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Codemasters not planning on adding trophies to GRID
Codemasters is, sadly, the latest developer to be added to the list of those who won't be adding trophy support to their already released titles. On the official GRID forums an administrator has posted saying that they're "currently not planning to restrospectively support PSN trophies - it;s not a trivial thing to add to a game" [sic]. Though this is disappointing, it's not too unexpected. Third party games are the least likely to be patched in. With Criterion showing their contemporaries, hopefully more will decide to rake in the goodwill of gamers by following suit. [Thanks Nuno]
Design a GRiD livery for the game's upcoming DLC
While we're not exactly sure just how many people out there are still interested in such a thing, Codemasters, the GRiD developers, are holding a contest for its players to design a livery (skin) for the above pictured car. The rules are real simple and you don't need to be an art whiz or anything. Basically, download the picture package from here, and do your best to create an official "Codemasters Racing Team" livery incorporating the Codemasters logo into the design. Going a step further, Codemasters artists will then turn that into game art for the car. And not only does the winner get his (or her) car in the game, but they also get " a load of GRID swag" and "a framed high-resolution render of your car as it will appear in the game." The contest ends July 25th, get designing!
The Best Of Big Download: June 8-14, 2008
Did you have a good week? We had a terrific one at Big Download but with the release of Spore Creature Creator next week it promises to be an even busier time for our site. In the meantime here are the highlights from the past weekExclusive Features Interview: Vic Davis of Armaggedon Empires: We chat with the creator of the acclaimed indie turn based strategy PC game. MODverlous Monday: This week we examine two custom mad maps for Blizzard's classic RTS game Starcraft. Casually Speaking: We take a look at the "death" of the video arcade. Freeware Friday: This week's free featured game is the nearly graphics-free RTS/RPG title Dwarf Fortress Big Iron: Our regular hardware column takes you through some video card basics
Race Driver: GRID patches tire, races on
Codemasters just released (or will be releasing soon) a new Race Driver: GRID patch whose goal is to make your GRID gaming more GRID-like and less "this game sucks"-like. The patch or as we like to call it, a "title update", will fix an entire laundry list of bugs, including numerous network updates, a few gameplay tweaks, achievement fixes and our personal favorite, a "fix for occasional excessive smoke coming from other players in network mode". Because, as you're well aware, that excessive smoke really took away from the racing experience. View the complete list of Xbox 360 GRID patch title update fixes after the break.
Big Versus pits all three GRID versions against each other
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Big_Versus_GRID'; After all that hubbub over GameTrailers' GRID comparison, are you ready for yet another side-by-side? Our friends at Big Download have a new Big Versus for the racer, with the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions all pitted against one another. If you're the kind of person who drools when screenshots are cut in half and then re-spliced with similar shots from different platforms, there's no time to waste!
360 GRID plagued by freezing issues
Our compatriots over at Big Download stumbled on some unsettling performance issues while preparing a GRID comparison piece that pits the PC version against its console counterparts. It seems that the game suffers from pausing and freezing during races and replays. Pauses are reported to be up to one second in length, which would be unacceptable in most games, but is especially so in a racing game. The issue is currently setting the Codemasters forums on fire. Solutions being offered include removing and reattaching the hard drive, playing with a memory unit and no hard drive, and clearing the cache, although it appears that no solution is effective in all cases. Codemasters is working on a solution that will be included in a forthcoming patch, which is should be available "within the next few weeks or sooner."
Shipping this week: Real Ultimate Power edition
It's finally here kids. Yes, it's the granddaddy of all ninja simulators, Ninja Gaiden. This particular entry in the series is somewhat anachronistically titled Ninja Gaiden II. We can tell you unreservedly (and from experience) that it is glorious in execution. It's also goriest in executions. Eviscerations abound as gamers take on the role of Ryu Hayabusa, the superest of all super ninjas. But wait, what's that? There are more games shipping this week and they don't all suck? Whoa. Imagine our surprise. Behold this week's list: Ninja Gaiden II GRID LEGO Indiana Jones Robert Ludlum's: The Bourne Conspiracy Kung Fu Panda Incredible Hulk Which of these will grace your 360's DVD drive?[Via Joystiq]%Gallery-22757%
It's deals time! Bourne, LEGO Indy and more
You've been waiting for it and now it's finally here. It's Sunday deals time where we dig through the Sunday newspaper, pull out the retail ads for the week, toss the actual news part of the newspaper in the garbage, look for Xbox 360 deals and share with you our findings. It's always good times! So, let's get to the money savings fun ...This week, Best Buy is offering Guitar Hero III for $75, a chance to buy an Indiana Jones DVD for $5 with the purchase of LEGO Indiana Jones, a free Bourne DVD with the purchase of The Bourne Conspiracy, $5 in concession money with Kung Fu Panda and they're still offering a free $50 gift card with purchase of an Xbox 360 console and GTAIV. Circuit City is giving out a free tshirt and a character unlock with LEGO Indiana Jones, a free Bourne DVD with the purchase of The Bourne Conspiracy, a free plush toy with Kung Fu Panda, Overlord for $15, a free Ryu wall graphix with Ninja Gaiden II and a $10 gift card with the purchase of either The Incredible Hulk or GRID. Finally, Target is giving away a $10 gift card with The Bourne Conspiracy. Phew!As always, feel free to comment about any deals you find when you are on your own weekly Xbox 360 deal search. Happy shopping!
Chevy Camaro hugs the corners in this GRID video
Racing games are a dime a dozen nowadays. What makes an impressive title stand out? Is it the physics, the courses, the car selection, the destruction? Who knows for sure, but we can safely say that GRID is easily an impressive game to check out as this video demonstrates. A lot of you have already tried the demo, but this shows off how well the game is progressing. We'll keep an eye open for this one.
Race Driver: GRID demo races to a million downloads
With the latest in Codemasters' Race Driver series, GRID, expected to roll up to the starting line next week, the company has announced that the demo for the upcoming, not to mention decidedly un-boring racer has been downloaded over a million times over Xbox Live, PSN, and the PC. The demo, which was released a couple weeks back, offers a look at what players can expect when Race Driver: Grid races to European retail shelves on May 30. Following this, North American players will be able to slip behind the wheel on June 3, while a more touchable version for the Nintendo DS is expected around the same time as well. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
GRID demo goes platinum; game to follow?
When the demo of Codemaster's newest racer was released at the beginning of the month, it was mostly to praise and positive feedback. Now as the month ends and GRID is almost on store shelves, Atari has announced that the game's demo has now been downloaded over a million times. If other demos that "went platinum" are any kind of indication, GRID is set for success. Codemaster's previous racer, DiRT, sold well initially, but never broke one million (at least in the US), so with a shift to an arcade style of racing and a customer base downloading the demo in large numbers, GRID could be the next online racer to see million-plus sales. Considering the recent debate surrounding the game, the community seems to be well aware of the game, so what of it readers? Will you be buying GRID come next Tuesday, or will Ninja Gaiden 2 be the major purchase of the week?
Race Driver: GRID's multiplayer explained
When we're not shopping for cars online or squabbling with forum goers over botched video coverage, most of our time spent with Codemasters' cryptically named racing game GRID will likely be spent online. It's something the devs obviously understand, as the company has revealed what multiplayer shenanigans we can look forward to when Race Driver: GRID ships for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on June 3. According to Codemasters, the game will have us eating the dust of up to 11 other racers at once on some 32 different online racing events spread across 80 circuits and 15 different global locations. The devs also note that care has been taken in "maximizing" the time spent actually racing, while keeping the minutes spent in lobbies idling in neutral at a minimum. Of course, our driving skills, or rather lack thereof, have us more interested in what the Codies call "full car damage," which will be able to be turned on or off. The laundry list of features also includes the ability to download ghost cars of top drivers to race against as well as a spectator mode, you know, for those of us who learn by watching instead of doing. Gallery: Race Driver: GRID (PS3)
GRID vs Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
We're not in the habit of taking shots at the PS3 here, regardless of our name, but this user-made YouTube video was too funny for us not to share. Posted back on April 25, JudgeRice compiled a comparison video of the upcoming TOCA Race Driver game GRID versus PlayStation's premier racer Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. Before the hate floods in, we know GRID is leaned toward a more arcade-style racing experience whereas Gran Turismo is a simulation. Still, we LAWLED. [via THEBBPS]
Joystiq talks to GameTrailers about GRID fiasco
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/GameTrailers_set_record_straight_on_GRID_controversy'; What fiasco, you ask? If you surfed GameTrailers over the weekend, it's possible you came across a (now pulled) video comparison of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Race Driver GRID. There were multiple segments edited together, some of them labeled as PS3 footage while others were labeled as 360 footage. The problem and, hence, fiasco surfaced when sharp-eyed viewers realized that all of the footage appearing in the video was from the Playstation 3 version. Adding fuel to the fire, many denizens of the net concluded that the video painted a better picture of the "Xbox 360" footage (though no specific declarations were actually made in the video). Many shouted conspiracy, while more levelheaded viewers assumed it was simply a mistake. To find out exactly what happened, Joystiq went directly to the source, GameTrailers. The verdict, according to GT Editor in Chief Shane Satterfield: "It was a mistake in our post-production process." Head over to Joystiq for the full interview, which includes an explanation of why GameTrailers is so teh bias.
GRID comparison video simply 'a mistake' says Gametrailers EIC
You may or may not have heard about the controversy surrounding GameTrailers' GRID console comparison video which has been floating around the net for the last few days. For those of you who have no idea what we're talking about, here are the cliffs notes: GameTrailers released a comparison video showcasing the difference between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Strangely the video only showed PS3 footage and, as a result, people made a lot of noise about GameTrailers being biased towards the 360. Shane Satterfield has participated in an interview with Joystiq to set things straight. He states that the video showing PS3 footage as Xbox 360 footage was "a mistake" and that "some of the footage of the PlayStation 3 version of the game was incorrectly placed in the bin for the Xbox 360 footage." Satterfield states that there is no bias and that they haven't had any advertising from Microsoft for two years. Check out the full interview for more details.
Joystiq interview: GameTrailers EIC sets record straight on GRID controversy
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/GameTrailers_set_record_straight_on_GRID_controversy'; There's been a lot of controversy surrounding GameTrailer's comparison video of Race Driver: GRID, which pitted the PlayStation 3 version up against ... um ... the PlayStation 3 version. Is the site horrifically biased? On Microsoft's payroll? We spoke with GameTrailers Editor In Chief, Shane Satterfield, to clear up the matter. How did this mistake happen? It was a mistake in our post-production process. After we captured the footage from both versions, some of the footage of the PlayStation 3 version of the game was incorrectly placed in the bin for the Xbox 360 footage. Our video editor on this particular project is not a games person and completely overlooked the fact that he had the wrong footage in the wrong place. We normally have multiple checks from games editorial on every segment that is published, but there was some confusion on who did/did not look at it before it was sent out for compression. Thus, the mistake. %Gallery-22677%
GameTrailers compares PS3 GRID to 'PS3' GRID
Ladies and gentlemen, to your pitchforks! GameTrailers obviously has an acute case of fanboyitis, of which there is no cure. The site has sparked a massive, internet-wide flame war with its PlayStation 3 vs. Xbox 360* comparison video of GRID. (The asterisk (*) denotes "Xbox 360" here has been replaced by a shiny black mass that plays Blu-rays and, until very recently, lacked the ability to rumble.) So GameTrailers compared the PS3 GRID to the PS3 GRID ... and the PS3 version somehow lost. But by merit of being the only player, does that mean it also won? The video has been removed, and various reports indicate GT has also removed comments and disabled the email contact function. Hold your comments of teh bias because we seriously doubt a major site would intentionally spark a flame war. We've sent a request for comment and will let you know. [Via videogaming247; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Demo for GRID races on to Xbox Live
You know why you're reading this instead of playing Grand Turismo 5 Prologue or Burnout or any of the multitude of other racing franchises available? Because they're boring. It's a true, scientific fact straight from Codemasters who said they're going to "make racing exciting again" with its latest entry in the Race Driver series, GRID. Now, you can put that to the test with the 750 MB demo that's just been dropped onto Xbox Live. (We're not sure, but with this being a Thursday we'd bet you'll see this on PSN later today as well.) Graphically, Codemasters certainly seems to be on the way to its lofty goal. But the rubber doesn't truly meet the road, as it were, until you get your hands on the controller. As usual, we'd love for you to give the demo a spin and share your thoughts, that is if you can control your shaking hands long enough to type them out. You know. Because of all the excitement.
GRID demo speeds onto the XBLM
Codemasters just released a new demo to the Xbox Live Marketplace for their upcoming street racer Race Driver GRID and yes, this demo surprised us too. The 795MB GRID demo allows gamers to race around in and experience three different regions including Europe Touring Cars at Jarama Circuit, U.S Muscle cars at San Francisco and Japanese Drift Racing at Yokohama Docks. We're also told that GRID demo players in Europe will have a chance to win a BMW 3-Series, if they can log the fastest lap time in the Jarama Euro Touring cars championship. So, no more complaining that European Live gamers don't get any exclusive offers. Mmkay? Download the GRID demo, see if it's your cup of racing tea and try and win team X3F a new BMW. Dibs on riding shotgun.
GRID and eBay Motors partner in advertising deal
Codemasters, their in-game advertising peeps at Engage In-Game Advertising and eBay Motors are all happy-go-lucky today with the announcement that upcoming racer GRID will incorporate eBay Motors' auction service into the game. In-game advertising FTW! According to Codemasters, the eBay integration "allows GRID players to buy and sell performance vehicles in a realistic setting" as the "marketplace experience becomes an essential element in a player's strategy to win races by upgrading cars for optimal performance". There will even be an in-game eBay Motor Muscle Series. And, per the new GRID video embedded above, it looks like there will be a special eBay Motors car as well. Hell, GRID is eBay'tastic! It makes us wonder if eBay will be waiving all selling fees on copies of GRID that are sold through their online auction service. That'd be a great promotional tie-in.
