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Bugbear's Next Car Game is going to be a Wreckfest
Up until now, Bugbear Entertainment has focused on tuning Next Car Game's gears rather than its name, including tweaks to its Early Access build that has already collected $1 million. The team has taken a pit stop to choose an encompassing decal for the side of their racer however, and their winner feels suited to Next Car Game's key idea: "Wreckfest." Drivers already trashing rides in Wreckfest's Early Access build can now partake in 18-player matches, with Bugbear now "pushing the limits" to eventually allow for 24 cars to share the same event. Bugbear's update also adds Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch game modes, a two-in-one oval and figure-eight track, a European coupe, changes to Wreckfest's physics engine and more. Console ports were once part of Next Car Game's canceled Kickstarter campaign, but even with the project finding life on Early Access, Lead Game Designer Janne Suur-Nakki told Polygon earlier this year that the team is "hoping that we will have a chance to port the game on PS4, Xbox One or both somewhere along the way." [Image: Bug Bear Entertainment]
Next Car Game earns $1 million from Steam Early Access
Next Car Game has earned over $1 million on Steam since its pre-alpha version arrived on Early Access this month for $29.99. The sales mark came from one week of activity on Steam and the game's pre-order site. The racing game comes from FlatOut series and Ridge Racer: Unbounded developer Bugbear Entertainment, which canceled its Kickstarter funding campaign for the game in November 2013. The developer was initially looking to raise $350,000 on the crowdfunding platform, of which it reached $81,772.
Flatout dev's Next Car Game comes to Steam Early Access
Next Car Game is the next game to pop up on Steam Early Access, meaning one and all can pay $25 to test drive Bugbear's breakneck racer - and eventually get the final version, of course. According to Flatout studio, the currently available build is pre-alpha, and features two cars and three tracks to go vroom around. Next Car Game has been in Early Access since Christmas, albeit through Bugbear itself. In fact, the studio released a playable build as early as November, just after canceling its Kickstarter, making it available to anyone who put down the money to pre-order the game. Interestingly, Bugbear canceled the Kickstarter campaign after raising around $82,000 of a $350,000 goal, but according to its site the studio has now raised over $500,000 through pre-orders. Next Car Game is set to ride onto PC in "early spring 2014."
Next Car Game's Kickstarter in the ditch, early access program offers playable tech sneak peek
Bugbear Inc. has canceled its Kickstarter campaign for Next Car Game, but financial obstacles aren't enough to keep the project off the road of game development. The canceled campaign's most recent update notes the studio is "hell-bent to keep on developing the game with our supporters" through the pre-order program hosted on the game's site. If you can get behind the concept, Bugbear is offering a "playable technology sneak peek" to anyone that places a pre-order for Next Car Game. This sneak peek lets players run one of 24 cars through a "playground" Bugbear has been using to test Next Car Game's vehicle and environmental damage mechanics. That's not meant to replace the full game, of course, which the Kickstarter update states will include "a number of race tracks and derby arenas." This testing ground of sorts is offered in exchange for a $25 pre-order, which will eventually grant backers a Steam token for the finished version of Next Car Game. The game's site notes that the final version will "cost more than pre-ordering," so if you're the type to smash up pretty cars for some kind of sick game, it might be beneficial to you to commit now rather than later.
FlatOut dev shows off Next Car Game's damage modeling, vehicle torture
FlatOut and Ridge Racer Driftopia developer Bugbear Entertainment released a video showcasing its damage modeling system in Next Car Game, an upcoming racer for PC platforms the studio is independently crowdfunding via online pre-orders. Sensitive viewers be warned: the demonstration above is basically two minutes of slow-motion car murder. Highlights include multiple-angle launches, Car Plinko, and scenes of brutal carnage wrought by devices specifically designed for torturing four-wheeled vehicles. Bugbear is seeking 10,000 pre-orders, and plans to launch a playable preview version of Next Car Game when its funding campaign concludes.
FlatOut dev launches crowdfunding campaign for Next Car Game
Bugbear Entertainment is independently crowdfunding Next Car Game, a smash-em-up, derby-style racing game due out in early 2014 for PC, and possibly headed to next-gen systems if the campaign raises enough money. Bugbear is a Finnish studio responsible for the FlatOut franchise and Ridge Racer: Unbounded. Bugbear's site offers pre-orders of Next Car Game, which will drive development. Pre-orders get early access to the game this year and these players will provide feedback that will shape Next Car Game's final touches. There's no set amount that Bugbear needs to raise to finish Next Car Game, but if it gets 10,000 pre-orders, it'll launch a playable "sneak peek." Right now the pre-order tiers are at lowered prices, starting at $25 for the game, early access and exclusive wallpapers, and topping out at $100 for an exclusive car, the soundtrack, your name in the game and other digital goodies. An alpha version of Next Car Game will be released regardless of how much money Bugbear raises. The studio considered Kickstarter, but it ran into a few roadblocks. "We wanted to do a Kickstarter!" Bugbear says. "But it turned out to be tricky for non-US citizens, and Finnish law prohibits raising money for commercial purposes. We still wanted to show everything we've got right now, so we chose to set up our own pre-order site immediately! If you're thinking of holding off purchasing until the possible, speculative Kickstarter – please don't! We're sure we'll make it worth to you to jump on board immediately."
Ridge Racer Driftopia is 'free-2-drift' on PS3 and PC
Ridge Racer usually breaks ground by being a launch game on ... pretty much every platform ever. Now it's innovating by adopting a new model, free-to-play, and bringing it to a new level of silly nomenclature by calling it "free-2-drift."Ridge Racer Driftopia, developed by Ridge Racer Unbounded's Bugbear Entertainment, is a racing game in which you can buy cars, "repair kits," and XP packs. Namco previously experimented with a similar business model with Ridge Racer for Vita, which shipped with a small number of cars and courses, and sold the rest as DLC. Of course, that game had a $30 MSRP. So this is progress! It's due out this year, Namco says.
Bugbear teases destructive 'next car game'
Finnish game studio Bugbear Entertainment, original developers of the FlatOut series and Ridge Racer: Unbounded, began teasing its next racing game today. Under the working title "Next Car Game," the teaser trailer above shows off a chaotic demolition derby using in-game footage.According to the developer's site, it feels "there hasn't been a proper demolition derby game in years." The game is coming to PC and other platforms, though Bugbear didn't specify what ones. Fingers crossed that ColecoVision in on the list.
Ridge Racer Unbounded: Crashing through expectations
You know Ridge Racer, right? It's that arcade racing stalwart that occasionally revives itself for a new platform launch or awkward update, but consistently delivers drift-heavy, if not somewhat stale, racing mechanics? Or maybe you know it like I do, as a game to occasionally obsess over, to replay over and over while its electronica soundtrack bounces along in the background. Either way, Ridge Racer Unbounded is none of those things. Sure, Unbounded's driving still leans heavily on drifting, and the soundtrack is still composed of bouncy, synthetic beats, but Unbounded is an entirely different beast from previous entries in the series. It combines elements of both Split/Second and Need for Speed to concoct a hybrid Ridge Racer experience like none before, and -- at least thus far -- creates a surprisingly refined experience as a result.%Gallery-130924%
Ridge Racer Unbounded gameplay video ruins dozens of sidewalk cafes
Ridge Racer Unbounded, the newest entry in Namco Bandai's ever-present racing series, has historically played its cards fairly close to its chest. Little has been revealed about the racer since it was first announced back in February, and ridge-racing veterans have expressed concern over the decidedly extreme direction the series appears to be taking. Thanks to the magic that is Gamescom, however, we now know quite a bit about Unbounded's core gameplay mechanics. As explained by producer Joonas Laakso in the video above, the title's "crash race" mode slots neatly between Ridge Racers of yore and Split/Second: players fill a power meter by drifting, which can then be used to open shortcuts or destroy other racers. Environments are also highly destructible, with points awarded for destroying "collateral" that has been deemed "inconsequential." Chewing up the scenery with your front fascia will be instrumental in finding the fastest lines, as well as earning the highest scores. At the moment, we're intrigued by the racer's dramatic cinematics and minimalistic UI presentation, however it's also possible that we've simply been entranced by Joonas Laakso's accent. Unbounded is due out in 2012, so we'll just have to wait and see if the title can hold up without European charm.
Create cities to ruin in Ridge Racer Unbounded
Ridge Racer Unbounded breaks with series tradition in more than subtitle and attitude. The above trailer introduces the "City Creator" feature, allowing players to lay out their own environments. And then smash into them head-on.
Ridge Racer Unbounded colliding with Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in 2012
Namco Bandai Games VP of marketing, Carlson Choi, describes Ridge Racer Unbounded as "very different from the Ridge Racer you've come to know." if you've ever bought a game console at launch, you've probably come to know Ridge Racer very well, and you'll easily recognize the face of Reiko, the franchise's seemingly immortal mascot. Her behavior in the Unbounded trailer shows a turn for the worse -- she crashes her expensive car through a busy intersection, implying that Ridge Racer is about to adopt a more dangerous and careless approach to racing. Another, more obvious clue: It's being developed by Bugbear Entertainment, creator of chaotic arcade racer FlatOut. Ridge Racer Unbounded is set to arrive on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC sometime in 2012.
FlatOut demo finally hits U.S. and Canada
Available in Europe for some time now, the FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage demo has finally arrived on the U.S. and Canadian Xbox Live Marketplace. Previously, we were impressed with video footage from the game, so it will be nice to finally give it a test drive. FlatOut, if you don't know (or haven't guessed from the Ultimate Carnage subtitle), is a particularly violent racing game, full of death and destruction. Go fire up the old Xbox and give it a go. If you like what you see, expect the retail version to hit the shelves next month.
Juiced 2 demo squeezed out of Live, FlatOut
Attention demo lovers, we've got brand new, fresh squeezed demo for you this morning. What in the world could that demo possibly be? Chances are, you've already read the headline and you know it is, in fact, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights. If street racing imported cars on hot nights is your thing, you'd best download it and check it out. If you do, be sure to come back here and tell people what you think. If you happen to live in Europe (and we know many of you do) you'll probably also want to check out the FlatOut demo that just released too. Now where is that The Darkness demo, hmmmm? [Thanks, Joachim Bertelsen]
FlatOut: UC video is utterly destructive
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage may be the most accurately titled video game in history. Seriously, watch this video and tell us it isn't flat-out ultimate carnage. We've got crazy football themed "launch the body through the field goal" mini-games, then we have the same concept applied to long jumping, diving, and bowling. That little guy gets put through a lot. Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the positively massive pile-ups. If Forza 2 is a little too "simulationy" for you, we imagine you'll probably get a kick out of Flatout: Ultimate Carnage. Watch the video and tell us what you think.
Today's crashtacular video: FlatOut
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage is nearly ready for the Xbox 360, and a new trailer gives a glimpse of the reckless action. These sorts of driving/crashing games are tough to judge from a trailer clip -- or misguided soundtrack -- so we're holding our applause or disappointment until trying the title. But we won't let that stop you from heaping on the hype, or dousing it like Kaiser Soze blocking a makeshift fuse. What do you think? Watch the trailer after the break.
FlatOut Achievements collide
The FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage Achievements are now available for your perusal. There are 45 Achievements, with two of them secret. Most of them have creative names, similar to Gears of War's Achievement set. The one that sort of sticks out for us is "Go That Extra Mile" where you have to drive one thousand and one miles. It still has your standard affair of single player completion and displays of multiplayer competence. Are you going to race through this title when it comes out?
FlatOut Ultimate Carnage golden; hits UK shelves on 22nd
Empire Interactive and Bugbear Entertainment have announced that FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage has gone gold. On top of that, the game will be available June 22nd in Europe. With an effective trailer that came out earlier, this game should definitely whet your appetite in the combative racing genre. Hopefully it will hit the North American market in the near future. Are you going to pick this up when available in your region?
SEGA Rally to feature Infrastructure multiplayer
Sega is continuing its (questionable) love of PSP with the newly announced SEGA Rally. Like Full Auto 2 before it, the game will be built from scratch for the handheld, instead of being a watered-down port of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Bugbear Entertainment will be responsible for the PSP duties. An especially exciting feature of the PSP version is its Infrastructure mode, which allows players to compete over the internet against players around the world. From the press release:"The original SEGA Rally is heralded as one of the all time great video games and this new installment on the PSP is a great example of updating a classic perfectly for today's machines," said Guy Wilday, Studio Director, SEGA Racing Studio. "With the addition of multiplayer Wi-Fi and online multiplayer, there's scope for players to show off their skills against their friends, whilst the excellent PSP screen exudes all the visual qualities expected of SEGA Rally".
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage trailer flies under radar
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage also has a trailer that's on Marketplace that hasn't been mentioned elsewhere. It's 75 MB and does a much better job of conveying both what the game will actually look like, and the gameplay found within. It starts off with the same footage as the teaser, then goes on to show a bunch of racing, environments, and destruction. We'll do our best to ignore the crashbreaker at the end, because this trailer actually does its job of getting us interested in a game while showing real footage. Give it a look and tell us what you think.
