Finally, SimBin’s much anticipated Race Pro to hit the xbox 360 & arrive in Spring in the land downunder

Australian’s get their racing fix via SimBin’s Race Pro – a much awaited “real-racers” game

by XboxOZ360

©2008 Grant Smythe:

It has been some time coming, and in the process changed publishers a few time, but now it seems that Atari have finally taken up the baton for SimBin’s PC titles move to the console, and in this case, “exclusively to the 360″. It will be releasing in our Spring (Set-Nov), to be released to an eagerly awaiting racing crowd that simply love their racers. Australia is the home of V8 Supercars and some of the worlds top drivers, and would-be-top-drivers btw, so SimBin’s Race Pro will be a most eagerly received and welcomed title by them all.

SimBin has long been the top tier Simulation Racer games on the PC, with such titles as GTR series, the Race series, VWTCC, Race Catherham, Crown Plaza Raceway, and a new one on the way called “Codename Taipan”. It has always been at the forefront of new techniques, and all-out-racing-style and racing innovation. An arcade racer it is not, a fully fleshed out racing simulation it certainly is. Race Pro will be no exception to the rule, but it will have a twist on this iteration of racing splendour.

As many of us know, console gamers are certainly a different breed to their PC cousins, and simulators are NOT on their top 10 most wanted lists. Arcade style gaming is the “King-Of-The-Hill” with the majority of consoles gamers, with the likes of ProStreet, Burnout Paradise, TakeDown taking the lions share of purchases for console gamers. Where unrealistic handling, mechanics, NOS boosts and seemingly unbreakable cars are the rule-of-thumb.

And it seems ironic that one publisher (THQ) that turned SimBin down after spending considerable time and effort publishing the fact they were supporting Simbin with GTR for the 360, bailed out and focused on more lucrative style arcade racers, such as the Juiced and Stuntman Franchises, which incidentally, were quickly dumped due to poor sales and reviews. Funny that. But THQ stay true to their roots in racing, arcade racing, that is with MX V’s ATV and the like. Wonder who’s laughing now.

Now they (THQ) are probably left wondering whether or not they should have taken up the deal with SimBin, and gone ahead with GTR. But that’s all water under the bridge now, and Atari has taken up the Publishers role. Which I certainly hope they do well, as this game deserves a good publisher. One that will keep their mits-off the developer side of things and allow SimBin to do what they do best, produce excellent racing games.

It will be interesting to see how well the game is picked up in the US, as Racing Sims on consoles especially, have not gone well in Nth America, which is why Condemasters took a different tact with their new GRID racing game. Dumping the more serious Racing Sim aspects, and developing a cross between a sim of sorts, and arcade game, yet with an added sense of realisim not normally seen on a console arcade racer. Definitely lifting the bar for racing arcade games on consoles.

With Race Pro, there will be an arcade mode for those who love their smash-n-dash style of racing, while still having the Racing Simulation as its backbone. So to appease those mad racers who expect their cars to slam into walls at 200mph and still continue on, there will be the Arcade Mode, but for those of use who really crave the simulation of all out racing combined with the adrenaline of knowing the next corner could well be our last if it is not approached correctly, this will be THE game that sits in our 360’s tray for some time to come. For those those of use that know slamming our opponent out of the way in a corner is just ‘not on old man’, then this game will supply us with everything we need, and more.

We need games like this on the console/s. More and more PC orientated game genre’s are making their way to the console, especially in “This-Gen” era of consoles. Simply because the technology now allows the developer to expand on their ideas and allows them to take advantage of the fix architecture in consoles and use that to their advantage. Extracting higher degrees of gaming experiences from their teams that continue to bring greater games to the consoles – finally

We have RTS’s and MMO’s moving over to the 360 and finding ways of expertly using the Controller, proving that one does NOT need a mouse & keyboard in order to play any “real” games. We await more news on SimBin’s new racer and will bring you all the news as it breaks, plus we have a few little plans in-store for the game as well, so keep popping back to see what we have in mind.

©2008 Grant Smythe:

ATARI REVS ITS ENGINES WITH THE ULTRA REALISTIC RACING EXPERIENCE ‘RACE PRO’

Nothing Gets Closer to the Real Thrill of the Race Track on Xbox 360 this Spring 2008

Monday 14th July 2008 – Atari is revving it up with the announcement of the ultra realistic racing video game RACE Pro, scheduled to speed into stores this spring 2008 exclusively for the Xbox 360^TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Developed by renowned award-winning game developer SimBin, a leading creator of PC racing simulators, RACE Pro brings SimBin’s formidable skill and know-how to Xbox 360 for the very first time this spring.

RACE Pro recreates a breathtaking reality giving gamers the ultimate racing simulation experience, all powered by Lizard, SimBin’s own physics engine. With precision physics and handling, racers will feel every bend and burst of acceleration along with every emotion from pre-race tension in the pit lanes to the exhilaration of capturing the checker flag.  RACE Pro provides unrivalled realism and deep immersion into the racing world through ultra realistic car models and official FIA championships and tracks. Putting players in the driving seats of their simulated racing careers, racers will have the opportunity to work their way up the leader boards through intense training and winning key races.  RACE Pro has something for everyone, allowing players of all levels to pick up and play, while offering challenging tracks and advanced modes for the more experienced players.

RACE Pro offers a wealth of cars ranging from 200 to over 1000 horse power, as well as a host of championships including WTCC (World Touring Car Championship), Formula 3000 and Formula BMW. GT cars from manufacturers including Aston Martin and Saleen take their place on the grid as well as production cars such as the Audi R8 and Dodge Viper SRT10.  In addition, RACE Pro is exclusively bringing all the WTCC cars from manufacturers Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet and Seat to Xbox 360 for the very first time.  For a blast of accessible fun, the Mini Cooper Challenge invites players of all abilities to take the wheel.

Gamers and racing fans alike will experience the thrill of racing these powerful cars on 13 real life tracks covering all continents, of which Macau, Porto and Pau are exclusive to RACE Pro, and US tracks Laguna Seca and Road America are brand new to SimBin fans.

“With five years worth of experience under SimBin’s belt, RACE Pro ensures a unique racing experience unlike anything seen before on console,” said Cyril Voiron, VP Brand Management, Worldwide Publishing, Atari.  “Nothing gets you closer to the ultimate racing sensation than RACE Pro and Atari is proud to add this product to our holiday line-up.”

“Having personally taken the leap from 20 years of championship racing to racing simulation development, I am really excited for SimBin to be taking its own leap from PC to Xbox 360,” said Henrik Roos, CEO, SimBin Studios AB.  “We are proud to be taking this significant move with Atari, our trusted partner since our very first game.”

Online play via Xbox Live® online game service and System Link support lets up to 12 players take on equally high-powered opponents and test their skills to the limit to reach the finish line ahead of the pack.  For friends closer to home, the brand new ‘Hot Seat’ feature puts players in the driving seat for a limited amount of time before passing the controller to the next player and so on, demanding exceptionally quick reactions and precision racing from even the most seasoned drivers.

Nothing gets closer than RACE Pro, the ultra real racing simulation game exclusive to Xbox 360, scheduled for release this spring 2008.

For more information please visit www.atari.com.au