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‘Gran Turismo Sport’ will finally launch on October 17th
The long awaited Gran Turismo Sport finally has a launch date -- October 17th for North America and the 18th for Europe. Originally slated for launch in November of last year, the game's release was delayed last August so as not to sacrifice quality for a quicker release date. But Polyphony, the game's creator, just completed the closed beta phase it started in March and is now in the final stages of polishing the game.
Fox broadcasts Formula E's historic NYC races starting July 15th
Formula E is about to make history by bringing racing back to New York City, and you'll have plenty of chances to tune in... though it's not always live. Fox Sports (the league's official broadcaster) has detailed a coverage schedule for the two Brooklyn races on the weekend, including the pre-race build-up. Everything starts on July 15th at 6:30PM, when FS2 and SDD will rebroadcast the round 9 race's qualifying results. You'll see the race itself an hour later, at 7:30PM. Round 10 qualifying will air 11AM on July 16th. The real fireworks start at 12:30PM on the 16th -- that's when the pre-race (and half an hour later, the race itself) broadcasts live on TV. Both races will livestream online through Fox Sports Go, though you'll need a TV subscription to take advantage of internet viewing.
These drone racing goggles could spark the sport's digital era
Drones with digital video capabilities already exist, but in the racing world, analog is still king. For now, at least. Fat Shark has been the go-to maker of racing drone goggles for several years, and it's about to double down on digital, which in turn could be the nudge toward dropping analog feeds that the sport needs. The $350 Base HD is the company's first all-digital headset, and it comes with a fancy new 720p LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) display improved brightness, contrast ratios and clarity and a 28 degree field of view (this might sound small, but drone racing doesn't call for a huge FOV).
'Forza Motorsport 7' has more than just 4K to offer Xbox racers
When Microsoft announced Forza Motorsport 7, it was easy to focus on its eye-popping 4K resolution while maintaining 60fps, but the most important question is always, "How does it drive?" After some time playing with a gamepad, I can report that the realistic driving model Turn 10 has refined throughout the series' run is here and better than ever. Later, during a closed-door demonstration, I heard a bit about and saw some features that will be in the game when it ships this fall, like dynamic clouds that cast moving shadows on the track.
'Project Cars 2' takes simulated driving to a whole new level
With the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo getting their share of stage time at the big E3 events, it can be easy to overlook some of the other options. Bandai Namco and Slightly Mad Studios' Project Cars is one of those, and the second installment of the franchise is set to arrive September 22nd. The duo is showing off the hyper-realistic racing sim here at E3, and it didn't take long to get wrapped up in the tracks of Project Cars 2.
'Gran Turismo Sport' is a blast even if you're terrible at it
I've never been into Gran Turismo (or racing games in general), but when my colleague Timothy J. Seppala asked if I wanted to play the franchise's next title, GT Sport, I didn't think twice about saying yes. Especially after seeing how gorgeous the latest trailer looks. And I'm glad I checked it out, even if I did end up in second-to-last place in the two races I played. The graphics in Gran Turismo Sport are as gorgeous as they look on screenshots; it's seriously hard to differentiate cars in the game from real ones. Put simply, it's a perfect way to showcase gameplay at 4K 60fps (don't forget about HDR either), and even more fun if you're experiencing it the way I did: in a vibrating "sled" with a racing seat, steering wheels and pedals.
Mario Kart is drifting into a Japanese VR arcade
Few things in life are as uniquely stressful as pulling into first place in Mario Kart, only to hear a Blue Shell hurtling at you from behind. There's no escape -- all you can do is close your eyes and accept your inevitable defeat. That experience is going to get infinitely more dreadful for players who visit the VR Zone in Shinjuku, Japan: Bandai Namco has developed a version of Mario Kart for the HTC Vive, complete with the tiny pseudo-cars for players to plop down into.
Super realistic racing returns with 'Project Cars 2' in September
Barely a month after the release of the racing game Project Cars back in May 2015, the creators announced they'd already set up a crowdfunding page for a sequel. It seems they were right to be so audacious. Two years after the first game came out, Slightly Mad Studios has released a sizzle reel of footage from the upcoming title as well as a release date: Project Cars 2 is out on September 22nd for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
'Wipeout' was born out of 'Mario Kart' and booze
If you were a console racing game fan in the '90s, there's a good chance that Wipeout is forever etched in your brain -- it's hard to forget that mix of sci-fi racing and genre-defining dance music. But how did it come to be? As it turns out, it was almost a happy accident. To mark the launch of Wipeout Omega Collection, Sony has posted a retrospective that reveals the oddball set of circumstances that led to the series' creation: alcohol, Mario Kart, CD technology and the movie Hackers all played important parts.
Self-driving car race finishes with a crash
Fans attending Formula E's Buenos Aires ePrix got a nice treat: the first 'race' between self-driving cars on a professional track, courtesy of a test from Roborace. Only... it didn't quite go according to plan. Roborace's two test vehicles (known as DevBots) battled it out on the circuit at a reasonably quick 115MPH, but one of the cars crashed after it took a turn too aggressively. The racing league was quick to tout the safety advantages of crashing autonomous cars ("no drivers were harmed"), but it's clear that the tech is still rough around the edges.
Formula E's next-generation cars get their first concept shots
The all-electric Formula E race series is set to make some high-profile moves this season. With a big race in Brooklyn and at least one major entrant ditching the fossil-fueled Le Mans races, electric racing is gaining more and more credibility as the sport progresses. To keep the vehicles at the center of it all progressing as well, Spark Racing Technologies has unveiled its plans for next season's official Formula E cars.
The UK's first pro drone race will be hosted in London next June
With backing from big broadcasters like ESPN and Sky Sports, drone racing is already making its mark on TV. The Drone Racing League's (DRL) inaugural five race season is now two races deep, having visited Miami and Los Angeles, but the company is already thinking ahead to next year's championship. After revealing that the UK would host its first professional drone race in 2017 back in September, the DRL today confirmed that the winner-takes-all season finale will be hosted at London's iconic Alexandra Palace on June 13th.
Audi drops Le Mans in favor of Formula E
Here's an unusual turn of events: Audi is dropping its best-known presence in motorsports. The car maker is terminating its FIA World Endurance Championship commitment, which includes 24-hour Le Mans races, in favor of a Formula E factory-backed team. If you ask executives, it's about reflecting long-term goals. Audi's regular cars are going electric in ever-larger numbers -- when its race cars are "technological spearheads," they have to go electric as well. The company already has a partnership in the league, but it'll have technical involvement from 2017 onward.
Mercedes grabs a spot on the Formula E grid from 2018
Mercedes is set to become the latest in a long line of traditional car makers entering the world of Formula E. The company confirmed today that it's signed an agreement to reserve a spot on the grid of the electric racing championship from the 2018/19 season. With the all-electric series set to expand from 10 teams to 12 in season five, Mercedes can now decide whether it will take one of the two new available openings.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 8: He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot
On this week's episode managing editor Dana Wollman, reviews editor Cherlynn Low and senior editor Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to discuss Elon Musk's plans to colonize Mars, racing 3D boats in Red Hook and the over-simplification of "the cyber" at the first presidential debate.
BMW partners with a Formula E racing team
BMW has already dabbled in Formula E between an i3 medical car and an i8 safety car, but it's ready to commit to the electric racing league in a much bigger way. The German brand has unveiled plans to "cooperate closely" with the Andretti Formula E team over two seasons. It's primarily promising engineering and resource sharing, but BMW has greater ambitions: it's studying the methodology of the league to consider the possibility of "works involvement" (that is, direct operation of a team) in the 2018-2019 season.
Formula E's New York City race is set for Brooklyn next year
We already knew Forumla E was planning to race in New York City and now we have more details about the event. The all-electric race series announced during a press conference today that the final race of the 2016-2017 season, the New York City ePrix, will take place in the area around Pier 11 and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook. The two-day event is currently scheduled for July 29-30, 2017 with a 1.21-mile course that winds around the terminal's parking lot with two straightaways that run down the side of Pier 11.
ESPN will air a drone race series starting October 23rd
ESPN's first experiment with drone racing coverage must have been successful, as it's committing to robotic sports in a big way. The TV network has unveiled a multi-year broadcasting deal with the Drone Racing League that will have both ESPN and ESPN2 airing races in the Americas, starting with the 2016 season. The series broadcast kicks off on October 23rd at 9PM, and will spread five races over the course of 10 episodes. It all comes to a head with two DRL World Championship episodes on November 20th.
Hot Wheels AI is the love child of slot cars and Roomba
Model cars and track racing are the bread and butter of Hot Wheels, but they might look a little long in the tooth compared with flashy console games like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed. With the new Hot Wheels AI set, toy autos get a bit of a boost -- not just in speed, but in intelligence. Now you can race against a computer in the real world, right there on your living room rug.
'Gran Turismo Sport' delayed to sometime in 2017
Polyphony Digital has a reputation for taking its sweet time to bring Gran Turismo games to Sony consoles, and Gran Turismo Sport won't be an exception to the rule. The studio has delayed its first PS4 racing game to sometime in 2017 after having previously committed to a November 2016 launch. Why the sudden change of plans? Polyphony chief Kazunori Yamauchi says his team doesn't want to "compromise the experience in any way" -- as is frequently the case, the company would rather be late than sully its obsessive vision. That's wise given the history of rushed driving game launches (case in point: Driveclub), but it's unfortunate for PS4 owners who've been waiting for what's likely to be their console's definitive racing title.
