Autoblog

Desert Bus for Hope: Playing the worst game in the world, for charity [w/video]

Seyth Miersma — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:32:00 EST

Desert Bus is one of the worst video games of all time. Actually, Desert Bus is an intentionally awful mini-game that was part of a never-released Sega CD game called Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors. (We won't go into detail about Smoke and Mirrors here, but suffice it to say that it is one of the most interesting concepts for a video game that we've ever heard of, and is well worth the time it takes to read the full Wikipedia entry, here.)

The goal of Desert Bus is decidedly simple and completely horrible: the player drives a bus from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, on road that is completely straight, in real time and at a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour. That endeavor takes eight hours of continuous play to accomplish since the game cannot be paused. And, though the road is perfectly straight, the bus is programed to pull ever so slightly to the right, meaning that the player must pay constant attention or crash the bus. Oh, and if you should crash the bus, you'll find yourself being towed back home, also in real time. Great game, right?

Back in 2007, Canadian comedy troupe LoadingReadyRun thought that the duller-than-dirt game would make a perfect vehicle (heh) for raising money for the charity Child's Play. (Child's Play donates toys and games for use by sick kids in hospitals around the world.) The premise was simple: the more money that was donated for the kids, the longer the funny men would be forced to drive the bus. In that first year, Desert Bus for Hope raised some $22,805 for Child's Play, while last year the amount had skyrocketed to more than $376k.

This year, the bus is going back on the road, with hopes for yet another record-breaking charity haul. Check out the official website, and get in on the good cause before the boys head out for Vegas, on November 16. Oh, and for a little taste of the, err, action, scroll down and watch the video.

Continue reading Desert Bus for Hope: Playing the worst game in the world, for charity [w/video]

Desert Bus for Hope: Playing the worst game in the world, for charity [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega porting Crazy Taxi to your iOS device

Seyth Miersma — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games

When you purchased your first copy of Crazy Taxi for your Sega Dreamcast back in 2000, you probably didn't realize that it would go on to be a huge franchise. Actually, that's overshooting by a little bit, but Crazy Taxi proved to have a lot more staying power than most of us would have thought.

You might not realize (we had to look it up), but Crazy Taxi has already seen five major releases including the original arcade version, as well as a ticket-redemption game, a themed remote-controlled car toy, and no fewer than two aborted attempts at movies. (No kidding. We read that the first go failed because due to an "absence of plot elements." You can't make this stuff up.)

Anyway... Sega is now preparing to port its golden goose over for iOS users to enjoy, potentially meaning that a whole new generation of gamers will be exposed to that wacky Axel, and that darn crazy taxi of his. Scroll down to watch the video while we park our wayback machine.

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Sega porting Crazy Taxi to your iOS device originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler Alert: 2011 12 Hours of Sebring in the books

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 12 Hours of Sebring - Click above for image gallery

The 2011 running of the historic 12 Hours of Sebring is officially over, and the results show some old-hat veterans and surprise newcomers on the podium. There was plenty of action to be had across the classes, including some impressive comebacks and debuts.

Click past the jump for a full race recap and the results of the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring.

Gallery: 2011 12 Hours of Sebring

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: 2011 12 Hours of Sebring in the books

Spoiler Alert: 2011 12 Hours of Sebring in the books originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intercontinental Le Mans Cup expanded to LMP2 and GT classes

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Acura, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Racing

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) held a press conference Friday morning before qualifying for this weekend's 12 Hours of Sebring to announce an expansion of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. When it was first announced late in 2009, the three-race championship was only going to apply to the top LMP1 class. The new championship will now apply to all four main classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2.

The cup will be based on results from Le Mans series races in Europe, the United States and Asia. The European and American rounds will be the Silverstone and Petit Le Mans races, with the Asian event likely to be held in Shanghai. For each of the classes to be considered part of the cup, at least four cars will have to be entered. So far in P1, Audi and Drayson racing have committed. Peugeot has not yet decided whether to go to PLM or Asia.

After Le Mans, Peugeot plans to focus on development of its all-new 2011 car and may skip the remainder of the 2010 races. In spite of reduced restrictor sizes and boost, the Peugeots still managed to capture the top to starting positions for Saturday's race. The Highcroft Acura grabbed the LMP2 pole while Gunnar Jeannette got the LMP Challenge pole. In GT2, the Flying Lizard Porsche of Jörg Bergmeister had the fastest time after Dirk Mϋller's was disallowed due to a problem with his BMW.

Gallery: 2010 Sebring Qualifying

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

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Intercontinental Le Mans Cup expanded to LMP2 and GT classes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arcade Fire: Sega Outrun console being turned into driveable car [w/VIDEO]

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Sega Outrun GPS video arcade console scooter -- Click above to view the video after the jump

When we hear the phrase "contemporary artist" we usually say, "Just show us what you're doing because there's little chance we'll understand rationale." Garnet Hertz, the artist in question, is combining a Sega Outrun arcade console with an EVT America Electric Trike (a three-wheeled scooter), an iPhone, and custom GPS software. The result will be a drivable arcade game -- like on the road at up to 20 mph -- that overlays Outrun graphics on live GPS maps.

The GPS software finds the vanishing point of the road and then, in the manner of Google Maps' hybrid setting, puts the Outrun Testarossa and road into the live-action setting. The iPhone's internals keep track of progress and keep the screen moving in 'real-time.'

If you really want to know the rationales, they are the "Un-Simulation of Driving," and "GPS Navigation Parallax & Mixed Reality." Make of those what you will, just know they involve "obfuscation." Sadly, deception and inveigling weren't mentioned. You can check out the video after the jump, which is mostly a guy holding a laptop walking away from the camera. Or you can check out the gallery of images below.

Gallery: Sega Outrun Arcade Console Scooter

[Source: Concept Lab via GameSetWatch]

Continue reading Arcade Fire: Sega Outrun console being turned into driveable car [w/VIDEO]

Arcade Fire: Sega Outrun console being turned into driveable car [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New racing game announced for... Sega Dreamcast?!?!?!

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games

Rush Rush Rally Racing for Dreamcast -- Click above to watch video after the jump

Hypothetically, let's say you're bored with all the realistic gameplay and endless tuning options of current racing games. What you really want is a rallying game that looks like it was released alongside Pole Position, or Frogger, with cars that look something like colored insects, and -- best of all -- that you can only play from an overhead view. In that case, friends, Rush Rush Rally Racing for the 10-year-old Sega Dreamcast is for you.

The developers themselves tout the facts that RRRR has no sponsored cars nor realistic backgrounds. What is does have is features like single-player grand prix mode with four difficulty levels, three multiplayer modes to enjoy with up to four players, five race cars to choose from, 10 Grand Prix race tracks and 9 additional multiplayer race track. Oh, and an "awesome soundtrack by Black Device." So there. It's also just $22, available at Amazon and eBay next month. Follow the jump to watch the game trailer.

[Source: Red Spot Games]

Continue reading New racing game announced for... Sega Dreamcast?!?!?!

New racing game announced for... Sega Dreamcast?!?!?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Sega's classic OutRun returning on XBox Live

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Ferrari, Toys/Games

Sega's OutRun Online Arcade - Click above to watch video after the jump

With many worried that government regulations will soon strangle the concept of having fun in an actual car, it's convenient that game makers are developing more ways to have fun with virtual cars. SEGA is updating that old arcade classic OutRun with the latest in automaker metal, and the new game will arrive as OutRun Online Arcade on XBox Live Arcade and the Euro-version PlayStation Network.

Up to six players can play three different modes on 15 U.S. tracks while driving any of ten Ferraris, which is a much better selection than the original's only option: a Ferrari Testarossa convertible. Imagine Formula D in a Dino or Enzo and you're pretty close. But even Formula D doesn't offer you this: "If you impress your girlfriend enough in Heart Attack Mode, you will receive special requests." Okay... For U.S. customers, the game will be out June 30th on XBox Live Arcade, but for now you can check out gameplay video of this updated oldie after the jump.

[Source: Joystiq]

Continue reading VIDEO: Sega's classic OutRun returning on XBox Live

VIDEO: Sega's classic OutRun returning on XBox Live originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rally-ho! SEGA Rally is back

John Neff — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Back in the day, I spent over $400 on a Sega Saturn and a copy of Sega Rally GT Championship. A solid week was spent chucking a Toyota Celica GT rally car around a muddy course before I promptly returned the console and got my money back. It was clear back then that the Sega Saturn was not the next-gen console we were expecting (though it did have its moments). Nevertheless, my week at home with Sega Rally GT Championship was memorable.

Sega has stopped selling hardware and focuses solely on its software now, which means the return of Sega Rally Championship will happen on both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (What, no Wii?). The new game is scheduled for a Fall 2007 release date (probably October) and will be called SEGA Rally Revo when it arrives in stores.

Yours truly has been playing Forza 2 now for weeks (gamertag: Autoblog), but SEGA Rally Revo has some new features that will likely occupy more attention for months. Being a rally game, there is of course a varied selection of terrain including dirt, gravel and pavement, as well as different weather like rain and snow. Unlike any game before it, however, SEGA Rally Revo will feature "real-time terrain deformation", which means that the muddy rut you left on the last hairpin will be there on your next lap to dynamically affect your second pass. As SEGA says, no two laps can ever be the same since the track deteriorates under the extreme abuse of having a dozen high-powered rally cars tear it up.

Check out these two development videos to see these new features in action (second after the jump), and you can also view still shots from the game by visiting this gallery at our sister-site Joystiq.

[Source: Joystiq, YouTube]

Continue reading Rally-ho! SEGA Rally is back

Rally-ho! SEGA Rally is back originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultimate Initial D-themed arcade driving game

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan

Sega, the once heavyweight console maker now buried deep beneath the letters Wii, X, and PS, still pulls its weight in the arcade arena. Sega's Joypolis in Odaiba, Japan has an Initial D driving game based on the anime series that has the bodies of three actual cars mounted in front of a 90-inch screen. The cars don't have engines, but they sit on tilting frames, and include an RX-7, a WRX, and a Toyota AE86, which you can ~~throw~~ tilt around any of three courses. The game costs $5, but the cars are only there for the summer, so book those tickets to Nippon now.

Thanks for the tip, Judd!

[Source: Gizmodo]

Ultimate Initial D-themed arcade driving game originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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