Driving

Codemasters recently announced their latest racing game and it's already looking like it could be a 2009 highlight. Fuel takes place in a massive off-road open world where racers not only have to deal with other vehicles but also other items like weather. Today Codemasters released the first screenshots showing the game in action.

Developed by France-based Asobo Studios, Fuel actually takes place in a alternate timeline where massive climate change as take place and oil supplies are dwindling. The racers compete in their two and four wheeled vehicles to get more gas for their gas guzzlers. You can check out a developer/teaser trailer for Fuel by downloading it right here at Big Download.

In Death Track: Resurrection players take on the role of a rookie driver that enters the tournament for the first time. They soon learn that the battle on the track is sometimes not fair and to achieve the top results they need to believe the end justifies the means. After each race all pilots leave the field, some in body bags some with prize money. Bigger engines and bigger guns can be all that stands between a good driver and tombstone.

Download the Death Track: Resurrection Demo (890 MB)

Midway has had a rocky 2008 as it fired its CEO, shut down a development studio in Los Angeles, and cut a large portion of its Austin, Texas based dev studio. Yet its current interim CEO Matt Booty has denied recent rumors that it will soon shut down its UK based studio. According to a chat at Gamesindustry.biz, Booty is quoted as saying that Midway has a "very strong commitment to that studio" and plans to stick with it "for the long term."

The UK studio is currently working on Wheelman (one of only two upcoming Midway games due for the PC), the action-driving title that "stars" actor Vin Diesel (who is also assisting with the game's design). Originally slated for release this fall, Midway has pushed the game's release date back to the first quarter of 2009.

Long time PC gamers remember the terrific racing simulation created by Papyrus Racing, the developer behind a number of exceptional and highly popular NASCAR and IndyCar racing games for Sierra. Papyrus shut down in 2003 but a number of its former team members have been working for the past few years to launch a PC-based racing sim game available for download.

That time finally came this week when iRacing.com finally made its public debut. The company, co-founded by Papyrus co-founder Dave Kaemmer and Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry, has signed agreements with a number of race tracks across the US. People who want to join iRacing can do so for $20; that gets them two cars and access to seven tracks. As players get more experience they will gain access to more cars and IRacing will be adding more tracks to the service. It should be interesting to see if this new business model for racing sims will work.

The folks at Valve continue to give Steam customers (at least those in North America) some cool package deals on games on their service. The latest is for the upcoming SimBin developed racing simulation GTR Evolution. This latest game is actually an extension of the previously released RACE 07 and contains nearly 50 cars, 19 different tracks and both a simulation and arcade racing mode.

GTR Evolution actually contains the full RACE 07 game and Steam is offering people who pre-order GTR Evolution 10 percent off its regular $39.99 price before it launches on September 1. If you already own RACE 07 you can download GTR Evolution from Steam; it is also priced at 10 percent off its regular price of $19.99.

Next week will see the release in the US of the PC port of Flatout: Ultimate Carnage, the port of the 2007 Xbox 360 arcade racing game from developer Bugbear and publisher Empire Interactive. However if you like to download your games rather than head to the retail stores, Valve's Steam service has a deal for you.

If you pre-order Flatout: Ultimate Carnage via Steam for $19.99 before the end of the day on August 26, you will be able to download the first game in the series, Flatout, immediately for free. You will be able to check out the unique gameplay of the first title (complete with ragdoll driver mini-games) before the graphically enhanced Flatout: Ultimate Carnage is made available.

The developers of Wheelman, the fast paced crime and driving game featuring Vin Diesel, walk you through one of the early missions to highlight all the features and details. If you love the idea of being the getaway guy or you're a Vin Diesel fan, then check this one out. We offer the video as an HD download only.

Download the Wheelman mission playthrough HD video (346 MB)

Gallery: Wheelman

Publisher Codemasters is best known for its driving games like Dirt and most recently Grid. Today the company announced its newest racing game Fuel, which represents a bit of a departure from its previous efforts. One difference is the use of a third party developer, French company Asobo Studios. Another difference is the open world setting for the game; the press release claims the game world is over 5,000 square miles.

There's even a storyline for Fuel; it takes place in an alternate timeline where natural resources are scarce and climate change has altered the landscape. Racers try to win not money or fame but fuel supplies. Fuel also promises a full dynamic weather system with day and night cycles, rain, tornadoes, sandstorms, blizzards and other hazards. Fuel is currently scheduled for released for the PC and other platforms in 2009; meanwhile Codemasters has released the first developer video for the game.

Download the Fuel HD Developer Introduction Video (110 MB)

The second in a series of Need for Speed Undercover trailers takes on the style of a documentary interview with a police officer and why he joined the Tri-City police. It looks like Undercover might use a stronger story element than seen in previous releases of the racing game. Need for Speed Undercover is currently scheduled to release November 18, 2008.

Download the Need for Speed Undercover HD Teaser Trailer #1 (4 MB)
Download the Need for Speed Undercover HD Teaser Trailer #2 (31 MB)

Electronic Arts has been keeping a lid on new info for Need For Speed Undercover, the next game in the long running racing game series. Today the publisher issued a press release with some info on the game including its planned release date; November 18 in North America and November 21 in Europe.

As we previously reported, film actor Maggie Q will be featured in the game as she plays Federal Agent Chase Linh, "a seductive handler who recruits and guides players as they go undercover." Your player character is trying to infiltrate a crime syndicate and the game gets you inside their group by having you go on jobs and compete in races. According to the press release, Need For Speed Undercover "re-introduces break-neck cop chases, the world's hottest cars and spectacular highway battles."

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

After a few weeks hiatus, Freeware Friday is back and better than ever! And this week, it's to showcase possibly one of the best freeware racing games of all time. Yeah, I know, normally I do action and platforming and whatnot, but this game is incredible to no end! It's freely available just about anywhere, has excellent community support, great modding tools, and is just downright incredibly fun to play. The fact that it's on Steam (meaning you can obtain it incredibly easy anywhere) just furthers its incredible gameplay. I am, of course, talking about the phenomenon that is Trackmania Nations Forever.

Russian publisher 1C Company has announced a deal with GamersGate that allows the digital distribution portal to feature many of 1C's upcoming games, reports IGN. The agreement, which covers 13 titles, spans the third quarter of 2008 through quarter one of 2009.

GamersGate CEO Theodore Bergquist is delighted with the deal, believing that carrying many of 1C's most anticipated and popular titles "will ensure that GamersGate has first dibs on carrying strong titles from their portfolio."

1C Company International Sales Director Nikolay Baryshnikov echoed the sentiment, saying that the deal "is a great opportunity to deliver our games to players all over the world."

Big Download had the opportunity to go hands-on with a number of 1C's titles that will be featured on GamersGate, including Necrovision, Hummer 4x4, Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason, Death Track Resurrection and Men of War.

Electronic Arts has sometimes used known models and actresses as leading ladies for their Need For Speed driving game series. Brooke Burke voiced a role for Need For Speed Underground 2, Josie Marin played a role in Need For Speed Most Wanted and Emmanuelle Vaugier had a similar role in Need For Speed Carbon. Today the company confirmed via an email invite to an upcoming press event that actress Maggie Q will have a role in the newest installment Need For Speed Undercover.

Born in Hawaii, Maggie Q first became a well known actor in Asia before starring in US films like Mission Impossible III, Balls of Fury, Live Free or Die Hard and most recently Deception. There's no word yet on what role she will be playing in the new Need for Speed game which is expected to be released this fall.

Shacknews is reporting that Good Old Games, CD Projekt's digital distribution source for classic PC games, will be delaying its beta, which was supposed to launch on August 1. Additionally, GOG marketing VP Tom Ohle has said that, due to a "huge response to the site announcement," GOG has been forced to rethink its beta plans -- namely, the beta has been changed from closed to open, and should launch in a few weeks.

Though anyone who signed up for the beta will receive access to the GOG site, Ohle is hesitant to confirm whether or not all participants will receive a free game. "We're not sure if we're going to be able to offer everyone in the beta a free game, but ...we're definitely offering everyone who's signed up early access to the site."

GOG is still taking sign-ups for the beta, so if you haven't submitted your email address, do so now -- you'll get beta access at the very least, and possibly a free classic game of your choice.

Big Download recently interviewed Ohle, who divulged a thorough explanation of all that GOG will offer. With its line-up of classics such as Fallout, Fallout 2 and Descent, GOG is still scheduled to launch in September.

We've been hearing rumors about a new entry in the Need For Speed racing game series for some time but so far Electronic Arts hasn't officially confirmed that they will release a new game this year in the long running franchise. However it looks like EA is building towards an announcement on the game which is rumored to be titled Need for Speed Undercover.

There's apparently a teaser trailer going around that is a mix of live action and CGI car racing that leads to a web site called whichroadtotake.com. That teaser site has what looks like a police interrogation room with two people going at it. We don't know exactly what's going on but we think EA will make an official announced in the next few weeks.

[Via Blue's News]