Forza 5
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'Forza 5' will be the first racing game with a Formula E electric racer
Turn 10 has just revealed that it'll bring the hum of electric power to Forza 5 with the Spark-Renault SRT-01E racing car. That'd mark the first EV from the fledgeling Formula E racing series in any game -- in fact, the actual series itself won't launch until September 13th in Beijing. The Spark-Renault SRT-01E was the first car to be homologated by the FIA for Formula E, and features a 200kW (270 bhp) motor and 888 kg (2,000 pound) curb weight. As you were likely wondering, it also produces about 80 decibels at full power -- that's a bit more than your car, but far, far less than the 140 screeching decibels of a pedal-to-the-metal Formula 1 racer. There's no word on when it'll arrive to Forza 5, but it would make sense to co-launch it with the Formula E series in Beijing next month.
Hot Wheels Forza 5 DLC brings cars, lacks bendy orange roads
Sometimes it's hard to find an excuse to play with the toys and properties you enjoyed as a kid. However, Forza 5 is about to reunite you with your long-lost Hot Wheels collection. Well, sort of. A new car pack, brought to you by Hot Wheels, is now available to download for $9.99. While this Forza 5 DLC doesn't feature 1:64 scale die-cast vehicles or sweet volcano jumps, it does feature Lamborghini's 50th anniversary car - the 2013 Lamborghini Veneno - along with nine other sweet rides. Seven of the 10 roadsters are new to the Forza franchise, and you can check out the full list after the break:
Forza 5 Meguiar's car pack lets you be the fast prince of Bel Air
Now this is a story all about how Xbox got flip-turned upside down ... Okay, it's not. It's actually about how Forza 5 developer Turn 10 has released 10 new cars for players to download and burn rubber with, including two Aston Martin models and the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air (see where we got the joke from now?). The Meguiar's Car Pack is available now for $9.99, or at no additional cost for season pass owners. The full list of cars included are as follows: 2013 BMW M Performance M3 Racing Car 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV-6 1958 Aston Martin DBR1 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato (Villa d'Este) 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396 1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe 1966 Ford Lotus Cortina 1973 Mazda RX-3 1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock Carlton dance DLC not included. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Every car in Forza 5 is half off this weekend, credit payout increasing in December
Turn 10 Studios is discounting every car in Forza Motorsport 5 by 50 percent from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1 following community feedback for the game. The developer is also offering VIP members the 2013 Lotus E21 grand prix car for free and the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for those that already purchased the E21. Turn 10 is also changing the game's economy by "dramatically increasing the credit payout available to all Forza players" in the month of December through its Forza Rewards loyalty program. The developer notes that the higher a player's tier level is before Sunday, the better the rewards will be, so those that spend extra time in Forza 5 in the coming days will see a nicer payout next month. Additionally, the developer admitted that the 1,250 in-game credits packed with the limited edition version of the game isn't enough to buy any car in the game as advertised. To make up for it, limited edition owners will soon be able to download an on-disc car of their choice for free. Owners of the LaFerrari launch car pack or the Forza 5 car pass will also receive the 2013 LaFerrari for free.
Gaming deals: $200 Batman, The Last of Us PS3 bundle, Xbox One games, Battlefield 4 for PS4 $50
Black Friday is making our wallets cower as it looms in the distance, but why wait until then to start your financial downfall? Kmart is currently offering a 250GB PS3 with The Last of Us and Batman: Arkham Origins for $200. If you've already jumped into the current console generation, Amazon is selling select Xbox One games for $50, including Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and ... Angry Birds: Star Wars. If you'd prefer to play on the PS4 and are generally optimistic, you can also buy Battlefield 4 for PS4 for $50 and hope that its issues are resolved before it reaches your doorstep. Since we're talking deals, Steam users can pick up Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit and Rage for $4.99 each this weekend, the latter of which can be played for free until 4pm Eastern Time. The ARMA series and most of its DLC can also be had for 80 percent off, meaning you can pick up Steam's ARMA selection for $18.98. Update: Amazon is also offering select games from the PS4 launch lineup for $50 apiece, including Knack, Need for Speed: Rivals, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden NFL 25 and FIFA 14. [Thanks, Jack!]
Forza 5 Limited Edition is $80, available for pre-order
Forza Motorsport 5 has a special Limited Edition version that is available for pre-order now for $80, Microsoft announced. The special edition includes a five car pack with the 2011 Audi RS 3 Sportback, 2012 Aston Martin Vanquish, 2013 Ford M Shelby Mustang GT500, 2013 McLaren P1 and the 2013 SRT Viper GTS. Limited Edition owners also gain VIP membership, which grants access to exclusive multiplayer events, "2x player reward acceleration" and yet another five-car pack, which includes the 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C , 1987 RUF CTR Yellowbird, 1991 Mazda #55 787B, 2011 Ford F150 SVT Raptor and the 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. The Forza 5 Limited Edition pack includes window decals and $10 worth of car tokens for use in the game. Those that opt for the $60 Day One Edition of the game will receive a three-car pack, which includes the 2010 Audi TT RS Coupe, 2013 Ford Focus ST and 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera cars. Limited Edition owners also receive those three cars when Forza 5 launches this November on Xbox One.
Xbox One cloud servers offer equivalent to 600 percent AI processing boost, claims Forza 5 team
Microsoft already talked up how the cloud component of its Xbox One console will work, but now we're hearing of the benefits from the dev's side. The verdict is certainly positive so far, with Dan Greenawalt, creative director for Forza 5, extolling its virtues, citing it as a "tremendous opportunity" in a recent interview with OXM. His team has been using it to take care of a lot of the AI elements in the game -- such as its Drivatar system -- which he claims would usually take up about 10 - 20 percent of the console's processing power. By letting the cloud deal with it, however, it can spill out into much greater complexity, with Greenawalt claiming a boost equivalent to "600 percent" of the actual Xbox's brains. This, in turn, freeing up the 10 - 20 percent it would have used for something else. Bold statement, of course, but with the early signals looking good, this is one feature we're glad still made the cut.
