Gaming

If you’re one of those people on the fence about VR headsets, you might want to look away now, for your wallet’s sake. Youtuber Marcel Pfister has unleashed two videos that combine green screen techniques with Oculus Rift to convincingly drop viewers into the driver’s seat.

Just last week, we brought you images of the Gran Turismo Hot Wheels collections set to arrive in stores later this year. What we overlooked at the time was that the site responsible for the sneak peak (the T-Hunted blog) also had a smaller, interesting look at the other big console racing tie-up with the diecast giant: Forza.

The merger signals the vision of a “UK racing-genre powerhouse” that will house two of the most successful development teams within the UK. Co-founder of Evolution Studios Mick Hocking will become the VP of Product, highlighting that Codies isn’t simply absorbing the staff, but keeping the team as a creative unit that will bring a new IP to the table in the near future. The combined 45 years of industry experience proposes an exciting time for fans of the racing genre: between the two stalwarts, many iconic intellectual properties across both arcade and simulation disciplines have been released.

Sundays are meant for relaxing. Maybe that’s taken the form of playing your favourite PS4 game straight on your PC. That game might even be DiRT Rally (read Brendan’s excellent review here). Or perhaps you’re still trying to tame a car’s airborne tendencies at Oakhill Road, last week’s Track of the Week.

Including the famous German track Nürburgring Nordschleife in modern video games isn’t the rarity it once was. Console players were technically first introduced to the Green Hell back in 2003 with Project Gotham Racing 2, though that version was scaled up by roughly 10% to increase passing opportunities online. A more accurately-sized model arrived a year later with Gran Turismo 4, and has since spread to numerous other titles in the decade following.

Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division is currently preparing for the release of its latest hot product – the Mercedes-Benz GT3. It was first shown to the public at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, with clear intentions to bring the very best from the strong base of the new Mercedes-Benz GT, and prepare the manufacturer for the future FIA GT3 season.

If you were an early adopter and have been enjoying the PlayStation 4 since launch or sometime shortly thereafter, chances are the contents of the 3.50 update won’t come as much of a surprise to you. For those sitting idly by waiting for the opportune moment to pounce on the purchase, even in wake of the controversial heavily-rumored “PS4K,” the first major firmware update of the year introduces a feature that’s sure to pique your interest: PC Remote Play.

We’re a little late this week, but have no fear: the Track of the Week is here! Last week’s Complex String turned out to be a big hit, and the community has followed it up with a decidedly different track: Oakhill Road.

With a little under two months to go until Assetto Corsa begins to make a name for itself on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, 505 Games and Kunos Simulazioni have released the latest trailer showcasing the game.

Slightly Mad Studios is preparing to set sail for Japan and deliver a special edition of Project CARS to local game enthusiasts. Dubbed Project CARS Perfect Edition, the game will serve as an equivalent of the North American and European Project CARS Game of the Year Edition.

More news on the Gran Turismo collection from Hot Wheels: It looks like even the world of diecast cars can receive expansion packs!

New seasonal events are now available in Gran Turismo 6. This week’s events are the usual fare, a combination of challenge events with varying degrees of difficulty featuring non-race cars and race cars alike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrnjQA7vAnE

The DiRT series has had a bit of a checkered history. From the first game’s rallying roots, to the ‘xtreme’ era pandering of DiRT 3, and finally the game that brought the series to a lasting hiatus – DiRT Showdown. To say that the series has a split fanbase would be an understatement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvzKST-O_lw

Last month, we shared more gameplay details regarding Turn 10’s upcoming free-to-play Forza title for Windows 10 platform. Fans of the popular driving simulation series have been discussing the studio’s announcement that Forza Motorsport 6: Apex won’t feature steering wheel support. Among many of the things that are expected to be reduced in size and/or detail, this one is particularly alarming, as it can drastically affect the joy of playing a driving simulation on PC.

Partnerships between automotive manufacturers and video-game companies are nothing new –Gran Turismo’s own Vision GT programme is built around the relationships that can be forged through collaborations.

The latest post made by Polyphony Digital on Gran Turismo’s official website could attract some very dense toy car collector and enthusiast traffic. AUTOart, the popular die-cast model car manufacturer, has released a special 1:18 replica of the speedy Red Bull X2014 prototype!

Pull yourself away from running more laps around Complex String for a minute (if you can manage): it’s time to vote on the next GTPlanet Track of the Week!

The roll call of names for high level racing drivers who’ve learned their craft on Gran Turismo is impressive – Jann Mardenborough, Lucas Ordóñez, Wolfgang Reip, Florian Strauss – but from 2016 though it seems we’ll have to add a new name to that list: Bob.