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Porsche Pack Teasing - Take 2 The Assetto Corsa team are clearly back to work (read: sober) after the celebrations of the release of the first Porsche Pack, which became available for PC through Steam last week and comes to console some time in November. Moving the volume dial up to 2 (see what I did there?), firm favourite for divulging the goods about anything to do with the game is Licensing Project Manager, Marco Massarutto and fantastically he is at it again. Posting up new teaser images on his Facebook that show the interiors of some of the Porsche cars that will come in Porsche Pack Volume 2. In the first of these we can see a classic racer complete with racing goggles sitting square and true in a 718 Spyder RS 60, kept firmly in place with the help of a racing harness. The next set encompasses some of the best known of Porsche racing in recent times: that blue ‘PORSCHE’ text against the white banner and that dashboard can be nothing else but the 962c, the vents on the bonnet/hood and that mirror position spells out 911 GT1 and the wires all over the place and lashings of carbon fibre scream out 919 Hybrid – which we know* is the 2015 edition because of the listing on Steam. *It helps that Marco also posted the names of the cars with each image which I did not see!! Assetto Corsa – Porsche Pack Volume 2 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Porsche 718 Spyder RS Porsche Cayman GT4 Porsche 718 Boxster S Manual Transmission Porsche 718 Boxster S PDK Porsche 919 Hybrid 2015 Porsche 911 GT1 Porsche 962c Long Tail Porsche 962c Short Tail Is it possible to get excited about what the pack will contain if we already know? Well yes as with each image shown from in-game we get an idea of what to expect and can analyse the details for ourselves, building up the anticipation for the day when we will get to try them out on our own machines. Assetto Corsa Porsche Pack Volume 2 is likely to release on November 22nd for PC on Steam with the consoles again to come sometime afterwards. [gallery type=rectangular" link="file" size="small-post-image" ids="5760,5763,5761,5762] [via Facebook]

DRIVECLUB Urban Tracks When PlayStation VR released, one of the first titles to properly take advantage of and show what was so good about Virtual Reality was DRIVECLUB VR. Releasing as a full title it was only right that it received brand new content that wasn’t in the normal release and so a selection of new tracks set in urban environments was included. It could have been left like that but no, as continuing on with the fantastic post-release support that Evolution Studios oozed upon DRIVECLUB, it was revealed that these new tracks would also hit the original game in a free future update. Announced via the PlayStation Europe twitter, ‘The Urban Tracks’ update adds 15 new tracks that can also be run in reverse and sees the new layouts of: Gujo in Japan; Ashii in India, Iquique in Chile; Port of Vancouver in Canada and Bryggen in Norway added to the standard game. Weighing in at close to 6GB this update is no small thing and continues to show the decision by Sony to close down Evolution Studios to be a real head scratcher as to why they did so. This team is not only talented, they are passionate, take immense pride in their work and have a scary attention to detail. What more could you ask for?! Our good friends at MotoGamesTV have captured some vids of the new tracks. A small message from what is more than likely the squad at Evolution is included at the end of the changelog for the Version 1.28 update: "Thanks for your support. Thanks for your commitment. Farewell and enjoy the game!" it reads. :( Yes ‘Farewell’ to Evo, but HELLO!! to Rushy and the team that are working on a racing game for Codemasters and a big best of luck! to the rest of Evo wherever you clever sausages have ended up! [via twitter]

Porsche Now Available for Assetto Corsa In what has been a long and somewhat agonising wait since the reveal that Porsche would be coming to Assetto Corsa, the day of it actually happening for players has finally arrived! From today PC players can purchase Porsche Pack Volume 1 on Steam. Those looking to snap up all of the Porsche offerings throughout the three packs should really look into the Season Pass as it too is set at a very good price and delivers a proper saving compared to the more typical examples out there. Accompanying the content drop Kunos have released a smartly produced trailer, featuring the different models doing what they do best and of course incorporating some slow-motion action to really hammer home those acclaimed physics the title is known for. It’s been 12-years (!) since we have had a developer actually able to use the Porsche license without needing to go through Electronic Arts in some way, and it is about damn time too. EA basically squandered the exclusive agreement they had for too long and it is good to see a team – a small team remember – be the one to use Porsche as it should have been done for so much of that time. Assetto Corsa – Porsche Pack Volume 1 Porsche 911 Carrera S Porsche 918 Spyder Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 Porsche 718 Cayman S Porsche 917/30 Spyder Porsche 935/78 'Moby Dick' Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport The Assetto Corsa Porsche Pack Vol.1 is available now on Steam for PC and coming in November for PS4 and Xbox One. Assetto Corsa v1.9 Update – Free Panamera & Historic Silverstone! As if providing the first Porsche Pack wasn’t enough to fill the day there also comes the new update of version 1.9. This new update isn’t just the usual collection of bug fixes and improvements, though naturally these are a part of it. Version 1.9 brings with it the first of the 3 free Porsches to come, the Panamera G2, along with a new Historic 60s Silverstone track. And to add to the list of famous motoring brands who want to feature in AC, a small but nice detail change will see your virtual racer kitted out in official Sparco driver suits and gloves. UPDATE://1 - Images of the free Porsche Panamera and Historic Silverstone track added. Another notable mention is that the audio department has received some really nice updates, with the team having reworked the sounds in many areas: the development team has reworked FMod interaction within the game, optimizing memory and CPU usage and improving the entire sfx engine, resulting in a much better sound environment and immersion - Assetto Corsa forums The full list of what comes with v1.9 can be found below: Assetto Corsa – v1.9 Changelog - New Porsche 991 Carrera S (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche 918 Spyder (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche 718 Cayman S (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche 917/30 CanAm 1973 (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 1974 (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche 935/78 Moby Dick 1978 (Porsche Pack #1 DLC) - New Porsche Panamera G2 Turbo - New Silverstone 1967 historic track - Added session time/laps on the top of the screen (laps are the leader ones) - Now race is over when the car complete its lap and the leader has finished his last one - Added dynamic ARB - Fixed possible collision still active on race restart - Added ERS recharge digital display - Improved precision on all digital leds - GT3 cars use tire model v10. - Fixed TC sound distortion when triggered for the first time - New camber grip variation formula (Thank You Nao!) - Simplified DirectX 11 initialization - Added official "Sparco" license to Assetto Corsa - Added Ballast system through Ballast App (single player only) - Added new F9 vertical layouts - Added new driver + crew texture system - Added new personal driver texture - Fixed virtual mirrors rendered when not necessary - Fixed Kers and ERS able to rev in neutral and reverse gear and overrev the engine - Improved FFB App UI, so label is readable by VR users - Added multiplayer splits - Added Time Table leaderboard mode: this includes realtime splits and delta - Added Fmod optimizations - Added Anti-Wrecker protection - Fixed AI "flapping" DRS in traffic - Improved autoshifter - Improved laptimes board by adding splits and tyre compound - Fixed backfire animation freezing after session change - Fixed leaderboard history in multiplayer - Added voting spam protection - horizon locked view removed from Bumper camera - Delta App reviewed - Fixed possible flickering in case of engine stall - Added backfire animation to Zonda R - python new functions and members - getCarTyreCompound(carid) - Tyre blister and grain are now tied to the "Wear" settings and not "Damage". Wear=0 will turn off graining and blistering simulation - Fmod updated to 1.08.12 - Updated SDK for modders - Removed reverb snapshot in the Fmod project - General audio engine code cleaning and bug fixing - Vastly improved Fmod resource usage - Voice stealing is now properly managed by code, so the sound mods will follow the same behaviour of the original sound banks - Fixed listener priority for cars in pits. They don't steal the priority anymore - Amount of events instances are now properly limited in order to keep proper volume range and overall performace improvement - Overall volume balance - 7.1 surround should now work as expected (on all platforms) - Fixed audio initialization pop when the session starts - Stereo imaging now works as expected - Fixed ambience sound affected by reverb zones - Reworked reverb logic: when triggered onboard, the reverb is given by the exterior engine - Reworked distance attenuations for enhanced experience (e.g. engine_int raised to 350 meters) - Reworked wind curves: now the wind volume is related to the air pressure (i.e. player car will hear turbulence when in draft and AP value goes below 1.00) - Reworked surfaces audio curves - Reworked skids logic - Fixed skids positional sound - New exterior skids sound - Set tyre skid entry point to 100 in audio.ini (set what you prefer in the audio options) - Reworked code management for traction control and limiter events - Tweaked wind and limiter sound emitter position in dashboard camera - Audio compressor on engine_ext event now works as expected when many cars are involved - Surfaces, crashes and skids are now properly audible in chase and track cameras - Opponents volume now honours F1 cameras. For track/free cameras it is set to max (optimum for replays, broadcasting etc.) - Fixed load/coast smooth for AIs and multiplayer - Fixed transmission smooth and pitch for multiplayer opponents - Engine volume setting is now related to the player/focused car - When driving, some opponents events are now audible (e.g. skids, surfaces and gear shifts if available) - Surfaces events are now properly cached. This fixes stuttering when a surface event is triggered for the first time and should limit "digital clicks" - Fixed multiplayer opponent surfaces sound when it leaves instantly (e.g acs proces kill/crash) while driving on sand/kerb/etc... - New dirt sound effects - New brake squeal for some "old" cars - Added audio fade when track camera changes - Added [VERSION] section in audio.ini - Removed [LATENCY] section in audio.ini (managed by FMod itself now) and from the GUI - Slightly modified gear grind sound - Fixed wrong listener position for track and car cameras in some situations - added DRL on LaFerrari, Mclaren P1, Nissan 370Z Nismo, Nissan GTR and Ford Mustang - added templates for Porsche Vol. 1 cars - fixed excessive brake light brightness on Ford Mustang - minor graphics fixes on Triple Pack cars - [Modding] added harvest series function in digital_instruments [KERS_RECHARGE_SERIE] - [Modding] added 918 Spyder-style full power usage series function in digital_instruments [POWER_918] - Added PACKER_RANGE_HF and PACKER_RANGE_HR for heave springs packer settings in setup.ini - Packers now use bump stop rates Source: Assetto Corsa forums UPDATE://1 - Posted October 26th, 2016 @ 19:00 pm GMT

Steaming Ahead With Next Porsche Pack Info The first Porsche Pack for Assetto Corsa isn’t even out yet but through another appearance on Steam it is likely we may know the content of not only the next pack but all of them, including their release dates! Brought to our attention by tduck member Kelvjy (cheers ears!) and found on the official Assetto Corsa forums, it looks like content updates have been posted to Steam detailing what their intended contents will be, together with 'work in progress' renders of the models to come. Posted along with their intended release dates, the two packs contain more iconic Porsche machinery such as the ludicrous 962c and the modern day track monster of the 911 GT3 RS. In what would have been a nice surprise, Porsche Pack Volume 2, listed with a release date of November 22nd, will again include 7 models but in 9 configurations as the 718 Boxster and 962c come in two versions as seen below. Porsche Pack Volume II – Contents (non-confirmed) Porsche 911 GT3 RS Porsche 718 Spyder RS Porsche Cayman GT4 Porsche 718 Boxster S Manual Transmission Porsche 718 Boxster S PDK Porsche 919 Hybrid 2015 Porsche 911 GT1 Porsche 962c Long Tail Porsche 962c Short Tail To end the year off, the Porsche Pack Volume 3 is down for December 20th and puts more of an emphasis on the racing pedigree of the famous marque. Featuring 7 models, the focus on modern day racing cars is clear with the inclusion of the entire 991 GT3 racing line and the latest Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid. Porsche racing isn’t just about the now and this is shown no better than with the incorporation of another racing legend, the 917 K and the perhaps lesser-known 908 Lang-Heck. The last of the three packs is also set to deliver one of the most wanted road cars that Porsche offers today. Even if you have the money for it there is no guarantee that you will get one. Produced in only 1000 units, the 911 R harks back to the older philosophy of it being all about the car, driver and the open road. Not so much a track-attack car but one for hitting everyday roads and just enjoying the thrill that driving delivers. How this will and can be put across in the game is something that will be interesting to see. Porsche Pack Volume III – Contents (non-confirmed) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 R 2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid 2016 Porsche 908 LH Porsche 917 K Porsche 911 R As pointed out by some however, there are some favourites missing such as the Carrera GT and 959 but with a case like this there is always going to be something missing when you don’t have 100% of the back catalogue being distributed. Personally I am impressed with their selections and the configurations being included too. It seems a shame that this has happened and as much as Kunos Simulazioni would love to make it all go away, that is just not going to happen and it is all out there. We are still missing some images of those from Porsche Pack Volume 3 but those will come in time with the more typical teasing that AC and especially Marco Massarutto has become well versed in. Remember though, all of this is subject to change and the contents could be moved, replaced or even removed entirely as nothing has been officially confirmed by Kunos. Either way, they certainly do have some sweet offerings available to tide players over into the new year. Assetto Corsa - Porsche Packs Volume II & Volume III Images [gallery link=file" ids="5691,5688,5690,5689,5687,5686,5692,5694,5693]

We are now only days away from the first Assetto Corsa Porsche Pack becoming available and the media drops from Kunos just keep on coming. On their official Facebook they appear to be in the swing of showing videos and images of each Porsche model that will be included in the pack, however as spotted by top sim-racing outfit Inside Sim Racing, they may have had a bit of a jump start in releasing a collection of images early on the Assetto Corsa Steam page. A number of official images went up showcasing the different models that will be included in the Volume 1 DLC. Since taken down, a number of outlets managed to snag the images before they were removed. The images show nothing new, just better views of the vehicles to entice players to pick up the pack itself or splurge for the very reasonably priced Porsche Season Pack that entitles buyers to all 3 packs for an actual notable discount. Still no word on the PS4 and Xbox One releases but it is hopeful that they will not follow too long after the PC which will see the pack become available on Steam from this Tuesday, October 25th. [gallery size=small-post-image" columns="2" link="file" ids="5659,5660,5661,5662,5663,5664,5665,5666,5667,5668,5669,5670,5671,5672,5673,5674,5675,5676,5677,5678,5679,5680] Source: Inside Sim Racing

Work, you damn nag! The internet may have went nuts due to a cyberattack earlier this week but before that, Rockstar made it go equally as ballistic with their casual drop of artwork, hinting strongly at something to do with a new ‘Red Dead’. Sticking to the typical Rockstar way of doing things, a couple of teaser images were released one after another on Sunday and Monday, then on Tuesday another image was dropped, this time with the title Red Dead Redemption 2 stamped on it, putting to rest what the next game in the series will be called. With a tentative release date set for ‘Fall 2017’ (that’s Autumn for everyone else) and text scrawled at the bottom about a trailer to come on Thursday the 20th the internet quite rightly went into a frenzy. The day of the trailer came and even though it is short and doesn’t show much about the story, we certainly got a damn good eyeful of how the game will look, and it is glorious. The previous RDR was a stunning looking game and this one will be no different in that regard. Unfortunately it looks like Rockstar enjoy angering the PC contingent of players though as the game has only been announced for PS4 and Xbox One at this time. Chances are good that there will be enhancements for the PS4 Pro and maybe we will also see something done for Microsoft’s Project Scorpio. But why ignore the PC? Optimists may think perhaps Rockstar are going to remaster the original RDR and have a complete collection out for PC a year or so after but if there is one thing known about that game it’s that it was basically cobbled together and is quite a mess, and so to redo a version for PC would be a momentous undertaking, however if there is one mob crazy enough to do so, you could easily imagine it to be Rockstar. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the online aspect will be a huge focal point of the game either, GTA Online essentially prints money for Rockstar (as if the series doesn’t do that enough itself) and so expect to see that same sort of plan of action make its way to RDR2. And as long as the grind isn’t too much, I say, bring it on!

Assetto Corsa - Porsche Pack 1 After so many months of constant teasing, general winking smilies and a blurred group shot from Marco Massarutto on his Facebook, a release for the first Assetto Corsa Porsche Pack is known!! Coming on October 25th to Steam and shortly afterwards on PS4 and Xbox One - whenever Sony and Microsoft approve it - the first of the much-anticipated Porsche packs will contain 7 top models from those of today and yesteryear. Purchasers of the pack will be able to sample in the delights of the legend that is the iconic 911, in the manner of how it is available today, to the absolutely insane 917/30 Can-Am racer. And that purchase is incredibly reasonable too, as the pack itself will set players back a respectable sum of only 6.99 EUR across all platforms. I've said this before and it's true, it would have been so easy for Kunos Simulazioni to overcharge for the pack and it is refreshing to see a developer price their content at a value more befitting of what is being provided to that of which came with the game originally. In fact they even go one step further, and are offering a Season Pack for the 3 Porsche Packs at a discounted price of only 15 EUR, a 28% saving on buying them all separately. For someone who is not a fan of DLC at stupid prices I cannot help but applaud Kunos for this approach and hope that it is hugely rewarded by the playerbase. Porsche Pack Volume 1 - Contents 911 Carrera S 935 Moby Dick 918 Spyder Cayman GT4 Clubsport 718 Cayman S 917/30 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 1974 And even for those out there who don’t buy DLC, they will still get a chance to partake in the Porsche party because of the three models that are coming for FREE. And again because of Mr Massarutto, we know that the first of these to come will be the Panamera.

Porsche Pack Volume 1 An image has been posted showing what will come in the first Assetto Corsa Porsche Pack and at first glance it’s a bit hard to see what’s so good about it. Not because the pack is crap or anything, no not at all, but because the vehicles in the image posted by Marco Massarutto on his own Facebook are all lined-up together and softly blurred, making us have to work a little to figure out what they are. Enthusiasts or even a quick Google search of ‘Porsche’ and ‘Porsche – because – racecar' will no doubt give evidence to fairly easily help identify the legends and the current hero hypercar of the Stuttgart based automaker. One Hypercar, two GT cars, one GTR car, three historical race cars. To make everyone happy. - Marco Massarutto via Facebook What is a bit more difficult is deciphering the more known shapes that are common to the models of today. However with a bit of image-enhancing CSI style (with everything being done making a beep of course) I was able to enhance the image about 1.7% which aided me better in being able to be approximately 97.999999% DNA matc... sure of my findings about the cars being shown. Looking at the image and starting at the left: the first car is quite clearly a Porsche 935/78 'Moby Dick' in Momo Kreepy Krauly colours whereas the second car is more modern and due to the blue sticker on the front and yellow markings on the rear quarter it is assuredly the Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The third car is a bit of a tough one, it certainly looks to be a 911 (991.2) and we do know from previous images that this is forthcoming and it obviously makes sense for Porsche to want one of their modern icons to be featured so this is what I am going with. Phwoar is the case for four as it is no doubt the 918 Spyder hypercar, five is so much the same as #3 however it is likely a 718 but whether that is of a Cayman or Boxster I just cannot be completely sure of. It might even be the road-going Cayman GT4 as this is seen in the original announcement trailer above. Six is a Porschephile's heaven as it is the legend that is the Carrera RSR 3.0, this thing should be a barrel (roll?) load of fun due to its feisty handling, and last but certainly in no way at all least is the crazy looking 917/30 Can-Am racer. So for the tl;dr of you here is my belief of what the first of the two three packs will contain: Assetto Corsa Porsche Pack Volume 1 Going from left to right. Porsche 935/78 ‘Moby Dick’ Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Porsche 911 Carrera S (991.2) Porsche 918 Spyder Porsche Cayman/Boxster 718/Cayman GT4 (not sure between these) Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 Porsche 917/30 And don't forget the free Cayenne, Macan and Panamera which were announced too!

Assetto Corsa Console Pre-order Bonus DLC & JDM Packs The pre-order bonus DLC and ‘Japanese Pack’ is heading to Assetto Corsa on PlayStation 4 and (maybe) the Xbox One this week. Well at least it looks that way as the EU PS blog has the items listed in their coming this week post whereas the Microsoft Store has a couple of the items available to view on their store with only one showing the same date of release as that of Sony. The ‘Prestige Pack’ is listed as coming to PS4 October 6th with the ‘Japanese Pack’ and ‘Performance Pack’ due the following day on October 7th. Xbox One is, at this time only showing the Prestige with a date of October 7th. The ‘Performance Pack’ and ‘Prestige Pack’ were available as a pre-order bonus when you ordered the game from certain retailers and entitled the player to download three vehicles with the Performance and nine with the Prestige. As both of these packs look like they will be up for purchase, make sure to realise that the Prestige contains an extra SIX cars on top of the THREE that make up the Performance Pack. UPDATE://1 - From a posting made on the official Assetto Corsa forums it does appear that both PS4 and Xbox One will receive these packs this week and that the 'Prestige Pack' will be the main one available to buy from their respective stores. Players who pre-ordered and received the three-car 'Performance Pack' as a bonus will be able to take advantage of a "Performance Upgrade" option enabling them to grab the remaining six cars that they do not have. Please note: if you pre-ordered Assetto Corsa then you will be able to buy the remaining 6 cars from the Prestige pack in the Performance Upgrade pack which launches tomorrow too! - official Assetto Corsa forum I repeat: Do not buy both the Performance and Prestige Pack as you will be buying the same content twice due to the cars in the first pack also being included in the other. Performance Pack – Content The below three vehicles are included in the Prestige Pack too! Audi R8 V10 Plus Corvette C7 Stingray Ferrari 488 GTB Prestige Pack – Content Audi A1 S1 Audi R8 V10 Plus BMW M4 Coupe Corvette C7 Stingray Ferrari 488 GTB Ford Mustang 2015 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera Nissan GT-R Nismo 2015 Toyota GT86 Up next is the very well received 'Japanese Pack' that came out for PC a good while ago. Shown in the (PC) image below, this car pack is made up of six individual cars though dedicated Time Attack, Tuned and Drift tuned versions of some of the cars take this total amount to twelve. All the fan favourites are here: Toyota AE86 Trueno, Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 along with the ever playful Mazda MX-5. Sure to provide all types of JDM enthusiast with fun no matter what discipline they prefer. Japanese Pack – Content Mazda MX-5 2015 Mazda MX-5 CUP Mazda RX-7 Spirit R (plus Tuned variant) Toyota Supra MK IV (plus Time Attack and Drift variants) Toyota AE86 Trueno (plus Tuned and Drift variants) Nissan 370Z NISMO Nissan GT-R R34 Skyline V-Spec 'Japanese Pack' images are from the original PC release info. UPDATE:// 1: Posted October 6th, 2016 @ 12:06 pm GMT

Free Porsche! The team behind Assetto Corsa continue to tease about the upcoming Porsche pack and if there is one word we hardly ever hear in respect to downloadable ‘Porsche’ content, it is ‘free’. With Kunos Simulazioni though, this is in fact what is happening as by way of Marco Massarutto, the Licensing Manager at Kunos responding to a question on twitter last week, it has been revealed that there will be a Porsche Panamera, Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Macan given away at no cost! https://twitter.com/Markus72k/status/780301766638374912 If above not available click for screencap Of course there will be some who will see this trio as not being true Porsches but they are certainly some of the most popular and best selling. And as PC players have known for a while and those on console have recently found out, big heavy vehicles like the Maserati Levante SUV can be quite fun to toss around at high speeds. The Porsche pack is very likely to be out this month (October) and will contain a number of cars not often seen in games along with the more common beetles.

Porsche Packed It is of no wonder that Kunos seem to be enjoying teasing their community with the frequent release of new media and comments in regards to the Assetto Corsa Porsche pack. Over the past few weeks they have dropped images showing what is known as the ‘Holy Trinity’’ – consisting of the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. This super treble of hypercars is seen as the peak of automotive excellence today. There have also been images of the 991 Carrera S, the rear light of a Boxster 718 and a real world example shown of the 935/78 'Moby Dick' along with an exciting sharing of Porsche Motorsport’s tweet about the new 911 GT3 Cup car. In all there is looking to be a total of 24 Porsches to come over the two three packs, which is a fine amount and will also see some of the lesser known examples hitting the virtual tarmac for the first in a long time or for the first time ever in an official capacity. Being that Assetto Corsa was noticed by Porsche and then asked to create an environment in which to showcase their vehicles virtually, it is a massive gold star to the team and sets up a perfect pairing for sim-racing fans. For once players on all current platforms will be able to partake in the joy of a simulation racer that contains the best that Porsche offered in the past and does so today. Let's just hope the cost of it is reasonable.

The Crew 5-0 510 5-0 We are two months away from The Crew ‘Calling All Units’ releasing and the details about how to go about acquiring it have been revealed. To start off, there will be a full game available just like with ‘Wild Run’ and this will be called The Crew ‘Ultimate Edition’. This will come complete with the ‘Calling All Units’ and ‘Wild Run’ expansions along with the 19 cars from the Season Pass and will be priced at a normal new release price point. For those who did not purchase the ‘Wild Run’ expansion when it released to the end of last year, there is a generous bonus where that expansion will be included as part of the cost of ‘Calling All Units’. Therefore standard game owners will get both expansions for what is basically the price of just the one. (when we say standard we mean those who have not bought 'Wild Run') A good deal! … not if you were one to purchase ‘Wild Run’. That loyalty you see is rewarded by: a discount? an exclusive item just for all of you The Crew devotees? Nope. You get a 2016 Nissan GT-R for free. This vehicle is exclusive to ‘Calling All Units’ but is available to all who play through the expansion, so in effect you get a ‘boost’ for your allegiance. Make no mistake, we are big fans of the game and the team but we will always call out actions as we see them if we feel they are either unfair or a bit stupid. Developers and publishers should be looking to how Evolution Studios conducted their post-launch support with DRIVECLUB and aim to replicate that. A little respect works both ways after all and goes a long way! The Crew 'Calling All Units' is due out on November 29th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Source: The Crew

DRIVECLUB VR RELEASE The novelty can easily wear off if there is nothing much to play on your newly acquired piece of kit but it looks like PlayStation VR will not have that worry as it has been announced that DRIVECLUB VR will be a launch title. Featuring five new urban locales, which make up most of the 30 never playable before tracks, more than 80 cars, a new Tour, new modes and lots of exclusive to VR features such as the stupidly cool 'Virtual Passenger' where the player can sit in the passenger seat during replays, the simcade racer is sure to be a title that will show off the perks of VR when it releases on October 13th. With the new environments bringing the total number of track layouts to 114 there will be plenty for players to do and look at. And don’t worry normal DRIVECLUB owners as these will also be coming to your game as part of a free update. Season Pass owners continue to get great value for their money also, as those who decide to buy the game digitally will receive a small (unknown) discount on their purchase as a reward. More information on how this will work is still to come. For those who enjoy fence sitting, they will be happy to know that there will also be a free playable demo provided with the headset to help them make certain that a purchase of this game is worth their hard-earned monies. [gallery link=file" columns="2" size="small-post-image" ids="5560,5561,5562,5563,5564,5565,5566,5567]

GT Sporting more of the same? The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) took place last week and Polyphony Digital was there with Gran Turismo Sport and thanks to the top gaming media site Gamersyde, we have lots of off-screen footage. With varying levels of competency on display from those sitting in front of the wheel we can see that the visuals are looking rather nice. Nothing unusual in that as this is a GT title after all. The HUD looks to have been given another couple of changes in places and not knowing the language the GUI is in, there is a part where the car you have chosen is shown from different views while technical details fade in via varying transitions too. Perhaps a way of displaying the selected vehicle's data or maybe a loading screen? Out of the videos by Gamersyde from their channel and available at their site in full-quality (and when available at 60 fps!) the following is our pick that we feel show the game off fairly well and is accompanied by – mostly – competent driving. In the above video where the player is running a race on an Oval, we see that the game appears to be running fairly smooth but that the typical GT tyre sound, collision physics and maybe even the AI keeps on with the usual. Why these areas hardly seem to get the attention the GT fan base shouts out for is a hard one to reason. Up next is a medium-speed affair around Brands Hatch GP circuit, where the driver at least appears to want to win by doing their best to race clean and keep good lines through the corners. It might just be a trick of the shadowing but at times to us it looked like some of the cars were floating, especially at the front and do not seem to have their wheels planted on the tarmac. You may not notice this however as the sun reflecting off the windows and bodywork may have temporarily blinded you. The final pick of the media on offer is an attempt at the fictional Fisherman’s Ranch rally track. Featuring plenty of bumps and sections where the rear of your car will peel out regardless of whether you meant to or not. We see our Japanese friend doing their best to keep the car pointing forward as they tackle what is looking to be a tricky course, though the flimsy looking yet impenetrable orange surrounding does seem a bit dated. With the delay to 2017 we hope PD really look at some of what the competition offer and aim to replicate it. Gamersyde offer all of the above videos and the rest of their media in full-quality downloads and when available at 60 fps too. Be sure to add them to your bookmarks if you don’t already!

Assetto Corsa Console Update A new community blog posted by Kunos Simulazioni reveals further details of what's to come in the PS4 and Xbox One update that is aiming to release this month. Along with the previously mentioned fixes for the main issues relating to graphics, control and AI, we learn that the ‘Black Cat County’ fictional road layout and Maserati Levante are also coming with it. [caption id=attachment_5476" align="alignnone" width="800] Welcome to 'Black Cat County' - (image from PC announcement)[/caption] ‘Black Cat County’ comes in three layouts of short, intermediate and long and despite being the ‘short’ version it still takes about 3 minutes to complete a lap of the Death Valley-like location in a sportscar according to Kunos. The dusty and twisty road layout, accompanied with high-speed sections and straights is a nice breakaway from the many closed-off circuits already included, giving players the opportunity to test the handling in a more relaxed open road setting. The Maserati Levante is the first SUV to come from the famous trident fronted marque and was created to compete in the luxury SUV market. And with it being big. heavy and fast, with a top speed of over 160 mph, the Levante will unquestionably be quite the adventure to not only throw about and drive hard on 'Black Cat County', but also everywhere else! Note: video trailer below is the original for PC version No date is set in stone for this PS4 and Xbox One update, but as said before, September is still the aim.

Assetto Corsa Console Fixes It may be a fantastic simulation racer for console but the recently released Assetto Corsa is not without its problems. Thankfully however, it appears that some of the main ones will receive fixes along with other improvements in an upcoming update for PS4 and Xbox One. The core of these that have been mentioned in a Facebook post by Licensing Project Manager, Marco Massarutto, is the ever irritating screen tearing and an improved “smoothness” in the graphics, which hopefully is in reference to a solution for the frame rate dips both platforms experience. Tearing issues have been solved, and the graphics is much more smooth in any situation. The smoothness also gives a better perception of visuals, and allows to feel a better car handling. - Marco Massarutto Reviews and opinions of the game regularly praise the handling but other issues such as control when using a gamepad and the AI being too tough, even on lower settings, seem to often be stated as causes that hinder player enjoyment. So it is great to see that improved controller support and AI balancing is forthcoming also, with the latter delivering new “Very Easy” and “Alien” difficulty levels. Fixes for the Thrustmaster T80, T100 and TH branch of shifters is also listed including the adding of a “reset to default” command which will put the settings to a recommended set of values. Assetto Corsa performs a full rotation of the steering wheel, depending by the car you choose, that actually helps to understand if you are steering too much, since the visual rotation matches the physical one. Said that, we recognize that gamepad users are not used to this kind of approach, and actually it can be weird by an aesthetical point of view. We added the option to lock the visual steering wheel, that will be setted by default at 360 degrees, and it works from 240 to 1080 degrees... - Marco Massarutto Going on to mention that this is only "some" of the things to be found within this next build and that as this is their first venture onto console where they are experimenting and learning the "hugely different" and "more complex, slow and less dynamic" route in how to get an update out on the Sony and Microsoft platforms compared with PC, it is encouraging to see Kunos listening to and responding to the criticism and feedback of their community, and as long as they prove it, the fan base will more than likely reward them. Kunos, according to Massarutto, are hoping to get this new update out during September. Source: Facebook [yop_poll id=8]

GT Sport Delay For anyone who was wondering whether GT Sport was a proper Gran Turismo, that question has been answered, with the announced delay that the game has been pushed to 2017. (is that the Gregorian 2017 though?) There is no mention of the when in 2017 but if past experiences are any indication then chances are it might be late 2017 as GTs have had a tendency to release at the very ends of their proposed years. It will not be alone though, as 2017 will also be the hit marker of the ever reliable 2-year development window where a new Forza Motorsport tends to show itself, meaning that we could see both titles out around the same time. And in the past it has been easy to see how the old dog of GT seems to falter behind the exceptional and ever willing to bring new features to the table Forza series of games, despite having so much more time to get the bloody game done! Yes it’s hard being a GT fan. Waiting and waiting, hearing stupid decisions and the same old non-attention to what has been cried out as needing attention but, it’s still a series that draws in the buyers and sells well. Recent releases haven’t done the numbers as past glories but a good few million will still fly off the shelves and be downloaded as after all, it is a new Gran Turismo. Maybe it’s even easy to hate GT now, becoming more like an expect the worse (as in just more of the same) and hope to be surprised if it delivers. In the end however, it is a GT game on the latest Sony PlayStation and by that account it will excitedly be awaited by the fans, and some of the more casual will as always be drawn in when they see it running some place. Believe it or not I am actually a GT fan, it's just difficult not be tired of the series seeming to stagnate and the issues that get mentioned never seeming to get a look.

The Real Pic Taking Simulator A large amount of new screens have been released for GT Sport and with them we can see that Polyphony Digital have been busy little squirrels. (why... why squirrels?) 2016 has been a bit of a torrid affair for Gran Turismo fans, starting with the FIA-partnered event in July that seemed to show a less than stellar looking version of the game. As is the case though with anything GT, that worry is being put to bed with every morsel of media and impression that manages to slide out. The latest is this dumping of 78 images featuring a selection of road, racing and rally cars on a variety of circuits, along with a first look at a new to GT dirt location called – if the banners plotted along the course are to be believed – Fishermans Ranch. With steep uphill sections that inevitably end up in a jump and some high-speed sections with some hairpin bends at the end, this new addition will ideally turn out to be another well-designed fictional environment that the Polyphony team do so well. As you may know, the main man behind GT, Kazunori Yamauchi, is an avid racer and can regularly be found participating in major races such as the Nürburgring 24 hour. In that race this year he was one of the drivers who raced in the #101 BMW M6 GT3 and this car, just like a number of his previous will appear in GT Sport. Visuals have never been an issue for the series and natural colouring and lighting has always been a strong point of the GT series and again Polyphony are looking to excel at this better than any other. Always being able to get the most out of the hardware that’s available and continuing to impress onlookers (usually family) with those glorious replays. It is of course a little tricky to judge a GT game by only its still images as they have almost always been through the usual the post-processing tricks. However, What is clear to see, is that the game will be a looker and that with every day from now until release it looks like Polyphony are well on the case of bringing Sport up to scratch. And with PlayStation VR coming fast and the rumoured more powerful Neo version of the PS4 likely to be unveiled at a Sony event next month, the potential of this game is increasing massively. Good things come to those who wait. Indeed. Gran Turismo Sport is scheduled for release exclusively for the Playstation 4 on November 15th in North America and Asia, November 16th in Europe, and the UK gets whatever is left in the cargo container on the 18th. GT Sport - gamescom Preview Images [gallery link=file" columns="2" size="small-post-image" ids="5330,5331,5332,5333,5334,5335,5336,5337,5338,5339,5340,5341,5342,5343,5344,5345,5346,5347,5348,5349,5350,5351,5352,5353,5354,5355,5356,5357,5358,5359,5360,5361,5362,5363,5364,5365,5366,5367,5368,5369,5370,5371,5372,5373,5374,5375,5376,5377,5378,5379,5380,5381,5382,5383,5384,5385,5386,5387,5388,5389,5390,5391,5392,5393,5394,5395,5396,5397,5398,5399,5400,5401,5402,5403,5404,5405,5406,5407] Are these recent showings getting you more excited for GT Sport, say below or join us on the forum!

Built For [Console] Racers As with everything to do with a date set not too long in the future, that time does eventually arrive. For those who have been waiting for Assetto Corsa ever since it was revealed to be coming to PS4 and Xbox One that time is almost here. Even with the delays it is now merely days before AC gets released in Europe and console gamers can get their hands on what has been labelled an authentic racing simulator, gaining a following and reputation on PC for being one of the best currently available. And now the console (peasants) can join in too. To celebrate this, Kunos Simulazioni and 505 Games have put up a trailer titled 'Built for Racers' to showcase just what the game is offering. And there is no better way to describe it other than how Kunos do so themselves as “Built by racing enthusiasts, for racing enthusiasts”. Paired with a rousing soundtrack that would not be out-of-place in a Hollywood blockbuster where the earth is battling against yet another alien race, the trailer beautifully exhibits all manners of racing, shows rivals against one another on the track and highlights multiple examples of the physics engine at work. You shouldn’t fear however if you want a racing game for your console but worry that AC may be too hardcore, as the developers have included multiple ways for you to tailor the game to your inadequate ability of play. And yes you can play with a pad too, but of course a wheel is recommended for the ultimate experience. Assetto Corsa is FINALLY out for PS4 and Xbox One from August 26th in Europe and from August 30th for North America.

The Crew vs The Precinct Now this was unexpected. A cops and runners type expansion is coming to The Crew this November called ‘Calling All Units’. Being that the title has a vast open world environment to play in, it makes sense for this to happen, but there was no indication that it would, and the ability to play as the Police has been an often asked request on the official forums and elsewhere. So it does appear that the devs are listening. Announced with a trailer where someone called Zoe informs your character Alex of what is going on, so there will be some sort of story to give a direction to proceedings we guess, interspersed with views of a pursuit version of the Koenigsegg Agera R and accompanied by a release of the details with a mention of more info to come in the months ahead, the new expansion aims to pit players against one another where the aim of one side is to literally pit the other. To do so, a new arsenal of police vehicles and abilities will be at your disposal. Need to hunt someone in the busy streets of San Francisco? Step behind the wheel of the new Lamborghini Aventador and don’t forget to use your EMP shocks or to call for a helicopter support! This won’t only be a re-skinning of current vehicles either, as the pack will contain a selection of brand new vehicles that both wannabe officers and unscrupulous sorts can use. From the trailer we know the Agera R is going to be one of those to get its police colours and other screens show the F150 Raptor and Hummer H1 kitted out too as well an F12berlinetta avoiding a road block, but there was also a banner update on the game’s Facebook where an Aventador and two newcomers of the KTM 1190 RC8 R, which is making a run for it, and the Mercedes-Benz GLC that is leading the chase. A Jeep Wrangler is also mentioned in the source of this info so that is 4 new vehicles we know of for sure. It’s an interesting mode that will hopefully bring back and continue to keep players within the game and introduce an entirely new way to play the game. We are eager to see what new vehicles will come with this pack too as new toys to play with is always welcome and the fact they may also see police variants is even better. No price has been mentioned, but if ‘The Wild Run’ is anything to go by, it won’t be that cheap. And with the current crop of titles available and those upcoming it will need to make sure it provides plenty of value for the price it asks. [gallery type=rectangular" link="file" size="small-post-image" ids="5772,5773,5774,5775] The Crew ‘Calling All Units’ expansion is set for a November 29th release date and will be available for PC, Xbox One and PS4. Source: The Crew

No Man's Sky Pillar Trailers As the release of No Man's Sky crawls ever so closer, Sony have been releasing a series of trailers that give you a glimpse of the 4 basic areas of the game. Explore, Fight, Trade and Survive. There are just 19 more sleeps left till the game hits the stores on August 10th in Europe or the 9th in good old 'Murica. First up is the Explore trailer which you may have seen in my previous article may not have seen in my previous article a couple of weeks back, turns out my memory is getting cloudy in my old age, this trailer hadn't even been released back then! But if not, then for your viewing pleasure, here it is again. Next up is the second trailer which gives you an insight into the different ways in which you can fight in No Man's Sky. There sure are some odd looking creatures out there in the Universe, that's for sure. But judge for yourself. And last(for now) but not least is the trade trailer. This is the type of game play that I can see myself leaning towards thanks to my e-hoarding inclinations. Update 27 July The fourth, and probably final Pillar trailer is below in it's full 60 second glory. The theme for this is, yes, you guessed it, Survive. If you didn't get it then I think you should go and sit on the naughty step for a while and think about what you have done. Your Universe Awaits.

Ferrari 488 GT3 It's been a few days since there's been anything heard from the Assetto Corsa team, but now, one day before the pack release itself, the fifth car model of the nearly here 'Red Pack' has been revealed, and it is another Ferrari. Meaning a minimum of three prancing horses will be in amongst the seven Italian examples that will be included with the new DLC. With the addition of the 488 GT3, the already impressive variety of GT cars will be boosted even more and it is something Kunos themselves seem quite proud of. "Our GT2/GT3 grid will be one of the most complete in the genre and a step forward in providing the best GT experience ever!" The car which was brought in to replace the 458 - that is also represented in the game - has divided opinion just like it's predecessor. Some like it, others think the front looks 'unfinished' but there is always one thing you can be certain of with mid-engine road cars from Ferrari, and that is that they handle supremely well. And when they then take that road going model and turn it into a track runner, things in that area get even better. So that's two cars left to reveal of this pack and it is looking like we will learn what they are from the pack itself. Those five that have been given official exposure are the Ferrari 488 GT3, the historic Maserati 250F 6C, the F1 duo of the 2013 Ferrari F138 and the 2015 Ferrari SF15-T and last but not in anyway least, the Lamborghini Aventador SV. The 'Red Pack' is out tomorrow (July 14th) on Steam and available for the consoles later in the year. Assetto Corsa - Ferrari 488 GT3 Images [gallery link=file" columns="4" ids="5083,5084,5085,5086,5087,5088,5089,5090,5091,5092,5093,5094]

No Man's Sky Finally Goes Gold No Mans Sky, if you've not heard of this title yet from (former) indie developer Hello Games then where have you been and how did you find a rock big and light enough to live under for the past 2 years? Anywho, I digress, one of my most eagerly anticipated games of the year and possibly decade so far has finally gone gone after a short initial delay. No Mans Sky offers explorers the chance to visit a vast array of planets coming from a pool of over 18 quintilian planets. Yes, that is 18,446,744,073,709,551,616. I'm not even going to try and explain that number, I'll just let you digest it. As you explore through the universe you will come across a vast array of planets that are all unique with differing levels of life, vegetation, resources and buildings. There are even aliens! And when you discover a new life form, your discovery will be stored online so other people who come across that life form will know that you discovered it. Whether or not you will come across somebody elses discovery is another matter. You could even play for years without coming across another fellow human being in game. It really is just that big. Something to look forward to after the initial release is the possibility of Virtual Reality support. There have been rumours running about for over a year that No Man's Sky may eventually get VR support. This would definitely be up there with Dirt Rally for VR support. Exploring has never been so easy. What are you waiting for, get ready with your snacks of choice to go exploring far flung worlds whilst sat in your pants in the comfort of your living room. Life has never been so good, not that its something that I would do myself though... Roll on August 9th/10th. [gallery link=file" columns="4" ids="4957,4956,4955,4954,4953,4952,4951,4950" orderby="rand]

F1 Ferrari V8 The boys and girls behind Assetto Corsa must be in amazing moods as their latest preview of what's next in line for the 'Red Pack' is something real special yet again. As if it wasn't enough to thrill us by announcing that the Ferrari SF15-T 2015 season car was coming to the 'Red Pack'. Now they have gone and unveiled another Scuderia Ferrari that will be making its way in to the DLC that releases on July 14th. And this time it's a V8 from 2013! The last of the Ferrari V8s in fact, before they went to the (strimmer/weed whacker sounding) turbos, driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. The trailer to accompany the announcement, simply titled Introducing the Ferrari F138, shows the car doing a flying lap round the Silverstone GP circuit. And even though we knew this one was coming after some clips of it were included in the console announcement trailer from the start of this year, it is still impressive that the team has decided to pack so much ultimate into this one pack. After all, having two authentic F1 Ferrari cars in a simulation racer is like the holy grail for many racing enthusiasts, and from how Kunos is going about in assembling the machinery to be included in this pack, we really cannot wait to see what else is still to come. The Red Pack is shaping up nicely with the confirmed inclusion of the Maserati 250F 6C, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Ferrari SF15-T and now this second F1 Ferrari. Meaning there is three models remaining out of the seven we have been told are due.