GRID 2 - Officially Coming 2013

GRID 2 – Release Date, Pre-order Details And More!
by Loore 31-01-2013 02:02 PM - edited 31-01-2013 02:02 PM

For months we have kept you waiting, teasing you with a vague "Summer 2013" release date. Well today we are pleased to announce that the race returns on May 31st in the UK and May 28th within North America.

Pre-orders Now Available
We’re pleased to confirm that pre-orders for GRID 2 should now be available at your favourite retailer. Furthermore, if you like a little extra with your GRID 2, ask your local retailer about the special pre-order packs that are available. Which one are you going to get?

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Special Edition & Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT

McLaren Racing Pack
McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Special Edition
2 new routes around the Brands Hatch GP Circuit
Special Online Event
Head Start Pack
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT
Discounts in the Car upgrades store
A unique RaceNet bonus
Indycar Pack
Dallara IndyCar and the IndyCar Pace car
2 new routes around Indianapolis Motor Speedway Circuit
Exclusive Online Event
GTR Racing Pack
Nissan GT-R Spec road car
Yas Marina daytime circuit
Exclusive online event

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Circuit & Nissan GT-R Spec road car

Box Art Revealed
We know you love to see what our packs look like and we know that Vine is the latest internet sensation so we combined the two in this nifty 6 second pack shot reveal. If you prefer your images stationary, check out these renders:

Chris Harris on GRID 2 – Part 1
We ask the question, “Can GRID 2 help you race better” and who better to answer it than one of motorsports leading journalists, Chris Harris.

We pay a visit to Brands Hatch on a cold winter’s day and with the help of two McLaren MP4-12Cs we get our answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Do0_DIM2PQ8

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DJ_ILLusiveWednesday at 4:37pm
There are so many epic driving games out there(i.e. NFS, Gran Turismo, Forza). What specifically does Grid 2 bring to the table that sets it apart from those other formidable titles?

ultramagicElite in GRID40 minutes ago
I think the focus on the racing experience itself is what sets us apart. Whilst customisation is important to us, and having a real breadth of content available for players plays a key role in keeping the experience fresh, we feel like entering an arms race to get the most cars ever or to customise every tiny facet is not totally necessary. We'd prefer to dedicate more time to making everything about the game feel believable and actually emphasising and highlighting the racing itself is the core of what is important.

We've deconstructed and improved every aspect of what makes the driving experience what it is. The AI - how they react to you and what their personalities on the track are have improved with our AI driver ability system. With over 60 parameters to make them feel as human as possible. Or the camera movement, shake and blur during racing - highlighting what is important to the driver at all times. Even to the audio - we have recorded an unprecedented number of vehicles for this title in order to make them sound as true to reality as possible. The levels of damage and detail which can affect the real-world licensed cars is also beyond what many competitors are able to deliver.

In essence - its all about making the drama, tension and thrill of racing a car competitively as good as it can be.

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Ivan CarlosDedicated in GRIDWednesday at 12:47pm
We have a great expectation about GRID 2 driving appeal. The first GRID achieved a game that's not easy as an arcade game, but have a learning curve more enjoyable than simulator games. Is GRID 2 focused on be an arcade or simulator game, or will try to get the same feeling present on first GRID?

ultramagicElite in GRID5 hours ago
Hi Ivan, thanks for your question! That's one of the key things we've tried to retain in GRID 2. There's a really delicate balance we need to strike with our title, which is to ensure that we appeal to those people who absolutely love motorsport and want a challenge to sink their teeth into, but also make the game accessible enough for those people who just want to pick up and play and have a great time. There are a number of different ways we've tried to achieve this balance this time round. The approach to handling and difficulty works on the premise that we ease people into the experience with each new car they drive - each with different characteristics and traits for the player to learn as they progress through the game. As you move through the career, you should slowly become talented enough to drive each new vehicle all the way to the most extreme hypercars. Our new handling system is not a massive departure from what we've delivered before - we always want the player to feel in control of the car they're driving, so unlike many other titles, there shouldn't be masses of understeer to fight against to just get the vehicle around a corner. In fact, a big part of the moment to moment cornering will be to do with controlling opposite lock and guiding the car round as it loses traction and begins to drift. This will obviously differ from car to car, but in essence, we want players to feel like a racing superstar.

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"Mainly wondering about the exciting new LiveRoute feature. Will this be available single player and online? The best thing about racing is the unknown result so a dynamic track has me salivating."

ross_gowingElite in GRIDFeb 1 2013 at 5:58pm
Glad you're excited about this - we can't wait for everyone to try it! We think races using LiveRoute will really show who is the best driver, rather than who can commit a track to their memory.

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Following on from yesterday’s press preview blow out, here’s a rundown of some things you may have missed:

Media Impressions - Text

EDGE - "A throwback to the old TOCA games, GRID 2 is a racer with a story..."

CVG – “Grid 2 single-player is like Gladiators with cars.”

Neoseeker – “My hands pulse just thinking about trying GRID 2 out again.”

Top Gear – “There's something for everyone: if you like track racing you can do that, if you like ragging hot hatches round city streets you can do that and if going down a Californian road sideways is your bag, that's there too.”

VG 24/7 – “I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to be a part of this dream, and such an event seems likely to keep me playing the game far longer...”

Polygon – “The story is an excuse to partake in high-speed hijinks.”

Eurogamer – “Callaghan identifies you as a raw talent at the start of the game and you become the championship's talisman, MVP and global representative all rolled into one.”

Media Impressions - Video

Gamesradar
GameTrailers
Gamespot
Giant Bomb

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We caught up with Executive Producer Clive Moody who answers your questions below.

Q) Why did you get rid of demolition derby?

A) With any game development there are always ideas and features which don’t make the final cut for a whole host of reasons. It’s tough to make a call for one feature versus another, but in this case we had already created bespoke Demolition Derby experience with Showdown, so we have put our focus into some genuinely exciting new stuff for GRID2.

Q) Will you be able to have a teammate, like in the original GRID?

A) GRID2’s career is structured a little differently from the original as you are competing against Clubs, each with their own race styles and drivers. Your goal is to beat them, win over fans of their particular racing discipline and bring them into the World Series Racing, where the greatest drivers compete.

Q) We will be able to customize the car with sponsors like the first GRID?

A) GRID2 has comprehensive car livery customization, which include sponsors. Each sponsor comes with their own objectives to help further your career. The online modes take customization a stage further, also allowing mechanical and body upgrades to improve the performance and handling of you cars.

Q) Are the crashing and damage physics similar to the first game, and does the driving feel like the firsy Grid as well?

A) Crashes and damage are an essential part of the GRID experience and have a number of improvements. As well as metal deformation we now also have a fully dynamic carbon fibre damage model. We give the player more control as well; the full GRID damage experience that affects both the visual look of the car and performance, or just the visual damage, without any degradation in the mechanics. The driving experience is pure GRID only this time underpinned by our new TrueFeel handling system. Take a look at the Codies Blog for more details on TrueFeel.

Q) Will we be seeing street circuits or the classic racing circuits like spa in 2?

A) There will be street circuits such as Chicago, Paris and Dubai, classic racing circuits including Brands Hatch, Yas Marina and Indianapolis and completely new for GRID, open roads, like the California Coast highway. Each will test your driving skills across a diverse array of race types.

Q) Is there a career/story mode?

A) There is a deep career mode that has a narrative to give the player real purpose and context. At the outset you get scouted by the entrepreneur, Patrick Callahan. Callahan has a vision of unifying all of the diverse range of racing clubs around the world into a single World Series and in the process find the world’s greatest driver. You set out on a dual journey with him. Entering into events within these various clubs and leagues, winning over their fans and best drivers to bring them to the WSR whilst at the same time proving yourself as the ultimate driving superstar.

Q) About the Pagani Huayra: will you feature its active aerodynamics? The front and rear flaps deploying to improve downforce?

A) Downforce is affected on all cars which contain active aerodynamic components, including the Huayra.

Q) How many tracks in #GRID2 will have liveroutes?

A) All of the street racing city locations in GRID2 support LiveRoutes

Q) Will the tracks with live routes also have them implemented online?

A) Liveroutes are fully available online. This makes for some really exciting online races as no player has the advantage of having been able to learn the track.

Q) For those of us who are Rally fans & are used to it being us VS the clock. Let us know how GRID2 will get us excited.

A) Time Attack and Checkpoint game modes both pitch the player against the clock. Time Attack over a set distance and Checkpoint against an ever ticking down clock, with bonus time for passing through checkpoints. Both are classic racing game modes and incredibly addictive.

Q) How will LiveRoutes affect lapped players?

A) Because of the dynamic nature of LiveRoutes you don’t see lapped cars. LiveRoutes are distance based rather than lap based. Actually, there is no real concept of a lap because you are never guaranteed to come back to the point at which the race started and hence start and finish lines are not necessarily at the same point on the track.

Q) Can a particular LiveRoute be repeated for saved hot laps, or do we just make our own notes and do restarts?

A) LiveRoutes are dynamically changed each time you start a new event and because there are millions of route combinations you are highly unlikely to ever get the same route twice. Once in a LiveRoute event, you are however free to restart as many times as you like and will be able to drive exactly the same layout.

Q) Is it safe to assume that upon restart the particular LiveRoute will be repeated and not altered from the initial run?

A) Correct. You can restart a LiveRoute as many times as you like and it will run with the same dynamic configuration. Exit completely from the event and the next time you enter an entirely new layout will be generated.

Q) In single player will we be able to drive any car on any track?

A) We put no restrictions on driving cars to particular tracks. If you want to take an Indycar around the Paris streets for example then you can. Be warned though, combinations such as this are incredibly challenging.

Q) Will the actual driving and handling be like the one in the latest videos? Or will it be like the previous GRID and possibly a little better?

A) The handling is as seen in the videos and you really need to play it to see how we have taken everything that was great about the previous game and made really significant improvements. Have a look at the Codies Blog for more details on Handling and TrueFeel.

Q) What details can you release about drift mode? Cars, tracks, drivers, modes?

A) Drift mode will comprise of score based events, with each round taking place on a short track, packing in corners perfect for drifting opportunities. Scoring is based on speed, angle, proximity to drift post markers and the length of the drift. It takes real skill to balance all of these and we don’t add any assists on the cars, so winning is down to pure driver ability. We’ll be releasing more information of all the cars later, but rest assured drift classics like the Nissan Silvia and Mazda RX-7.

Q) Will the progression in the single player game be the same? as in complete challenges, obtain points to unlock license, unlock more challenges.

A) GRID2 single player progression is built around the number of fans you have. Competing and winning in events will earn you greater adulation and hence more fans. A growing fanbase means you will get invited to compete is bigger and more prestigious events, as well as getting access to more powerful cars. In addition, there are ‘side mission’ promotional events and vehicle challenges to earn you additional fans and also win new vehicles for your garage.

Q) Will Grid 2 feature damage similar to the original Grid?

A) Everything that was great about the original GRID damage we have kept, but also added some great new effects. Carbon fibre bodywork now splinters and breaks rather than deforming in the way that metal parts do. You will now also have the choice between full visual only or visual and mechanical damage, which affects the performance of the car.

Q) The damage modeling was what kept me hooked... especially with instant reply. Will the damage be superior in every way in GRID 2?

A) It is superior in every way. More deformation, more particle effects, carbon fibre which now splinters and shatters, instant replays and now the ability to share your greatest crashes with direct upload to Youtube straight from the replay.

Q) Does "Corner cutting detected" influence the game?

A) Corner cutting is a critical part of our new anti-cheat systems, which mean you will not be able to gain an advantage by taking detours off the track. In the original GRID we put billboards and tyre walls on corners to prevent the player from being able to cut corners. In GRID2 these have all been removed, with our new corner cutting system calculating if a speed or positional advantage has been gained. When detected, the player’s car is slowed for a period equal to the advantage gained. This works across both single and multiplayer modes, keeping races fair and also helping to educate the player that the very fastest laps are achieved by keeping to the racing line.

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Posted on 11 April by Ben Walke – Community Manager, Codemasters
GRID 2 multiplayer features revealed

We’ve talked already about World Series Racing and the single player experience of GRID 2, and now it’s time to talk multiplayer.
Multiplayer in GRID 2 is big. Bigger than anything we’ve done before. More depth, more choice, more progression… but before we get to the BIG details, we’ll just chuck in a little reminder that you can play in two-player split-screen across our game modes. It’s old school, and we love it.
GRID 2 utilises a multiplayer system that is completely separate to the single player portion of the game. We want to bring the best of online gaming to the racing genre and a dedicated, distinct game is the only way we could achieve what we wanted.

As you progress you’ll be able to earn XP and cash which will allow you to purchase cars and upgrades and you’ll constantly have new challenges and rivals. You’ll also be able to showcase your individuality by customising and modifying your cars. With over six billion possible combinations to choose from, you’ll certainly stand out on the grid.
The clean vs. the dirty
Naturally these two types of racer don’t get on very well, it’s the cats vs. dogs of the racing world and as such our matchmaking system aims to separate the two. What this means is that players who prefer a clean race are more likely to find sessions with one another while those who enjoy trading pain will be grouped together.

The beating heart of GRID 2
At the heart of our multiplayer system is RaceNet, our Community hub that tracks your Codemasters Racing career. It’s here where you’ll find all the Community stats and leaderboards and you’ll even be able to earn awards too. But it goes way beyond tracking your progress – loads of new features launch with RaceNet and GRID 2 as it becomes fully integrated into the game.

RaceNet Rivals is a new way for you to challenge players and you’ll have three different types to conquer.
Weekly – Picked at random for you to compete against.
Social – Picked from your friends or players you’ve raced against previously.
Custom – Pick someone based on your own parameters, re-ignite passed rivalries, make new ones.
Global Challenge is a brand new asynchronous game mode where your rivalries will spark into life and become as heated as ever. Compete against rivals and earn XP, Cash and RaceNet followers, even if they aren’t online – hit them where it hurts. You’ll be able to track your Global Challenge progress both in game and online via the RaceNet website. RaceNet is of course free, and you can get your account ready if you don’t already have one by visiting www.racenet.com.
The game modes
No multiplayer system is complete without a range of game modes on offer and GRID 2 will have you covered, regardless of which discipline of racing you enjoy. Take part in Endurance, Drift, Touge, Checkpoint, Face Off, Time Attack, Overtake, Power Lap and of course… Race (including LiveRoutes on our city tracks).

Record those special memories
You know the deal, you overtake a friend on the last corner, watch a rival spin out (and do a barrel roll) with just one lap to go or the whole grid comes together in one almighty first corner pile up. It’s moments like these that you just want to share and with the return of our YouTube functionality, you’ll be able to upload your favourite clips directly from within the game straight to YouTube and RaceNet.
We’re just weeks away from GRID 2′s 31st May release and we can’t wait to see you on the track.

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Our GRID 2 live stream is about to begin and you'll get your first glimpse of the Indy Car and more!

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Exciting news - GRID 2 has gone gold and as we speak copies are being manufactured and distributed worldwide.

Last year at 8am on August 8th we officially announced GRID 2 to the world and since then we’ve piled everything we have into making GRID 2 the best game it can be, a worthy sequel and a game that will continue in the tradition of breaking new ground.

That journey from announcement last year to release is now very nearly complete, almost five years to the day that the original GRID burst onto the scenes. We can’t wait until you all get to play the game for yourselves.

Throughout, we’ve been truly taken aback by the amount of passion you guys have for GRID 2. It’s been a real highlight personally and for our team to be able to talk to all of you throughout development, whether it has been on Facebook, Twitter, the blog, our forums and face-to-face at various events across the world.

We hope that conversation continues. These days, shipping the game isn’t the end of the story and we certainly won’t be downing tools. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts, get your feedback, see your moments. We’re expecting some epic videos being uploaded from in-game to YouTube and RaceNet will become a perfect destination to check out the best and funniest of what you guys can do with GRID 2.

And although those discs are being prepped as we speak, we’ve still got a few surprises up our sleeves and new content to keep you ticking over until launch.

In the mean time, simply put, thank you for being involved and making this launch so memorable…

...and stay tuned

Ben Walke
Community Manager

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GRID 2 Community,

Games have evolved over the years and whilst once upon a time a development team would move straight onto the next project when the game was complete, through the adoption of downloadable content we're now able to build extra content for our games and offer you, our players, an extended experience.

If you're familiar with games development you'll know that these last few weeks are rather hectic as the game moves towards manufacturing. However, as some teams are ramping up - polishing the game and so on - some teams may be scaling down – designers for instance. Parts of the team who have seen their work on GRID 2 completed can start looking towards the future, looking at how we can support the game and how we can give people the chance to acquire fresh content to extend the game.

We’ve seen what were the odd mention of potential GRID 2 DLC online turn into fully fledged discussions, so we thought we’d confirm that yes, there are people working away at new content for the game already and give you some insight as to what you can expect.

First up, you may have seen that there are a number of GRID 2 pre-order bonuses available. These will make up part of the first wave of DLC and they will all be available separately once GRID 2 has launched. Following this, we will be looking to release fresh new content each month and you can expect the first pack to be released towards the end of June, all things going to plan (note: this is a plan that is ultimately subject to change based on a number of factors, as is the way in games development).

Beyond that, we’re looking at releasing DLC every month until October, ensuring that not only do you get a game that is packed full of content but you also get almost half a year of fresh new content to play, if you want it, the first three packs you’ll see below:

Super Modified Car Pack – June
Drift Car Pack – July
Peak Performance Car Pack – July
You may notice that some of the information for the packs above is located within the game, this is essentially the early ground work, text strings and hooks that make it easier for the team to add DLC post release without the need for a large patch.

I'd also like to take two minutes to put some fears to rest. First off we've heard a number of our PC players are concerned that any DLC won't be coming to the platform. I'm pleased to say that we will be supporting all formats with our content packs, including PC.

We look forward to seeing you in-game, both at launch and for many months down the line.

Ben Walke | Loore
GRID 2 Community Manager

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RaceNet, the beating heart of GRID 2
by Loore ‎24-05-2013 12:33 PM - edited ‎24-05-2013 12:33 PM


RaceNet is the beating heart of GRID 2’s extensive multiplayer component and is something we think you’re really going to love and get a lot out of in the coming weeks and months. It’s been in beta for a while but adds a huge amount of extra functionality and content when it launches fully with GRID 2. To better explain what sort of thing you can expect I caught up with Senior Games Designer Lee Roberts who breaks down some of its key features for you:

Rivals
We developed RaceNet Rivals so you always have someone to challenge and compete against in GRID 2’s multiplayer modes.

You can have up to six rivalries active at any one time across a variety of Rival types. First up you’ll get a Weekly Rival which is auto assigned to everyone playing GRID 2 who has a RaceNet account. A Weekly Rival could be anyone on RaceNet playing GRID 2 but we aim to match you with a player who is most similar to you based on your XP, the amount you play or your region amongst other factors. You’ll get a new Weekly Rival every 7 days so there’s always someone fresh to take on and as a bonus, if you beat your Weekly Rival on the track you’ll get a small cash boost in-game for your accomplishment.
Next up you’ll get a Custom Rival. Like Weekly Rivals this will be assigned automatically, however with Custom Rivals you can focus the Rival search on a type of Rival you want to play against. To do this over on the RaceNet site you’ll be able to change the settings of the Custom Rival selection. For example, you can opt to find a more experienced player, someone who has the same win / loss ratio as you or someone who likes a specific mode. By simply changing the settings you’ll get the Custom Rival you want when the new Challenge week begins. Just like Weekly Rivals you’ll get a new Custom rival every 7 days.

Finally, you’ll be able to set up four Social Rivals. With Social Rivals can create Rivalries with your friends, but you’ll also be able to create and keep Rivalries with your previous Weekly and Custom rivals.



Global Challenge
Along with Rivals, RaceNet is also powering the Global Challenge system. Global Challenge Events are a range of asynchronous contests covering Drift, Power Lap, Overtake and Checkpoint modes. Since the events are asynchronous you can compete when it suits you making competition even easier. Every 7 days RaceNet will be sending nine new events into the game for you to participate in, covering a variety of locations and car tiers meaning there’s always something new to take part in. As well as trying to top RaceNet Global Leaderboards you’ll also be competing with your friends and Rivals in game for XP and cash rewards.

Every Global Challenge Event will have an in-game personal leaderboard that shows your position against your friends and rivals, with Challenge points awarded according to these results. All Challenge points are then combined from all events into a weekly leaderboard. Players are awarded XP and cash rewards depending on the position achieved at the end of the Challenge Week. The more friends and Rivals you have, the higher the XP and cash reward are!



Objectives
Objectives are something we’ve been working on in the background with other titles as we’ve developed the RaceNet service. In GRID 2 we’ve enhanced them to become a full feature. Essentially, objectives are like mini achievements or trophies to aim for while you’re playing the game. When we launch, there will be 20 objectives to complete that cover all the game modes, but we’re also aiming to provide more objectives in the future and would like to get everyone playing the game involved too. So if you think of an objective you’d like to see and we can track it, then let us know!



Followers
With Followers we were keen to create something that would make every multiplayer race count and also something that would bring all of the multiplayer modes together. Essentially, Followers is a form of XP on RaceNet but unlike the XP you receive in game, your popularity can go up and down based on how successful you are. For example, with Rivalries it’s all about performing better than your opponent, on the track in both Global Challenge and regular Playlist and Custom races.
With Global Challenge Events, if you set a quicker time or a better score than your Rival you’ll steal some of their Followers for yourself but if your Rival then goes and beats your personal best they’ll not only win their Followers back but also steal some of your Followers too.

This competition lasts for the same time as the Global Challenge Event and whoever is in front when the event ends gains that Follower boost permanently. With Playlist and Custom races you’re in an XP competition with your Rivals, so the more successful you are in races the more game XP you’ll gain and whoever gains the most XP in the week will win the Rivalry. For winning you’ll not only receive a Followers boost from RaceNet but also steal some of your opponents Followers base too. You can also get a Follower boost for completing RaceNet objectives as well as uploading YouTube videos so there’s plenty to get involved with.

RaceNet Followers will be shown on RaceNet via both weekly and all-time leaderboards. With the all-time leaderboards we want to promote the most skilled players in GRID 2, almost giving them celebrity status on the site and through our community channels. Then, with the weekly leaderboards we can call out who are the current rising stars are in GRID 2, meaning there’s always something to aim for.

As a reward for gaining Followers on RaceNet you’re also going to be able to unlock Rival cards. These are shown on the site to your current set of Rivals so are a great way to show off how skilled you are!



Start your Racing Career
If you already have a RaceNet account you’re all set and ready to go in GRID 2. Don’t have an account? Simply head over to www.racenet.com and hit register!

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EXCLUSIVE: Grill GRID: Codemasters answers your questions about what we can expect from GRID 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
'Online side of game allows you to tweak car performance,' says producer Iain Smith
DLC news promised next week on game's launch
Splitscreen will feature on all platforms... including PC
Time of day settings for all tracks
By TALAL MUSA
PUBLISHED: 11:36 EST, 23 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:41 EST, 23 May 2013
27 shares 0 View
comments
Few racing games have generated as much excitement as Grid 2. So, MailOnline has teamed up with developers Codemasters to answer your questions. Fans grilled Iain Smith, producer for the game, set for release on May 28.
Does Codemasters still have the licences for BTCC, DTM and V8 Supercars? If so, what has stopped you from implementing these series into the GRID games, and if not how difficult and expensive would it be to obtain them once again?
Smith: 'We would license those properties on a game by game basis – there’s no reason why not further down the line, but right now our focus is on the GRID franchise and what that means for gamers – a comprehensive racing experience.
'That not only contains licensed touring and super-touring cars, but a vast array of other motorsports, race-modified road cars and supercars for players to get their hands on. By including this eclectic content we created our own series called the World Series Racing championship (WSR) to house them all in in a realistic way. It is all backed up by ESPN coverage to make the organisation live and breathe like a real entity.'

Drifting away: Expect fan favourites such as the Nissan 370Z (right) to make an appearance
Why is there no Le Mans?
Smith: 'With each new game we want to bring a fresh set of content for players to try out, and maybe throw some iconic stuff from the heritage of the GRID and RaceDriver series in the mix too. Because Le Mans featured in GRID 1, we didn’t necessarily want that to be a first choice in GRID 2 before we locked down on plans for our newer content.
'The new content in GRID 2 includes circuits, street racing tracks and point to point road racing, so it meant the choices for traditional circuits were of poured over all the more clinically, before going for the places we chose in the end.
'We’ve got Brands Hatch, Indianapolis, Portimao Algarve, the Red Bull Ring and Yas Marina in the title, which give a really international feel to the game. But there’s nothing to say pulling the Le Mans track back into the game at some point down the line cannot happen.'
Can any car be picked for any type of race on any track?
Smith: 'Within the Custom Race area of the game that’s pretty much the case yes! Players can choose to drive open-wheel sportscars on point to point tracks if they so wish. You’ll also be able to define the route, the light condition and the rules of the event. However, the Career mode has a more realistic approach of placing appropriate vehicles into events and circuits you’d expect.
'Part of the thrust of what GRID 2 is all about, is that we’re finding the best driver in the world in World Series Racing –it’s mixed discipline, like a decathlon of motorsports. Each driver will try events outside their standard comfort zone.
'So for that reason, the events are set up as realistically as possible – open wheelers on traditional circuits and drift machines on city tracks or weaving point to points.'

Ruling the road: The ferocious Nissan GTR will take all of your skill to bring under control
I've only seen Liveries, Paint & Wheel Options - what about Body Mods, Engine & Suspension Upgrades and Customizations?
Smith: 'The online side of the game has vehicle upgrades which affect the performance of the car – it’s this side of the game that comes alive as you spend your earned currency on improving your car to compete against the competition.
'But you also have choice there – you can save that currency and ultimately buy a much more powerful vehicle a little down the line if you can hold enough.'
Will you be doing something to stop people 'driving dirty' online?
Smith: 'Griefing was something we were really conscious to tackle in the GRID 2 multiplayer – I think online there are never going to be complete solutions, but we’ve made some serious steps forward to resolve some of the worst parts.

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'A large number of known “bad” behaviours have been added to our list of things to penalise players for – reversing off the start line, intentionally blocking others, staying still on the track – those things that you really don’t want to experience to break up your fun as you race have all been tackled.
'In addition, the way we match-make players in their lobbies online takes this into account their general “Impact Rating” and the degree to which players are in contact with others and generally breaking the rules whilst racing.
'If you’re serious about playing GRID and racing fairly, then you should be getting match-made with like-minded players.'
Will there be splitscreen on PCs like in Dirt 3?
Smith: 'Yes, we’ve included splitscreen for all platforms – it’s always fun to play with your opponent sitting right next to you!'

Formula fun: As well as street-based events, there are races in stadiums using different breeds of car
Is there dynamic music and custom tracks?
Smith: 'The system works based on multiple stems reacting to the player’s actions – if you are ahead, behind or way out in front of competition, if you’re racing in a pack tightly or if you have more space on track.
'In some cases the music is slightly more rigid in order to work with a game mode – for example, checkpoint works with a ticking timer that players need to keep alive, so the timing of the beats in that in-game score needs to work well.
'I think it’s a really fantastic touch, and helps to make the action on-track feel theatrical. With that said, it doesn’t appear in every race, as sometimes it’s not appropriate and can detract. We’ve balanced it very particularly.'
What are the plans for DLC?
Smith: 'Information about our DLC plan will be coming around launch time next week. In the interim, details of our pre-order bonuses are available on the GRID website and facebook page – my particular favourite is the Indycar pack featuring two new routes for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Dallara Indycar and Pacecar.'
Is there day/night time for each location?
Smith: 'We have day, night and dusk settings across most of the tracks and locations.'

Leaving a mark: GRID games encourage you to master the drift, but veering off course can be devastating
What is the number of difficulty settings?
Smith: 'Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Very Hard!'
How did you come up with the LiveRoutes idea?
Smith: 'LiveRoutes was a bi-product of wanting to offer more variation in what players see and play in the game. We were inspired a little by open world titles, but actually wanted to retain the sense of a “race” and avoid creating something to explore just for the sake of variety.
'This was a great alternative – really pulling in all the different parts of the cities that we’ve build but linking them in such a variety of ways that players will hardly ever see the same corner combinations come up twice.'
What online features will there be?
Smith: 'Online is a wholly separate part of the game, single player and online are selected separately right at the press start screen, so you’ll head down a completely alternate path and progression system. It has its own currency model and car customisation and upgrades are a key aspect of that.
'In addition, we have a rivals system to take on players across the world and a Global Challenge mode which utilises the RaceNet system. RaceNet really comes into its own with GRID 2 – it works from web to game as well as game to web, which is a big step for us.'
Have the carmakers allowed random breakdowns and realistic damage or have your hands been tied to keep them happy?
Smith: 'We always tread a very careful line with approvals from manufacturers and ultimately have to take their advice, but we have pushed things to be as realistic as possible. The vehicles will react more realistically than most of our competitors out there.
'We have full damage models for each car, have tyre shredding and wheel damage and the AI will occasionally pull up with engine issues – exactly as you’d expect from real life motorsports.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...ect-GRID-2-Xbox-360-PS3-PC.html#ixzz2UaZqR93S
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GRID 2 - Community Spotlight | 6th June 2013


Welcome to the first GRID 2 Community Spotlight!

Every week we'll be bringing you the best GRID 2 content from the Community, right here in one handy place. We've got some great stuff this week so I'll dive straight in.



Fragged Nation PlayStation Community Challenge Series

The team at FraggedNation are running a series of weekly challenges, and week one has already kicked off. This week you’ll be tasked with creating a video showing off your best drift.

For more on the Community Challenge Series head over to the FraggedNation website



GRID 2 – The Beginning

YouTube user MikuHatsune10728 has created this great gameplay montage of GRID 2, featuring some very nifty custom liveries. We’re loving the slow motion sections in this and it comes complete with some great audio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kq0AOJD6OSg

Custom Liveries

It’s been really great seeing what you’ve been creating with the livery tool but our favourite so far has to go to Steam user A.J. Dandelion with the following creation:



RaceonOZ Pit Party [PS3]

Are you a GRID 2 fan down under? If so then head on over to RazeonOZ who are hosting a GRID 2 launch pit party. Turn up to race and you’ll be automatically entered into a draw to win Caps, Shirts and signed posters.

For all the details head over to their forum.

Reddit

We've now got a growing GRID 2 Community over on Reddit, with lots of friendly discussion taking place. Want to get involved? Simply head over to GRID 2 sub-reddit www.reddit.com/r/gridgame



GRID 2 – Take it all in

Another YouTube video this week and this may just be our favourite one so far. YouTube user HDGaminLIVE has slowed things down to appreciate the beauty of GRID 2 on the Xbox 360, great work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7pna-Mcshd8&list=PLMSpz2yjS-XE6EobpwYAKwS-_dDVuXC7G

Racing Clubs and Leagues

Are you racing in GRID 2 in a league or club? If so we want to hear from you! We’ll soon be starting our league and club spotlight.

To be in with a chance of being featured head over to our forums and read this thread. If you’re looking to join a league or club then our dedicated forum area is just the place for you.

Want to be featured?

If you've made something cool, something worthy of being shared with the rest of the GRID 2 Community we want to see it! You can either drop us a link in the comments below or get in touch over on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit or the Forums.

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Starting today the FREE Demo Derby DLC will be available to download on Xbox 360 and PC via Steam. It will be releasing on PS3 next week during the store updates.

Xbox 360 - http://ow.ly/ovIq1
Steam - Will be available later today from the store page.

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Push GRID 2’s damage engine to its limits as the iconic Demolition Derby game mode from GRID returns to GRID 2 in this free download. Receive the classic Jupiter Eagleray Mk5 and smash your way to the front on two routes at the Detroit Demolition Derby Stadium in single-player, split-screen and online!

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