Joystiq

Microsoft teases Avatar motorcycle game

JC Fletcher — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:00:00 EST

Microsoft's PlayXBLA site posted two "Secret Squirrel screenshots" depicting an unannounced Xbox Live game to be announced for real at E3. Of course, even without the title or any real details, we can get a pretty good idea of what the game's like: it's Avatar-shaped people racing and doing stunts on motorcycles in exotic, dirt-track environments.

With screenshots named "AMX_Mystery," the name "Avatar Motocross" seems like a safe guess. Regardless of the name, Xbox fans have proven definitively that they think bikes are neat - a trend that likely motivated the development of this mystery game.

Gallery: Unannounced MX game (XBLA)

Microsoft teases Avatar motorcycle game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo of America patent shows off unreleased motorcycle game concept

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

Every night, before we loose ourselves from the moorings of the conscious world, we say a short prayer that a game developer will realize the potential in a relaunch of Sega's arcade almost-classic, Harley Davidson & LA Riders. Our wishes haven't been granted yet, but a recently uncovered patent (.pdf) shows that Nintendo of America came awfully close to creating something similar to Sega's Easy Rider-esque masterpiece.

The patent depicts a motorcycle (and/or Jetski) racing game controlled using the Wii Balance Board and Wiimote. Twisting and turning the remote accelerates and turns the bike, while leaning on the Balance Board allows the player to take sharper turns. It's unclear whether the game depicted is still in development, but we'll keep our fingers crossed regardless. Hey, it beats buying and riding an actual motorcycle, you know. Those things are like, super dangerous.

Nintendo of America patent shows off unreleased motorcycle game concept originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moto Racer 3 pops a totally sweet wheelie onto GOG

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:30:00 EST

Your purchasing habits on Good Old Games probably focus mostly on RPGs, strategy games, strategy-RPGs and RPG-strategies -- however, let's flip the script today, shall we? The newest newcomer to the GOG storefront is Delphine Software's Moto Racer 3, a motorcycle racer originally released way back in 2002.

At $10, Moto probably doesn't offer the dollar-to-timesink ratio you'd get from an Arcanum or a Neverwinter Nights -- but aren't you tired of all that high fantasy, anyways? Don't you want to drive some two-wheeled vehicles through heavy traffic at irresponsible velocities sometimes? Of course you do. That's just human nature.

Moto Racer 3 pops a totally sweet wheelie onto GOG originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Test Drive Unlimited 2 director reveals plans for beta and bikes

David Hinkle — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:00:00 EST

There's a lot of news on Eden Studios' sequel, Test Drive Unlimited 2, coming out of Spain today. VG247 attended the event and spoke to the game's director, Alain Jarniou -- he had a lot of new information to impart.

First, players will no longer find themselves bound by their automobiles. In the sequel, it will be possible to run around on foot and interact with the game world "in specific places." An example given by Jarniou is the pre-race: in the first game, there was simply a lobby for players to interact in before they got down to business. In the sequel, it's an in-game place where avatars stand around and interact.

He also revealed that plans are underway to offer an open Test Drive Unlimited 2 beta. "Right now, the plan is to have an open beta of TDU2. The difficulty of having a demo for a game like this is the fact it's a huge island, and a huge amount of data. It's not the best way to show the game. So yeah, for now the plan's an open beta."

Finally, Jarniou promised bikes will be available in the game -- just "not for the day one version." He says that the developer rebuilt the way cars handle from scratch, as Eden Studios wasn't totally pleased with how that worked in the first game. "So we decided to start from the beginning," he said, "and we now have a new handling for the cars, and we want to, of course, [do the same] for the bikes."

Test Drive Unlimited 2 director reveals plans for beta and bikes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Australia's Atkinson thinks gamers are scarier than biker gangs

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST

Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, also known as "that one guy responsible for preventing an R18+ rating from being adopted in the country," recently had some (unsurprisingly) inflammatory things to say about gaming enthusiasts during an interview with Good Game. "About two o' clock in the morning I got a threatening note from a gamer shoved under my door," Atkinson claimed. "I feel that my family and I are more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me ... the outlaw motorcycle gangs haven't been hanging around my doorstep at 2 a.m.. A gamer has."

Well, yeah. We wish we could argue with that logic, but we just can't. It's rock solid. Except -- wait. Maybe the outlaw motorcycle gangs don't have the time to wait by your door at 2 a.m. because they're too busy perpetrating violent crimes and distributing meth? No, no -- that's just crazy talk.

[Via GoNintendo]

Australia's Atkinson thinks gamers are scarier than biker gangs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Savage Cycles unveils custom Resident Evil motorcycle

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

The badass chopper you see above was custom-built by the team at Savage Cycles for Capcom, and unveiled during the publisher's Dark Void launch party at CES this weekend. It's lovingly crafted, and comes equipped with a shotgun, grenade launcher, grenades, first aid spray and herbs -- all the essentials a zombie genocider needs. Check out this Capcom Unity blog post to see a few more pictures of this undead-slaying hog.

Now, that being said -- is a motorcycle really the best form of transportation in the middle of a zombie onslaught? We mean, it's not exactly secure, you know? It also kinda lacks that ramming power we expect from our apocalyptic means of travel. Give us a Volkswagen Type 2 over that two-wheeled crotch-rocket any day of the week -- this is about survival, folks!

Savage Cycles unveils custom Resident Evil motorcycle originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Criterion details Burnout Paradise DLC that never was

David Hinkle — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST

You gotta give it up to Criterion Games. Throughout the lifespan of Burnout Paradise, the developers at Criterion worked their buns off to give us all kinds of juicy DLC, from a new island to explore, a new game mode, right down to motorcycles and many, many car packs. Now, the company has prepared a lengthy diatribe documenting some of the updates that never got off the ground.

For one, did you know that Criterion initially planned to have motorcycles vs cars? Yep, sure was planned -- and did you know that Criterion wanted to create a whole series of islands, not just the one? The devs even wanted to give players the ability to go to the moon, complete with lunar challenges for Freeburn addicts. Also: the planes thing wasn't an April Fool's joke -- the dev actually wanted to add them (and other vehicles) into the game.

Overall, it's a pretty great read, if only to show you just how committed the studio was to the game and raising the bar for DLC in general.

Criterion details Burnout Paradise DLC that never was originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Resident Evil chopper isn't as violent as it sounds

JC Fletcher — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:30:00 EST

You might hear the phrase "Resident Evil chopper" and think of some brutal weapon designed to make a zombie into two half-zombies, but it actually refers to the latest spinoff for the franchise -- and the first with the ability to literally spin off. Capcom has partnered with Savage Cycles to produce an officially licensed Resident Evil motorcycle, to be sold in "an extremely limited number." It'll have a bunch of fake weapons and health sprays and stuff attached, and the expected S.T.A.R.S. and Capcom logos. The shot above is of an in-progress model.

Capcom didn't mention a price for it, but we suspect that Resident Evil completists unable to let an official piece of merchandise pass are crying right now. Sure, $100 for a Japanese limited edition game or something is doable every now and then, but now you have to buy a vehicle. And if you drive it, it won't be mint condition anymore!

The Resident Evil chopper isn't as violent as it sounds originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capcom scraping knees with MotoGP 09/10 in March

David Hinkle — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EST

Capcom's recently acquired motorcycling sim series is set to hit the track again in March 2010 with MotoGP 09/10 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Capcom has put a new team on the franchise in Monumental Games, but before you start running around and slashing tires in disgust, know that some of the members of that studio are actually MotoGP veterans. Put the knife down!

The next installment in the series brings all of the bikes, riders, and tracks from the 2009 championship series, including a full-fledged career mode that will give players the control to handle not only the racing, but also managerial tasks. But, even more interesting is Capcom's promise to "update the game with accurate real-time content from the 2010 championship at no extra cost." Rounding out the rest of the game will be an Arcade mode, and online racing, supporting leaderboards and a spectator mode.

Capcom scraping knees with MotoGP 09/10 in March originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moto Racer DS is two-wheeled tomfoolery

Phil Larsen — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Screens

When it comes to racing on the DS, we have the good, the bad, and the monstrously ugly. Moto Racer DS looks to be a refreshing change from the usual flurry of mediocrity -- both as a motorbike racing game and as a pretty impressive technical showcase. The environments look nicely detailed, and the tracks scream FUN!

The biggest selling point we can see is the aptly-named Stylus Precision Handling (SPH). There isn't much of an indication on how this will work, and the touchscreen images in the gallery display only a map. Moto Racer DS supports up to 8 player Wi-Fi races, and features 44 tracks in a variety of road and dirt racing. That's quite a hefty amount of content, and we're hoping for a solid experience when it comes out in Q4 this year.

Gallery: Moto Racer DS

[Via press release]

Moto Racer DS is two-wheeled tomfoolery originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 chopper + leather pants = gaming biker

Dustin Burg — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

Australian GAME stores are running a scratch-off promotion (just like lottery tickets, but better!) where with every Xbox 360 that's purchased, customers get a chance to scratch and win all kinds of gaming prizes. Prizes including a custom crafted and super manly Xbox 360 chopper that's still being produced. You can hop on over to their "See the Bike!" page to watch the eventual evolution of the bike, because right now, it's looking kind of naked and non-360 themed. But we're sure it'll be 360'ized soon enough if the chopper's guages are any indication of things to come. Buy a 360 from GAME and (possibly) go vroom, vroom!

Xbox 360 chopper + leather pants = gaming biker originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capcom secures MotoGP franchise across all platforms

Jason Dobson — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:25:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Driving, Business, Mobile

With some 15 different titles in the works, we'd assumed that the forces of Capcom had enough on their hands to not go looking for other things to keep them busy. That's what we get for assuming, as the company has announced that it's secured the exclusive rights to publish games and peripherals based on the MotoGP license.

The winds of change began to blow last year, as Capcom sewed up Sony platform rights to the motorcycle sport in 2007. However, this new deal does everything but say 'yoink!' to longtime series publisher THQ, pulling rights to all things MotoGP beneath the Capcom umbrella for the next five years, with this year's annual update already planned for release on the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, and mobile phones.

Now all that remains to be seen is who will handle development -- franchise vet Climax Group or series newcomers Milestone, who helmed last year's PS2 version for Capcom. There's really only one way to settle this...Thunderdome!

Capcom secures MotoGP franchise across all platforms originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq hands-on: PGR4 (Xbox 360)

Zack Stern — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Driving, Online, Galleries

Project Gotham Racing 4 follows the track of previous PGR titles by recreating cities on a building-by-building basis and then letting the fast cars loose. The September Xbox 360 game will include 10 total locations: New York City, Tokyo, London, Las Vegas, Quebec City, Shanghai, Macau, St. Petersburg, Nuerburgring, and the Michelin Test Track.

I got some hands-on time with a recent version of the in-progress game, with the touted weather and rain specifically being shown off. PGR4 looks and feels like it'll be a fun racer, and this time, motorcycles get to play alongside the cars.

Gallery: PGR4 (Xbox 360)

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: PGR4 (Xbox 360)

Joystiq hands-on: PGR4 (Xbox 360) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dojo update: Wario's special moves

JC Fletcher — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: News

We are so happy when the new Brawl info is new for real! Today's update is about Wario's special attacks, which are unexpectedly awesome.

We've all seen the amusing flatulence attack from the original trailer. That's the Down special attack, and it gets more powerful the longer the interval between uses. It turns out we saw another Wario special move too.

Wario's other special attack, the Side attack, is the business, and is probably going to make Wario quite a popular character. He summons a motorcycle! You can do 180's with the Control Stick (or D-pad?) and jump off with an attack button. You can apparently also be knocked off. The bike seems to be persistent, so can other players hop on and steal it?

Dojo update: Wario's special moves originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MotoGP downloadable demo

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:44:00 EST

Filed under: Demos

Surprise! Another demo came out today, from PSP-loving Namco. It's for MotoGP, where you go vroom vroom on motorcycles! Whee!

1. Download the demo ZIP file.
2. Extract the contents of the ZIP file.
3. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable.
4. Go to the PSP/GAME folder.
5. Copy UCES00373 folder into the GAME directory.

Check out our new demos site:
demos.pspfanboy.com

MotoGP downloadable demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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