Tag Archives: forza

News, Xbox One

Custom Forza Horizon 3 Xbox done right!

Yesterday I posted an article about how bad the Audi R8 inspired Xbox One looked, if you didn’t see it go here. I initially thought car inspired custom designs just don’t work but boy I was wrong, so very wrong!

May I present to you the one of a kind Lambourghini Centenario Xbox One S.

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That’s how it’s done, I love the design of this, the slightly raised top to represent the bonnet and make the logo stand out is a subtle and classy feature. It’s the little trimmings that stand out such as the yellow splitter on the side of the Xbox adds a nice touch, just as it does on the real car.

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This Xbox is currently being given away as competition prize by Xbox Australia. All you have to do is buy either the standard or ultimate editions of Forza Horizon 3 from 27th September until 2nd October  HERE at the Australia Xbox Store (not sure how you would do that though) or go the the Microsoft Store in Pitt Street Sydney. I taken the liberty of sorting some directions for you here.

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Ok Ok so we haven’t got even a sniff of a chance at winning this but still it is definitely a thing of beauty. Microsoft had this to say about the console

 “Much like the $2 million dollar car that inspired its looks and also features on the cover of Forza Horizon 3, the first and only Lamborghini Centenario Xbox One S is reminiscent of the Italian manufacturer’s striking design and state-of-the-art engineering. With its gunmetal body, matching wireless controller and signature yellow trimmings, the console truly looks as sleek as it sounds!”

I’ll let you make your own mind up, here are the 2 Xbox consoles side by side. I think there is a clear winner here.

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If you haven’t already got it then Forza Horizon 3 is out today everywhere, make sure you get yourself a copy to drive the real versions of these epics cars. Have fun.

Deals with Gold, News

Latest Deals with Gold revealed

Major Nelson has announced the latest Deals with Gold, there isn’t much this week but if you are a Forza Horizon fan you’ll be happy!

Xbox One Deals

Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region.

These Deals with Gold offers are valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

Xbox 360 Deals

Trailers, Xbox One

Forza Motorsport 6 races on to Xbox One

It was never in doubt that Turn 10 Studios would be bringing another iteration to their Forza Motorsport series and with Forza Horizon 2 out on store shelves it was only a matter of time before we heard the familiar revs of Microsoft’s flagship racer. Turn 10 Studios officially announced the game at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit by unveiling the star of its cover – an all-new Ford GT Supercar.

Just as Ford has pushed the boundaries of car technology in GT, Forza Motorsport 6 will embrace that spirit of innovation as our most technically advanced racing simulation to date, offering a fun and realistic automotive experience for both car lovers and gamers,

said Dan Greenawalt, creative director at Turn 10 Studios.

We’re excited to unveil gameplay at E3 in June.

The GT will be joined by the Shelby GT350 Mustang and the F-150 Raptor making a trio of brand new Ford cars, which were all unveiled during Ford’s performance line-up at the Auto Show. Forza Motorsport 6 will mark the ten-year Anniversary of the series so I expect there will some extra special editions of the game to pre-order, I just hope the new game focuses more on a career than the somewhat sterile experience of Forza 5.

Reviews, Xbox One Reviews

Forza Horizon 2 Storm Island review

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Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island is the first piece of DLC that expands upon the content of the main game. The action takes place on the fictional tropical island of Isola Della Tempesta (Island Storm), its terrain is harsh and its weather is devilish. With 90 events that include new modes and cars to race, Bucket lists to dominate and discount boards to find and smash, you won’t be left feeling short-changed after dropping £15.99 (£7.99 for VIP members) on this great piece of DLC.

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There are six tiers you need to progress through if you are to reach the island finale, although you won’t have to complete them all to unlock it. Each tier has four championships that span across the different car classes, you can use your current cars that you have stored in your garage but be warned, if you don’t install the Storm Island mods your ride will have trouble clinging to the terrain. Each tier has its own mini finale – Gauntlet. This extreme offroad event takes place on floodlit courses in the dead of night. They are particularly tricky to navigate, not least because of the tight turns and high jumps but because of the harsh storm rolling around in the background attempting to distract your attention from the road. As if that wasn’t enough to contend with, you are forced to use a pre-selected vehicle with no option to tweak the parts.

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The weather effects in Storm Island are really impressive; sheets of rain swirl across the track, trees almost double over in the wind and fog hangs over the track to conceal hidden dangers. Your windscreen wipers fight in vain to try to keep your view clear from the elements but is it all just for show? I never really felt like the weather played too much of an active role in manipulating the track or my vehicle, instead it merely served as a backdrop to the events while trying its hardest to distract you from focusing on the road ahead.

Courses are bumpy with extreme jumps, they twist and snake-like a roller coaster and often you will lose sight of the next checkpoint particularly during night races or in a storm – it’s great fun and while racing from the cockpit view I felt glad to be inside – it’s nasty out there! While the rough terrain is a joy to wrestle with the island lacks character, I didn’t find much in the way of points of reference for navigating around the 50 island roads – everything looks the same and hardly my idea of ‘tropical’. There is a Roman Temple overlooking the action and of course there’s the Forza festival hub where you sign up for each race, but that is pretty much it save for the odd collection of buildings but we didn’t come here to sight see, we came for the thrills of offroading and to see the spectacle of the new storm effects – both of which I’m happy to say didn’t disappoint.

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Your progress through Storm Island is tracked through a separate tab in the pause menu, handy for checking which Bucket Lists you have left to complete without them getting mixed up with the mainland events. Drivatars return and seem more determined than ever to push you off the track and leave you choking on dust as you scramble across the countryside. The events try to reinvent themselves with new names but really there’s nothing new here save for a few obstacles strewn across the tracks in Rampage and Brawl events. What’s ‘new’ is the focus of extreme environments and weather.

For those that like to take the action online there are several multiplayer championships to master but be warned, if you thought it was rough against the Drivatars then wait until you get online versus real people – you can try to play nice but the rough terrain makes it almost impossible to complete a clean race.

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Forza Horizon 2 breaks the modern confines of racers by allowing you to go anywhere and do anything but the mainland doesn’t quite tick the hardcore box when it comes to offroad racing – this is where Storm Island steps up to the plate. You’d be forgiven in forgetting that you’re playing Forza Horizon 2 because the events are so heavily weighted towards a rally style, which gives the game that DiRT feel.

If rally games aren’t your thing then I’d save your pennies, even though there’s plenty of content and some superb weather effects to experience, Storm Island is heavily centred on offroad events. Hopefully Playground Games will look to do another new area that is a little less on the DiRT(y) side. For me though, this first piece of content for Forza Horizon 2 is ‘The Perfect Storm’.

THANKS TO XBOX FOR SUPPLYING TIX WITH A DOWNLOAD CODE

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DLC, Trailers, Xbox One

Severe weather warning for Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island Is Now Available

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Storm Island, now that’s a name that immediately casts some expectations on the latest piece of DLC for Forza Horizon 2. Available now for £15.99 (or £7.99 for VIP members) take on the elements as you embark on a road trip to a new location – Island Storm. Promising the “most severe weather conditions ever seen in a Forza game”, you’ll get to race against tropical storms and make your way through thick fog as you battle your fella racers to the podium.

The DLC may be on the pricey side but there’s a whole host of content packed into Island Storm that certainly gives you value for money. Firstly, there’s a whopping 90 events to play through that include five new modes. Multiplayer also gets a look in with four new Playground arenas, 20 race routes, six Gauntlet events, three Showdowns and five online Championships. There’s even five new cars to play with and a bonus hidden car located somewhere on Storm Island in a barn!

For the achievement junkies out there, there’s 500 points to be had totalling for 23 new achievements
For the wannabe mechanics out there Storm Island brings with it the ability to add off-road suspension, tire, and transmission upgrades that can also be used on any of Forza’s car collection. For the legendary cars in the game there’s now the option to add rally body kits for that ultimate off-road race look.

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There’s new elemental effects including swaying trees and lighting, new items, roads, bonus boards, a new Car Meet, Bucket List challenges, speed traps and speed zones plus additional Rivals events… Now that’s a whole lot of content!

Here’s a run down of the new modes:

Rampage
Rampage events are point-to-point off-road sprints, where the driver will contend with obstacles and smashables (including the brand new smashable chicanes) before crossing the finish line.

Brawl
Grab your favourite four-wheeled weapon and strap in for these off-road circuit races featuring extreme terrain, lots of obstacles to take advantage of, and new smashables to wreck.

Extreme Cross Country
Fans have played Cross Country events in Forza Horizon 2 but have never played them quite like this. With more extreme elevation changes, a variety of different terrain types, and strong storms to contend with, Storm Island’s Extreme Cross Country races are not for the faint of heart.

Cross Country Circuit
One sprint in a Cross Country race will get players’ heart rates up. But how about multiple laps? In Cross Country Circuit events, players will be taking on those same challenges in multi-lap races that will test both their stamina and skill.

Gauntlet
These point-to-point races are held only at night, and are long and dangerous – with minimal signage to guide players during the race. Just completing a Gauntlet event is challenging enough. Victory will take a special combination of skill, bravery, and luck.

Car Descriptions

2013 Robby Gordon #7 Speed Energy Drink Stadium Super Truck
Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Truck is built to conquer practically any terrain. Gordon started the Stadium Super Truck series in 2012 and won its inaugural championship title in 2013. Modeled after the stadium off-road racing made famous by off-road legend Mickey Thompson, Stadium Super Trucks crash, bash, and jump their way around real-life road courses and unique arena courses. The trucks are tube frame, full-race vehicles, similar to a trophy truck.

2013 MINI X-Raid All4 Racing Countryman
Since its introduction to the Dakar Rally – the most grueling off-road race in the world – the MINI X-Raid has been the most dominant vehicle in the field. With veteran driver Stephane Peterhansel – aka “Mr. Dakar” – behind the wheel in 2012, the MINI won its first Dakar. Peterhansel came back in 2013 to win again in the MINI. Both years the other three MINIs of the four-car team all placed in the top ten. Built specifically for competition in the Dakar, the MINI X-Raid is all-wheel-drive and is powered by a BMW twin-turbo diesel engine. These rigs are built to withstand the conditions of racing across a multitude of surfaces at speeds in excess of 100 mph, and these ALL4 racing MINIs are bespoke chassis and drive systems.

2014 Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid
Ford continues its endeavors to win in off-road racing with its 2014 Dakar Rally effort in the Ranger T6 Rally Raid. Drawing on the proven expertise of South African Neal Woolridge, who beat out several American constructors for the chance to build this effort, Ford has gone to great lengths to deliver a true contender for the Dakar. Under the hood is a military dust-proofed 32-valve V8 – a la Ford Mustang – connected to a Sadev six-speed sequential transmission. The body shell resembles a Ranger four-door 4X4 but, underneath, the chassis and suspension are completely custom. Suspension travel and durability are paramount since this truck will be travelling at more than 100 mph across surfaces that most trucks would crawl over.

1981 Ford Fiesta XR2
The smallest of Fords was a success from the moment it was produced in 1976. While not the first front-wheel drive Ford, it is the first widely-selling FWD car for the company. Upon testing the waters with the Fiesta Supersport, Ford built the XR2 which brought a stiffened suspension and a 1.6-liter crossflow Kent engine. Given the already nimble and light base, the nearly 100 horsepower of the XR2 really got the party started.

1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
The Galant VR-4 was the platform that Mitsubishi developed its impeccable AWD system and, in the process, won no less than six rally championships. The VR-4 ignites off the line, cuts into corners, and brakes with precision. The engine develops potent horsepower put to the wheels via a center differential that detects wheel slippage and re-directs power to the axle with the most traction. Four-wheel steering engages at speeds more than 31 mph and turns the rear wheels up to 1.5 degrees to enable optimum turn angle and cornering stability.

Trailers, Xbox One

There’s a Brand New Forza Horizon 2 car pack

The NAPA Chassis Pack is now available for Forza Horizon 2. The pack will set you back £3.99 (or $5) and contains five new motors for you to use and abuse on and offline.

The cars:

  • 2015 McLaren 650S Coupe
  • 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged
  • 1970 Buick GSX
  • 1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Super Sport
  • 2015 Audi RS 6 Avant

For those that like free things, there’s always the free December car to download – the 2002 Lotus Esprit V8.

Check the trailer for the new pack below:

http://youtu.be/anwZLTOaRRY

Xbox LIVE, Xbox One

Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One Demo Dated

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The Xbox Wire has revealed the date for the Forza Horizon 2 Demo on Xbox One which will launch on September 16th 2014 plenty of time before the full game hits digital and retail stores from September 30th.

Forza Horizon 2 fans, you’ve been asking for it and today we’ve got news: The Forza Horizon 2 demo for Xbox One is coming on September 16! If you haven’t been lucky enough to be at E3, Gamescom, PAX, or any of the other shows where Forza Horizon 2 has made an appearance, September 16 will be your day to finally get hands-on with the latest open-world action racing game from Playground Games. Explore the beauty of southern Europe in a handful of the world’s most beautiful cars in this demo, which has been designed to give you a brief taste of what to expect when Forza Horizon 2 launches on Xbox One, beginning on Sept. 30.

A complete list of achievements was also revealed based on challenges, tracks, and experience. For more details on these head on over to the Xbox Wire on Xbox.com if gamerscore floats your boat!

Look out for our review in due course.

Events, Xbox One

Xbox at San Diego Comic-Con Detailed

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The Xbox News Wire has dropped an information overload for Comic-Con International: San Diego. What is the biggest, craziest, most awesome pop culture convention in the world is happening from July 24th-27th and Xbox will be in sunny Southern California, bringing its A-game.

If you are heading that way you might want to check out the following:

Halo: Nightfall First-Look

Thursday, July 24, 11:45AM – 12:45PM, Room 6BCF

Prepare for your next step in the Halo Journey with a deep-dive into Halo: Nightfall, the upcoming live-action digital series from 343 Industries and Scott Free Productions. Join 343’s Kiki Wolfkill (Executive Producer), Frank O’Connor (Franchise Development Director) along with key Halo: Nightfall cast and crew, and be among the first to get the details of the story and production.

The Fusion of Art and Style in Sunset Overdrive

Thursday, July 24, 5:00PM – 6:00PM, Room 5AB

Join Xbox Live’s Major Nelson to get an inside look into the inspiration behind the vibrant and off-the-wall style of Sunset Overdrive, a new open-world action game coming exclusively to the Xbox One this fall. Audience members will be the first to see new Sunset Overdrive content illustrating the creative freedom the game offers players. Hear directly from Insomniac Games’s Drew Murray and Marcus Smith (Game and Creative Director, respectively) along with art director Jacinda Chew and lead character artist Gavin Goulden.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection Developer Panel

Friday, July 25, 10:15AM – 11:15AM, Room 6BCF

Join 343 Industries’ Senior Producer, Dennis Ries, and Franchise Director, Frank O’Connor, Certain Affinity’s President and original Halo 2 multiplayer and online design lead, Max Hoberman, and other guests for an in-depth conversation about Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Fans can hear about what to expect from the highly anticipated compilation and discuss the efforts being made to bring the story of the Master Chief and Halo’s legendary multiplayer to a new generation.

Digging E.T. – Behind the Scenes of the Xbox Originals Documentary, “Atari: Game Over”

Friday, July 25, 3:30PM – 4:40PM, Room 5AB

Comic-Con fans will get the first glimpse at “Atari: Game Over,” the Xbox Originals documentary that chronicles the fall of the Atari Corporation through the lens of one of the biggest mysteries of all time, dubbed “The Great Video Game Burial of 1983.” As the story goes, the Atari Corporation, faced with overwhelmingly negative response to the E.T. video game, disposed of hundreds of thousands of unsold game cartridges by burying them in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Join Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, original Atari video game designer Howard Scott Warshaw (E.T., Yars’s Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark), two-time Academy Award winning executive producer Simon Chinn (“Searching for Sugar Man” and “Man on Wire”), Emmy winning executive producer Jonathan Chinn (FX’s “30 Days” and PBS’s “American High”), director Zak Penn (“X-Men 2,” “Avengers,” and “Incident at Loch Ness”), Fuel CEO Mike Burns and more as they take fans behind the scenes and share an inside look into the making of this weird and wonderful film. Moderated by Larry Hyrb, Xbox’s Major Nelson.

VISIT THE XBOX LOUNGE AND OUR BOOTH

Whether you’re in the convention center hanging out at the Xbox booth (booth #100) or down the street at the Xbox Lounge in the Manchester Grand Hyatt (1 Market Place), there are over two dozen different games to check out.

Sunset Overdrive
Evolve
Forza Horizon 2
Fable Legends
Ori and The Blind Forest
Super Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix
Madden NFL 15
Skylanders Trap Team
The Evil Within
The Crew
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition)
Killer Instinct
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved
Project Spark
Minecraft
Powerstar Golf
Project Totem
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
#IDARB
Fenix Rage
Dance Central Spotlight
Titanfall
Forza 5
Kinect Sports Rivals

Xbox Tournaments Powered by MLG. As the exclusive sponsor of the Comic-Con Lounge, Xbox is teaming up with Major League Gaming (MLG) to bring eSports to Comic-Con. From July 24-27, the Xbox Gaming Lounge will host a variety of walk-up-and-play tournaments for Titanfall, Killer Instinct, and Forza Motorsport 5. The tourneys are designed for all Comic-Con attendees, gamers, and aspiring competitors. MLG commentator Chris Puckett will provide play-by-play commentary for walk-up gamers, who will also have the opportunity to play against MLG pros and YouTube stars. Tournaments will be broadcast on the MLG apps for Xbox One and Xbox 360, as well as MLG.tv and MLG mobile apps.

The Xbox Gaming Lounge is located at the Manchester Grand Hyatt (One Market Place, Seasport Ballroon, 2nd Floor).

Thursday, July 24 – 11:00AM – 6:00PM
11AM – 1:30PM – Forza Motorsport 5
2:00PM – 6:00PM – Titanfall

Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 – 11:00AM – 8:00PM
11AM – 1:30PM – Forza Motorsport 5
2:00PM – 8:00PM – Titanfall

Sunday, July 27 – 11:00AM – 5:00PM
11AM – 5PM – Killer Instinct

Source: Wire