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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.
Jason Dobson03.17.2008
Disney announces Pure, plans to "redefine" off-road racing
Motorstorm, DiRT, that game with Ivan "Ironman" Stewart -- these are among the elite of off-road racing titles, having set the bar ridiculously high for other games to follow. Disney, however, has its dirt-encrusted sights set higher by announcing Pure, an upcoming off-road racer that it claims will "redefine the off-road racing genre." In development for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, the game is currently being dragged through the mud at Disney's Brighton, England studio Black Rock, formerly known as Climax Racing, a studio known for such racing franchises as Moto GP and ATV Offroad Fury. Even with this experience, however, we're not exactly sure how Disney's plans reshape how we think about off-road racing, though it might have something to do with what it calls "breakneck racing" and "jaw-dropping aerial tricks," all of which are apparently being overseen by stunt guru and ATV filmmaker Wes Miller. Still, we've read these sorts of claims before, and while the initial bath of media looks interesting it's a good bet our jaws are in no danger of hitting the floor just yet.%Gallery-16063%
Jason Dobson02.14.2008
Championship Off Road Racing goes HD for 2008 season
Racing fans will be getting even more HD this season, since Championship Off Road Racing has announced it will be live in HD for the 2008 season, on SPEED HD and NBC. The season kicks off April 26th in LA, no word on if they follow NASCAR's lead and place in-truck HD cams (with the beating they take, we'd be very surprised if they did).
Richard Lawler01.15.2008
All-electric GEM vehicle gets off-road makeover
If you've been pondering assembling your own dune buggy to cruise the beaches this summer, here's a swank idea. An all-electric GEM caught parked at the Pismo Beach Classic custom car show had apparently undergone quite a dramatic makeover as it boasted off-road tires and a substantial lift to boot. Sure, enabling it to climb over the punier hybrids on the freeway is bound to hurt those miles-per-watt, but there's nothing like crawling over barricades without even a hint of carbon dioxide being emitted. Catch another snapshot of the whip after the break.
Darren Murph06.16.2007
Kontron intros ultra-rugged 13-pound NotePAC
If you think your Toughbook or Itronix laptop is hardcore, then you haven't been formally introduced to Kontron's forthcoming NotePAC. While we've seen our fair share of rugged (and not-so-rugged) devices, this bad boy definitely ups the ante. Presumably designed to literally go through hell (and back), the nearly 13-pound beast can survive a 3-foot drop onto solid concrete, is MIL-STD 810F and IEC 529 certified for shock and vibration tolerance, and there's even an available upgrade that adds MIL-STD-461 certification for low electromagnetic radiation output, and ATEX (atmospheric explosives) certification "for use in areas where the slightest spark could prove deadly." Besides the tank-like armor surrounding it, it holds a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo T2300 processor within, accompanied by up to 2GB of DDR RAM, a 12.1- or 14.1- touchscreen LCD, removable 80 GB / 120GB SATA hard drives (mounted in shock absorbing, sealed cartridges, no less), and a hard disc heater that keeps your platters spinning down to minus 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, you'll find twin PCMCIA slots, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, VGA output, and a myriad of connectivity options that include UMTS, GSM, GPRS, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Notably, the system has been "fully validated" under Windows XP, but can also be ordered sans an OS if users wish to install Linux, and the company's own product manager stated that Kontron had already tested SUSE Linux and found that it "ran well" under the circumstances. Though we've no idea how much coinage this uber-tough NotePAC will demand, it'll be available to customize starting next month.
Darren Murph12.15.2006
Jeep USB flash drive
So maybe this USB drive isn't the the cutest, the biggest, the smartest, or even the weirdest, but how can you deny the Jeep drive's rugged allure? Oh sure, perhaps it's just a fickle attempt to overcharge for a cheap accessory, but whatever the case, EDGE Tech Corp has unveiled these presumably trail rated jump drives to store your maps, hiking trails, emergency contacts, and nearest parts dealers just in case cruising off-road leaves you in a pinch. Aside from looking rough and tough, these USB 2.0 drives seem barely more durable than your run-of-the-mill versions, claiming "shock resistance" as the lone rugged attribute. Considering the absurdly high prices -- $29.95 for 256MB and $44.95 for 512MB -- we can't really understand why these would be appealing, but maybe "it's a Jeep thing," so we wouldn't understand. [Via USBDriveSoft]
Darren Murph07.26.2006
Superfourin wheelchair opens up a new world to the disabled
A radical new GPS-enabled wheelchair with fat tires and four-wheel drive may soon offer disabled individuals the ability to tool around almost any terrain while still being protected by a virtual "tether" to a remote command center. The Superfourin chair, as it's known, is basically a modified ATV with a hybrid engine, on-board computer, and embedded sensors to monitor both vital signs and vehicle status, and was developed by Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Information and Data Processing IITB in conjunction with Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH. Designed mostly for deployment in fleets for group outings into Mother Nature's thoughtlessly unpaved terrain, the Superfourin was also given high marks for solo use from its multiple sclerosis-afflicted test driver, who was able to enjoy the Thüringer Forest alone with his family for the first time in years.[Via Gizmag]
Evan Blass04.20.2006