Brendan Rorrison

New patents filed by Microsoft seem to indicate that the much-rumored hardware revisions for Xbox could become a reality, with signs pointing toward a slimmer model and possibly an upgraded model. Picked up by NeoGAF user Mike R, the first patent known as ‘Part 1683’ has strong ties to the existing Xbox One’s WLAN Module filings that were registered when the first console was unveiled. These ties are a user manual of the exact same size and the designated model number of “1525” indicates a user manual that is not yet available – practically guaranteeing some sort of new Xbox model will be on the way very soon. Crucially to speculation, the NDA for this patent officially expires on the 25th of June – Just after E3 closes its doors.

A recent trend in new rally games is to include some form of Rallycross, as the discipline enjoys an explosion in popularity. Two of 2016’s major rally releases (DiRT Rally and Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo) both represent the sport, with the former having official FIA certification. SLRE counters with 5 circuits whereas DiRT has 3, so from a track perspective SLRE has the edge. Even more so if we include SLRE’s latest DLC pack which includes ‘Hell’ in Norway.

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

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

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

Revealed yesterday the Nissan GT-R 2017 is an absolute beauty. Slightly tweaking the iconic design of previous models, the new bodykit and vastly improved interior has car fanatics drooling. Those wondering about the vehicle’s digital debut need worry no more – EA’s Need for Speed has the honors of putting the latest GT-R in player hands around the world.

Completely unexpected and from out of nowhere, Sony has announced the closure of Evolution Studios – the first-party development studio behind the WRC, Motorstorm and Driveclub series of racing games that was acquired by Sony Europe in 2008.

Our first look at Evolution Studios’ first Virtual Reality offering comes courtesy of French gaming outlet ‘Jeux-Video’, who recently posted a 9-minute recap of the VR offerings from the Games Developer Conference held in San Francisco last week.

Some games sell themselves based on millions of advertising dollars and constant media attention. Codemasters don’t have that kind of exposure but this trailer proves they don’t need it – DiRT Rally can sell itself. Codies asked fans of the PC version of the game to show off their best moments so far and have compiled a master-cut of that footage to promote the upcoming console release on April 5th.

Playstation VR’s reveal has lead to massive pre-order numbers for the core device and related peripherals (such as the mandatory Playstation camera). Outside the hardware aspect of VR, an area of interest is the software that will have support for the headset.

Following the reveal of Driveclub’s March update content, Evolution launched the update yesterday and went into further detail about what to expect on the 22nd March from the next round of DLC Driveclub has to offer.

The Gran Turismo series has been honoured with a spot in the ‘GAME ON’ exhibit within the Japan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. In this event, which showcases the history of video games, a fully functioning GT cabinet running Gran Turismo 6 can be played with a Thrustmaster T300RS steering wheel (pedals from the T500RS are used, however).

Hot on the heels of last week’s new tour packs, Evolution Studios have finally pushed out their smartphone application to the masses with the official Driveclub app hitting iOS and Android storefronts yesterday afternoon. Initially promised for launch in October 2014, the app’s core functionality allows players to track in-game challenges they are currently competing in and accept recommended challenges from around the Driveclub community.

Following the accidental Need for Speed leak by EA’s Twitter earlier this week, Ghost has dropped full patch notes on what to expect from March’s update – aptly named ‘Hot Rods’.

A premature tweet from EA’s UK Twitter account has unveiled an interesting addition coming soon to NFS 2015’s roster – a hot rod!

Driveclub’s latest batch of DLC went live last night with paying players being treated on both car and bike fronts. Let’s take a deeper look at what the packs include:

Looking at my in-game statistics for Driveclub, you’d be forgiven for thinking I’m a superfan of the title. Maxed out XP, all Elite levels achieved, platinum trophies for both vanilla DC and the Bikes expansion plus more accolades than a war veteran. There’s no doubt whatsoever – no current generation game has even came close to the time I have played Evolution Studios’ middling racer (outside of a certain kart racer). I’ve raced in over 2,000 events, earning every single star.

Driveclub’s community team promised us February would be a cracker for the Playstation exclusive and they weren’t lying… this update, due to go live today, is bound to please fans and tempt potential purchasers alike.

Australia’s prime racing circuit hosted an absolute thriller over the weekend which saw Tekno McLaren take the title, despite harsh competition from defending champions Nissan and a few issues faced along the half-day event. The driver team of Shane Van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente and Jonathon Webb faced a car break-down and drive-through penalty, which threatened their chances of domination by pushing them down to 3rd in the closing stages of the endurance race.

NFS2015’s philosophy from the get-go was to provide a fully customizable street racing experience where you crafted the exact machine of your dreams through in-depth tuning and livery options to rule the streets. Although for the most part NFS was a step in the right direction at launch it still lacked in some fundamental areas that fans were disappointed to see omitted. With the latest ‘Showcase’ update launching today (~1.4GB), Ghost have targeted the most requested areas of customization and ways of showing off your ride.