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MotorStorm RC free for a limited time on Vita in the US (thanks Toyota!)
Everyone's favorite Toyota spinoff car line, the Scion, is hooking you up. Actually, Scion's hooking all of us North Americans up (for a limited time, at least) with free copies of MotorStorm RC on the PlayStation Vita. And while the game is also launching on the PlayStation 3 this week for the not-so-free price of $9.99, the Vita version unlocks the PS3 version (also for free). That's your reward for dropping upwards of $250 on a Vita, we suppose.As if the free game offer weren't enough, your favorite Toyota spinoff car line is also getting a North America-exclusive car (the Scion iQ). It may not be the fastest car, but it's totally free. So, uh, there's that!
MotorStorm devs saved from Apocalypse by Sony
After the well-reviewed MotorStorm Apocalypse failed to move the sales needle in the states and Europe (it wasn't even released in Japan, following the March tsunami) Evolution Studios boss Matt Southern worried it would be the death of the studio. "We made a game we're really proud of and for some really heartbreaking reasons things didn't go so well," he told Eurogamer. But like a late-race turbo boost saving a car from elimination, Southern said that Sony has given the studio a shot in the arm with the Vita-bound mini-racer, MotorStorm RC. "We split the company up into three teams, one making RC, one supporting MotorStorm Apocalypse post-launch with DLC and multiplayer, and another bunch of guys just brainstorming new ideas. In a climate like the one we've had this year, that is rare." It's great to hear about any studio staying in business for whatever reason, but if the last MotorStorm sold poorly despite its quality, isn't yet another MotorStorm game an odd choice for a follow-up?
Motorstorm RC brings tiny trucks to Vita and PS3
For a new, smaller PlayStation system, Sony just announced a smaller MotorStorm. MotorStorm RC for PS Vita, due in the spring, shrinks the trucks down to radio-controlled toys, making it basically the Virtua Fighter Kids of PlayStation racing franchises. Weirdly, the RC trucks are still driving in real off-road racing type locations, "from the dusty desert mesa's of Monument Valley, to the dangerous jungles of a Pacific island, to the icy tundra at the Arctic Edge, to the apocalyptic ruins of an urban city." Essentially, a roundup of MotorStorm's greatest hits. It's actually not just for Vita -- it'll be available as a PS3 download as well. And when you buy one, you automatically have access to the other, with the ability to use the same save. That PS3 version will have 4 player split-screen.
MotorStorm Apocalypse update adds make-a-mode, Move support
Evolution Studios and Sony America have announced the release of an update to Motorstorm Apocalypse that's probably beefy enough to charge for -- luckily, they didn't! The update, which went live earlier today, adds a network for sharing your customized vehicles, streamlines a few online multiplayer options, and includes support for the PlayStation Move and select racing wheel peripherals. The update also adds a "Mode Editor," which allows you to tweak pretty much anything you want in a given race. For example, with two clicks, you can disable both brakes and gravity. The potential for unintentional hilarity here is dizzying.
Sony replaces Resistance 3 with MotorStorm: Apocalypse in 3DTV bundle
If you live in a dorm room, or an efficiency in Manhattan, or a tiny Harry Potter staircase closet, you were probably chuffed to bits when Sony announced their 24-inch PlayStation-branded 3DTV/Resistance 3 bundle during this year's E3. Now though, it looks like denizens of diminished domiciles will be doing a lot more wicked jumps, and lot less alien shooting. Responding to inquiries regarding this Amazon listing, which shows Sony's PlayStation 3DTV bundled with MotorStorm: Apocalypse instead of Resistance 3, Insomniac Games confirmed the switch in a tweet, apologizing for any inconvenience. According to a statement made to Gamespot, MotorStorm: Apcalypse will also support the full-screen-but-also-split-screen functionality touted by Resistance 3, however no information about why the games were switched has been given as of yet.
MotorStorm Apocalypse review: Crash test dummy
As far as awesome spectacles in gaming go, MotorStorm Apocalypse is up there with the best. I don't know if I've ever seen a game, let alone a racer, with this amount of action happening at any given moment. I can't help but marvel at the degree and detail of the destruction it renders on a city-wide scale -- which is a problem, since I'm supposed to be focused on racing. Everything comes at you so fast, furious, loud and bright that opponents trying to ram you off the "track" (little in this game resembles an actual race course) are the least of your worries. No, the greatest risk is running into the scenery ... over and over and over again.%Gallery-121827%
MotorStorm Apocalypse crashing down May 3 in North America
The indefinite delay that struck the North American release of MotorStorm Apocalypse has become specific: Sony has announced that the game is delayed until May 3. The game's launch date was shaken up in all regions in an effort to distance the racer's eye-catching urban destruction from the recent events in Japan. As compensation for the delay, Sony is offering up a Premier Pack DLC voucher -- which enables two exclusive in-game vehicles -- in "every new copy of the game."
MotorStorm Apocalypse gets March 31 release date in UK
One week after Sony made the decision to postpone the launch and remove marketing materials for MotorStorm Apocalypse, Sony Europe has confirmed to VG247 that the racer will arrive in the UK on March 31. The title had already begun shipping to retail locations in the UK when Sony decided to delay it, due to the parallels between its earthquake-centric gameplay and the earthquake and tsunami which devastated Japan earlier this month. There's no word on when the title will reach North America, after being delayed indefinitely from its rescheduled April 12 launch date. We've contacted Sony to see if a decision has been made on the game's U.S. release.
MotorStorm Apocalypse delayed indefinitely in North America
Sony has put the brakes on the North American release of MotorStorm Apocalypse, delaying the game indefinitely in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The delay, announced on the PlayStation Blog, doesn't exactly come as a surprise, given that the title's launch had previously been postponed in Japan and the UK. Set in an earthquake-ravaged costal city, the Evolution Studios developed racer had been scheduled for release on April 12. Sony told Joystiq earlier this week that the date still stood. When contacted today, SCEA confirmed the delay and added that there is "no new date at the moment."
Motorstorm: Apocalypse launch postponed in UK
Despite the fact that MotorStorm: Apocalypse has already begun shipping to brick-and-mortar stores in the UK, Sony says it will "postpone the launch" for the time being, missing the March 18 launch date. SCE issued a statement (via CVG) that specifically cites "the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan" and "the parallels between these events and the underlying theme in MotorStorm" as reasons for the delayed launch. The game's March 17 Japanese launch has also been delayed to a "TBA" date, alongside several other titles. "Although the game itself is already in distribution, we are ceasing any further shipments and removing as much of the marketing materials as possible," SCE's statement continues. "Our thoughts are with all those affected, including our colleagues within the Sony family, living and working throughout Japan." SCEA confirmed with Joystiq that MotorStorm: Apocalypse will still ship in the US on April 12 -- perhaps signaling when the game will be made available across the Atlantic as well.
MotorStorm Apocalypse closed beta in session
A MotorStorm Apocalypse private beta test is underway, according to an invitation forwarded to us by a UK-based tipster. The beta includes four scheduled event nights over the next two weeks, as detailed in the invitation (in full after the break), which are intended to stress test the servers and online matchmaking leading up to the game's April 12 launch. According to a recent thread on the Official PlayStation Community (EU) forums, the beta appears as "Network Beta Trial Notification - PlayStation 3 beta Trial PSN" to better disguise its identity. Don't take it personally -- it's private, after all. You'll likely get your test run in the (public) demo, which is due on PSN before the full Apocalypse. [Thanks, Feigned-existence]
MotorStorm Apocalypse crashing down April 12
The mere mention of a "motorstorm" itself sounds pretty apocalyptic to us. Just imagine: 1000-pound engine blocks falling from the sky! Given that, can you even begin to imagine how severe a MotorStorm Apocalypse could be? Well, you don't have to, it's happening, as Sony has announced the game's April 12 release date on the PlayStation Blog. With a few months to go before the arrival, you've still got some time to save like, so, so many coins for that 3D TV. You do want to experience the Apocalypse the way it's meant to be played -- in "mind-blowing 3D" -- don't you?%Gallery-114376%
MotorStorm Apocalypse dev diary details 'The Festival' campaign mode
Sony has delivered a MotorStorm Apocalypse dev diary video -- and it's quite festive. Seriously: it features "The Festival," which is the single-player campaign mode of the game. As you can see in the video below, the Festival mode will offer up a real story to go with your urban wasteland racing, seen through the eyes of three characters: a rookie, a pro and a veteran. Races in the mode occur in a set sequence, and while some will make use of the new Supercar and Superbike classes others will get crazy with vehicle choices, like pitting one measly motorcycle against a whole field of competitors in big rigs. This latest sequel to MotorStorm and its Split/Second-esque take on urban racing is looking pretty darn good from a gameplay standpoint, but its visuals are clearly still a ways from being finished. Hopefully they'll be spruced up by the time the demo hits.
MotorStorm Apocalypse gets Superbikes, photo mode, demo in 2011
Sony has unleashed a barrage of MotorStorm Apocalypse news over on the official PlayStation blog. Revealed in a video posted after the break is a track called Skyline, which pits racers against each other while driving across the rooftops of a destroyed (and crumbling) city. The clip also shows off a new Superbike vehicle, and lots more. The game will offer player customization in the form of both perks and cosmetic updates, a new photo mode for snapping shots mid-race, extensive PSN tie-in content including some PlayStation Plus exclusives and a new taunts / gestures system that will enable you to bug other riders online. Sony also promises lots of DLC (including possibly a free island-themed track) and a series of developer diary videos in the weeks to come. The game's been given a launch target of Spring 2011, and a demo is planned for early next year. Is it weird that whenever we start to key in on a big Sony release, our biggest wonder is what KB will say about it?
MotorStorm 3D Rift tears up PSN tomorrow (with 2D support)
If you're one of what must be millions of PS3 owners who have already dropped three large on a Bravia 3DTV, you've already experienced a small taste of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift in 3D as part of the demo pack Sony gave you. Good news for you: The experience doesn't end there. As part of tomorrow's PlayStation Store update, Sony is making MotorStorm 3D Rift available, a more substantial 3D-ified release of the game featuring 10 courses, each linked to a specific event type. Unfortunately, there's no multiplayer (online or off), but at least it'll run on those old-fashioned 2D televisions, too -- like anyone uses those anymore! The price of admission for this thrill ride: $10. The price of the game running in 3D: 30 frames per second.
Preview: MotorStorm: Apocalypse (in 3-D)
The first thing I notice as I fit the 3-D glasses over my eyes and launch into the MotorStorm: Apocalypse E3 demo is that there are people running all over the place. "Looters ... crazies," art director Simon O'Brien corrects, as I plow into one, sending his ragdoll body flying out of the screen at us. I figure I'm not going to have many, if any more chances to play MotorStorm: Apocalypse in 3-D (I'm no early adopter), so I settle in and run through the demo a few times. The third MotorStorm game for PS3 has been in development for two years and its 3-D component for half that time. Developer Evolution Studios has done an admirable job implementing this technical gimmick, and in 3-D mode the demo maintains a steady 30fps framerate and the visual details hold up (at least better than in Killzone 3's first take in 3-D). MotorStorm: Apocalypse is understandably chaotic, however, and the 3-D distractions, like those flying crazies, make an already difficult race course more challenging to navigate. I slam into a few walls, not easily seeing turns in the impromptu "track" -- a straight-shot race through a crumbling, fictional West Coast city. I finish in something like 13th place and ask if I can see the game in "2-D mode," but the demo doesn't allow for us to switch over. %Gallery-94881%
Video: Motorstorm's apocalyptic vision
Evolution Studios' third MotorStorm game races out of the jungle ... into a self-destructing city, it seems. This is definitely one game that's difficult to capture in screens, so watch the trailer after the break. Stay tuned for our hands-on preview.
MotorStorm: Apocalypse announced, racing to E3
Sony's pre-E3 reveals continue with confirmation of MotorStorm: Apocalypse (a.k.a. "MotorStorm 3"). Confirming previously leaked details, Apocalypse takes the franchise to a new urban setting, with a focus on destruction -- not unlike the recently released Split/Second. Players will be (foolishly!) racing through a city in the middle of an earthquake, driving through collapsing buildings. "This isn't post-apocalyptic. It's apocalyptic. You are there when it happens. It's survival racing," the PlayStation.Blog adds. In addition to the new setting, developer Evolution Studios is promising a greater emphasis on online and split-screen multiplayer, offering split-screen team racing in online, 16-player matches. MotorStorm 3 will be playable at E3 next week. Expect our full hands-on report then. %Gallery-94881%
Future MotorStorm: Pacific Rift expansions promise more Speed and Adrenaline
MotorStorm fans can't seem to get enough content, judging from the constant stream of new DLC. It's either that or Evolution Studios is just not tired of giving fans more of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. Promising two new major content packs, Pacific Rift will expand with a slew of new tracks, new vehicles, Trophies and more. Check after the break for details on both the Speed and Adrenaline expansions.
New (and free) MotorStorm DLC hittin' the dirt on May 14
We really like Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. Promise! But you know what the vehicles could use is a little more variety in color -- nothin' better than seeing a beautiful car careening over a cliff. So you'll understand our excitement when we found out that a handful of new DLC packs will be hitting the PlayStation Network featuring a smattering of new paint jobs.What's better? They're all free! Starting tomorrow and continuing for the following eight weeks -- one livery pack a week. Also included in tomorrow's DLC will be a patch clearing up a few bugs and accidents left in the game, as well as a new addition to online play in "microbadges." In so many words, a variety of icons will hover over each characters head, allowing you to show off your mad skillz to all your opponents (as seen in the screenshot above). Care to peep the new colors? Check out a video showing them off after the break!
