Need for Speed SHIFT becomes a team sport

Electronic Arts revealed an all-new Team Racing pack for Need for Speed SHIFT to be released via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. The content pack features a new race mode and five racing cars - all for free. The Team Racing pack is the first downloadable content for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available worldwide on December 1st on the Xbox 360 and on the PlayStation 3 on December 3rd in Europe and on December 10th in North America.

The Team Racing mode allows two teams of up to six racers race against each other for online supremacy. As part of the new content, players will also get access to some legendary racers including the 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427, 1967 Shelby GT-500, 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T, and the 1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV.

Look for it on your favorite console system in early December.

Monster 4×4 Stunt Racer in stores

Ubisoft has released Monster 4×4 Stunt Racer to stores across North America today. Monster 4×4 Stunt Racer promises over 50 different challenges, brand new vehicles and tracks, vehicle customization, a wall-riding feature and a “party-play” split screen mode for up to 4 players locally or online. Some of the modes in these challenges include a combat option where you can launch bombs and missiles causing your challengers to take flight, and a stunt option where you can multiply maneuvers and tricks to increase your score.

Monster 4×4 Stunt Racer is available for the Nintendo Wii system, is rated “E” for Everyone and available for an MSRP of $29.99 with the wheel or $19.99 without the wheel.

DRiiFT Mania shifts to WiiWare

Konami Digital Entertainment’s newest WiiWare title, DRiiFT Mania, is now available. The game promises fast-paced single and multiplayer racing for Wii fans for 800 Wii Points. In DRiiFT Mania, racers maintain pole position as they face up to eight drivers to determine who the best driver is. Players can choose from over 32 vehicles (from fast cars to powerful trucks) and race through 12 tracks based on various environments including hills, city, oasis and even snow. If racing in traditional Single Player Mode isn’t enough of a thrill, players can also engage in Multiplayer Championship or Team Race Mode, as well VIP, Meteorite, Cold Potato and Contamination Mode for extra racing fun.

Players can also take to the track using any combination of Wii Remote, Nunchuck or Classic Controller to operate their vehicles.

DRiiFT Mania is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and is now available for purchase for 800 Wii Points on Nintendo WiiWare.

BLUR delayed to 2010

Activision announced today that its next-generation racing game, BLUR, will not make it in 2009. The game is the first title from Bizarre Creations, who you probably know better as the developers of the Project Gotham Racing series owned by Microsoft. According to published reports, the game is being delayed so the development team has more time to improve the game’s online multiplayer modes.

More information on this story as it develops.

Source: GI.biz.

SKATE 3 announced

Electronic Arts announced that its popular skateboarding franchise will return in May of next year. The latest game, SKATE 3, has been confirmed for release in May 2010. SKATE 3 for Xbox 360 and PS3. EA promises that this game will break new ground by letting players experience all the camaraderie and competitiveness of real-life skateboarding online or offline. Now players can now team up to build a skate crew by joining in on new co-op gameplay to take on team-based challenges, compete against rival crews and mess around in Port Carverton - the new home for all things skating in SKATE 3.

Players who want to pre-order SKATE 3 can do so and get an added bonus: an unlock code that gives them exclusive access to the iconic Black Box Distribution Skate Park, home turf of Zero, Mystery, and Fallen skate teams. Black Box Distribution was founded in 2000 by Jamie Thomas, and houses and distributes some of skateboarding’s biggest selling brands. Pre-orders are available now at skate.ea.com or at participating retailers nationwide.

SKATE 3 is being developed by Black Box.

Need for Speed SHIFT races to retail

Need for Speed SHIFT hits retail stores today in North America and across Europe on September 17. Need for Speed SHIFT offers breakneck speeds, a cockpit view, a deeper career mode and a robust line-up of cars - if you believe what EA says. Other features include real world physics with perception based G-forces, a “brutal” first person crash dynamic, and the all-new driver profile, which gives each player a unique persona based on their driving skill and style.

Need for Speed SHIFT is available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP and iPhone.

Forza Motorsport 3 gold, demo soon

Microsoft Game Studios says that the development phase of Forza Motorsport 3 is complete and the game has been certified “gold,” sent off to manufacturing for replication and final packaging and should be in stores on Oct. 22 in Asia, Oct. 23 in Europe and Oct. 27 in North America exclusively on Xbox 360. To mark the occasion, Microsoft and developer Turn 10 today also confirmed that a demo of the latest title in the popular racing game series will arrive on Xbox LIVE Marketplace Sept. 24.

The demo lets you get behind the wheel of five cars on the full circuit of the game’s Camino Viejo track. The demo includes the 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR, 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro, 2009 Ferrari California, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR and the 2009 Mini John Cooper Works.
Players will be able to drive all of the cars in the demo in full cock-pit view as well as experience damage, rollover and try out the game’s new rewind feature on a Spanish mountain course inspired by the Montserrat region just outside of Barcelona, Spain. When logged into Xbox LIVE, the demo will also support official leaderboards for lap times.