RaceDriver GRID

[MrMystic]

UPDATE: Download the demo: click here

Codemasters has released the first images of Race Driver: Grid (Formerly known as Race Drive One).

It's a complete turnover of the RD-series and is focused on what's going on between the starting grid and the finish, according to Ralph Fulton (Head Games Design at Codemasters). Fulton also said that there's no place for designing race outfits and collecting cars.

Race Driver Grid will use the Colin McRae: DiRT engine with an increased damage model: "Damage as small as screws of the car that stay on the track, thus influencing the gameplay."

Gamers can race on official European circuits in cars made by Aston Martin, Koenigsegg, Pagani and many more. In the cities of Detroit, Washington DC and San Francisco there are street races. Japanese cities provide the opportunity to race in neon-lighted streets.

Race Driver: Grid is being developed for PC, PS3 and XBOX360 and is planned for the 2nd quarter of 2008.

Screenshots: CLICK HERE.

[Source: Tweakers.net]

 

[Robert Wiesenmüller]

The BMW's in BTCC and WTCC are basically the same cars (except some run with a 6-gear-gearbox in BTCC). The liveries of the cars in the video are fictional.

Game looks very beautiful, car choice okay aswell but 12 online players is this a bad joke?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Its a console port.

The DiRT engine, and i played DiRT quite a lot on PC, doesnt really have realistic steering, its like you have 4 degrees of turning 2%, 10% 40% 100%, seems like it was set up for playstation controllers, you put on full lock and you can still steer round the bends even though the fronts have supposedly lost traction. take you foot off the throttle at this time, to gain front traction and you suddenly gain monumentous grip, its totally unrealistic. They did do a great job on DM and suspension, and graphics. but everything else is totally lacking.
btw although good graphics theres no sharpness to the picture, everything is a bit blurry and grainy, i guess this is so the graphics cards on XBOX etc can handle it, or theres nasty visual tearing being hidden by the blurriness, which is a shame, after a while you eyes just want something sharp to look at with a bit of clarity, so you go back to Race07 ).

also what i dont like about codemasters games is the inflexibility of the game. for example you cant mix classes and have customized racing to the same degree you can in Blimey! SimBim Sims. instead its like theres a race and a goal, once you reach that goal, and unlocked things, then you will get bored with it (i know as ive completed DiRT and now uninstalled it (every now and then i re-install it because i love the crashes tho)) and by then we will have the next game out.

Console Game, 12 player multiplayer? well, PS3 is bad for online, and XBOX players have to go through all that LIVE crap, so Multiplayer isnt as important for console gamers or practical on the consoles. PC gamers are not the main target audience, Enough said.

 

[MrMystic]

Its a console port.

You work at Codemasters right?

But why do you compare CMRiRT to RaceDriver: GRID? If they use the same engine, that doesn't mean that the features and handling is the same. Think about the Unreal Engine's based games...

And since this is a PC topic, I'm not going further on the console part...

 

[Gareth Hughes]

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=92764

-"There's even a pit radio system (although there are no pit stops), "

-"The result is an edgy new title and look, a smattering of glamorous city tracks, the complete removal of any setup, modification or tuning from the game, and a move to mostly fictional, unlicensed motorsport series."

-"the Neon engine used in Colin McRae DiRT is really flexing its muscles now, "

-"The Asian tracks include a fictional Grand Prix circuit, and a couple of locations that reflect the illegal street-racing scene - a drift track at the deserted Yokohama docks, and the famous Haruna mountain road from the Initial D film (complete with oncoming traffic)."

I Do expect a glitterball instead on an interior mirror in this game it has to be said.

Oh Dear, well there i was hoping that Race 07 had some competition on the Sim scene.

Can see what your saying tho Sven. Looks good if your into DiRT type of game, and being based on DiRT engine means that its DiRT with different graphics and tweaks to handling and a few features of the engine switch on or off, and as you suggested above, they may actually tweak the variables in the engine so that it gives better steering this time. I did enjoy DiRT for a while, i'll probably buy it GRID anyway just for the arcade fun aspect, a bit of lighthearted racing that i can easily put down to do household chores. My point was really that the features you would normally get in a PC game wont be there, like 20+ players etc in multiplayer is a good example. The games that are also released on console always seem to be lacking in some aspects.

 

[Karl Westman]

Codemasters has released the first images of Race Driver: Grid (Formerly known as Race Drive One).

It's a complete turnover of the RD-series and is focused on what's going on between the starting grid and the finish, according to Ralph Fulton (Head Games Design at Codemasters).

Excellent, a racing sim that actually focuses on the racing... must be a totally new thing for the developers at Codemasters...

 

[Patrick van Driel]

The most fun online i ever had was in Racedriver2. Like many more i got robbed buying Racedriver3. No more euros from me to Codemasters.

 

[MrMystic]

Brand new screenshots of this upcoming racetitle can be found here: http://www.themanroom.com/article-screensall.php?sid=5805

 

[erazerSwe]

New movie from the lemans-track released yesterday

 

[Andy Marsden]

I think Codemasters should rename this Need for Juiced: Most Wanted Underground - Generic Chav Edition for all its worth! Seems they are jumping on the street racer bandwagon (which has been flogged to death imho) to make a quick pile of cash and not actually bothering to listen or care for their fans. I still enjoy having a good session on Race Driver 3 (and the original Race Driver which I still stick in my 360 thanks to backwards compat.) but i'm not going to touch this with the proverbial 10ft barge pole.
Codies are just being lazy with this, they could have made a real effort to produce a decent sim racer to challenge SimBins superioty (and put a sim racer on to the consoles for those who prefer to race on a console) instead they are choosing the EA route. Most likely they will make a few samey sequels to follow it.

Andy

 

[Gareth Hickling]

I think Codemasters should rename this Need for Juiced: Most Wanted Underground - Generic Chav Edition

I think its rather fitting!

 

[erazerSwe]

Well lets just accept that codies will never produce a real sim-game (it will be a mix of arcade and sim-feel, always has been i think)Even though i prefer real sims i still think toca race driver 3 has a good feel to it when i want to get away from the "serious" racing online. I still think this has a chance to be a good game even if its not a real sim. Lets just wait and see.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Le Mans movie: video.xboxlife.dk - Race Driver: GRID - 24h Le Mans Xbox 360 video

 

[MrMystic]

Hmm, it looks like ot is to clean... Look at the in cockpit view on the Le Mans straight... No bumping around, me not like that

 

[MrMystic]

The Demo for GRID is now available for free on the PlayStation Network.

On top of that, there is a challenge built in when using the time trial function, WITH a main prize: a new BMW 3-series. After you set a time, you can get a code, which can be filled in on the GRID website. You cans ee how you are doing, and what the time of the first is. The top 5 drivers will be invited to London on the release day to challenge eachother. The winner goes home with a brand new BMW 3-series. (Challenge is for EU citizens only...)

UPDATE: The track for the Euro Challenge is the Jarama GP circuit. There is also a challenge for the USA, here you can win a eBay liveried Ford Mustang GT-R. Track for the US challenge is San Fransisco eBay Muscle Car Track.

 

[MrMystic]

The Demo for GRID is now available for free on the PlayStation Network.

On top of that, there is a challenge built in when using the time trial function, WITH a main prize: a new BMW 3-series. After you set a time, you can get a code, which can be filled in on the GRID website. You cans ee how you are doing, and what the time of the first is. The top 5 drivers will be invited to London on the release day to challenge eachother. The winner goes home with a brand new BMW 3-series. (Challenge is for EU citizens only...)

UPDATE: The track for the Euro Challenge is the Jarama GP circuit. There is also a challenge for the USA, here you can win a eBay liveried Ford Mustang GT-R. Track for the US challenge is San Fransisco eBay Muscle Car Track.

 

[Rob Prange]

Racedriver GRID PC Demo Out

PC demo is finally out, from what I´ve heard its terrible though :ambulance:

VirtualR - Sim Racing News Racedriver GRID - PC Demo Released

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Download GRID Demo

WorthPlaying :: Race Driver: GRID - Demo

 

[Jamie Wilson]

I'll lower the quality of my following journalism to the same level as that of their games:

"I've tried it. It's ****."

 

[Warren Dawes]

I'll lower the quality of my following journalism to the same level as that of their games:

"I've tried it. It's ****."

Lol Jamie, but it's always good to read a short and to the point review.
Without even trying it, I have no reason to doubt you. Codemasters seem to aim for a different market, non simulation, probably the console arcade groups.
That's fine if it brings them revenue, but it really disappoints me when they tie up a licence and prevent other sim developers from bringing out a descent version of a particular series.
Classic example is Australia's V8 Supercars, their licence now seems to prevent others from including them, as well as stopping us from even getting addon Australian tracks in games such as Race 07. I hope the same thing doesn't happen with their F1 licence and upcoming game. Unless, by some miracle, their F1 game is a good one of course.

 

[James Yates]

Just tried it - it looks great and the damage is brilliant...

... but ive had less input lag on DiRT O.o

also, not sure if it is just me but the game has no force feedback which really helps to judge the car handling... its basically a game of chance going into a corner.