MotorStorm: Apocalypse - End of the World Interview

Evolution Studios has released a new video of their MotorStorm: Apocalypse. See how the apocalypse can turn into your motorsport playground with Art Director Simon O'Brien of Evolution Studios.

The abandoned metropolis is the perfect playground for a genre-thrashing, all-new MotorStorm action racing festival. Leave all expectations about street racing behind and embrace multi-vehicle action across the tops of unstable skyscrapers, through ravaged buildings, into darkened subways and over twisting bridges while jaw-dropping quakes tear the city apart in real time!

MotorStorm: Apocalypse is an upcoming 2011 racing video game by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is scheduled for release in Q4 2011.

Need for Speed Shift 2 – Gameplay videos

IGN has released 2 gameplay videos of the Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed showing us the race at Bathurst race track and night racing.

Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed is an upcoming racing video game, the 17th title in the Need for Speed franchise, under development by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Electronic Arts. The game is the direct sequel to the critically acclaimed 2009 video game Need for Speed: Shift and expands on the gameplay and features introduced with the original. Shift 2 will feature 145 cars from 36 manufacturers and 35 different tracks, which players can compete in several types of races. The game will also feature new features such as an in-helmet cam, night-time racing and the Autolog feature introduced with Hot Pursuit.

Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed will be released on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It will be available in Europe on March 24th, 2011.

InsideSimRacing.tv - Xbox 360 F-1 Converter

InsideSimRacing.tv presents the Xbox 360 F-1 Converter for Logitech Wheels.

With Logitech being one of the most popular wheels on the market today it is no surprise that most people would want to use one on the Xbox 360. That has always been impossible because they are not compatible with the Xbox 360. The XCM converter claims to allow logitech wheels to be used on the Xbox 360.

Need for Speed Shift 2 – Authenticity and Realism Trailer

Slightly Mad Studios and Electronic Arts have released a new trailer of the Need for Speed with SHIFT 2: Unleashed.

Top racecar drivers, including Tommy Milner, Edward Sandstrom and drift champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. all spent a great deal of time with the team at Slightly Mad Studios, helping make SHIFT 2 Unleashed the most realistic racing game you'll ever play.If you wanted an authentic racing experience, look no further than SHIFT 2 Unleashed. The new 'helmet cam' view puts you inside the heads of the best race car drivers, who are always plotting their next move on the track, and drifters, who need to avoid walls at all costs.

Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed will be released on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It will be available in Europe on March 29th, 2011.

InsideSimRacing.tv - Racing Wheel Buyers Guide for PS3 & PC

InsideSimRacing.tv  presents a racing wheel buyers guide for the PS3 and PC. They decided to put together this guide, to tell you about 10 Force Feedback wheel and pedal sets that work great on the PS3 and the PC as well. Jessica test drove every one and along with Darin, tell you how much each wheel is, a few details about each so that you can decide, which wheel is best for you. They put 10 wheels in this guide to give you a wide range to choose from and check out. From Logitech they look at the Black Momo, Driving Force Pro, Driving Force GT, G25 & G27. Then from Fanatec they check out the Carerra, 911 GT3 RS and GT2 and finally two entries from Thrustmaster the F430 and new T500RS.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 - Review by GameTrailers.com

GameTrailers.com has released a video review of the Test Drive Unlimited 2 developed by Eden Studios.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is set on the island of Ibiza. The developers at Eden Studios used actual topographic information to design the environment and recreated a number of the island's towns in detail. All the road networks are designed to be as true to life as possible, so players will feel like they're really racing on Ibiza itself. The island has a full day/night cycle (and weather effects!) which spans approximately two hours, so players will be driving their cars of choice through rainy nights and brilliant sunsets.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 expands on the traditional racing experience providing gamers with Massively Open Online Racing; immersing drivers in a persistent online environment and revolutionising multiplayer racing communities as players compete, team up, and share their achievements and creations online. Unlike any other driving game, TDU2 blends the open world experience with realistic vehicles and performance dynamics and for the first time, TDU2 features vehicle damage, weather effects, day and night cycles, and a brand new island to explore.

Need for Speed Shift 2 – Pagani Huayra Trailer

Slightly Mad Studios and Electronic Arts present a new gameplay trailer of the Need for Speed with SHIFT 2: Unleashed highlighting the Pagani Huayra.

The game will ship with Autolog, an all-pervasive online hub that records race performances and lap times etc. before allowing gamers to share this info with friends. Beyond that, an all-new rendering engine has been built for Shift 2 by Slightly Mad Studios complete with a full graphical overhaul for the series. Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed will include the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship & GT3 European Championship among lots of other racing content.

Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed will be released on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It will be available in Europe on March 29th, 2011.

rFactor 2 - Preview Nissan 370Z

Image Space Incorporated has released a new preview screenshot of the rFactor 2 showing the Nissan 370Z.

rFactor 2 will bring various improvements to the simulation such as weather, driver animations and better graphics.

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit - Triple Threat Content Pack Trailer

High-speed cop chases not exciting enough for you? Hot Pursuit has three content packs coming your way to spice up your Need for Speed life.

From Criterion, the award-winning studio behind the Burnout series, Hot Pursuit will redefine racing games for a whole new generation. You'll experience stunning speeds, takedowns, and getaways as you battle your friends in the most connected Need for Speed game ever. Through Need for Speed Autolog and its innovative approach to connected social competition, your Hot Pursuit experience will extend beyond the console onto the web, constantly moving your gameplay in new and unique directions.

netKar Pro – 1.3 Beta B Released

Kunos Simulazioni has released an update for their new version of netKar PRO 1.3 Beta.

Changelog
- Fixed crash in multiplayer races when client leaving the session
- Added the option to disable autoclutch in the Vintage
- Fixed unrealistic wheel steer for all the cars
- Fixed steer ratio range on the Vintage
- Added setup item to enable brake power editing on the Osella
- Fixed tyre audio skid levels on the Osella
- Fixed wing mirrors on the Vintage
- Fixed Osella appearing as “FTarget” in the time monitor
- Fixed driver face on the Osella
- Fixed range on the power multiplier on the Vintage
- Removed wrong 6th gear ratio setup on the Osella
- Fixed cockpit camera position on the Osella and Vintage
- Improved Vintage GT SFX sound

Licence for netKar PRO costs €14.90. You will get 5 circuits with various configurations, 1 hill-climb track Trento-Bondone and 8 different cars.

Download netKar Pro 1.3 Beta B Update (2.6MB)

2011 NASCAR iRacing Drivers World Championship - Daytona

The 2011 NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship season began on February 15th at Daytona International Speedway. 40 drivers began the 18 race season. The champion will win $10,500 cash. iRacer, Ray Alfalla, won the opening round in a wild race marked by big crashes and exciting racing action.

NASCAR 2011 The Game – Daytona 500 Trailer

Eutechnyx has released a new trailer of their NASCAR 2011 The Game highlighting Daytona 500 "The Great American Race".

NASCAR 2011 claims to feature "the most detailed damage and collision effects ever produced in a officially licensed racing game". It will also have an online component as well as a career mode which will enable you to play as yourself or any other real-life NASCAR driver. It will include the 2010 & 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons and it will feature 22 different tracks to race on.

The planned release in February has been postponed to March 29th. NASCAR 2011 The Game, will be released for the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

NASCAR 2011 The Game – Pocono race gameplay video

Eutechnyx has released a new gameplay video of their NASCAR 2011 The Game showing #42 Juan Pablo Montoya race from the back of the pack at Pocono.

NASCAR 2011 claims to feature "the most detailed damage and collision effects ever produced in a officially licensed racing game". It will also have an online component as well as a career mode which will enable you to play as yourself or any other real-life NASCAR driver. It will include the 2010 & 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons and it will feature 22 different tracks to race on.

The planned release in February has been postponed to March 29th. NASCAR 2011 The Game, will be released for the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

DiRT 3 - Keep It Real Developer Diary

Realism is the name of the game in Dirt 3, and the developers are here to answer some questions about that in this trailer.

DiRT 3 will feature over 50 cars that can be raced on over 100 stages. It will also offer the '70s cars such as the Lancia Stratos, the famously fierce Group B cars of the mid-80s are represented by Quattro S1, RS2000 and Peugeot 205 among others. The '90s gives us the Toyota Celica, the Lancia Delta Integrale or Colin McRae's Subaru Impreza.

DiRT 3 is scheduled for release on May 24th, 2011 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

iRacing.com - Skip Barber Promotion

iRacing.com is offering 1-Month Membership + Skip Barber for free! Also included in the membership:

* Unlimited head-to-head racing and open practice 24/7 in the world’s premier online sim racing service
* 6 Cars and 8 tracks with 15 configurations modeled flawlessly after their real-world counterparts
* Rookie road and oval licenses to start your online racing career
* Customizable race leagues or fun race sessions for you and your friends, using any car and track combination
* Interactive iRacing video driving school

For the activation use this hyperlink or enter “PR-Skip” on the Subscription page. Offer valid for new accounts only. It expires 31.12.2011.

netKar Pro – 1.3 Beta released

Kunos Simulazioni has released a new version of netKar PRO 1.3 Beta.

Graphics
- New shaders
- Improved track textures (Aosta)
- Improved tyre lighting

Gameplay
- Weather conditions
- Puddles
- Tarmac reflections
- Thunder and lightning effects

Physics
- New Tyre model

Multiplayer
- Reduced server CPU usage when idle
- Added "Damage Level" setting

Additional contents
- Classic GT Vintage
- Osella PA21-S
- Trento-Bondone Hillclimb Course 

Licence for netKar PRO costs €14.90. You will get 5 circuits with various configurations, 1 hill-climb track Trento-Bondone and 8 different cars.

Download netKar Pro 1.3 Beta

iRacing.com - Daytona 500 Promotion

iRacing.com is offering 1-Month Membership + Chevy Impala SS + Daytona International Speedway for only $15. That’s a savings of 61%! Also included in the membership:

* Unlimited head-to-head racing and open practice 24/7 in the world’s premier online sim racing service
* 6 Cars and 8 tracks with 15 configurations modeled flawlessly after their real-world counterparts
* Rookie road and oval licenses to start your online racing career
* Customizable race leagues or fun race sessions for you and your friends, using any car and track combination
* Interactive iRacing video driving school

For the activation use this hyperlink or enter “PR-Daytona 2011” on the Subscription page. Offer valid for new accounts only. It expires 01.03.2011.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 - Launch Trailer

Atari has released a launch trailer of their Test Drive Unlimited 2. The game has been released on February 8th, 2011 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 expands on the traditional racing experience providing gamers with Massively Open Online Racing; immersing drivers in a persistent online environment and revolutionising multiplayer racing communities as players compete, team up, and share their achievements and creations online. Unlike any other driving game, TDU2 blends the open world experience with realistic vehicles and performance dynamics and for the first time, TDU2 features vehicle damage, weather effects, day and night cycles, and a brand new island to explore.

rFactor 2 - Preview Tire Damage

Image Space Incorporated has released a preview screenshot of the rFactor 2 showing a visible tire wear. Click on the small picture above to see a full size (4MB) preview screenshot.

If you flatspot a tire in rFactor 2 not only will the flatspot be simulated, it'll be simulated in the spot you actually wore down. Not only that, but it will be visually represented in the spot you actually wore down.  If you are wearing out your tires and they're beginning to grain on one side, you'll see that graining on one side.Whatever damage your tire has, you'll see it, you'll feel it.

NASCAR 2011 The Game – Developer Diary: Full Seasons

Eutechnyx has released a new developer diary video of their NASCAR 2011 The Game. Eutechnyx and Activision promise to bring the full NASCAR experience home in this developer diary.

NASCAR 2011 claims to feature "the most detailed damage and collision effects ever produced in a officially licensed racing game". It will also have an online component as well as a career mode which will enable you to play as yourself or any other real-life NASCAR driver. It will include the 2010 & 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons and it will feature 22 different tracks to race on.

The planned release in February has been postponed to March 29th. NASCAR 2011 The Game, will be released for the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

InsideSimRacing.tv - DiRT 3 Developer Interview

InsideSimRacing.tv presents a Jessica Lopez interview with Paul Coleman the Producer of DiRT 3. They talk about the subtle differences between DiRT 2 and DiRT 3 as well as the obvious changes like the addition of Gymkhana. This includes exclusive captured footage by Inside Sim Racing in addition to the interview.

rFactor 2 - Drying Line Video

Image Space Incorporated has released new preview video of the rFactor 2 weather system.

Starting out at full wet at the start of the session and scheduled to get lighter then stop raining about half way through, this is obviously a lot less random than most races racers may do when the product is released. Things to watch out for include clouds and shadows shifting (according to wind and sun direction), light coming and going according to the clouds moving overhead, the wet reflectiveness going away, the rubber build up and eventually the marbles, too. Things to note are that this is work-in-progress.

The laps to create the dry line were done with AI. When a human is driving (or the AI decides multiple lines work) where you drive actually determines where on the track is dried or rubbered in. You can see a dry and then rubber line starting to build into the pitlane as well as around the race track. There was also two incidents going into that turn which created additional skidmarks on the apex and just outside of the apex during the 1hr 30mins the footage was captured from. Usually I captured each 5 seconds just after a pack of cars had passed, the racing line would get partially wet again shortly afterwards before the next group.

InsideSimRacing.tv - Shift 2 Unleashed Developer Interview

InsideSimRacing.tv presents a Jessica Lopez interview with Jesse Abney the Producer for Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed. They talk in detail about Shift 2 and its gravitation towards a full blown racing sim. Also included is Shaun and Jessicas opinion of the game after getting a chance to play a very early version of it on the Fanatec GT2 wheel.

MotoGP 10/11 - Pedrosa Laguna Seca Trailer

Capcom has released a new gameplay trailer of their racing game Moto GP 10/11 showing the motorbike driver Pedrosa at Laguna Seca Raceway.

As with MotoGPTM 09/10, MotoGP 10/11 will continue to offer the most robust online mode in a racing title, allowing up to 20 players to compete in a Championship race. Gamers can choose their racing settings and join in mid-race with spectator mode to check out the competition before the race starts.

Need for Speed Shift 2 – Lighting & Damage Interview

EA Games has released a new trailer of the Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed highlighting details on the damage, lighting, mechanics and physics systems.

The game will ship with Autolog, an all-pervasive online hub that records race performances and lap times etc. before allowing gamers to share this info with friends. Beyond that, an all-new rendering engine has been built for Shift 2 by Slightly Mad Studios complete with a full graphical overhaul for the series. Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed will include the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship & GT3 European Championship among lots of other racing content.

Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed will be released on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It will be available in Europe on March 10th, 2011.