Autoblog

NASCAR The Game: Inside Line [w/video]

Seyth Miersma — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:59:00 EST

Gentlemen, Stop Your Engines - New NASCAR Title Is Not Impressive

Typically, when we receive a copy of a new video game to review, diving into and documenting the online/multiplayer aspects of it proves challenging. There are a few reasons for this: We're generally playing the game before or right after it has gone on sale, which really limits the number of folks playing online, but in the case of NASCAR The Game: Inside Line, we're happy that we got some playtime in on Xbox Live to start our test.

Online gamers not only had strong first opinions about this NASCAR game versus the last one, but also proved pretty knowledgeable about the sport in general.

That's not because the online racing in this all-new NASCAR title from Eutechnyx is particularly compelling (in fact it's neither more nor less flawed than the single-player portion of the game), but rather because the people playing online are some of the best subject matter experts that we could have hoped to find for this review. At least on Day One of the release of Inside Line, the online lobbies were filled to brimming with gamers that not only had strong first opinions about this NASCAR game versus the last one (2011's NASCAR The Game), but who also proved pretty knowledgeable about the sport in general.

There was a lot of talk about the overall handling of the racecars and the effectiveness of bump drafting on high-speed banked turns, for instance. Our co-racers in that first session seemed to agree that Inside Line had added detail in areas of the game that weren't critical to a positive core racing experience (detailed effects for crash scenes and a more comprehensive pit lane menu, for instance), while making the driving dynamics twitchier with a great many more crashes happening overall. In short, they weren't loving it.

The results, for the NASCAR gaming faithful, and for us, was an experience that wasn't all that much fun most of the time.

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NASCAR The Game: Inside Line [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forza Motorsport 4 releases December IGN pack

Zach Bowman — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games

Turn 10 released the December IGN pack for Forza Motorsport 4 last week, complete with a laundry-list of drool-worthy digital rides for your racing enjoyment. Those start with the beastly Suzuki Monster Sport SX4 Hill Climb Special, which is the same machine that broke the ten-minute barrier at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year.

As juicy as that is, we're more stoked to get our hands on hardware like the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the '77 Escort RS1800 and the '88 Pontiac Fiero GT. Volkswagen fans will be happy to see the addition of the '81 Scirocco S, too.

The December pack is available through XBox Live and features 10 new vehicles for the game to collect, race or paint to your heart's desire. Hit the jump to check out a video of the new cars (and trucks) in action and head over to the Forza Site for more information.

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Forza Motorsport 4 releases December IGN pack originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Exotic Car Pack brings the truly exotic to Forza 3

Noah Joseph — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games

Forza 3 Exotic Car Pack DLC - Click above for high-res screen-shot gallery

There are exotics, and then there are exotics. Some are relatively commonplace, like Porsches, Lamborghinis or Ferraris. But some are decidedly, well... exotic. Like Spykers, Gumperts and Moslers, to name just a few. Those most exotic of exotics are the contents of the latest downloadable content package for Forza 3, the hit racing game for the Xbox 360.

Called, suitably enough, the Exotic Car Pack, it contains the SSC Ultimate Aero, Weismann GT MF5, Devon GTX, Spada Codatronca TS, Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85, Mosler MT900S, Rossion Q1, Radical SR8 LM and Gumpert Apollo S, plus an Australian exotic called the Joss JT1. The package costs 400 Microsoft points (equivalent to $5) on Xbox Live, but you can check them out now in the high-res screen-shot gallery below and the video after the jump.

Gallery: Forza 3 Exotic Car Pack DLC

[Source: Microsoft]

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Video: Exotic Car Pack brings the truly exotic to Forza 3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 May 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA releases new Ferrari Racing Pack for Need For Speed SHIFT on Xbox 360

Noah Joseph — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Ferrari

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano on Need For Speed SHIFT - Click above for image gallery

Just a couple of weeks ago, we had the chance to review the latest driving game from the venerable Need For Speed franchise, and found NFS Shift to be a worthy rival to the likes of Forza 3 and the upcoming Gran Turismo 5. The one thing it was missing? Ferraris. But a new downloadable content pack on Xbox Live aims to fix that shortcoming.

Available for download on February 16, the Ferrari Racing Pack features 10 absolutely drool-worthy Prancing Horses. Included in the package are the FXX, F50 GT, 599 GTB Fiorano, California, 575 Superamerica and five variants of the F430: Spider, Scuderia, 16M Scuderia Spider, Challenge and GTC.

The gamesmiths at Electronic Art have also devised an array of challenges designed specifically for these ten Maranello monsters, including hot laps, eliminators, endurance races and a world tour. The 46 challenges are included as well in the download pack, which costs $10 or 800 Microsoft Points. You're also going to need a copy of the game, an Xbox 360 console and an Xbox Live account to make it happen. Full details are available in the press release after the jump, with a batch of screen shots in the gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrari Racing Pack on Need For Speed SHIFT for Xbox 360

[Source: EA via rpmgo.com]

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EA releases new Ferrari Racing Pack for Need For Speed SHIFT on Xbox 360 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AutoWeek gets its own Forza 3 Car Show Pack, where's the love?

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games

Forza Motorsport 3 will soon feature an add-on car pack featuring ten rides handpicked by the scribes at AutoWeek. Apparently, it took two podcasts worth of deliberations to settle on the finalists, but the AutoWeek Show Car Pack bundles the 2009 Audi R8 LMS, Audi RS 6, Lotus 2-Eleven, 2010 Aston Martin One-77, BMW Motorsport M6 Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, Shelby GT500, Pagani Zonda R, Porsche Boxster S, and the almost imaginary Saleen S5S Raptor.

The pack comes online January 12, and you can get it for 400 MS points on Xbox Live. We'd like to take this moment to invite Forza to create an Autoblog Car Show Pack. We'll start with the Gumpert Apollo and Caterham CSR, and you readers can let the developers know which cars you'd like to see in comments. Turn10, check's in the mail. Promise.

[Source: AutoWeek]

AutoWeek gets its own Forza 3 Car Show Pack, where's the love? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear episodes now available on Xbox Live Marketplace

Noah Joseph — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games, UK

Here around Autoblog's virtual offices, there are few things on which we love to spend our down time more than watching Top Gear and playing on our Xbox 360. So it comes as a special bit of parenthetical news that the hit British BBC show has now become available directly on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Season 10, 11 and 12 are now available on the Microsoft content site, with each 570MB episode costing 160 points (equivalent to $2).

Unfortunately, some edits have been made to the downloadable installments, with licensing concerns forcing them to replace some of the music, and while the 12th season episodes remain in their full 60-minute glory, seasons 10 and 11 have had their episodes trimmed down to 50 minutes (give or take), usually at the expense of the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment and the news (which isn't newsworthy anymore anyway...that's what we're here for). Check it out on the Xbox Live Marketplace for all the details.

[Source: Xbox Live Marketplace via FinalGear.com]

Top Gear episodes now available on Xbox Live Marketplace originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac launches virtual V-Series models for Xbox 360

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 23 May 2006 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Cadillac

Cadillac announced Monday that it is offering the first free downloadable content pack for the Xbox 360 version of Project Gotham Racing 3. The free Caddys cover the high-performance V-Series: the CTS-V, STS-V and XLR-V models.

Gamers who are quick enough to put a Caddy in the top 100 on the Full F1 Ciruit version of the Nurburgring via Xbox Live will gain "Cadillac Elite" status, part of a Cadillac game-player's ranking system that will eventually encompass multiple console gaming titles. Elite-class Xbox Live gamers gain access to exclusive events, customized downloadable content and are eligible to win prizes. No word on whether or not the prizes include a real-world V-car...

[Source: GM]

Cadillac launches virtual V-Series models for Xbox 360 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 May 2006 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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