Part of Audi’s new advertising campaign for the 2009 A4 is developing a video game for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. What resulted was the Audi A4 Driving Experience, a racing game featuring the A4 and using the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer to steer (turn it like a steering wheel, see below.)

Despite it being a free download, the game gathered quite a few negative reviews from users. This was mostly due to the game being a blatant advertisement, having very limited gameplay value, and terrible controls. I played the game myself, and the users were right. After about 5 minutes of play, I deleted the game from my iPhone and never looked back.

Fortunately, Audi realized that they’ll have to make a game worth downloading to gather the attention they seek, and just released a second version with better graphics, significantly improved handling (although very unrealistic,) more tracks to race, and the ability to unlock additional cars such as the A4 3.2L V6 and Audi R8. Continue Reading…

What you see here is something called the Gran Turismo Pod. It costs $15,000 and is a peripheral for Gran Turismo 5 (even thought he full version isn’t out yet. And what the hell’s the hold up Sony? Tick … tick … tick). It’s not a wheel and peddle controller with a seat & a screen that you can hook up to anything else like an xBox or a gaming rig, it’s only set up for Gran Turismo 5.

Yes, it’s got that groovy seat and a 40″ screen, surround sound, Logitech G25 wheel and pedals and for some unknown reason, a Plexiglas window.

And that’s it.

For 15K?! Jesus, think you could do a Kart season with that kind of budget … hell, I’ve known guys that have run a full season in Formula Vee for less.

Look, I’m not one to be overly critical of someones gaming choices, I dropped multiple-thousands of dollars on a wheel/pedal/cockpit combo; it was fun, but it finally put me off all PC based gaming … but this thing? Are you kidding?

Really, the main downside is the cost, because I’ve seen similar things, like Bob Earl’s Virtual Racing Chassis does the same thing, and even if you were to thrown in the cost of a monitor, wheels & pedals, amp & speakers, you’re probably talking $1500, two grand tops?

Think of what you could spend the remaining $13K on? Shoot, that’s still enough to go kart racing for a season, and have a “GT5″ set up at home.

Source: Gizmodo

Way t’go Codemasters!

I’ve always liked what these guys have produced, and had high hopes that the upcoming Grand Prix game, that would be the officially sanctioned Grand Prix game,would be better then the crap turned out by EA et al for the past however long.

So far, I think I’ve owned every thing that CodeMasters has put out, and I was very impressed with their WRC/Colin McRae line of releases. As someone who has rallied in the past (and no, not at the WRC level, not even close), they came pretty close in a number of respects to what a rally car feels like, especially on loose surfaces … that whole, “Pitch it into the corner and then put in all of the opposite lock you got” was pretty damn close, and the “Oh my God - here we go!!!” feeling was sickeningly accurate; the knowledge that you got the turn-in about a foot too late, and now your tail is quickly drifting WAY beyond 90 Deg., and here comes that stand of trees or that cliff edge …

That’s what I like about racing sims, it’s easy to be brave when you’re digital. When there’s a reset button, I’m braver than Gilles Villenueve and more suicidally competitive than Tazio Nuvolari; “That’s enough of a gap-oops, no it wasn’t!” In the real world … I was mediocre on a track or a rally stage, I’m much better in a virtual world.

So, CodeMasters seem to be taking on the F1 contract with great seriousness.

It’s easy to make a sim run like and arcade game, but virtually impossible to make a game as realistic as a sim.

Source: F1Fanatic

You’re going to need a lot if you plan on getting one of these.

A lot of space (bedroom sized) a lot of money (used Ferrari amounts) and a lot of understanding from your spouse (Hillary Clinton levels of “understanding”).

What you see here is the Motion-Pro II Racing Simulator and I think, this might just be the new high water mark (although people have a long way to go to beat the HyperStimulator).

Manufactured by CXC Simulations it’s loaded with goodies like three 46-inch 1080p LCD displays, 505-watt 5.1 surround sound system synchronized with four vibration transducers, and full motion simulation using electro-mechanical actuators.

Of course, it’s that last little bit that’s most intriguing.

Motion base simulators are amazing thing, and I’m sure that this one is too, but as near as I can tell, they’re using off the shelf software (i.e. it’ll play any game you can load into the PC), so that makes any motion base movements and force feedback essentially guesstimates. See, I’ve spent a fair amount of time in full motion, three axis simulators, and real force feedback and dynamic motion of the platform is not something that you just turn on.

Let’s put it this way, once I was in a sim when they were upgrading the software, and the test pilot, about 30 seconds out from touching down at Kai Tak said, “I thinks there’s still too much kick-back from the ailerons in a left roll. Dial that out will ya?” That is how force feedback and motion base movements are dialed in.

Full specs after the jump.

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Well this is good news, very good news.

After much trial and tribulation, it seems that the powers that be in the F1 world (or at least the powers that decides who makes the F1 racing games) has decided that Codemasters gets the contract. For years and years, it has been Sony’s gaming division, but a few months ago, rumors were flying hot and heavy that Sony was not happy. They were not happy with what the F1 guys were asking for the licensing fees, and, eventually, the contract went to Codemasters.

Codemasters has been producing driving games and near sims for a while now. They did a really nice rendition of the Le Mans 24 hours (one which could literally play for that length of time, with changing lighting conditions, unlike Gran Turismo) and they are also responsible for the WRC series of games (absolutely great physics engine in those) as well as Colin McRae and DiRT.

They will be utilizing the same game engine from the McRae/DiRT/WRC releases and, like their previous track efforts, the game will feature something which is absolutely necessary for a game to work (in my opinion): great AI opponents.

And even better, the game will be released in all formats, xBox, PS3 and PC.

That’s what Kazanori Yamauchi, the guy behind the Gran Turismo series says at any rate.

“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. We’ve still got a few to convince, but we will. Expect deformation in the very near future: very, very soon.”

I’m not sure I’m buying it though, and that’s what some of the commenters at Los Jalops say too.

First off, he says, “Expect deformation in the very near future … ”

Deformation is not a damage model.

A damage model is much more than pushing around some body panels and making the glass break.
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