race car.
The cockpit features the same bucket seat that one would find in the GT3 car, while they’ve added an additional one for a passenger to spectate. The roll cage has been simplified to make it easier to get in and out of the simulator, but players get to hold onto an authentic race steering wheel that’s been hooked up to the PlayStation 3 and enjoys full Dolby Surround Sound as they power their way through twists and turns.
What puts it altogether though are the pneumatic cylinders located where the race car’s suspension would be. This allows the virtual racer to really feel the physics of driving while in the cockpit of the simulator. That means they feel every bit of the centrifugal forces while cornering, braking and accelerating. According to reports, it took Audi and Sony six weeks to assemble the entire unit, far longer than it takes to build a real car.
Auto enthusiasts who enjoy gaming will be happy to know that Top Gears Jeremy Clarkson will be spicing up Forza Motorsport 4, as he will be featured in the XBOX 360 game. Top Gear UK and Microsoft have been working to create a partnership between the witty British motoring show and Forza Motorsport.
The partnership will consist of Clarkson writing and vocally recording his own witty takes on a series of cars ranging from the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to the McLaren F1. Players will be able to listen to Clarkson’s reviews of cars in the game when choosing a vehicle to use.
Interestingly, Forza 4 will also allow players to enter virtual showrooms where the user can open car doors, examine wheels and look under car hoods. Dan Greenawalt, a developer of Forza Motorsport 4 said, “We thought about how people want to interact with cars, to move around one, open the doors, kick the tires,”. “Our goal with this is to turn gamers into car lovers, and car lovers into gamers”, according to Greenawalt.
Video game and auto enthusiasts can expect to see Forza Motorsport 4 out on October 11 in the U.S.
[Source: New York Times]
Now that we’ve all had some time to settle in on the disappoint that was Gran Turismo 5, virtual racers can look forward to the upcoming release of the Xbox 360 flagship driving simulator, Forza Motorsport 4. On October 11th, gamers from all around the world will be able to experience the next installment of the Forza Motorsport series, and with it comes a limited collector’s edition packed with virtual goodies, and a few actual ones too!
The limited collector’s edition of Forza Motorsport 4 will feature a Steelbook DVD case along with a VIP virtual car pack that includes a 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge, 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, 2010 Noble M600 and 2011 RUF Rt 12 R. Those willing to pre-order Forza Motorsport 4 will get a limited quantity “Ship Bonus” car pack which consists of a 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe, 2011 Koenigsegg Agera, 1997 Lexus SC300, 2011 RUF RGT-8 and 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport.
That’s not all, as there will also be a 10 car add-on pack that features some of the best American muscle cars the game has to offer. The not-so-exclusive content will be custom-designed BMW cars that were part of the Forza Motorsport 4 BMW Design Challenge. Though it will come with the collector’s edition, users will be able to purchase the content from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
Think that’s it? Of course not. Non-virtual goodies will include a 96-page book titled Cars of Forza Motorsport 4 Presented by Top Gear” and features commentary accompanying the in-game Autovista experience. You’ll also get some vinyl stickers, VIP Membership status to the online community and an exclusive BMW theme available for download on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
Last but not least, Forza Motorsport 4 is really leveraging their relationship with BMW by featuring the all new M5 as the box cover car. The M5 can be downloaded as a drivable car via Xbox LIVE Marketplace (included in the collector’s edition) and gamers will be able to enjoy Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson talk about the M5 in the Autovista mode.
Forza Motorsport 4 is shaping up to become one of the greatest, if not the greatest, driving simulator game ever. Whether or not you believe Gran Turismo still holds that title is up to you, but we’re hoping that Forza lives up to the hype, unlike its Sony-exclusive competitor.
[Source: ForzaMotorsport.net]
Microsoft is enjoying a new generation of success with the release of its Kinect add-on for the Xbox 360, but true gamers aren’t fooled by all the motion-sensing gimmickry. The thought of enjoying Forza 4 while waving your hands and arms aimlessly in the air pretending to drive a car is a little discerning, to say the least. So we’re more than a little grateful to see that Microsoft will be releasing a new Wireless Speed Wheel for those that still want to hold something in their hands while they virtually drive.
Forza 4 isn’t too far behind and it looks like the release of this wheel will be synced in time for those passionate virtual racers. Interestingly enough, this wheel isn’t your standard circular steering wheel, but rather a U-shaped device that Microsoft found to be a compromise between a comfortable controller and a steering wheel. Even better is its affordable price tag at $59.99, set to release on September 26th.
The Wireless Speed Wheel does feature motion sensors for accurate steering, trigger buttons for acceleration and braking, your standard Xbox 360 buttons for game interactivity (though the shoulder buttons are noticeably missing, but shouldn’t impact driving games) and Rumble feedback. So for those that have been cringing at the price tag of Logitech’s offerings, this may be your best bet to get an affordable, real-world driving experience. Just don’t be that guy magically driving in Forza 4 with nothing in your hands…please, don’t be that guy.
GALLERY: Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel
With auto/gamer enthusiast eagerly awaiting the release of Forza Motorsport 4 for XBOX 360, they will be happy to know an new element to the gameplay has been implemented to enhance the experience. Head-Tracking is the brand new feature offered through the Kinect system, allowing the gamer to lean in and out of corners as well as look in different directions from within the cockpit by moving your head.
For those not familiar with Kinect, it is basically a motion sensing device based loosely on a webcam that allows users to control gaming actions with their movements, rather than pushing buttons on a regular joystick.
The head-tracking feature allows the driver to look through the turn, which as any professional driving instructor will tell you, is a vital action when executing an apex turn.
The Kinect head tracking element looks pretty interesting. Check out the video after the jump!
With all the publicity Ken Block has created with his Gymkhana videos, and now more recently the Gymkhana Grid events, it’s no surprise that the digital video game world has embraced it as well. Given the popularity of the Gran Turismo series (and even Forza Motorsport) we can’t say we’re a bit surprised that another popular video game racing series has brought Gymkhana to homes.
DiRT 3 by Codemasters will be featuring a Gymkhana Mode in addition to the traditional off-road racing gameplay. And what better way to show off the upcoming entertainment than with a demo of Ken Block’s Ford Fiesta doing its best job re-enacting one of his videos in the game? Suddenly we have a new game to anxiously wait for a release date on.
Check out the video after the jump:
[Source: Jalopnik]
AutoGuide.com is giving you the chance to own THE driving simulation game. That’s right, with GT5 having just launched, AutoGuide has obtained two copies and we’ve giving them away to our fans on Facebook.
To enter to win, all you have to do is visit AutoGuide’s Facebook page here and click the ‘Like’ button. It’s that easy.
Winners will be drawn from our list of Facebook fans with one draw on December 15th and another on January 4th. (Anyone who already ‘likes’ AutoGuide on Facebook has been automatically entered – aren’t we nice!)
Already own GT5? We’re sure you could use an extra copy to give as a present over the holidays; using the world’s greatest racing simulator to buy the love of a friend, relative or even a stranger.
And why not? That’s what we’re doing.
There is a whole lot going on right now at Tokyo Game Show 2010, including the release of a new trailer for Gran Turismo 5. Yes, the game that everyone has been highly anticipating for what seems like the past decade, is very close to release… we hope.
The trailer shows off just how grand the scope of Gran Turismo 5′s development is. We don’t even have to address just how detailed the courses and vehicles look, or just how accurate everything is expected to be from driving simulator to engine modification. But what’s just going to blow us away (when we finally get our dirty hands on it) is the variety of game play we’ll get to experience.
Forget just fighting your way to obtain licenses and pack up your garage with as many cars as you want. Gran Turismo 5 is going to usher in a new era of driving simulation with so many different racing modes that you’ll be able to experience what it’s like to be a race car driver in all different styles; from NASCAR, to rally racing to vintage street cars.
Will the game be worth the wait? Or will the anticipation and promises kill it before it’s even released? We’re always a little skeptical when something tries to be a jack of all trades and ends up being an ace of none. Let’s hope this isn’t the case with Gran Turismo 5!