Disney has released a couple new screens from their upcoming game Split Second. Check them out below.

If you’re a fan of Formula 1, Codemasters has officially released their installment of F1 2009 for the iPhoone and iPod Touch at a cost of US $6.99. The game features your favourite cars and tracks from the 2009 season, as well as two modes; Endurance and Time Trials. Be sure to pick it up. Read more details in the press release and see some more pics below.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Dec. 18, 2009 – FORMULA ONE™ fans around the world can now enjoy the world’s most thrilling motorsport on the iPhone and iPod Touch as F1 2009 is now available to download on the App Store. Costing just $6.99, F1 2009 for the iPhone and iPod gives fans the most authentic recreation of the sport ever to come to the platform.

Mobile gamers will be able to rev it up as their favorite FORMULA ONE™ driver from the 2009 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP and compete against the clock in both Time Trials and Endurance challenges. Time Trials test a player’s ability to produce one stunning flying lap to achieve the best time possible. Endurance is a challenge of consistency, speed and skill as the average lap time over six, nine or 12 laps is what counts. Players can share their best times with the world to see how they compare to the top times globally, locally or just between friends.

With stunning graphics and instant pick-up-and-play gameplay that utilizes tilt sensitivity of the iPhone and iPod touch, F1 2009 features all 10 teams from the 2009 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP and all 20 drivers. Players will be able to take on each of the 17 circuits featured in the season including iconic classics such as Monaco, Spa Francorchamps, Silverstone and Monza as well as brand new tracks such as the Yas Marina and the dramatic Singapore night race.

F1 2009 for the iPhone and iPod Touch is available to download from the App Store now and is also available on the Nintendo Wii™ and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable).

[Via: Codemasters]

2009 has been a very good year for the racing game industry, with a couple mega titles dropping down to the end of the year. All in all, it’s good to see that developers are now pushing the graphical and physics frontier in order to bring racers that are much closer to reality. Here is our list of preferred titles for 2009.

5. Midnight Club: Los Angeles (based on DLC release)

Based on Grand Theft Auto’s RAGE Engine, Midnight Club 4 featured a ton of stuff for fans who like the street racing scene. For an arcade racer, the game boasted exceptionally good handling, very competitive racers, realistic cars and and an almost perfect rendition of the inner city of Los Angeles (well the more exciting parts at least). Some of the additional features that made the racing itself more enjoyable were the addition of Action Camera, a variation of racing events and the level of difficulty to win races. Who wants a game where you can just win with your eyes closed? With a combination of heart pumping music, cool camera views, fun races and added DLC, this is definitely one good arcade racer to pick up.

4. Colin McRae: DiRT 2

DiRT 2 is quite an exceptional rally with appeal to a much wider audience. Rather than sticking to the usual time trial modes of real life rallying, they have added a number of other events to make the game even more exciting for newer rallying fans. With superbly awesome graphics, a number of different cities and scenery and the inclusion of different types of racing machines, DiRT 2 kept up with the standards set by its predecessor, DiRT 1 and continues to be the best rallying game as compared to the others. The game brings good handling as well and may be frustrating for newer players who are not accustomed to the delayed style of cornering, but more experienced players are definitely sure to like it. There is also significant differences in handling between the different classes of vehicles, which adds to the experience.

3. RACE On

RACE On is the latest release from SimBin, which brings a specific focus to reality racing. With an exceptional physics engine, it’s a sim racer’s gift from God. With focus on various Touring Car Series, Formala Masters series and fictional US Street racing, it’s a wrap up of all the good work done over the past few years at SimBin. The game offers various modes, including a full career mode in which players participate in the full out race weekend events, which include Practices, Qualifying, Warm Ups and the actual races. Even though RACE Pro came out in 2009 as well, we chose not to include it in the list since RACE On delivers a very similar package.

2. Need For Speed: SHIFT

Yes folks, it’s the game that saved the Need For Speed line. With the NFS name being on the verge of being chopped, EA released this bad boy. With its thriller graphics, cars and tracks, SHIFT is totally unlike the rubbish EA produced over the last few years. The game focuses alot of the simulation aspect, and even though we were not satisfied with the physics engine, everything else was on cue. The menus were solid, music was appropriate and the environmental visuals were superb. Even though they haven’t produced a proper racer like Forza 3 or Gran Turismo, they have come quite the distance and there is now hope for future titles.

1. Forza Motorsport 3

Microsoft and Turn10 have done it. They’ve created the best racing game of 2009 and they’ve shattered all others by miles. What’s so special about this game? Everything! They added 400 cars, all of which can be driven from the get go (once you rack up some points to buy them). There is no such thing as unlocking cars. The next epic fact is that the game was made not just for the hardcore racer with the expensive steering wheel set, but even a newbie to the game will definitely be able to control the cars with assists turned off.  I think this has to be one of the biggest positives for the game. Sometimes I don’t want to have to set up a racing wheel system just to play, instead just hooking up a controller and still being able to have immense control over the cars suits me better. Each car has been uniquely tuned, so no one car feels like any other, and there is an extensive custom tuning section where you can configure your whip to your personal settings.

Visuals also get an A+. The level of detail is ridiculously good, both on the cars and tracks. Amazingly, each car also has its down sounds, so a BMW M5 has that F1 V10 sound, while a Honda Civic has sounds of the straight 4 with turbo chargers. The game is a huge step compared to Forza 2 and is definitely worth it.

If you liked this list, check out some of the hot racing games coming in 2010.

In 2009, we saw quite a number of hot racing game releases including Forza Motorsport 3, Need For Speed: SHIFT, RACE On and a few others. In 2010, we expect to see yet a few more, some of which have been highly anticipated.

Gran Turismo 5

We’ve waited years for this title to drop, even getting a full scaled “demo” called Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. Things finally seem presentable in Mr. Yamauchi’s eyes because he will be blessing the world with a demo on December 17th 2009, with hopeful expectations that the game will be released some time in March 2010 (in Japan at least). The game is expected to feature near 1000 cars and 20 distinct tracks with variations, bringing the total to 70 courses. With brilliant graphics, a very realistic damage engine and supposedly epic driving physics, the game will be once again the hottest racing seller on the market thus far.

F1 2010

Even though not much is known about the 2010 version of Codemaster’s F1 title, F1 2010 is expected to be a very realistic game according to them. They have actually held back the game to further improve on physics and graphics, and to even implement the use of DirectX 11 technology. The game is set to use the EGO engine used in GRID and DiRT 2, which makes us a bit wary about the physics. They did mention that they were spending lots of time with the actual F1 teams and drivers to learn about the realism of the sport, and even showed clips of laser scanning technology used for building track scenery. In 2010, we will definitely get to see more once the 15 minutes of fame associated with F1 2009 for the portables is over.

Split Second

Black Rock Studios have invented quite an interesting racing game, unlike any other out there. In this game, you participate in reality TV show and score points for performing tricks and winning races, all for the money and fame. However, there is a twist since you can also impede your opponents by triggering explosions, damn breaks, collapsing bridges and much more. Don’t sweat it because the opponents have the same ability, so your driving skills need to be quite sharp to avoid the wrecks. The game will feature 24 shows, which means 24 events for you to blow up stuff and do some crazy driving.

Blur

Blur is an action packed racer which feature a number of real life sports cars. Racers receive messages via a social network telling them where the next events are. The game is heavily focused on its career mode, and includes Power Up features. The Shock feature allows you to send an EMP signal to opponents close to you, “paralyzing” the electronics, causing them to lapse for a few seconds. The Barge feature is a type of  shockwave that sends cars flying away when it hits them. There is the Nitro feature which gives your car an extra boost, like what NO2 does in real life. Two other features are Mines, which obviously blow up cars when they run over it, and Repair, which fixes your ride’s health. Maybe not the most unique game, but the guys who developed PGR 4 are making it, so maybe we can expect something cool.

Project Gotham Racing 5 (not officially announced)

Even though the game hasn’t been officially announced, this post should pretty much tell you that it’s in development. Project Gotham Racing 4 was quite a good game, boasting some exceptional graphics when compared to the time it was released, and they actually look pretty decent when you look back on it today. The game may not have had good physics, but it was a fun arcade title loved by many, so PGR 5 may turn out to be just as good.

rFactor 2

For the insane sim-head, seeing the first rFactor 2 pics brought smiles to many faces. With an exceptionally realistic physics engine, rFactor 2 is set to be an epic racer just like its predecessor. The game is slowly coming along with lots of new features over rFactor 1.

Ferrari Project

The folks who brought you Need For Speed: SHIFT have been working on this for a while. It’s a Ferrari exclusive racer which features a variety of Ferrari, even including the one from Formula 1. SHIFT took priority at Slightly Mad Studios, but the developers have promised to release the game still. It was expected to come out in 2009 a while back, but now it looks like a 2010 release.

So…which one of these titles are you planning to pick up for the new year?

A post on Tesla’s blog revealed that one of Microsoft’s gaming studios is at work on Project Gotham Racing 5. MS Exec Tom Burt gave a full detailing about his experience with Turn10 Studios when he recorded different sounds from his Tesla. He gave lots of details about the process, and even mentioned work about Project Gotham Racing 5.

A team of sound engineers from Microsoft Game Studios (some working on Forza, some on Project Gotham Racing) asked if I was willing to take my Roadster to a track so they could record a variety of sounds. Some time ago they had the opportunity to record Tesla motor noises when a prototype was being run on a dyno at Tesla. But the teams were excited about the prospect of recording other sounds, particularly tire skid and squeal noises, without the interference of loud engine and exhaust noise. Of course I said “yes.” – Tom Burt

Microsoft has since then not commented on what they call a rumour, but from the way he mentioned it, it definitely seems like a project in the works. However, there are no details about it and no one knows for sure who is developing it.

If you are into simulation racing, or any racing as a matter, you may have heard of a control developer called Thrustmaster. They develop a variety of video game controllers for a wide range of gaming platforms. In the driving /racing game world, the Ferrari themed racing wheels are what they are well known for.

Now they have come up with the Ferrari licensed Ferrari Wireless Gamepad 430 Scuderia and the F1 Wireless Gamepad Ferrari F60 for the PS3 and PC. They both run for $49.99 and feature paint schemes from the real racing machines. There is also a wired version for $39.99. Pick these up some time in October when they are released.

EA has released a video track documentary from the Need For Speed: SHIFT racing game. It gives some valuable details about one of the featured race tracks in the game, Laguna Seca. There are tips on two of the important corners, which can gain you some helpful seconds, all in the aim of shattering the lap record. Check out the video though to get your info in motion quality.

The Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R model (a.k.a. PGC10) made its debut in 1969 and was the 1st generation of the Skyline GT-R series. The PGC10 featured a 2.0L DOHC S20 Inline-6 engine pushing 160hp at 7000rpm and 87 pound-feet of torque. It also featured a 5-speed manual transmission. In 1971, a coupe version was made called the KPGC10. This Skyline was also known as “Hakosuka”.

The sedan version (PGC10) was king of racing at the JAF Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway.

Here are some in game screens from SHIFT and they look simply stunning.

Images: EA

The BMW M3 GT2, the star car of SHIFT, comes from the ALMS (American Le Mans Series) racing league. The modified M3 E39 is complete with a number of body enhancements such as a big rear spoiler, wider wheel fenders and a base interior. The car’s powerplant is also upgraded, outputting 485hp.

Below are some high def pics of the M3 GT2. Enjoy

Images: EA

The folks at Need For Speed have produced some videos of 4 drivers and their personal experiences in real life racing.

Andrea Bertolini talks about the focus and connection he has with his Maserati MC12, all in the efforts for the one and simple goal, which is winning the race.

Chris Rado talks about his obsession with speed and cars and hates when he is not behind the wheel racing. He drivers a Scion tC in time attack trials.

Tommy Milner speaks about how he uses his gut feeling and instinct to race, rather than trying to depend only on visuals to think out his next move. He drives a BMW M3 GTR for the Rahal Letterman Racing team.

Vaughn Gitten Jr loves the aggression and adrenaline he receives from drifting. He drives a Ford Mustang GT in the Formula Drift series

EA has released a teaser video of the some of the real life drivers who tested out Need For Speed: SHIFT. They will be giving some insight about their experience with the game, but you will have to wait till tomorrow to see it. Check back then as we post the full video.

EA has released screens of the BMW 135i Coupe being featured in Need For Speed: SHIFT along with a vehicle profile.

The BMW 135i Coupe (NFS Version) packs a 3.0L inline 6 engine twin turbo engine, outputting 300bhp/220Kw and comes with the world’s first differential with double-helical ball bearings which have the advantage of running at an even lower operating temperature reached more quickly than before thanks to the reduction of fluid required in the differential. There is also the M sports package which comes as standard (not sure if it will be featured in game though).

Check out the screens below.

Images: EA

EA has release a screen shot of the new Lamborghini Reventon which will be featured in the upcoming Need For Speed: SHIFT racer. This jet-fighter style production car features some of the most high end materials out there to make it as sleek, stylish and fast as possible. The car’s design really is the centerpiece of its attraction. The front end looks like that of a fighter jet, the HUD dash allows you to go from car mode to F22 dash mode, the body is painted in a dull grey/black sheen like that of these F22s, the LED lights look like something out of science fiction. Overall, it looks great, but costs an estimated $2 million with only 20 models produced for sale. Check the video out below as well.

Community manager, Ian ‘Helios’ Webster has announced that Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will hit stores on September 8th in the United States, September 10th in EPAC countries and the 11th in the United Kingdom. It will come out for the Xbos 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and DS plus the Sony PSP. The PC version will follow shortly with DirectX11 compatibility.

Below are some more screens from the game, so check them out.

Via/Images: Codemasters

EA has released another car preview, this time showing off the Honda S2000 and also giving a bit of background info on the vehicle. The S2000 was first produced in 1999 to celebrate Honda’s 50th year in business. The car came in two versions, the AP1 and AP2. The first one had a  1997 cc (122 cu in) F20C inline 4 cylinder DOHC-VTEC engine outputting only 83bhp. The AP2  F22C1 series however, introduced a much more powerful engine. In 2004, the F22C1 was fitted with a 2157 cc engine, which pushed a decent 237bhp (the one we know today in the racing world).

However, the S2000 line shut down in June 2009 and a planned successor was canceled because of the tough economic circumstances in the auto world. Anyway, below are some screens in high resolution so please enjoy.