Warp Zoned Presents
Author: Mike Gutierrez
A look at Forza Motorsport 4’s development
After Forza 3‘s two year-plus performance at retail was outsold by Gran Turismo 5 in little over a month, Turn 10 Studios is hard at work to take the racing sim crown with Forza Motorsport 4. This hard work was recently exposed in an excellent article at MSN Autos, exploring how racing games like Gran Turismo, Forza, and the upcoming NASCAR The Game 2011 translate real world driving into interactive entertainment.
As you can imagine, developing these racing sims is getting really insane. For example, Turn 10 is incorporating proprietary performance data from tire manufacturers like Pirelli to emulate how tires grip and slip in the game. Additionally, the team spends two three days accumulating terabytes of video and pictures to render every track down to subcentimeter accuracy. Finally, the developers teased a little bit about “Kinect-only Mode,” where you’ll be able to lean inside of the car in cockpit view to peek around blind corners or your competitors’ vehicles. The article also features input from the developers of NASCAR The Game 2011.
It’s been a big day for racing game news, and any fan of the sim sub-genre in particular should check out the article. Racing games are just as guilty as FPS for over-saturating the market this generation, but with the games still breaking new ground in accuracy, bring ’em on I say.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Forza Motorsport 4, Gran Turismo 5, NASCAR 2011: The Game
GDC schedule finalized, explores NGP details and Gears of War success
The conference schedule for GDC is set, and attendees can start planning their day with the Schedule Builder online or from their mobile device. Newly confirmed is the Sony lecture “Next Generation Portable Platform,” where David Coombes will detail the variety of inputs and connectivity of the successor to the PSP and explain what they mean for developers.
Also confirmed is Executive Producer Rod Fergusson’s lecture on the Gears of War trilogy, titled “Scoping Success.” The talk will focus on how managing the game’s scope can overcome pitfalls such as “shipping dates, fierce competition or lack of marketing.” Hopefully he’ll be able to explain why his company failed to make Unreal Tournament III the smashing success their once-flagship franchise should have been.
GDC 2011 will take place from February 28 to March 4 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Stay tuned at Warp Zoned for all the announcements, talks, and juicy details.
Posted in News
Tagged GDC 2011, Gears of War, Unreal Tournament III
NASCAR The Game 2011 captures Daytona 500
“As a kid growing up, this is what you dream of, of being able to win the Daytona 500.” – Jamie McMurray
This quote from the defending champion sets off a new trailer for NASCAR 2011: The Game, giving a players an idea of what to expect when they partake in the most prestigious race in American motorsport. The video displays the Daytona 500 during different times of day and the intense action in cockpit view, which really seems to portray the sense of speed and danger the entrants experience. I’ve gotten into it a lot lately with Gran Turismo 5, but it looks like this might be the definitive simulation of the second most popular sport on television.
Posted in News, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged NASCAR 2011: The Game
Champions Online grows 1000% after going free, gives back special XP boost
Atari and Cryptic took a bold, if not contemporary venture when they launched Champions Online: Free for All last month, nixing the required subscription for the ambitious MMO and moving to an a la carte model for premium content. It seems to have paid off immensely, as the game’s “online concurrent user, unique login and revenue totals” have increased by over 1000%. As a way of saying thank you, the developers have released an XP boost for all players which you can activate from the C-Store tab or here. CEO John Needham said “we’re extremely proud of what the Champions team has accomplished with the Free for All launch. It’s a pleasure to thank our fans and welcome new ones with this gift.”
It’s always interesting to see new pricing trends emerge in gaming, and certainly delightful when semi-altruistic endeavors like this pay off for the developers. If you haven’t checked out the game, now would be a better time than ever to do so.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Champions Online
Ubisoft porting Dance on Broadway to PlayStation Move for PS3 on March 15
In the wave of Wii games being converted to PlayStation Move, Ubisoft has announced Dance on Broadway will be releasing for PlayStation 3 on March 15. The game contains 25 songs from over 20 legendary Broadway shows, both classic and modern, including “Time Warp” from Rocky Horror, “Ease on Down the Road” from the Wiz, and “Out Tonight” from Rent, which, while incredible, is not necessarily my idea of a family show. Players can get a quick pick up and play experience in Party Mode, or start their dramatic careers saving the Little Triumph Theatre in Become a Star Mode. Each player requires a PlayStation Move controller, while stars willing to take on a more complex routine can dance with two. Dance on Broadway will be available March 15 on PlayStation 3 for $39.99.
Three new DLC packs souped-up for Need For: Speed Hot Pursuit
EA announced today that starting on February 22, a new DLC pack for Need for Speed Hot Pursuit will be released every week on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network in the following order: Armed and Dangerous, Lamborghini Untamed, and Porsche Unleashed (OMG THE PORSCHE UNLEASHED LOL). Armed and Dangerous includes two new multiplayer modes, while the latter two contain three new cars (playable as both cops and racers) from their respective manufacturers as well as ten new events. All packs contain four new trophies/achievements and will run you $6.99 or 560 Microsoft Points. Hit the jump for more details on the modes and cars.
(more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
Sony launches Music Unlimited by Qriocity today on PlayStation 3
It’s been a long time coming, but Sony has officially launched their cloud-based, streaming music service Music Unlimited, powered by Qriocity (wow that’s a nightmare to spell). Supported devices include internet-enabled Bravia TV’s, Blu Ray players, VAIO laptops, PC’s, and of course, the PlayStation 3. Support for PSP’s and other mobile devices is coming soon. The service boasts over six million songs from both major and independent labels and publishers from around the world. What supposedly differentiates Music Unlimited is how well it learns your preferences and makes suggestions for you based on every song you play. The service comes in both Basic and Premium flavors, at $3.99 and $9.99 a month, respectively. While both plans provide uninterrupted, commercial-free music streaming, Premium allows you to “access additional premium music channels, search the entire music database, play songs on demand and create custom playlists.”
You can check out the service for yourself later today when a free 30-day trial will be available, as well as check out a video walkthrough after the break. I’m interested in seeing how this service will run on the PSP, when I’m constantly changing Wi-Fi hotspots, although the Basic package might be worth it if I pick up an Xperia Play.
(more…)
Pass Go and collect $200 with Monopoly Millionaires on Facebook
If you’ve been feeling depressed lately, you can take solace that we have finally achieved the pinnacle of Western civilization: EA and Hasbro have launched today Monopoly Millionaires on Facebook. The social game provides a new take on the classic board game franchise, allowing players to develop the sophistication of their own boards which their Facebook friends can then play on. Mechanics of the game itself have also been supplemented, with a deeper process for developing properties, such as turning on the electricity to get more money. A new progression system allows you to get better at the game as you play it; hopefully these don’t result in game-breaking advantages for players.
I checked out the game for a minute on Facebook and it seems to have both the accessibility of the source material as well as the social and progression aspects to keep you addicted for a long time. Monopoly Millionaires is available now, further exposing how much downtime there is at the American workplace.