E' disponibile per Toca Race Driver 2 della Codemasters la nuova Active Cockpit Camera Utility (187Kb), che implementa in pratica nel gioco una visuale dall'abitacolo "attiva", ovvero sensibile ai movimenti della vettura, rendendo il tutto molto più realistico.

This utility will allow you to enable the "Active Cockpit Camera" option. The "Active Cockpit Camera" ("ACC") option gives the camera a few degrees of motion, allowing the camera to move in response to the vehicle's actions.

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Since the cockpit camera is roughly where your head would be if you were driving, what you end up with is a "head-bobbing" effect that acts in response to what is going on with the car's physics parameters -- that is, if the car hits a kerb and it's a hard jolt, the camera will move sharply in response, much like your head would move, and if you go over a rise or a slight bump in the track, the camera will move in a more gentle manner. This is all tied to the physics engine, so it's not artificial in the least -- in fact, it is considerably MORE realistic, and it helps convey to you what the car is doing MUCH better than the standard camera view.

Dopo la press release di ieri, ecco arrivare il primo filmato ufficiale che ci mostra in azione il prossimo Flat Out della Bugbear: per il download del video (1 minuto circa di durata), dirigetevi a questo link. Inoltre potete leggere sul portale di GameSpot un primo "first look" dedicato al gioco.

FlatOut will feature 16 different upgradable cars and no fewer than 45 tracks for players to race them around. Damage will play a large part in the game, and it's not just the 40 deformable pieces present on each car that will litter the circuits by the end of a hard-fought race.

Il portale di GameSpot ha pubblicato la propria recensione della versione per XBox del nuovo Toca Race Driver 2: il voto finale per il titolo della Codemasters è di 8,2.

Is TOCA Race Driver 2 really "The Ultimate Racing Simulator"? Not quite, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a great racing game. Lofty aspirations aside, what you will find in TOCA Race Driver 2 is a deep and enjoyable racing title with more racing variety than you're likely to find anywhere else on the market today--and at a meager price tag. To put it simply, if you're a racing fan with an Xbox and $30 to spend, TOCA Race Driver 2 is a great way to go.

La SCi Games è davvero convinta della qualità simulativa del suo prossimo ed atteso Richard Burns Rally, tanto che ha deciso di sponsorizzare una intera tappa del Pirelli International Rally:

SCI Games is sponsoring a stage of the forthcoming Pirelli International Rally at Gateshead on Saturday 24^th April 2004. One of the stages will now be called the “Richard Burns Rally Game Stage†for the duration of the event.

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The sponsorship deal consists of a number of marketing opportunities including; branding at TV points, the start line and at the Pirelli Rally Party, full colour A4 page in programme, game press release in press packs, featured on television advertising and real rally car simulator showing the game. The event will also be used as a launch pad to provide an early viewing of the Richard Burns Rally game to selected journalists from across Europe and the UK and rally enthusiasts at the event.
Kerrie Flaus, Product Manager said; “This event is perfect for our game, Gateshead is one of our featured rallies and the best way to convince people that we are releasing the most realistic rally game ever is to show them just how accurate it is and the Pirelli International Rally is the perfect place for this.â€

La Bugbear ha pubblicato un nuovo comunicato stampa relativo al prossimo Flat Out, attualmente in fase di sviluppo: il gioco dovrebbe essere disponibile su PC, XBox e PS2 nel terzo quarto del 2004.

Developed by Bugbear Entertainment, FlatOut is one of the most spectacular Racing games you'll ever see! Experience the drive of your life as you throw yourself around 45 challenging tracks in one of 16 fully upgradeable cars.

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The track environment is subject to an advanced physics system unique to FlatOut, and is set to define a new standard in racing games. Fences will shatter, tyre walls will explode, water tanks and barrels will fly across the track into other cars. Every time you lose control, you will truly feel the weight of the car as it collides with and destroys a barn, or smashes into the pack of cars ahead of you, and with 40 deformable pieces on every car sparks are guaranteed to fly!

Anything you destroy or alter stays a part of the race, increasing the carnage to unprecedented levels! Broken fences, free rolling tyres, and even mangled parts of cars are left scattered around the track, increasing the mayhem with every lap. The expansive free-roaming tracks also allow you to dictate exactly how you drive your race, whether that be taking every shortcut, jump and by-road you can find, or keeping to the racing line and using your driving skills to rein supreme!

An extensive championship mode will keep you 'FlatOut' for months on end, as you battle through a huge variety of races, mini-games and the most outrageous arenas of destruction you could possibly imagine. And it doesn't stop there. Online and multiplayer gaming options add even more variety to the game play. Challenge your closest peers, or the best gamers from across the globe and compete in the most realistic racer to date!

- 16 different cars to race, customise and upgrade
- Full car damage modelling which also affects the performance of the car
- Unparalleled realistic scenery and debris damage with fully destructible driving environments with 3000 + items on each track to smash!
- Carefully tuned car physics to give a truly realistic feel to each car
- 45 tracks to master over 5 different environments including the challenge of snow-covered terrain.
- Two-player split screen mode for a AAA racing experience with friends
- Online play for up to eight players (Xbox version to utilise Xbox Live!)
- A whole host of extra fun enhancing mini-games including 'Figure of 8' and 'Demolition Bowl'

FlatOut will be released for the PlayStation® 2, Xbox, PC CD-ROM for Q3, 2004.

Secondo le ultime indiscrezioni circolanti in rete, la versione europea di Gran Turismo 4 Prologue verrà distribuita nella seconda metà di maggio (i giorni 14 e 26 tornano più spesso). Non è possibile fissare una data più precisa in quanto, dopo le conferme dei mesi scorsi, non sono stati diffusi comunicati definitivi per quanto riguarda la versione italiana.

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Ad ogni modo, i contenuti dovrebbero rispecchiare la prima uscita giapponese e offrire, come extra, un documentario sulla lavorazione del gioco. Inoltre, sembra accertato che il prezzo sarà equivalente a una uscita della serie Platinum, attorno ai 30 Euro consigliati, e quindi variabili da rivenditore a rivenditore.

[Fonte Nextgame.it]