GTPlanet Weekly Rewind: Rage Against the Machine

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday! You’ve gone several weeks, months even, ducking and weaving the inevitable – you’ve just been Rebecca Black’d.

So you may have noticed this week’s title and there’s no doubt in my mind that at least one of you out there are going to take it as a reference to the outcry toward the Xbox One or Gran Turismo 6, and while you may certainly spin it that way as the means are more than justified, it’s actual meaning, as in why I’ve chosen it, is because I started playing the HD remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on Steam the other day and I was utterly surprised that the soundtrack appears to be completely in-tact.

Of course, that’s not the case because several tracks from the original Pro Skater and it’s sequel are missing. So you’re probably wondering to yourself why I chose the title that I did considering it’s not in the HD remake and the answer is incredibly simple: “Guerilla Radio” by Rage Against The Machine (notice the subtle difference between the title and the band’s name) was one of my favorite tracks in THPS 2, next to “When World’s Collide” by Powerman 5000, which is in the HD remake.

Alas, I went with this all the same because of the endless conclusions that can be drawn from it. Don’t ever say I haven’t stimulated an intelligent discussion!

A little over one week remains until E3 and there’s so much I’m looking forward to that I can’t even begin to contemplate how I’m going to remember it all for the Special Edition Rewind that will follow on the same week. In any case, as mentioned last week the Rewind will be returning to it’s original format this week and will remain that way for the next week until E3 where the aforementioned Special Edition article covering all things important to me from E3. It’s going to be a crazy week, I can promise you that.

Without further ado, let’s kick the Rewind into gear and get things underway!

GTPlanet Picture of the Week

I can’t fathom how this image that’s been in my queue since December of last year went unnoticed, recommended to us by dice1998 and courtesy of Taiga, this week’s featured image places the spotlight on the Ferrari F10 in the aptly titled “Infinity”.

The image has this gritty feeling that depicts the feeling of when you’re in a Formula 1 chassis, you’re in your own world and the only thoughts on your mind are the next corner and how you’re going to continually shave valuable fractions of a second off of your lap times in rapid succession.

Have a suggestion for next week’s featured image? Drop me a private message, entitle it “GTPlanet Picture of the Week” and fill it out with your two choices and they’ll be featured in upcoming Rewinds. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.

Gran Turismo 6: A Look at Things to Come

There’s no doubt that many of us are looking forward to the upcoming Gran Turismo 6, and if you’re worried about it missing it’s scheduled release window of “Holiday 2013”, fear not for Sony is actually confident that it will meet that date, so you can stop biting your fingernails now.

But the question remains: what are you looking forward to the most in GT6? Is it the complete overhaul to the physics engine, the new vehicles, the improved course creator, the board-wide improvements to the UI, or is it any combination of those things or perhaps something else entirely?

For me it would have to be physics, hands down. While I’m no stranger to my own opinion that I’m not going to be left in awe at a logical move that it’s competitor has laid claim to since it’s inception, it’s all about the execution of the acquired assets. If GT6 is capable of providing me with better fluency and feeling relating to the movement of the car I won’t see myself growing tired of that sensation anytime soon.

Another thing I’m interested in is their approach to monthly DLC. How will they tackle it? Are they going to offer us genuinely new things or mere touch-ups of existing resources? While I’m not entirely opposed to the latter, it would have to be something that genuinely captures my attention. Something like completely remade versions of Grindelwald or Red Rock Valley Speedway as something in that neighborhood would definitely appeal to me and my wallet.

Then comes the cars themselves — the proverbial meat and potatoes of the GT series — PD cannot place themselves in a position where they’re offering us similar content to what’s been placed on the table in GT5. While Standard-made-Premium assets are more than welcomed there’s a time and place for that; perhaps include them within the scope of monthly or bi-monthly car pack, it would set a pretty good precedent and I’d have absolutely no problem indulging into either offering.

GTPlanet Weekly Race Series (WRS) Week 119 – Taking Your Girl for a Scenic Drive

Last week brought you a new surprise and this week is no different in that regard, jump behind the wheel of the RM-spec Nissan Silvia and tackle the many twist, turns and undulations of Autumn Ring Reverse. Sector times are looking great already and it appears the options for the Silvia are either tail-happy or front-heavy, but if you’ve never spent enough time on the track to have enough familiarity with it’s challenges then you’re going to be in a wild ride.

With a minimum of 320 horsepower going straight to it’s real wheels there’s going to be incentive to get around corners with the back-end stepping out ever-s0-slightly, but you will have the power and the downforce to set some quick lap times – so get to it!

Stop by the official thread here and remember that you NEED to be registered before officially participating in the WRS, and that can only be done by submitting a time for the official GTP Registry Qualifier.

GTPlanet Member of the Week

You know what time it is, time to acknowledge another grand member of the community who has stood out for all that they’re worth and since it’s been lonely without an official mention these past two weeks we’re going to change that right here and now,  let’s welcome the newest entrant into the Member of the Week hall of fame: Katiegan! Katie is the first in line of junior member inductees to have proven that it’s not always about the tried and true, and the fact you’ll soon learn she’s a “hoon” makes things even more interesting.

The interview itself will provide more than it’s fair share of laughter, and she even has a project she wants to get out there in the form of a blog about, what else, the art of hooning. Be sure to give it a read if that’s your kind of thing and support a fellow GTP’er in their ambitions.

For the full interview be sure to stop by the Member of the Week thread and get to know Katiegan better, or maybe even see the world of hooning through her eyes. She is, after all, the eighth member to be recognized among her peers. Who’s next?

Anyone you’d like to see recognized as the Member of the Week? Drop me a private message, entitle it “GTPlanet Member of the Week” and fill it out with your choices and they’ll be featured in upcoming Rewinds. NOTE: You cannot nominate yourself.

GTPlanet Vehicle of the Week

We all have Gran Turismo 6 on the brain, so why not learn a little more about one of it’s newest inclusions: the KTM X-Bow R.

KTM is Europe’s second largest motorcycle manufacturer and in the company’s 50-year history they’ve only developed one car, the super lightweight X-Bow, and the foundations for the bold move can be traced back to the company’s dynamic development. With an annual growth rate of 21 percent in sales and 25 percent in turnover the company was able to sell 84, 421 motorcycles with 1,697 employees, compared to a far more modest 6,000 motorcycles with 160 employees onboard in 1992.

KTM has managed to successfully transfer it’s development principles from two wheels to a sports car seamlessly. The X-Bow’s design originates from the house of Kiska, an Austrian design studio that’s had close ties to the company for over 15 years and is not only responsible for the design of KTM’s motorcycles and the X-Bow, but the company’s corporate image as well.

At the core of the X-Bow is a sophisticated carbon fiber monocoque chassis developed together with Italian racing car specialist Dallara, and with an extremely light weight of around 70kg, the chassis offers the maximum amount of rigidity and safety. The engine and transmissions are provided through a partnership with Audi AG; the four cylinder engine is lightweight and completely made of aluminum, with four valve technology, FSI direct injection fuel, high pressure injection valves, and more coupled with an output varying between 220 and 300 horsepower; the transmissions available range from a manual 6-speed gearbox, to an optional DSG-transmission.

GTPlanet Tune of the Week

If you’ve ever wanted to tame the eccentricities of a front-wheel-driven sports car then you’ll definitely want to turn your attention towards this week’s featured tune that was recommended to us by our regular tuning junkie danbojte and courtesy of NEWDRIVER2 of Clueless Tunes as it places you behind the wheel of the Acura RSX Type-S.

With only 199 horses under it’s hood this tune isn’t about outright bite, instead it’s focus is turning the RSX into a 400PP track day performance racer, and the unique thing here is you’re instructed to purchase the car from the UCD but to not change it’s oil. It’s time to appreciate the simpler things and that’s exactly what you’re getting with this week’s tune.  If you fancy obtaining victory in more ways than one then there’s no doubt you’ll want to stop by and see the tune for yourself.

Exactly like the Picture and Vehicle of the Week features, if you have any suggestions for the upcoming Rewinds be sure to drop me a private message, entitle it “GTPlanet Tune of the Week” and let me know. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.

GTPlanet Photomode Competitions

In Week 131 of the Standard and Advanced competitions you are to put your best foot forth and show the community just how seriously you take your in-game photography. All you need to know is as follows:

Week 131, Standard: Culinary Masterpiece – This… this is a unique one that I dare not attempt to paraphrase, so this week’s challenge in all of it’s splendor – take it away Nathan! “Time to head into your paint pantry and choose an ingredient to showcase, apply it to any car and cook up a delicious photo with it. I’m talking about those paint chips that have food items as or in their names. There are plenty of fruits to be had of course but there are quite a few others as well. All I ask is that you state what the paint is you’ve used.

Here’s a few examples;
Top Banana Yellow, Mandarin Pearl, Lemon Twist, Appletree Green, Tangerine, Go Mango, Plum Crazy, Prune, Cherry Black Pearl Effect, Kiwi, Raspberry Red Pearl, Papaya Orange, Lime Frost, Aubergine Purple, Olive Green Pearl, Beans, Mushroom, Onion White Shallot Green Pearl, Oyster, Butterscotch, Honey Yellow, Almond Green, Sage Gold, Bay Leaf Cream, Mint Opal Metallic, Paprika, Mustard Yellow, Chili Red, Salsa, Pepper White, Cool Vanilla, Cinnamon Frost, Mocha Brown Pearl and at a stretch Gris Shark to name a few! And then there are a number of wines too.”

Week 131, Advanced 2.0: Gold Digger – I was told we’re not supposed to say this out loud. Oh, it’s not that kind of “gold digger”? My apologies! There’s literally one word to describe this week’s challenge: Gold. Any car you like, any location you like, any conceivable combination of in-game options and the only restriction is that the car be painted in gold.

Surely this is going to be one of the easiest challenges, right?

For all of the relevant information pertaining to this week’s challenges be sure to stop by here and here.

Closing Thoughts

It feels good to have the Rewind back in it’s original format, but don’t get too used to things because there’s only one week of this left before the format is tossed to the wayside for the second time as I’ll recap everything that was important to me from E3. How am I going to manage all of that in one article? I don’t know, but there’s plenty of time to figure it out.

I haven’t had the opportunity to go out and see Star Trek: Into Darkness yet, but with any luck I’ll be able to do so first thing next week as I’m not the biggest fan of hot weather by any measure, in fact I absolutely abhor summertime. I actually have very little to talk about in this week’s closing thoughts other than the fact that earlier this week I sent out a tweet (good lord, did I really just say that?) asking those who follow me whether or not they’d be interested in the occasional plugging of my own in-game racing footage on my Youtube channel, and so far it’s been a resounding yes, but what do you guys think? And with that said, here comes the Twitter copy-and-paste plug:

Once again I forgot to mention that I’m on Twitter now. What was once going to be a bit of parody account (because I don’t use Facebook or Twitter for any reason whatsoever) has quickly turned into me using Twitter rather effectively. So, follow me and suggest all things Rewind-worthy from the comfort of your tablets, phones, or Skynet-linked computers. Remember, when the machines finally rise you’ll need someone to write pieces regarding the matter littered with Armageddon-y undertones and I can be just that guy! What were we talking about? Right, Twitter, so if you’ll follow me here the Rewind can be delivered to you in a timely fashion not seen since snail mail. Wait, that’s not the right thing to say!

You will be showered in Rewind, Seasonal Event and future article goodness courtesy of yours truly though so there’s that worth looking forward to – once I’ve bothered to get the thing up and running. It can also be used to suggest things for upcoming Rewinds, so that’s now two ways you all can keep me on my toes.

With all of that said, I’m looking forward to E3 week and all of the goodies it’s sure to bring to my attention, so until next week keep racing! Knight Rider!

GT5 Photomode images by SMfan, EDK and Fido_le_muet.

See more articles on GTPlanet Member of the Week and GTPlanet Weekly Rewind.