I was going to make this the third Rewind with a title referencing the hit classic (yes, I just said that) “Friday” by Rebecca Black, but I figured it’d be better not to simply for the sake of all of you – you’re welcome. I say that now but I assure you it’s going to happen sooner or later because it’s fun and the feedback has been just as fun.
A couple of new details regarding the upcoming Playstation 4 have made way; such things as an increase on the PSN Friends limit, although to what extent it’s being increased has yet to be revealed. There’s going to be a headset in every PS4 retail box which will make PSN that much more active, a very large hard drive in every console which should definitely make several thousand people that much happier, and to top it all off the face buttons on the Dualshock 4 will no longer be analog, i.e. responsive to varying degrees of applied pressure, and will instead be digital. While the L2/R2 buttons will return to their curved nature not seen since the Dual Shock 2.
The analog-to-digital conversion seems more regressive than a genuine advancement as that was the case on the original Playstation, but here’s to hoping it plays out well. The first thing many of you may be thinking of is Gran Turismo 6 and how it’s going to play with digital inputs, and the answer to that is a simple one: exactly like Gran Turismo 1 and 2.
As usual there’s going to be more of my ramblings later on where I’ll talk more about the PS4, the wonders of a mechanical keyboard and the outrageously controversial F1 Malaysian Grand Prix that took place this past weekend. But until then let’s get this show on the road!
GTPlanet Picture of the Week
This week’s featured image, recommended to us by Kalax3 and courtesy of Kodje, features the Alfa Romeo 8C feverishly speeding down Curva del Serraglio in a panoramic setting that is, as has become the normal for this segment, masterfully executed. As great as it is, it’s well below the original, a whopping resolution of 7394 x 2050, which can be seen by clicking on Kodje’s name (the same as every week for those of you who didn’t know) with the larger image being available on his Flickr page.
Have a suggestion for next week’s featured image? Drop me a private message, entitle it “GTPlanet Picture of the Week” and fill it out with your two choices and they’ll be featured in upcoming Rewinds. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.
Racing Colour: Coloring Book Printouts for The Cool Kids
Title taken and modified right from the boss himself, but enough of that, have you ever fancied having a go at making your own custom colors for, say, an Audi R18 E-tron? Well here’s your chance to do precisely that as it’s come to my attention that papercraft models may not be the only hobby a gearhead would wish to engage in, whether it be for budgetary purposes or simply because it’s just plain fun, because these templates start you off with a blank canvas where the only limitation is your own imagination.
Whether your preference be to print them out and go to town on them the old-fashioned way with a box of crayons, or take them into any one of the number of available image-editing programs and do it that way you’re sure to be in for a good time as you sit down and leisurely color to your heart’s content. There’s a current total of 25 templates and with more sure to be on the way I can’t think of a single reason why you wouldn’t want to do as many of these in your free time as humanly possible.
Racing Colour is still in it’s infancy having just launched last year December and with new template updates occurring every Monday, this jewel could use all of the attention possible to further encourage more and more template upgrades. So stop by the site, leave some feedback if you’re so obliged and perhaps even convince the owner to become a member here and alert them to an even larger install base of gearheads with the immense car catalog available in the Gran Turismo series. Once again, all 25 currently available templates can be found right here.
GTPlanet Weekly Race Series (WRS) Online Events: Special XIII – Greatest Hits Vol. 3
This week you’re placed right in the middle of volume 3 in the WRS’ Greatest Hits Collection. No we all didn’t get together and sing “We Are The World Of Gran Turismo” but in the course of a single solitary weekend some outrageous fun was had as participants gathered together to revisit four of the most acclaimed favorites from the WRS’ past; all of that fun in one weekend, is it even possible?
Four events involving such all-star vehicles as the all-new Subaru BRZ or Scion FR-S, Ruf CTR2, BMW Concept 1 Series tii and Nissan Calsonic Impul GT-R and you can surely see why such fun happens only once a month on a rotational schedule. While this event may have already occurred don’t let that stand in the way of you making sure you’re in-line for the next entry in the “Greatest Hits” series. To give you an even greater sense of the fun had the first time these events rolled around I’ll let the steward take over:
Each of these events was a ton of fun the first time around and among the admins they’re personal favorites so we’re bringing them back for one more round. With this special event we are offering a couple time slots on both Saturday and Sunday hoping a few members who can’t take part in our regular Wednesday time slots will have a chance to take part in the action. Each race is considered an individual event and no points are tallied across races.
The late time slot events on both days are being extended about 25% over the original event and will last about 1 hour 15 minutes. Every greatest hits album needs a few extended cuts!
While GTP_Twissy may have walked away with the victory across all four events (not to mention 3 out of 4 event pole positions, and fastest laps across the board) there was sure to have been plenty of fun had by every active participant. And why should you miss out on the action the next time these special online-only events occur? Sign up for the WRS if you haven’t already done so!
Stop by the official thread here and remember that you NEED to be registered before officially participating in the WRS, and that can only be done by submitting a time for the official GTP Registry Qualifier.
Gran Turismo 4 Photomode Competitions Reborn
If you thought the competitions began and ended with GT5, think again. Our very own jus1029 alerted me earlier today that the GT4 competitions have kicked off once again courtesy of himself and rallymorten, and just as it’s GT5 counterpart, the same spices are available: Standard (unedited) and 2.0 Advanced so you’ll feel right at home if you’ve never been able to flex your GT4 photography skills. Your journey begins with weeks 121 and 0, respectively.
You can find the competitions here.
GTPlanet Vehicle of the Week
This week’s featured vehicle is the official cover car for the game itself – the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Interestingly enough, architecture for the SLS was originally slated for the fourth generation Viper, but with the DaimlerChrysler split in 2004 the project was left in the hands of Mercedes-Benz, perhaps just as interesting is the fact the SLS is the first car designed exclusively by AMG.
The SLS marked the return of Gullwing doors and rightfully as it pays homage to the legendary 300SL, the coupe which the SLS reinterprets by way of it’s sportiness and defining lines and it doesn’t end there; the wide radiator grille with the large three point star and the wing-shaped cross fins are all a throwback to the 300SL as well. Powered by a fine-tuned 6.3L V8 outputting 571 horsepower, it’s no wonder why the SLS snarls once the pedal meets the metal, with a transmission similar to the setup used for Mercedes’ own DTM C-Class touring car – the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission.
Have a suggestion for next week’s featured image? Drop me a private message, entitle it “GTPlanet Vehicle of the Week” and fill it out with your two choices and they’ll be featured in upcoming Rewinds. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.
Forza Horizon April Top Gear Pack
http://youtu.be/DF0JmcNbBVc
The last stop on all DLC to be associated with the Season Pass is next month’s April Top Gear Pack. Releasing next Tuesday, April 2nd will be the seventh consecutive DLC add-on consisting of six new vehicles to collect, customize and race in world of virtual Colorado:
2002 BMW M3 GTR “Street Version”
2011 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato
2012 Aston Martin Vanquish
2012 Bowler EXR S
2011 Ford Transit SuperSportVan
1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG Mercedes CLK-GTR
Whether or not there will be a seventh vehicle exclusive to Season Pass owners remains to be seen, and when an official video is posted it will be reflected here, but in the mean time this pack like all others will be available for 400 Microsoft Points ($5 USD) or free if you’re a Season Pass holder. As you all know by now both ForzaPlanet and GTPlanet are one in the same so why not drop by the official April DLC thread and share your opinions on the matter.
GTPlanet Tune of the Week
This week’s tune, recommended to us by both krenkme and Motor City Hami is courtesy of Onboy123 and features his FITT Tuner Championship, Wagons & SUV-winning tune for the Audi RS 4. The tune itself is focused for use on Deep Forest Raceway, and is 525PP monster that edged out the competition by a mere two-thousandths of a second which resulted in winning both the lap time and driver’s choice trophies.
The tune can be found here. Have fun!
Exactly like the Picture and Vehicle of the Week features, if you have any suggestions for the upcoming Rewinds be sure to drop me a private message, entitle it “GTPlanet Tune of the Week” and let me know. NOTE: You cannot elect your own work.
Top Gear: Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV Road Test
That’s right, Top Gear. Technically I needn’t say anything further but then there’d be this empty space here and we can’t very well have that because it’d be grossly inefficient. Right, the video: this is the review taken from Series 13 of Top Gear from back in 2009, and of course features the last of the Murcielago’s (which at the time was still new). The review sees Richard Hammond take the 670-4 to a string of closed public roads in Abu Dhabi which culminates in a drag race against the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition.
The Stig then takes the Super Veloce around the Test Track and is able to record the same time as the Enzo Ferrari.
GTPlanet Photomode Competitions
In Week 122 of the Standard and Advanced competitions you are to put your best foot forth and show the community just how seriously you take your in-game photography. All you need to know is as follows:
Week 122, Standard: Low Gear – I can tell the future, confirmed. Well not really as this is more of a coincidence than anything remotely related to the foretelling of an event, but this week you are to take any car you should desire to TG’s own Test Track and let the wheels spin were they may. Get on there and channel that inner Jeremy Clarkson we all have and give it some serious POWAH!
Week 122, Advanced 2.0: Fire & Ice – It’s the battle of the filters this week, the cold and warm filters that is. Jump into any car and go anywhere, all inclusive of Photo Travel, and make sure your shot is either extremely cool or dangerously warm; yes, you’re only allowed to use either the Cool or Warm filters. Choose your side wisely and be creative!
For all of the relevant information pertaining to this week’s challenges be sure to stop by here and here.
Closing Thoughts
So I’m going to jump right into it: the Malaysian GP was littered with controversy in every single possible direction on the track – from the Force India retirements, Nico Rosberg pleading with Mercedes GP Team Principal Ross Brawn to pass his long-time friend and team newbie Lewis Hamilton, to the most controversial bit of the weekend regarding Red Bull. What controversy you ask? Simply put, Sebastian Vetttel took the cheap shot of all cheap shots toward his teammate Mark Webber and overtook him under the premise of “Multi 21” which basically means hold position.
What’s so bad about a driver overtaking another, teammate or no teammate? Well two things: One he was asked to hold position and two Webber dialed down the engine to a fuel efficiency mapping having been notified his younger teammate wouldn’t be on the attack. What was already bad blood between them has almost evolved into something where the next and perhaps only step is physical altercation. Oh, did I mention Team Alonso, er, Ferrari had a complete lack of thought and tactics having left Alonso on the track with a completely ruined front wing? Second lap retirement. Felipe Massa did well for the second race in a row, so there’s that positive.
Earlier I mentioned the recent news regarding the PS4 and some of it’s newly revealed features, and of those I omitted the only two I feel that are worth mentioning is unlike the PS3, the PS4 will be capable of charging the controllers at any time whether the console itself is on or asleep. And the Dual Shock 4 will have a light bar atop the controller (similar to the DS3) that will identify which player is which according to a specific color code: P1 – Blue, P2 – Red, P3 – Green and P4- Pink.
I was going to take this space to share a number of anecdotes regarding mechanical keyboards and how they’ve made me want to type as much as possible whenever possible but alas, that will have to wait until next week when I can open the Rewind with such talk. On that bombshell it’s time to end, until next week keep racing!
GTPlanet Photomode images by SMFan, SVX, WRP001, aSaNG and xMARKITOx.
See more articles on GTPlanet Weekly Rewind and Weekly Race Series.
That coloring book, I want.
Please, when you guys are going to cover news about WTF is happening with hacked cars.
PD still hasn’t said anything?
Or is this a marketing strategy for GT6?
Who knows.
It is a “touchy” subject, probably not Suitable for the Rewinds, but im just guessing.
Pretty sure its not a GT6 Marketing strategy, heck the GT logo by itself does PD proud Marketing wise..
It won’t be mentioned nor talked about here or anywhere else on the News page.
Can i ask why?
^ Dude Just leave it alone…
I think we should be told something … Not just pretend it didn’t happen !!! Reason …?? !!
You’re not obligated to be told anything.
We are mostly daily users. I think we diserve an explanation if we paid fot the game
Yes, you paid for the game – a game made by Polyphony Digital and distributed through Sony Computer Entertainment.
GTPlanet is neither two of those entities.
I thought that u guys could have at least some info. My mistake
I think the hybriding is good cause PD can see what people are looking for. (except the million Hp ones)
Would love a Bowler in GT6, cutting corners could be fun…… EXR is fast
Hmmm, not sure about the analog to digital face buttons on the Dual Shock 4. Seems regressive to me.
Thanks for using my pic, T-12!
(First of my pics to be used in the news that I myself like a lot lol).
what colour is that sls?
McLaren and Honda back at again ….champions in the making once again…lol mcLaren dumped Mercedes …vtec just kicked too..
is it official??
The trolling continues…
Forza is a sell out game no pride in traditional racing completely a horrible game period now in the other hand gt5 plz no more DLC we want a complete GaMe and no 5 year delays hire me I will help out ill stay in your facilities to work none stop if u GuyS need help…plz thoo no dlc and no delays …we want a complete game and an exact release date..thanks..
I’ve a hard time understanding what the point is supposed to be here.
How the flipping dolphins did you come up with the idea that “Forza is a sell out game no pride in traditional racing a horrible game period”?
Translation… I dont like Forza, in general. Not enough attention paid to race classes like NASCAR or Indy or F1. They are horrible.
I want no more DLC for GT5. We (he means I) wants a new and COMPLETE (without DLC) GT. And we don’t want to wait 5 years for it. He’ll settle for cubical space at PD’s HQ to help make it happen…
Senor Presidente’, I am happy to inform you that well be competing online with fresh and new
FatThumbs ;(
… we’ll be competing, online, with a fresh and new GT6 before year’s end.
LMBAO… It’s too early for this free labor stuff ;)
Step away from the keyboard, Phil. :p
I dislike forza so much. It’s the dlc I’m talking about. They are actually REUSING dlc from forza 4 and selling it again in Horizon. Money hungry :beeps:! I’m sorry but doen’t anyone else cringe at this method of making a game. Business wise good for them but for everyone else shame on you for buying in. TWICE. Compared to GT horrible, horrible value game.
I’m having fun with these cars, so no shame here at all.
It seems to be a phenomenon largely dictated by it being the Horizon off-shoot, as the FM3 and FM4 packs never showed this sort of stuff on even close to the same level. If FM5 does this, then I would start to worry.
Excellent write-up this week T; there’s so much content!
Thanks for including me in this roundup… I’ve been a big fan of your site for years, and really appreciate the support. If you guys have any requests, let me know @racingcolour
Welcome aboard.
Wow, thanks a lot for the mention T-12!
Nice rewind. :)
For those of you interested, the April TG DLC video is up now.
I’m printing those out. If I had a printer….
I want to be a cool kid. :(
People who use controllers should already be using L2/R2 for brake/gas. I know it’s hard to change, and I think it’s stupid that they’re reverting back to digital face buttons, but you’ll just have to adapt…or better yet, buy a wheel.
Analog sticks are better than L2/R2. Much more sensitive and controllable. L2 and R2 get very inaccurate with time since the triggers are not very well built in the DS3. I’ve been plating with dual analogs since the first dualshock was released for the PS1 and it works tremendously well.
It isn’t that easy to change, just hard to find in the settings menu. I like the triggers personally – I like how light they are at low throttle, and they build in resistance as you increase throttle pressure. I get that you have more control with the sticks, but I just like the triggers more. They feel more like pedals to me, and I don’t have and can’t afford a wheel set up.
Since my PS3 is dead I’ve been playing my PS2, and have been forced to use the sticks since the X button requires bone-breaking pressure to work, and of course, there aren’t triggers. It made coming back to my old arcady racing games so much more fun than I had expected.
I don’t think there was a mention of a deletion of analog sticks for the PS4. I believe he was referring to the “D” pad and buttons on the right side of the controller.
The D pad is already digital so. We can assume, if we dare, that the geographic shape, or color, buttons may lose their analog function. No big deal for me ;)
It may have to do with the sturdyness of the controller. Lookiing at how we all play different games with various levels of Controller aggression lol, not just driving titles. Games like Heavy Rain or even Resident Evil, God of War really make you stress out them buttons, from my experience. With them going to Digital format your really just pressing over mashing or add varying degrees of pressure when the in game situation arises.
What I did to my Controller playing MassEffect 2 should be seen as criminal.
Oh, and I do think that going digital is a step back. Although not useful in most games, titles like MGS2 and MGS3 did make a great use of the pressure sensitive buttons. It was complicated, but so much fun when you managed to get used to it.
+1 I agree step back. (& Metal Gear Solid 4)
What exactly do you mean by ‘face buttons’? Does it mean that the L2 & R2 buttons will go back to the way they were on the PS2. I really hope not!
X,O, Square and Triangle. I assume the D-pad as well, though I’m not even sure if the DS3 has a pressure sensitive D-Pad like the DS2 had.
Ahhhhhh, it a Lotus Carlton!!! I used that car sooooooooooooooo much in GT4
I adore the Lotus Carlton, I think I have like 8 or 9 of them.
The Lotus Carlton and M-B 190E Eco are tuned to rival each other in my garages. Great match up ;)
That’s funny Phil, I did the same thing. For each tune of either, there’s a match.
I love this rewind, so packed with many things in it. Thumbs up T-12. :)
The Digital conversion doesn’t affect me. I play with the analog sticks, both for steering and gas/brake. But I’m curious on how that will affect other games that relied on the pressure sensitive feature.
The SLS and Audi pictures …wow …EPIC LIKE!! The Audi picture is incredibly realistic …and the car has an awesome stance. Well done to all!
Damn you Forza… “2011 Ford Transit SuperSportVan”… this made my internets sad.
I just think its funny that there is a sport version for a Ford Transit
GT4 comps? I shall try them out…
Whats the color on that sls?
I don’t know for sure but it looks like Velocity Tincoat Yellow to me, a color you can get from the ZR1 Corvette.
Hope that controller explanation was a typo, Terronium. Digital is an on or off function, where as analog is of variable degrees of positive or negative input.
Yes I’m sure that whole section of the article was written from a turned around angle. The sticks have always been analog, which is why they are called “analog sticks” — they register varying degrees of input. That would be silly to have a thumbstick that did not register any input between off and full. We will see.
I think he means when you push down on the sticks … The L3/R3 buttons …
A re-read of Terronium’s paragraph on the sticks’ (L3 and R3) suggest their function would be digital. But they are already digital, so…?
I use R3 as an “emergency” horn function because it gets pressed when I get nervous or am losing my nerve. In the latter sense, inadvertent horn blasts would indicate mental fatigue. OMT on the sticks (or nipples)… I use them (in reverse order) in GT2 and 3 for acceleration/breaking and steering. With that set-up, I was able power brake on raced starts (L2 left or right), and rev up the engine (R2 up). Unfortunately, I find them too sensitive for that purpose. PD’s idea to allow “true” controller programming was genius and still unmatched. PLEASE!.. none of that lopsided (XBOX) crap.
‘Twas a typo, indeed. I write these up every Friday in the wee hours of the morning and while I’ll largely have a handle on any typos there are bound to be mistakes regardless of the fact.
Alerting me to them in private message would be the better alternative as you’ll have a direct line to me.
Solid Man… No lap top in my truck(s) and no peace in my crib so, … I’ll let you know when I become smarter than this “smart” phone ;)
Good info
I don’t really like the SLS. It’s just way too heavy for me to drive, and weight reduction seems to just mess it up.
It feels heavy but it isnt. Drive some laps and compaire it with other cars … you will see.
Awesome picture of the SLS , can someone say the name of the color ?
Some years ago , the first time i watched the Lambo video , it was like “woow what a perfect car” (iam a Mercedes fan/freak). BBC/TG really did a great job presenting this car.The camera movments,sounds etc. just awesome. And the viewer things , wow there cant be something better than this. : ) As a Mercedes fan i knew what monsters Mercedes has. And than the slr pops up behind the Lambo XD it beats it on the straight+track.
Longer Weekly Rewind, the better!
typo?
“the Dualshock 4 will no longer be digital, i.e. responsive to varying degrees of applied pressure, and will instead be digital – just like the thumbsticks.”
Loving the SLS picture! =)
Stavingo’s favorite quote
Sweet rewing , T-12! Now, people will blow out the dust from their PS2’s (if they’re any), shoot away and enter the GT4 PMC’s!
*rewind
I neeeeeed Forza just for the Aston…. and a xbox. My girl will not be pleased.
Lol :D
Yeah, I absolutely loved the Malaysian Grand Prix. It was full of drama from the start to the end. You’ve forgot to mention about Lewis Hamilton went to the MaLaren garage instead of Mercedes garage, T-12 :)
Quite a few things I forgot to mention, actually. lol
Oh, that was an embarasing moment for him. :D
im honestly not impressed with the ps4. i believe the current generation is more than powerful enough to last a least 2 to 3 years more. by that time they could have actually made a ps3 that would have been up to my expectations and not too expensive at the same time.
To me only the Wii U needed to be made. However, some games got very laggy on PS3 because of the hardware.
Amazing rewind.