Race Driver GRID Gamplay Video - Yokohama Docks

Codemasters have released a new gameplay video from Race Driver GRID. The video shows a Nissan taking part in a drift event.

Capcom gets license for MotoGP on all platforms.

Capcom have announced they have secured the license to MotoGP on all platforms, previously licensed to THQ. This gives Capcom the exclusive rights to produced games an peripherals based on MotoGP for the next five years with the first game to be released this year.

Inside Sim Racing

Watch the March edition of Inside Sim Racing

Vehicle deformations to appear in Gran Turismo

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi has said that he expects vehicle deformation to appear in his games very soon.

Speaking on Gamer TV Yamauchi said "We really, really want to put damage onto our vehicles, We've had a lot of discussions with the manufacturers and, although at the beginning they hated the idea of deformation, now they're slowly coming around to it" adding "We've still got a few to convince, but we will. Expect deformation in the very near future: very, very soon,".

The full version of Gran Turismo 5 is around a year away from release while the prologue will be made available on PSN later today.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Review

Eurogamer.net have posted a review for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

Doing things in high definition takes longer. We all know that. The average car in Gran Turismo 4 was made up of over 4,000 polygons. The figure for GT5 Prologue is meant to be higher than 200,000. Being pretty goes a long way, but with 71 cars and just six tracks (High Speed Ring, Daytona, Fuji Speedway, Eiger Nordwand from Gran Turismo HD Concept, Suzuka Circuit and a section of central London), it will have to go a very long way, right? That's not a lot of content, even when you factor in a second variation of each track. GT4 had 721 cars. GT5 Prologue launches in Europe with 71. We may be 11 million polygons ahead, but we're 650 cars behind.

Superbike 08 Question And Answers

Gamespot have held a questions and answers session with game producer Fabio Paglianti about Milestone's latest game SBK 08 Superbike World Championship which will be released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year.

Forza 2 DLC Car List

Microsoft Game Studios have released the list of new cars included in the DLC which was released today on xbox live.

Car List

2008 Audi S5

2007 Audi TT Coupe S-Line

1971 BMW 3.0 CSL E09

2008 BMW E92 M3

1989 Ferrari F40 Competizione

1996 Ferrari F50 GT

2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia

2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

2007 Maserati GranTurismo

2006 Maserati MC12 Corsa

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR

2008 Porsche 911 GT2 (997)

2007 Peugeot #1 Peugeot 207 Super 2000 (Xbox Livery)

Ferrari F1 in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

Polyphony Digital are to include the Ferrari F1 in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue European release and can be purchased in game for 2 million credits.

New DLC for Forza 2 on 19th March

Microsoft Game Studios will be releasing more downloadable content for Forza 2 on the 19th March 2008.

The trailer below shows what you can expect to be included.

SRT Road Trip - Daytona

Darin and Shaun of SRT have posted a video of their recent road trip to Daytona for the ARCA REmax race. While at the race they also hung out with the Sim Factory developers who are developing a simulation for the ARCA race series.

SRT: Arca Sim Racing Launch - See who won the cockpit !

In this weeks episode Shaun and Darin announce who won the virtual cockpit and discuss the sim factory and there new NASCAR simulation.

Updated Google Toolbar Button

If you are a motorsportgaming.com google toolbar button user. I have updated the button. I recommend you download the update so that you continue to have the features associated with the button and any new ones which are added in the future.

There are two ways in which you can edit and update your button.

Basic way:

1. Under google toolbar options remove the current button.
2. Click here to add the new button.
3. Done!

Advanced way:

1. Under google toolbar options select the motorsportgaming.com button and click "edit"
2. Now click "advanced" and a new window will open containing a xml editor.
3. Replace the line http://www.motorsportgaming.com/main/motorsportgaming_button.xml with http://oldsite.motorsportgaming.com/motorsportgaming_button.xml
4. Done!
5. If you want you can add more functions to the button which I do not include. Visit the google button api guide to view what other features you maybe able to add.

Thanks.

New Pontiac TV Ad based on 80's classic

In a loosely motorsport gaming related way the new Pontiac G8 TV Ad is based on the old 80's classic Spyhunter.

CNAME Update

Sorry if you are unable to access Motorsportgaming.com. I recently had to update the CNAME record for motorsportgaming.com so that it points to the new server that the site is located on. However due to DNS propagation it will take some time before the site will be available to view (3-10 Days). Luckily the RSS feed is still working!

Jeff Gordan NASCAR 09 Cover Boy

EA Sports have announced Jeff Gordan will be the NASCAR legend that will appear on the cover of NASCAR 09.

"It's exciting being on the cover of NASCAR 09," says Gordon. "The game is as real as it gets and it's been great being involved with it on this level. I look forward to helping gamers in NASCAR 09."

EA Sports Press Release:

EA Announces Jeff Gordon as NASCAR 09 Cover Athlete

Four-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon Featured on Cover of EA SPORTS NASCAR 09

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Start your engines! Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced Jeff Gordon, legendary NASCAR® driver of car #24, will be featured as the cover athlete for EA SPORTS™ NASCAR 09. NASCAR 09 is scheduled to ship in North America on June 10 and will offer an authentic, exhilarating stock car driving experience for racing fans of all ages.

One of NASCAR's most celebrated and successful drivers for more than a decade, Gordon is ranked 6th all time in Cup Series wins with 81 and is a four time Sprint Cup Series champion. Gordon is a member and partial owner of Hendrick Motorsports.

"It's exciting being on the cover of NASCAR 09," says Gordon. "The game is as real as it gets and it's been great being involved with it on this level. I look forward to helping gamers in NASCAR 09."

Gordon's prestigious reputation aligns with the new NASCAR 09 career mode, "Sprint for the Cup." Gordon will bring the game to you as a guide and a mentor to help you build your reputation to become the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. With a completely rebuilt handling model, the game will be more accessible to newcomers while continuing to offer options that will challenge even the most experienced virtual driver. NASCAR 09 is an authentic NASCAR experience that will appeal to every type of NASCAR enthusiast.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, NASCAR 09 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 and PLAYSTATION 2 computer entertainment systems and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.

EA SPORTS is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL®, NBA LIVE, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

Project Gotham Racing 4 at CeBit 2008

Project Gotham Racing 4 was one of the games which featured at the Samsung Euro Championship this week at CeBit.

CeBit has just ended in Hanover, Germany however they hosted the Samsung Euro Championship. The winners are crowned European Champions and they go on to compete in the World Cyber Games, later this year. The World Cyber Games is the gaming industries equivalent of the Olympic Games and started in 2006.

Project Gotham Racing was one of the events at the Samsung Euro Championship and the final results were:

Project Gotham Racing 4
Wouter "Handewasser" van Someren (2.500 €)
Philippe "Yggdrasil" Vaillant (1.500 €)
Niklas "Johnson" Krellenberg (1.000 €)

GT5 Prologue Bundled Announced and Dated for Europe

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have announced the Gran Turismo 5 Bundle and released date for Europe. The bundle and individual game will be available in stores from 28th March 2008 while the downloadable version will arrive on the Playstation Network on the 27th March 2008 both versions will be identical.

The game will retail for £25 ($40). The bundle package will retail for around £300 ($400)

SCEE Press Release:

Tuesday March 11, 2008 - Attention all driving fans!! One of the games industry's most legendary titles is about to make its PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) debut! That's right - the real driving simulator that's already sold almost 50 million units is back. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital are pleased to announce Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, a prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo™ 5 for PS3, will be available both on Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) on Wednesday 26 March for €39.99 (RRP), and as a download from PLAYSTATION®Network on Thursday 27 March. Launching on the same day as the standalone BD version, a PS3 bundle will be available including a PS3 40GB model, a SIXAXIS™ wireless controller and a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game, all for just €399 (RRP).

Gran Turismo on PlayStation® is one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last decade - renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology. Now, with the power of PS3 behind it, it's going to be unstoppable. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features 71 stunning cars - including vehicles by Lotus, Aston Martin, Subaru and, making another striking appearance, Ferrari - for you to race on six seriously realistic tracks: the Eiger Nordwand; the Daytona International Speedway; the London City Track; the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - all drivable in two layouts and all rendered in incredible High Definition graphics. There's also all-new driving physics for the most lifelike driving experience ever and new, improved, opponent artificial intelligence for the toughest race challenge yet.

But that's not all - for the first time in the history of Gran Turismo, you'll be able to race online. Thanks to PLAYSTATION Network, up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world's best racetracks - all you need to get racing is a broadband connection and a PS3. Once you're up and revving, Global Online Rankings will leave the world in no doubt as to just who is the best at Gran Turismo.

And then there's Gran Turismo™ TV - a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network and packed with some of the greatest content that motorsport has to offer.

And, when you're done watching live coverage, you can take a more sedate browse through the Gran Turismo museum, where you'll find virtual exhibits on the history of many of the world-class car marques that have starred in Gran Turismo.

Key Features:

• The first ever Gran Turismo title with online racing: drive online against up to 16 other Gran Turismo aces
• Race a total of 71 stunning, high-performance cars
• Race the Eiger Nordwand, the Daytona International Speedway, the London City Track , the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - and then race them in alternative layouts
• All-new physics engine means true next-generation vehicle handling
• All-new and improved opponent AI opponents for a nail-biting race experience
• Access to Gran Turismo TV : a world of great motoring TV programming online
• In-game museum featuring the history and heritage of the top car manufacturers
• My Garage - a personalised homepage feature with calendar, clock and map & weather of major race circuits worldwide
• Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tyres, suspension and more
• All in stunning High Definition at 1080p

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Additional Features for Europe:

• Drift Mode - The player's drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
• In Depth Car Tuning - Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle's performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing.
• Two-player Split Screen Racing - Allows players to race head-to-head offline.
• New Race Events - Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.

The complete Gran Turismo 5 launches in 2009. Until then, there's enough ultra-realistic, high-speed racing in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PS3 and it's out now! To find out more, visit www.granturismoworld.com.

New Motorsportgaming.com

Welcome to the new Motorsportgaming.com! I have been running motorsportgaming.com since forever. Well it feels like forever. Motorsportgaming.com has been online since 30th August 2002.

Over the last 6 years I have been doing my best to report on the latest game developments in racing simulations and more recently racing games in general. Basically any game which includes a motor engine. Some games do it bad, some do it well, either-way I try and report on them.

I have changed the site to this new blog format for two reasons; 1. to make it more personal and 2. to make it easier and quicker for me to report developments. The old site was starting to get very time consuming to develop especially if you consider it was originally developed in Microsoft FrontPage! The idea with this blog format it to allow more interactions from you the users while allowing me to continually improve and modify the whole system. With the old site one small modification would require shit loads and I mean shit loads of scripting. Maybe I have got lazy over time. With this new format and everything being module based I should be able to make big changes instantly.

Anyway all that is left to say it thanks for the support over the years and here's to another 6 years of motorsportgaming.com!

p.s I will be trying to add all the old news back to the site over the coming months unfortunately I am unable to port it all in in one go.

p.p.s The address www.motorsportgaming.com will not be working for a few days as it is updated to point to a different server.

MMG 2007 V1.0 Released

I not quite sure when this MOD was released but it is pretty recent. MMG 2007 V1.0 is a mod for rFactor which adds the 2007 Formula 1 season to the game. It contains all the teams and driver helmets along with the first five tracks of the 2007 season. I have not been able to find anymore information about more tracks being added by the developers or if it is going to be left to the community to produce tracks.

Below is the press release:

MARCH 1, 2008 - PRESS RELEASE FOR MMG 2007 MOD
All of us F1 Fans have dreamed of becoming an F1 Driver. Of sitting behind the wheel of a Ferrari, or Mclaren or even a Super Aguri. To be in the atmosphere come sunday race morning, standing on the grid, watching the mechanics tend to the car as we ready ourselves to enter the cockpit, to watch the lights light up, the green light to show, and to race our hearts out against the best drivers in racing today. Unfortunately, for most of us that remains a dream many of us will not reach, so MMG has come forth to bring that dream to reality for those who cannot afford to be real racers.

Get ready to strap on your gloves, put on your helmet, and line up on the grid to take on the worlds best F1 Drivers of the 2007 Season. The MMG F1 2007 Mod gives you the opportunity to live your dream, to race your heart out, knock your favourite drivers off the track to show them whose the man, and to enjoy the thrilling experience of racing these cars in the most realistic manner they can come to your hands.

The MMG F1 2007 Mod includes all drivers of the F1 2007 Season, all the teams in early season trend, all the body suitsand helmets, and the first five tracks of the season.

Do you have what it takes to become the F1 2007 Mod Sim-racing champion? Pit your wits against the best in this mod to find out. Bringing you the utmost realism in graphics, and the utmost realism in simulation, the MMG F1 2007 Mod is sureto impress the racing genes inside you. So Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES! I am proud to release the MMG F1 2007 Mod to the public!

This is a gameplay video of a McLaren racing around Suzuka. ( I am assuming this track had been made by the community, as Suzuka did not appear in the 2007 championship )

You can download this mod here.

Burnout Paradise - Review

Jeff Gerstmann; one of the best games reviewers in the industry who was unceremoniously sacked from gamespot.com last December for "unknown reasons" (use google to find out why) has this week launched a new game site www.giantbomb.com along with fellow ex-gamespot editors, Ryan Davis and Alex Navarro.

One of the first reviews on www.giantbomb.com is for Burnout Paradise. Burnout being a arcade game is not usually a game I would feature on Motorsportgaming.com but I am going to make an exception as I have it, and it is great!

Read the review.

Full Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Vehicle and Track List.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will include more than 60 vehicles, 14 tuned cars, six tracks and a host of modes, Sony Computer Entertainment of America announced today.

"This impressive vehicle lineup and the additional features that cater to North American racing fans are great compliments to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's stunning 1080p graphics and revolutionary online features," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA.

The game will include Drift Mode, Car Tuning, two-player split screen racing and offline and online race events. Plyers wil be able to race around Suzuka, Eiger Nordwand, Fuji Speedway, London City Track, Dytone International Speedway and High Speed Ring.

Vehicle list:

Acura NSX '91
Alfa Romeo 147 TI 2.0 TWIN SPARK '06
Alfa Romeo Brera Sky Window 3.2 JTS Q4 '06
Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
Amuse/Opera Performance Gran Turismo 350Z RS
Art Morrison Corvette'60
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '06
Audi R8 4.2 FSI R tronic '07
Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro '07
Blitz Dunlop ER34 '07
BMW 135i Coupe '07
BMW 135tii '08
BMW M3 Coupe '07
BMW Z4 '03
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6) Tuned Car
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 '06
Citroen C4 Coupe 2.0VTS '06
Clio Renault Sport V6 24V Tuned Car
Daihatsu Copen Active Top '02
Daihatsu OFC-1 '07
Dodge Viper GTS
Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe
Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Tuned Car
Ferrari 512BB '76
Ferrari 599 '06
Ferrari F40 '92
Ferrari F430 '06
Ford Focus ST '06
Ford GT '05
Ford GT Tuned Car
Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe Premium '07
Honda Integra TYPE R '04
Honda NSX Type R '02
Jaguar XK Coupe '06
Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione '91
Lexus IS F '07
Lexus IS F Tuned Car
Lotus Elise 111R '04
Lotus Elise 111R Tuned Car
Lotus Elise '96
Lotus Elise Tuned Car
Mazda Atenza Sport (2007 Tokyo Motor Show reference exhibit)
Mazda RX-7 (FD) Special Tuned Car
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) Tuned Car
Mazda RX-8 Type S '03
Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG '02
Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
Mini Cooper-S '06
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR '05
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Premium Package '07
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Tuned Car
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR Tuned Car
Nissan Fairlady Z Version S '07
Nissan GT-R '07
Nissan GT-R Proto '05
Nissan Skyline Coupe (V36) Tuned Car
Nissan Skyline Coupe 370GT Type SP '07
Nissan Skyline Coupe Concept '07
Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nur '02
Nissan Skyline Sedan 350GT Type SP '06
Peugeot 207GTI '07
Peugeot 307cc Premium AVN '04
RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7
Renault Clio Renault Sport V6 24V '00
Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI spec C Type RA '05
Subaru Impreza WRX STI (18inch BBS Wheel Option) '07
Suzuki Cappuccino '95
Suzuki Cappuccino Tuned Car
Suzuki Cervo SR '07
Suzuki Swift Sport '07
Suzuki Swift Sport Tuned Car
TVR Tamora '02
TVR Tuscan Speed 6 '00
Volkswagen Golf GTI '01
Volkswagen Golf V GTI '05

Race Driver GRID Preview

Garnett Lee of 1UP has posted a preview of Race Driver GRID which will be released 15/06/2008 on all major formats.

"After reinventing its long-running Colin McRae rally racing series as DiRT last year, Codemasters now looks to similarly update its road racing games. Originally focused on the licensed cars of the British Touring Car Championship called TOCA, the games grew over the years to become a catch-all featuring most every type of motorsport imaginable with a massive list of tracks around the world in the three Race Driver titles. This next evolutionary step changes the name once again, this time to GRID, and intends to shed most everything off the track in exchange for a concentrated experience of being in the race."

Read the full preview here.