The good thing about technology these days, as far as video game developers are concerned, is the wide array of platforms they can come on. No longer are we limited to video game consoles now that smartphones and tablets have become a popular tool for the vast majority of the population.
EA Games, the developer of Need For Speed: The Run, is taking advantage of this wider access to video games with the release of the trailer for the game on the iPad and the iPhone.
You read that right, folks. We now have iPad and iPhone trailers.
Since the game is already out for the PS3 and Xbox platforms, the next step is to bring all the action to the iPad and iPhone. That’s what the trailer is for. And even if it doesn’t come with the same cutting edge graphics as that of the console versions, it still something that should be a good download.
Besides, the iPad and the iPhone have one thing going for them that the PS3 and the Xbox don’t: you can take those two anywhere you go, and in doing so, play NFS: The Run anytime and anywhere.
Smartphones have become so prevalent these days that it’s becoming tougher to have yours stand out from the others. In order to do that, a lot of people have gone to accessorizing their phones as a way of adding a touch of personality.
And since we love just about everything related to cars - especially the exotic variety - we’re going to give due space to an iPhone case that we’d love to dress up our iPhones with.
Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the Vapor R8 Pro iPhone case from Element Case.
Made from a CNC Aluminum Frame with a combination of a satin black anodized finish and a gloss powder coat finish, the Audi R8-inspired R8 Pro is the kind of iPhone case that deserves to be protecting our beloved smartphone.
Going into detail on the characteristics of this case, you’ll come upon a contrasting black and white color scheme that includes a high gloss white powder coat on one side and rich satin black anodized finish on the other side. The R8 Pro also has an all-gloss black powder coat version, as well as an aircraft grade carbon fiber protective back plate that carries its own unique R8 Pro graphics and is finished with a satin clear coat. Finally, the case also comes with a plush Ultrasuede back plate that ensures the safety and well-being of your iPhone whenever and wherever you bring it.
Just when you thought iPhone cases were more about accessorizing than anything else, the R8 Pro has come along to remind you that style and security come in equal footing, especially for a gadget as delicate as a smartphone.
Here’s the catch, though: You’re going to need to shell out $160 to own one.
Oh, the benefits of technology. We can’t live with it and we can’t live without it. In the latest example of how our items like the iPad and the iPhone are shaping the way we find entertainment these days, we got news that John Galt Films Inc, the leading international producer of high octane vintage racing films, has released ten GT Racer applications for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. GT Racer is a documentary-style film that dives into the world of racing like no other film app we’ve seen in the past. The app is based on the GT Racer HDTV series that was aired worldwide on a number of channels and is now being transferred to the world of Apple apps.
Directed and produced by Alexander Davidis, the whole scene of GT Racer transforms your world and takes you back to the Golden Era of auto racing, one where you can take a look at the most exclusive series of international racing, featuring the 1950s and 60s Aston Martins, Ferraris, Maseratis, Porsches, Mustangs, Cobras, and so many other race cars as they compete in the some of the world’s most famous race tracks, including the Nurburgring, the Spa Francorchamps, Laguna Seca, and Carrera Panamericana.
More than the cars and the tracks themselves, GT Racer gives you the opportunity to feel the incredible atmosphere of the time, a time where high-octane racing wasn’t all about technological innovation as it was pure, unadulterated racing.
The GT Racer titles are developed by Smarphone specialists, Netframes, and include the following titles: Shaken & Stirred - Spa (Belgium); On Porto’s Street Circuit (Portugal); Big Speeds at Silverstone (England); The Nürburgring Factor (Germany); Legends of Lime Rock (Connecticut, USA); Ferraris at Laguna Seca (California, USA);
The Spa Six Hours (Belgium); Nordschleife: The 500 km Marathon (Germany); Fast Curves at Magny Cours (France); La Carrera Panamericana (Mexico).
Each of the episodes are now available at Apple’s iTunes store for $22.99 each.
It seems only fitting that with all the controversy he has been involved with in the past year, The Stig would end up taking a much-needed hiatus from his job as Top Gear’s resident driver. But while our definition of a vacation involves white sand beaches or a round of golf at the local clubhouse, the Stig has a different approach: end up in God-knows-where and ask you to find him while being surrounded by people from all walks of life.
This is “Top Gear: Where’s Stig?”, the latest game from BBC Interactive. Taking a ‘page’ from the hit book of the same title, which, in turn was inspired by the ‘Where’s Waldo’ franchise, Top Gear: Where’s Stig? will test not just your familiarity with Top Gear’s inaudible test driver, but will also test how sharp your eyes are, as well as your attention-to-detail.
Find the Stig, his Top Gear buddies, and a boatload of other items, and you’ll be well on your way to unlocking the mysterious driver’s whereabouts. Are you up for it?
Buy the app and find out.
Details after the jump.
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Sometimes, the best racing strategy doesn’t involve a fast car or superior driving skills; all you need to do is have bottles of lightning in your bag and the ability to just throw them at your hapless opponents at the right possible time. That’s exactly what Disney’s Split/Second iPhone racing game is all about. It’s not so much about the car as it is about what kind of sneaky Power Plays you have up our sleeve, all in the name of winning a reality competition.
To be fair, Split/Second is as action-packed a racing game as there is on the iPhone. Add that to the fact that the whole story-line is pretty different – you’re a contestant in a reality show, if you can believe that – and you’ve got a game that should deliver a lot of adrenaline-pumping racing right from the first ‘episode’ of the reality show.
Whether it does, though, is entirely dependent on how you enjoy the spectacle of racing in such a chaotic environment where no lead is safe – even if you’re racing in first place and you’re about ten feet from the finish line.
Details after the jump.
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If there ever was one racing game that every iPhone-using person on this planet should have on his or her phone, it’s Firemint’s Real Racing.
Combining upstanding graphics with a detailed career mode and easy-to-understand controls, Real Racing set a new standard on how car racing games were viewed on the iPhone. Some have even called it the equivalent of the Gran Turismo franchise on the Playstation. That’s how universally loved Real Racing was.
Now, Firemint Games is releasing Real Racing 2, the second installment of the game franchise on the iPhone. And if you’re a fan of these type of games, then it’s absolutely imperative that you have this one on your iPhones too. You haven’t played a real racing game on that console until you begin playing Real Racing 2.
Details after the jump.
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Set in the dark alleys and deserted streets of the City of Angels, Fast & Furious Adrenaline is an iPhone game that tests your abilities in wheel-to-wheel street racing and gang allegiances. No, the game doesn’t in any way shape or form adhere to gang violence, but if you’ve seen the movie franchise, then you’ll know that Fast & Furious is as much high-octane, NOS-fueled street racing as it is a study on the dynamics of turf warfare in Los Angeles.
In the game, you play as an upstart racer determined to ingrain your name into any of four rival racing teams all with the objective of usurping your rival crews’ territories.
As a die-hard and loyal member of your crew, you race against your rivals not just to determine a race winner, but also to stake claim to your rival’s territories. It’s a nice game to play if you want to take a different route from all the straight-up racing games on the iPhone. If for nothing else, this game is all about bragging rights, both in race wins and crew supremacy.
Details after the jump.
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When you’ve played a game like Gran Turismo 5, your standards for all other racing games are pretty high. Unfair as it sounds, car racing games on the iPhone don’t really have a chance to give you the same sense of satisfaction when you’ve played an hour – or about 1,000 hours – of GT5.
Having said that though, Gameloft’s GT Racing: Motor Academy is one of the few games on the iPhone that can go above and beyond the invisible GT Wall because, well, it kind of looks and plays like one of those old Gran Turismo games.
The whole concept of the game is pretty much the same as the GT series. You need to earn a license to be able to race. You can buy cars from the dealerships with over 100 models from 24 real life brands with some pretty awesome car selections. You can go over to the tuning shops and put in some new performance packages. And when you win races, you win money that you can spend on – what else? – cars!
Needless to say, GT Racing took the whole Gran Turismo formula and turned into a pretty awesome iPhone game.
Hit the jump for the details.
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The number of iPhone users worldwide is growing at an incredible rate, and Aachen-based tuning concern, AC Schnitzer, have recognized this trend and plan on embracing it by the introduction of a car configurator app for your iPhone. This app brings consumers closer to showrooms by allowing them to choose a model from BMW or Mini and customize it using available AC Schnitzer parts.
Users can either use an existing image from their gallery, or take an image of their car via the app, and start customizing right away. The app depicts the car in a montage of generated renderings in a tasteful presentation that will no doubt have you ordering parts in no time. Other features include a product showcase, where you can view images and videos of project cars to help you get acquainted to the world of aftermarket Schintzer madness. The app is available as a free download in the iTunes store.
Jaguar has released two new apps for the iPhone and iPad, a source of good news for all Jaguar-loving auto nuts out there. The first app is your standard configurator that allows us to customize our very own Jaguars according to our tastebuds.
With the iConfigurator, we can choose from any three Jaguar models – the XJ, XK, and XF – and select just about any noticeable feature we want, including engine, paint, wheels and even the car’s interior. We can then save our creation and share them with our peeps from a number of social networks. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
The second app Jaguar recently released is an online edition of Jaguar Magazine, which, in this case, is a special-edition 75th anniversary issue. The magazine app takes us back to the fascinating history and unrivaled heritage of the brand since its birth 75 years ago, including 75 items of trivia that you may not have known about the brand. You can also take a virtual trip on board a Jaguar XKR to a number of racetracks and test circuits all over the world.
Both apps are available for download at the iTunes store free of charge. So if we were you, we’d head over immediately to the website and download the two apps as soon as possible.
Press Release after the jump.
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