Test Drive Unlimited coming to PS2!

[livemusic]

PS2, PSP Take Test Drive
The online racer is making a lap on Sony's current-gen consoles.
by Daemon Hatfield

May 5, 2006 - Atari announced today that their Massively Open Online Racing game Test Drive Unlimited is headed for PlayStation 2 and PSP this fall.


Previously announced for Xbox 360 and PC, Atari confirmed the title would make an appearance on Sony's current-gen platforms as well. Unlimited on PS2 and PSP will retain most of the core gameplay features of the X360 and PC versions, including server-based online play, over 70 luxury supercars, multiplayer and single-player modes, car upgrades, and downloadable content.

The PSP version will be one of the system's first truly online games, streaming miles of Hawaiian roads and going beyond simple LAN gaming.

Test Drive Unlimited challenges players online on more than 1000 miles of diverse roads on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Racers around the world can challenge others to join them in the virtual paradise of the game's persistent online racing world. ETA is Fall 2006.

Good news, I just hope the online mode to be good.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Hmm, 1000 miles of road on a ps2? i cant see this working..

 

[Jedi2016]

I would have preferred a PS3 version, but I'll take what I can get.

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on PS2, Ashley. PS2 can stream data off the disc just as well as the X360 can, I don't hear anybody saying it can't be done on that system...

 

[Dave A]

GT4 streamed the data for the Ring off the disk in real time, streaming the data isn't a problem. The main differences will be the graphical limitations of the PS2 will mean it look's noticably worse, graphically (imagine saying that 5 years ago).

 

[McLaren]

And this is nothing of news to us at the Atari Boards or at least to me.

The PS2 version will be dubbed down a bit.

 

[Jedi2016]

I want three things:

Screenshots of PS2 version.
Video of PS2 version.
DFP support? Yes or No?

Man, DFP support would make this game totally rock... it'd be the next best thing to actually driving these cars around.

Interestingly, that's all I really want from this game.. just to drive around. Yeah, I'll probably have to race and do missions and crap in order to buy new cars, but it'll be all about driving for me. And driving the cars on real roads will be a very different thing than driving them on race tracks... we'll get a much better idea of just how fast they go when you're seeing office buildings, pedestrians, traffic, etc, zipping by.

 

[realFaultier]

I have bad fears about that but luckily I have a 360

 

[Jedi2016]

I have bad fears about that

What do you mean?

I don't see any reason to be afraid. That they're making a PS2 version says to me that the game has always been a PS2 game, from day one. You have to program for the lowest factor first, then port up.. you cannot port down.

In other words, your 360 version will merely be a port of the PS2 version.. not the other way 'round. Which means "zero fears" to me.

 

[godzilla_GTR]

I predict lag...and lots of it lol

 

[ImprezaAddict]

Im not all that excited. Test drive is a moderate game. I have TD5 and 6 for PS1. TD Off road and eve of destruction. They were all nice, but they put way too many bad things, so many im not gonna explain

 

[MagpieRacer]

As ImprezaAddict said, test drive is a moderate game, for each good point they have 3 bad points...i liked TD4 and 5, 6 was ok, never had off road, ev of destruction was fun, but as he also said, too many bad things stopped them being "good". Far as i can tell, its test drive...its gonna have to pull something out of the hat to make it at least half decent on ps2..

 

[livemusic]

A little update on the PS2 version. It seems quite interesting and the graphics are fairly decent. Here's the article:

November 17, 2006 - Hi, I'm Kevin 'Zaph' Burfitt, the head of development at Melbourne House, the developer of Test Drive Unlimited for the PlayStation 2 and PSP. Welcome to the first in a series of journals documenting the development of the game leading up to its release in February. In one of my upcoming journals, I will discuss the PSP version. For now, since many of you may have played the Xbox 360 version of Test Drive Unlimited, I thought I'd start off by comparing the Xbox 360 version to the upcoming PlayStation 2 version.

As a starting point, let's focus on what aspects of the game will remain consistent between the Xbox 360 and the PS2 versions. Test Drive Unlimited PS2 takes place on the same island of Oahu, with the same network of roads (more than 1,000 miles of road) -- all in a streaming world (no loading screens while driving around). So in a nutshell: 1000 square miles of island, hundreds of thousands of trees, buildings and other objects, made up of almost a billion triangles! If that's not enough for you, this is all happening while you are playing online with friends and other racers from all over the world, all on the same server.


There are of course, some differences between the two platforms, so we should also note a few of the things you won't see in the PS2 version of Test Drive Unlimited. Due to the technical differences between the Xbox 360 and the PS2, we had leave out some of the Xbox 360 version's features: online trading, motorcycles, user-created races and avatar customization.

But not to worry -- we've made up for those omissions with some amazing new features! The PS2 version is using Melbourne House's highly specialized "Racing Engine" for car handling, the same engine that grew up through DethKarz, GP500, LeMans and Grand Prix Challenge. The cars have all been hand-tuned for PS2 and they have definite personalities - from the heavy US muscle cars to the nimble Lotus, or the insane acceleration and wheelspin of the Supercars. TDU PS2 will suit both newcomers and hard-core racers, and everyone will have their own favorite car that handles just the way they like.


Single-player progression has been an important focus for us and we've made some significant changes that are apparent from the moment you start the game. Initially, we unlock a set of races near your starting point in order to get you going without overwhelming you. As soon as you drive your first car out of the rental yard you will notice the "Master Points" being tracked on the screen. Master Points are unique to the PlayStation 2 and you get these for driving fast, slipstreaming, and drifting - either while just roaming the island or inside a race. Races also award bonus Master Points for winning a trophy. Once you collect 100,000 Master Points you will progress from Rookie to Amateur and unlock another collection of races. This continues up through the ranks until you reach Master, after which your points are still being collected and recorded on the servers for bragging rights :-)

The second unique feature is "Rival Clubs," which are scattered all over the island. You will be invited to join a Rival Club in order to race against club members (AI NPCs) and eventually become the President of each of the clubs. Being invited into these clubs usually requires purchasing or winning a car of a certain type (e.g. the Caterham club requires that you drive in a Caterham). The races consist of head-to-head challenges created on the fly, and there's always a good reward when you become President of each club.

The next unique feature is the concept of a Race Series - these are collections of races which, initially, only the first is unlocked. You will need to win Gold to unlock the next race in the series, and once you've unlocked them all you will win a prize - often a new car! We also have "QuickRace" which (once unlocked) will let you fire up the game and do a few randomly chosen races with cars you may not yet have seen. There are more than 240 unique races around the island, many of which will feature in the QuickRaces. The QuickRaces are also the only place you can race in a multiplayer race in single-player mode (which is good for those who want to learn the course without being left behind the pack).


It takes our QA team about five days to complete a play-through of the single-player side of the game. In order to make racing accessible to all skill levels, you can choose to race against the AI in Easy, Normal or Hard mode. The rewards are significantly better for Hard, but you'll be up against tougher opposition. Easy, on the other hand, is there so that even a beginner can get in and play the game and make progress (albeit slower than the hardcore players).

Oahu is a big island, and it's easy to feel lost out there, so we've added another unique feature to Test Drive Unlimited PlayStation 2 called "Auto GPS". When the Auto GPS is enabled it will automatically set your GPS target to a race that you have not yet tried, in which you can use your current car or one from your garage. If you've tried every unlocked race then it will start sending you back to ones you haven't yet won a trophy in. Once you've used it, you won't want to turn it off (unless you just feel like a leisurely drive around the island). Trust me, there's nothing better than popping into the Mercedes dealership and picking up a new Merc, then wandering out the door and having the Auto GPS direct you to a nearby Mercedes-only race that you didn't even know existed so you can try the car out!


Test Drive Unlimited PS2 is also online, and we have made a few changes to improve the online experience. First up, if you want to enter a multiplayer race, then you can either drive to a multiplayer race and see if anyone is waiting in the lobby, or use the new Drive-Ins which will automatically find you a race somewhere on the island matching your criteria, with people ready to race! Secondly, even if you are just cruising around the island, you can decide at ay moment to fire off an instant challenge. In the beta-tests there were regular meet-ups of players who just wanted to drive up the coast, enjoying the view (and showing off). We've also found that some people like to complete the single-player side of the game hand-in-hand with a friend, by doing the same event then waiting for each other before driving to the next event together. Lastly, every single race has an online high-score table. Any time you race while online (single player or multiplayer, or even QuickRace) your record will be uploaded to the server, and you can easily check your status for every race in the game from your home, so that you know which ones you need to improve in and which ones you've never even set a time for.

Thanks for taking the time to catch-up on the development of Test Drive Unlimited PlayStation 2! Stayed tuned for updates!

 

[MagpieRacer]

Wow if they are the actual graphics im impressed!

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/ps2/test_drive_unlimited/screenshots.html

Some more.

 

[Christhedude]

so guys, wait a second....are u all telling me, that there will be an acutaly cockpit view for the ps2 version?? if yes, and the game is steering wheel compatible...then it will rock!

 

[Robin]

It looks quite good but i would have prefered a ps3 version to be honest... the graphics here are ok... its the gameplay tht drew me to TDU in the first place.... I tried it on a mates 360 and it was really quite fun..... however I wont be going online on the ps2 verison, I dont have a network thingy so I will only get limited milage out of it...but becuase it reminds me of NFS HP2, which was a real favourite of mine looks like this is going to be a definate buy!

Robin

 

[livemusic]

Wow if they are the actual graphics im impressed!

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/ps2/test_drive_unlimited/screenshots.html

Some more.

Yeah, those look pretty nice indeed.

 

[djblackmon]

My only question is, G25 compatable? Meaning all features, H-gate, clutch, and 900 degree turning. If so, it will be the best PS2 game ever!

... Since NFS: Carbon doesnt have 900 degree turning, but has everything else.

... Also, if it does have ****-pit views thats another plus over NFS:C

 

[Gen.]

My only question is, G25 compatable? Meaning all features, H-gate, clutch, and 900 degree turning. If so, it will be the best PS2 game ever!

... Since NFS: Carbon doesnt have 900 degree turning, but has everything else.

... Also, if it does have ****-pit views thats another plus over NFS:C

sorry to be off topic but lol @ the censor of cockpit.

Let's hope it does have cockpits!

I'm getting both the psp and ps2 version

 

[TS]

Is there any info on a release date?

 

[Gen.]

Is there any info on a release date?

February next year

 

[TS]

February next year

Thank you.

 

[Christhedude]

sorry to be off topic but lol @ the censor of cockpit.

Let's hope it does have cockpits!

I'm getting both the psp and ps2 version

well, from the picture it seems like we'll be getting cockpit view 👍

february..damn it...3 more month

 

[S31Ender]

What do you mean?

I don't see any reason to be afraid. That they're making a PS2 version says to me that the game has always been a PS2 game, from day one. You have to program for the lowest factor first, then port up.. you cannot port down.

In other words, your 360 version will merely be a port of the PS2 version.. not the other way 'round. Which means "zero fears" to me.

I know the other thread is newer and currently the one being followed, but this qas a big question for a lot of people. So I'm going to answer it anyway, even though it'll bring this back from the dead. lol. Sorry.

The 360 and PC versions were built from the ground up by Eden. THe PS2 version was built from the ground up (as well as PSP) by Melbourne House. They are NOT....I repeat....NOT ports.