baja
Latest
SRI EV1 brings all-electric racing to the Mexican 1000 rally (video)
We've seen electric off-roaders tackle the Dakar Rally, but racing on the Baja peninsula has proven elusive -- until this weekend. After driving in smaller races, SRI's EV1 has joined the big leagues by starting in NORRA's Mexican 1000 rally. The 535HP, 400kW open-wheeler has participated in at least the first trio of special stages, and it will ideally join a handful of further stages that fit within the vehicle's 100-mile range. While the EV1 is far from the front of the Evolution class, at 36th place as of this writing, winning isn't the point -- SRI wants to drum up enough funding to hot-swap batteries and complete every stage in future races. Its project should at least be proof that smaller EVs can thrive in some of the world's harshest racing conditions.
THQ and Activision kiss and make up
Well, not literally, but it would seem that THQ has thrown out its lawsuit against Activision over the boxart for Baja 1000: Score International. Activision has altered the boxart for their game (catch the image past the break), but, seeing as how the game has been available for a short while now, what of the copies that have already reached store shelves? THQ isn't too concerned about that, apparently.[Via Joystiq]
Baja 1000 hits shelves despite lawsuit
Even with THQ filing lawsuit against Activision for the cover of Baja 1000, the game is hitting store shelves anyway. A U.S. District Court judge has said "the hardship to plaintiff (THQ) is unclear, as Plaintiff has presented no evidence of hardship."The judge went on further to say that the "balance of hardships tips sharply in Defendant's, not Plaintiff's, favor. Defendant would be forced to halt at the last minute the release of a videogame that it has invested significant resources in developing--and it would be forced to do so heading into the holiday shopping season."[Via Game | Life]
Shipping this week: Hell's LEGO hunting edition
We've got five (count 'em, five) new Xbox 360 games this week. Probably the biggest of the bunch is Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, which finally arrives after numerous delays. Aside from Brothers in Arms we have LEGO Batman, which we imagine will be an awful lot like LEGO Indiana Jones which was an awful lot like LEGO Star Wars. We question whether or not the somewhat addictive charm will hold out this time. To round out the week, we've got off-road racing, hacking and slashing, and ... um ... hunting. Consider the fall gaming flood postponed. Baja: Edge of Control Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Warriors Orochi 2 Cablela's Dangerous Hunts 2009 LEGO Batman
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of September 21st
It's almost like magic. The first day of Autumn hits tomorrow and the game industry intends to start the season as it means to go on. In short, by throwing game after game directly at your face until your wallet sits empty and your hands are blistered from constant gaming. Ouch. Here's the full release list:US Games Baja: Edge of Control Buzz! Quiz TV Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2009 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (Limited Edition) Lego Batman EU Games Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Pure SBK 08: Superbike World Championship 2008 NHL 09 G1 Jockey 4 2008 Baja: Edge of Control Asian Games Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Aquanaut's Holiday Madden NFL 09 Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 X Edge Release dates are constantly subject to change, so contact your local retailer if you're uncertain. Feel free to go on an import spree if you feel like it, but keep in mind that DLC for any game generally has to be bought from the PSN store of the same region.
Race the dirt roads with your friends in this Baja video
There's nothing quite like driving in dirty environments with a rugged vehicle. We imagine. But driving in said environments with three other friends? Now that'd make a good multiplayer video, which is exactly what we have here for the upcoming racing title Baja due out in September. The environments are cool, the framerate is solid even with four players, and you apparently have the option of choosing between a horizontal or vertical screen split for two-player action. Hope you enjoy!
If you want to eat a sandwich, Baja will let the AI race for you
The new trend in video games seems to be this: they will try their hardest to make it easy on you. First we heard Alone in the Dark would let you skip portions of the game if they were too hard or you couldn't figure out a puzzle. Now we hear THQ's Baja will actually let the AI drive for you if you'd rather eat a sandwich. This is useful for online multiplayer, we guess, where you can't pause the game to answer the door or something, but it's still a little unnecessary.Why can't more games be masochistic like SMT: Nocturne? Relaxing while playing is one thing -- we love unwinding with a simple game every now and then, too. But we also want our games to challenge us, inspire us, and force our minds to think up a strategy to proceed. It makes reaching the end that much sweeter. Of course, everyone plays games for their own reasons and ours is no more important than anyone else's. Why do you play games? Does this new "pamper the player" approach bother you or make you happy?
Score International Baja 1000 captures 'world's most grueling off-road race'
Judging by the rather long title (and resulting headline), though, it doesn't do so very efficiently. We much prefer THQ's elegantly singular "Baja" (it's the Madonna of dirty bikes), but hey, we'll keep an open mind about Left Field Productions' take on the "world's most grueling off-road race." To be published by Activision on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Windows PC, Score International Baja 1000 will let players experience the "unforgiving conditions and blistering speeds" as seen in the popular, off-road event.The desert-bound racer will offer up to 90 different vehicles across multiple classes (trophy trucks, class I, motorcycles, ATVs etc.), with "hyper-realistic dirt and damage modeling" threatening to do them all in just as you're about to cross the finish line. We've got the first screenshot in the gallery below, though it's stunningly devoid of any gas-guzzling machinery. The race only starts this Fall, you see.%Gallery-23870%[Via press release]
Joystiq hands-on: Baja (360/PS3)
At a recent sampling of THQ games, Baja entertained me, although I had a hard time deciding if it was a simulation or an arcade racer. Its developers touted the simulation and how accurately the game captures off-road racing. Not being an off-road driver, I can't make a comparison.Relative to other driving games, Baja was unforgiving of my bad mistakes, pitching me off the track like a Colin McRae game. I'm not sure if it was difficult enough -- I guess I equate "difficult" with "realistic simulation" -- but I had fun playing it.This August, 2008 game will include 50 licensed vehicles across nine classes, ranging from big trucks to VW bugs. So simulation fans will have those real-world elements. I drove a big F-series Ford over sand and dirt, even hitting a big jump with a soft landing. (Again, "simulation" doesn't seem quite right to me.)Visuals looked good in my races, although nothing stood out against other games. Ambient life appeared a few times -- a rabbit dodged across the track, and a hawk flew overhead -- but the shadows and details blended together. Real-world billboards for Del Taco caught my eye, but mostly just as an exercise about in-game ads. (Still, there were a lot of billboards in the desert.)But most of all, the game felt fluid, with close objects constantly flying by, and distant mountains drifting with turns. Arcade-and-simulation racing gamers will appreciate that smooth motion. It'll take more time to evaluate its realism, but Motorstorm has another game inching up in the rear-view mirror.%Gallery-19854%
Baja promises to keep things fresh and new
Promising 40 vehicles, 95 tracks, a robust physics system and a helluvah lot of dirt, THQ's Baja (set to release this August) is turning out to be a serious contender in the off-road racing genre. At least on paper. Recently, IGN sat down with the Baja dev team to talk specifics regarding how the team plans on keeping the gameplay fresh, how multiplayer works, if the damage system is forgiving and how in the world a four hour Baja 1000 will play out over Xbox Live. We learn a lot, our questions get answered, but we still have to see this game in action to know if its worth our gaming time. But until then, we'll leave you with their latest teaser trailer to ponder one question. Will Baja be good times?
THQ reveals Baja, its answer to Motorstorm 2
Baja (pronounced "badger," we hope) is a multiplatform off-road racing game from THQ which, no doubt, seeks to show MotorStorm 2 a thing or two about the genre. Will it succeed? We haven't a clue, but the above video doesn't excite us much. IGN have a long interview with the developers, which you might like to check out if you're interested in more details. Baja seems to be a recreation of the "Baja 1000" - a real life off-road endurance race. How that will translate into a game is anybody's guess. Any off-road racing fans excited by this? Or is MotorStorm 2 all you need for this year?
THQ announces off-road racer Baja
THQ is on a mission to make the most realistic, most customizable and largest off-road racer ever and they think they've perfected the formula with recently announced Baja.Being developed by the founding members of MX vs. ATV, Baja is being pitched as the creme-de-la-creme of off-road racers, featuring over 100 square miles of terrain, unparalleled realism, revolutionary physics and vehicle customization galore. You can even blow out your tires! THQ also confirmed that Baja will makes its way to the Xbox 360 later this August. The only question left to ask is whether Baja will end up being just another off-road racer that promises the world and delivers more of the same or if it'll actually be a pioneer of the genre. Only time will tell, but we're feeling generous today and are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt ... for now.
THQ stays on the off-road racing bandwagon with Baja
This console generation has had no shortage of off-road racing games, from some that were terribly fun to others that were just terrible. While not completely bankrupt of merit, MX vs. ATV Untamed certainly edged closer to the latter end of this spectrum, especially compared to the likes of Motorstorm or DiRT, though this has not dissuaded publisher THQ from keeping at it. Today the company announced a new off-road racer named Baja, currently in development at 2XL Games, a new studio founded by -- surprise surprise -- the devs behind the MX vs. ATV franchise.Set for release on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 this August, the off-road racer will include support for 4-player split screen gameplay, as well as up to 12 players online or over a LAN. And for those with setups that far exceed our own, the game will also support multiple-screen panoramic view. THQ has also confirmed that the game will include some 40+ different vehicles, as well as the ability for players to upgrade off-road rides using "a full array of upgradeable options with hundreds of authentic parts." Still, with an emphasis on arcade-style racing, it seems as if 2XL is attempting to strike some sort of balance between over-the-top and authenticity, something that, in our experience at least, rarely turns out well.
