Plugged In

After more than a decade of racing, is it time for this series to finally put it in park? Read on...

The main career mode of the game continues the plot established in the previous game, Need For Speed: Most Wanted. Your character begins the game by wrecking your car and getting corned by a bounty hunter named Cross.

Now, if you've played Most Wanted earlier, then a lot of the plot and characters will be a familiar sight.

If not, then you might be wondering why very few people in this fictional town seem to like you.

The plot unfolds thanks to some slick full-motion video featuring real actors and computer-generated backdrops and cars.

In between races, you'll frequently run into certain characters like Nikki, played by the lovely Emmanuelle Vaugier.

Also making frequent appearances is Darius played by Tahmoh Penikett. Now, you may or may not do what I did and struggle to recall where you've seen this guy before.

I'll save you the trouble and point out he plays Helo on Battlestar Galactica. There, mystery solved.

Where the rubber meets the road

Career mode lets the player explore the fictional Palmont City. A handy world map makes it easy to tell where you are and gives you access to available races and events.

Unlike the recent Test Drive: Unlimited, Carbon's world map lets you immediately zip to individual events even if you haven't been to that area before.

Also unlike Unlimited, the racing in Carbon is an all-evening, all-the-time affair.

Race types cover the standard modes: checkpoints, circuit, speedtraps (where you hit checkpoints at the highest speed you can).

There's also several drift challenges that task you with keeping your car in a controlled slide for a long as possible without hitting the wall.

At the game's start, Palmont City is divided between a handful of crews, each controlling specific territories.

As you win events in these territories, you start taking more and more control of Palmont City.

Win races and you win territory and unlock upgrade items like better engines and nitrous kits.

Take over enough of each territory, and it's time for a one-on-one race between you and a crew boss. Win that, and it's off to the canyon for a duel.

Canyon Duels are an interesting, two-part event where you and a crew boss take turns tailing each other. Whoever does a better job of staying close to the other on the twisty canyon roads wins.

The career mode also lets you hire and fire wingman, who specialize in either taking out other cars, letting you draft off them or scouting the competition.

Each wingman also has a specialty that can have an effect on your progress. One wingman, for example, might add more money each time you win an event. Another might result in lower attention from the police.

While the wingman element is an interesting addition, it doesn't seem fully fleshed out in this game. For most of my races, I didn't feel the need to call upon my wingman's special abilities, nor did I have the urge to swap out different members to take advantage of their abilities.

The police? Oh yes, they're here. One of the staples of Need For Speed games is the staying just out of reach of the long arm of the law.

As you win more events, cops may be paying more attention to you and the chase is on.

Once a police pursuit begins, there's really only two options: either you escape, or you're arrested.

Getting arrested means your current car is towed and impounded and will cost money to get back.

Thankfully, money can also be spent on reducing the attention, or "heat", cops are giving you and your vehicle. The higher the heat, the more aggressive cops will be and the harder it will be to escape their roadblocks and spike strips.

The online portion of the game lets you play others in a variety of game modes, many mirroring the single-player portion.

There are some multiplayer-only variants, however, including Pursuit Tag. In this mode, one player is a racer while everyone else is a cop. The cop who busts the racer becomes the next racer and the winner is determined by who eludes the cops the longest.

Online play generally proved smooth and finding other players wasn't too tough. There were some connection issues at times, however, where opposing cars would jump erratically across the road.

Overall, though, there seems to be enough to the online modes to keep your interest for a while.

The look and sound of Palmont City

The framerate was generally solid, though there were a couple stutters that somewhat detracted from the smooth sense of speed.

The closeups of the cars show good detail and the sidewalks feature plenty of things to smash into or through.

The game's sounds are effective and the engines all sound strong and powerful. Your wingman's comments can get repetitive after a while, however.

The EA's soundtrack system provides plenty of rocking music for most events. The canyon races and duels, however, feature pounding tribal percussion beats that, again, reminded me of Battlestar Galactica (can you tell I like that show?).

So how does Carbon rate?

Well, if you've worn out your copy of Most Wanted, and are looking for an innovative leap, you may not find too much new in Carbon.

Conversely, if you're new to the series or haven't checked it out in a few years, Carbon is a good place to start.

The graphics are solid and move at a brisk pace. The plot may or may not intrigue you, but it does add to the whole outlaw racer vibe.

It'll be interesting to see where EA takes the wingman concept from here. It was intriguing in Carbon, but didn't feel fully fleshed out.

Overall, Need For Speed: Carbon is a solid, fun racing game but it doesn't push the gameplay envelope all that much. If you're a die-hard Need For Speed fan, you probably already own this one too. Everyone else might consider renting this one before you buy it.

Sound: 85% Engines sound powerful and the soundtrack if strong as well.

Gameplay: 80% (80% for single player and 80% for multiplayer) Both modes offer a variety of challenges. A quick Challenge Series lets you race without getting into the Career Mode. Online was varied and enjoyable.

Ambition/Innovation: 70% Other than the wingman and an autosculpt feature that can help change your car's appearance, there isn't too much innovative or ambitious stuff going on in Palmont City.

Test Drive Unlimited is billed as a Massively Open Online Racing game, or M.O.O.R. The description is no doubt an attempt to associate itself to the obscenely popular, and apparently addictive, Massive Multiplayer Role Playing Games like Everquest and World of Warcraft.

Putting the “Massively” in M.O.O.R, the game treats players to a huge, persistent world based almost exactly on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. More than 1,000 miles of roads have been recreated using satellite data and, I'm betting, hundreds of hours of “research.”

Rather than the track-to-track-to-track rhythm of most racing games, TDU lets drivers roam around the island in one of more than 90 real-world cars and motorcycles. As you explore, you'll happen upon various missions like delivering goods from one point to another or racing against computer-controlled opponents. Flashing, color-coded icons appear above certain spots along the roads, allowing players to engage in an activity or drive on by. It's fast-paced racing, but at your own pace.

It's always sunny in Oahu

Debuting on the Xbox 360, with other versions due out sometime later, TDU sports some impressive visuals. While it will obviously be compared to that other Xbox 360 racing game, Project Gotham Racing 3, TDU's approach is decidedly different. In Gotham, relatively small sections of real cities are painstakingly recreated right down to accurate store fronts and signs. The cars in Gotham are also compiled of a ridiculous amount of polygons resulting in a computer model that stands up to some very close inspection.

TDU is different, however. Rather than recreating every single brick of a small city area, developer Eden Games goes much larger scale by taking on all of Oahu. Sure there are some random-looking buildings along the roads and the cars aren't quite as detailed when you look close, but during actual gameplay it's not much of an issue.

Rather than including every single nut and bolt, TDU applies for its next-generation status based on its scale and scope.

Of note, TDU takes place entirely during the day, usually with either a sun-drenched sky or some seriously dramatic clouds.

Excuse me while I purchase this Saturn Sky

Despite the extremely open nature of the game, there is a structure involved and players can't just hop out and buy the more amazing cars from the get go.

Your character, which you select from a group of folks waiting to board an Oahu-bound place, has a limited amount of cash at first. It's enough to buy you a small home and a basic set of wheels. In my case, that meant a house with a four-car garage in Ala Moana and a nice, red Saturn Sky.

As you win races and complete tasks, you earn more money and start leveling up. As your wealth grows, you can buy more houses with bigger garages, tune up your cars at the appropriate pro shop and even go shopping to dress up your character. Players start as amateurs and work their way up including ranks like Expert and Champion. As you level up, more and more challenges and options become available.

One of the first options you unlock is the photo mode, a feature borrowed from other racing games, including the aforementioned Gotham 3. Unfortunately, this option isn't quite as fully-featured or user-friendly as Gotham's. When I tried to use it while my car was in a tunnel, it proved nearly impossible to move the camera around. When it does work, though, photo mode lets players take photos of their rides using some of Oahu as a backdrop. One of my favorite photos so far has been my Lotus Espirit on the beach of Hanauma Bay (something that may be physically impossible, or at least extremely illegal, in real life.)

Xbox (Almost) Live

Although TDU's single player section is filled with a variety of challenging, if a bit derivative, missions, it's the online portion that should give this series some long legs.

I say “should” because at least at this point, I've had some mixed experiences when taking this game online.

The online component is impressive, if only for the fact that as you're driving around minding your own business, you'll often see other online players exploring Oahu at the same time. They're easy to spot thanks to overhead nametags and the fact they're the only other drivers acting like maniacs. When you drive by another player, you can instantly challenge each other to a race.

Be wary of what your opponent is driving, however. I accepted an instant challenge when I was driving my lowly Saturn Sky and the other person was driving something audacious like a McLaren F1 or something. Needless to say, I lost. Badly.

You can also use the built-in, on-demand GPS map to search for online challenges all over the island.

It's these online challenges that caused me the biggest frustration, however. Perhaps it was the time of day (night time in the Pacific Northwest means gamers in the rest of the country are probably in bed), but I had a heck of a time finding multiplayer sessions. When I did find them, I often couldn't connect and was booted out of several sessions. I think my Xbox player rep (an actual, persistent rating given by your online peers) may have suffered a bit because people may have thought I was being a jerk by entering and exiting sessions. To you folks, I apologize!

When I did get online, however, the human opponents provided a welcome change of pace from the single-player component's predictable artificial intelligence.

At this point, I'd say TDU's online features hold a ton of promise that are hopefully smoothed out as more players jump on board and technical issues are addressed.

On the bright side, it seems Atari and Eden are on the ball, as a free auto-update is already available and some of the most pressing problems have been identified on the game's official forums.

Keep in mind this review was originally written in September, and I imagine many of the technical troubles have been at least identified, if not solved, by now.

Aloha means goodbye

Technical issues aside, I see a lot of promise in what TDU offers gamers. The idea of a huge, persistent world where players can explore, interact with other racers and tackle challenges at their leisure is an interesting one.

There are downsides to the game. For one, despite the M.O.O.R. connotation, TDU lacks the sense of community and personal attachment that are staples of massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft. While you can see other racers online, you can't see that many of them at any one time and you sometimes get the feeling that only eight other people, rather than thousands, are currently playing the game. And though the game lets you buy clothes for a character you've picked out of a racially diverse lineup, I never got the feeling this was “my” character.

Such feelings of a vast community and strong character ownership are huge draws to MMORPGs and that could have served TDU well.

However, don't let those complaints dissuade you from at least checking it out. While it may not be all it perhaps could have been, it's still a fun, challenging and extremely ambitious racing game.

Eden Games have carved themselves a new niche in the racing game genre and the lessons learned from TDU bode well for future sequels. In the mean time, Test Drive: Unlimited gets my strong recommendation for its innovative structure, strong visuals and intriguing possibilities.

Sound: 80% Engine sounds seem authentic and listening to the police scanner as they chase you is amusing

Gameplay: 80% (85% for single player and 75% for multiplayer) Single player missions are fairly standard types like setting a top speed or escorting someone from point to point. Online shows huge promise but connection issues proved frustrating. At least the developers are working on it, though.

Ambition/Innovation: 95% The open structure and always-online feel are quick to impress and could lead to a new sub-genre of racing games

Overall: 85%

Reggie Fils-Aime, President and Chief Operating Officer for Nintendo of America.

Yeah, I'll remember that one. It's kind of like test driving a Cobra with Carol Shelby riding shotgun. Kind of.

It was Halloween in Seattle, and I stopped by the Fenix as Nintendo's Fusion Tour rolled into town. While bands like Hawthorne Heights and Relient K rocked the stage, gamers could also check out the upcoming $250 Nintendo Wii.

With Nintendo of America's headquarters just a floating bridge away, it was no surprise to see Reggie.

So while the big-name Nintendo folks looked on, Nintendo's Pat Wells cordially eased me into the brave new world of video gaming with the Nintendo Wii.

First things first

For those who haven't heard, the Wii (pronounced "we" and, yes, all the jokes have been done) is Nintendo's next generation home video game console. It's slated to replace the Gamecube the way Microsoft's Xbox 360 usurped the original Xbox and Sony's Playstation 3 will take over for the Playstation 2.

While Microsoft and Sony have waged a high-tech multi-core graphics horsepower war, Nintendo has chosen a different tactic: a new, possibly more intuitive, control scheme and a lower price. Both aspects aim to bring non-gamers into the video gaming fold.

The different control scheme comes via motion sensing controllers and accessories. Rather than press a button on a gamepad to make a tennis player swing his racket, the Wii lets gamers actually mimic the swinging motion. Pull your arm back, wait for the ball and swing through to send it over the net.

The Games

Wii Sports: Tennis

The tennis example is appropriate since that was the first Wii game I tried. Mr. Wells guided me through Wii Sports: Tennis as a got used to the controls.

Unlike nearly every other tennis game back to, and including Pong, Wii Sports: Tennis doesn't task you with lining up to strike the ball. The computer handles moving the players about the court. Your main concern is swinging the controller (and, hence, the on-screen tennis racquet) in time and with enough oomph to score.

Our first few rallies back and forth were of the lobbing variety where we each had plenty of time to take our swings. After a while though, I tried a quick flick of my wrist and, sure enough, that motion translated into a quicker, down-the-line shot for a winner.

"Nice shot," I heard behind me. It was Mike Fukuda, Nintendo of America's Executive Vice President of Business Development.

Turns out that was one of a select few nice shots, as Mr. Wells won both games rather quickly.

It was a good game to start out on and I can see why Wii Sports will be packaged with every console. Each of the sports, Baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Bowling and Golf, are instantly recognizable even for those precious non-gamers that Nintendo wants to woo. The rather simple controls don't take long to figure out and in no time, the company hopes, the whole family will be having a blast.

Excite Truck: With a basic idea of the Wii's controls in mind, Pat brought me to another game: Excite Truck. Some of you old-school gamers may remember the motorcross-themed Excite Bike. Well this game retains the high-flying antics, but replaces the motorcycles with (gasp!) trucks.

With Excite Truck, Pat said I should hold the controller with both hands like a traditional game pad.

There's a button for gas, another for something called brakes (I've never used those..) and one last button for turbo.

Steering is accomplished by physically turning the controller left and right. I wasn't sure how well the control scheme would work in Excite Truck. There's plenty of high jumps and cliffs to fall off of, but the controls seemed to respond to things pretty well. I think the two or three consecutive collisions with trees was more my fault than the controller.

One nifty thing: if you happen to crash or get way off course, you can rapidly press a button to charge a boost meter. When your truck is reset on the track, the boost will give you an extra burst of speed so you can catch up to the pack a bit easier.

The controls seemed intuitive enough in Excite Truck, but I'm also curious how the motion-sensing steering would work on more serious racing games. Time will tell.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: I haven't played much Zelda, I'll admit. I think I still harbor some ill feelings from the first, gold-plated NES cartridge and the days my friends and I almost missed our school bus (We have to save our game first!).

Still the series has a huge fanbase and this latest version is no exception. It was a good thing I got in early, because once the doors opened the line to play Twilight Princess far exceeded the line for any other demo station.

I played a tutorial level that had the protagonist, Link, walking across some piers and then through some lava-filled caverns. Twilight Princess makes use of both the Wii controller and a small, egg-shaped device you hold with your other hand. Since the two devices are tethered together, the egg-shaped controller is being called the Nunchuk.

Anyway, there's a small joystick on the top of the Nunchuk that controls Link's movement through the world. A trigger on the underside can also draw Link's sword and wiggling the nunchuk can induce a swirling sword attack. In your other hand, the controller can be used to select other weapons, open doors and operate your bow and arrow.

The bow and arrow stuff took me a while. Holding a trigger down puts the game in an over-the-shoulder view as Link pulls his bow back. To aim the arrow, you move the controller and point it at your target. With a little (OK, a lot) practice, I was able to dispatch some foes in the distance by aiming the controller and releasing the arrow.

My sword technique could use work, though. The spinning attack may look cool, but I was apparently using it at the wrong times since some enemies would simply stand back and wait to attack from a distance.

Incidentally, my first death showed off a technical glitch as I fell to the ground and fell through the floor. Pat saw the glitch and said it shouldn't happen in the final version of the game.

I didn't get nearly enough time with Zelda, but what I tried intrigued me. I watched as a staff member next to me was frantically "reeling in" his controller as his character was fishing in a river. That made me chuckle and seemed to confirm to me that I would have a lot of fun with Zelda: Twilight Princess, but only if windows blinds were down.

Pat said the two-handed controls are something of a template to the Wii's first-person shooter games. I'm looking forward to that.

Wario Ware: Wario Ware is almost the exact opposite of Zelda. Instead of an epic, sweeping narrative that would take dozens of hours to complete, Wario Ware consists of several, non-related mini-games. Most mini-games take no more than five seconds to complete.

The randomness and strange sense of humor has earned Wario Ware plenty of fans, including my wife and myself. In the handful of minigames I played, I had to: hold the controller like a fly swatter and swat a fly, hold it like a champagne bottle and shake it vigorously to spray a bunch of people, place it by my hips and jump rope and so on.

If the Wii makes you look silly while playing, Wario Ware makes you look downright insane. And I loved every second of it. I can see this being a fantastic party game.

Will Wii Rock You?

So after my first hands-on with the Nintendo Wii, am I sold on it?

Almost.

What I played was great fun, but it remains to be seen how long that fun could last. Is this a system I'll spend hours a day with, or something I fire up every once in a while when the sisters-in-law are around?

That all depends on the software. The Wii Sports titles were a blast to try out, but they didn't strike me as all that deep. They should serve their purpose well as an intro to the new console, but here's hoping deeper, more serious sports games take advantage of the Wii's controls. If Virtua Tennis ever shows up on the Wii, count me in!

This morning, Nintendo announced 32 games will be available by the end of the year, so there's bound to be something for everyone.

Racing fans (this is a racing Web site after all) can look forward to Excite Truck, Need for Speed: Carbon, GT Pro Series and Monster 4x4 World Circuit before year's end.

My first impressions of the Nintendo Wii are that its new control scheme seems to work and is far less of a gimmick than I feared. It will ultimately be up to the game developers, however to put that potential to good use.

When the Nintendo DS was announced, I thought the touch screen and stylus stuff was a bit silly. Gamers, I thought, would prefer the sleeker, sexier Sony PSP.

Well, yeah, we all know how that turned out.

Long story short, I'm done trying to predict the success or failure of Nintendo's products.

Earth-shattering revelation time: I don't have a whole lot of money. I know what you're thinking: "But, Philip, you drive a '97 Cavalier. You MUST be rolling in serious cash."

No, sorry. The Cavalier is just a front, a facade. I'm not that wealthy.

So it was practically a fluke that this year, I was accepted into the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo for Inside Track Magazine.

There was just one catch, as a freelancer, I had to pay for the trip myself. So I sucked it up, bought the cheapest tickets I could and planned the most affordable trip possible. My trip from LAX to my hotel included a city bus, for-crying-out-loud. But when I got to the Los Angeles Convention Center, it was all worth it.

I had a blast checking out as much as I could and taking photos of whatever caught my eye. Not long after I got back, I realized just how lucky I was.

In a July 31 press release, the Entertainment Software Association, the folks behind E3, confirmed what many on the Internet had been discussing: the E3 as everyone knew it was done.

In its place, the press release stated, would be a "more intimate event focused on targeted, personalized meetings and activities." I'd have to agree, the E3 I attended was many things, but intimate was not one of them.

Trying to talk to folks, let alone interview them, was akin to hitting on girls in a crowded bar (and only slightly more successful). It was a wonder how any business got done in such a loud, raucous environment, so I'm not surprised the ESA is looking to shake things up. I'm just happy I got in before the party ended.

Now, the evolution of E3 into a more personalized, and likely more productive, event, is understandable. I just have one question: Am I still invited? You see, as I pointed out earlier, I'm not exactly a high roller. I came to this year's E3 with my own camera equipment, pads and pens. On the totem pole of games journalism, I'd be the dirt underneath the actual pole. Put simply, I'm the little guy. I cover a specific subset of games, racing and motorsports, and I cover them for a regional publication. I don't have a corporate office or the resources of the big boys in this industry.

So as I read through the many reactions people had to the E3 restructuring announcement, I often heard it was a good thing the event was being pared back. E3, I read in a few places, had become too bloated and those trying to do real work had to compete for time and space with people who basically "snuck in" and didn't really deserve to be there.

So as the ESA reveals its plans for the next evolution of E3, I will be anxiously awaiting the outcome. When the meeting room doors are closed and next year's E3 commences, which side of the door will the little guys be on?

A PAX on both your houses: Well, as E3 looks to scale down and take a step back, there's another event happily expanding at an astronomical rate. It's called the Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX for short. It's run by the folks at Penny Arcade, an extremely popular Web comic.

Last year, PAX '05 reportedly brought in 9,000 to the Bellevue area. This weekend (Aug. 24-26), they're looking to top that.

The past two years, PAX was contained in the Meydenbauer Center in downtown Bellevue. This year, three different hotels will be hosting the weekend-long party for computer and console gamers. Many of the big wig video game companies should be there, and apparently, so will I.

Hi again folks. First off, my apologies for going more than a week between column. I wasn't feeling my best the past few days and I didn't want to risk a Benadryl-induced column. Though, that may have been entertaining. For this week, I wanted to broaden our coverage of racing games a bit and get you updated on several games at once. After that, I thought it might be fun to do a little wishful thinking for the upcoming racing simulators.

First off, the updates:

Test Drive Unlimited (Atari/Xbox 360) Over at their official Web site, www.testdriveunlimited.com, the folks designing Test Drive Unlimited have offered a very intriguing contest for car fans. If you've ever wanted to design your own car, this might be your best bet. Atari is hosting a “design-your-dream-car” type contest where the winner will not only get their car into the game, but will also receive $2,500. Not too shabby. Check out some current entries at www.atari.com/tdu-contest/index.php and at least think about throwing your design into the ring.

Forza Motorsport 2 (Turn 10 Studios/Xbox 360) The folks at Turn 10 Studios are hard at work on the next Forza Motorsport game. Former game journalist, and current community manager, Che Chou is keeping racing fans informed through Turn 10's Web site at Forzamotorsport.net. Unlike the usual racing game site, Che and Turn 10 include news from real-life racing, which I think is a smart move considering the type of fans that usually gravitate toward games like Sony's Grand Turismo and Forza. Recently, they posted a look at a recent dynamometer sessions. Check that out at: http://forzamotorsport.net/devcorner/dyno/dyno01.htm.

Earache Extreme Metal Racing (Data Design Interactive/PC, Playstation and Playstation Portable) As you may have gathered from the title, the soundtrack to this game features a lot of ear-splitting metal. If that's music to your ears, you may want to check this one out. The game itself is less about racing and more about demolishing your opponents with weapons like buzzsaws and swinging electric guitars. Check out the game and the music at www.earacheextremeracing.com.

Okay, now for some wishful thinking.

I know I'm not the only one out there that's a fan of racing simulators. I love games like Project Gotham Racing 3, but sometimes, it's fun to get in the nitty-gritty details of racing. So it's no surprise that I'm seriously looking forward to both Forza Motorsport 2 and the next Grand Turismo.

However, there's always aspects of real-world racing that I've always wanted to see implemented in a game. Now these suggestions may seem very fun, but I think these two are at least worth considering:

Rainouts. For a most racers, it takes a considerable amount of time, energy and money to pack up the family, load up the trailer and head off to events around the country. Sometimes, when you arrive, you're greeted with a whole lot of raindrops. What if simulators featured rainouts so that sometimes, you've spent a lot of your resources to get to a particular event only to find you can't make your money back because the event is canceled? It could serve as a necessary wake up call, and might encourage folks to play the odds somewhat. Do you spend the gas money to drive cross country to the event with the big payout and a 75 percent chance of rain, or do you drive only a couple hours to a place with clear skies and a much smaller prize?

Tools. To me, much of the fun in simulators comes from upgrading your car. But just how exactly are you supposed to attach new headers or that less-restrictive exhaust? In the real world, tools are a pricey and indispensable commodity. I would be at least amused if simulator games allowed you to purchase better, fancier tools and reflected that purchase with much shorter wait times when you're upgrading parts. For instance, if you insist on just the bare minimum tools, it takes 30 seconds of waiting for each part to be installed on your car. If you upgrade your tools, the waiting time is significantly less. Heck, with minigames being all the rage nowadays, why not make the upgrade process interactive by letting us use the tools? Make it a game within a game to apply just enough torque to a bolt, but not too much.

Well those are some suggestions, but I'm sure there's tons more out there. If you've got some suggestions for what you'd love to see in a racing simulator, drop me an e-mail at Philip@InsideTrackMagazine.com.

Hello once again folks. This week's column is an interview with Logitech's  Ruben Mookerjee, Director of Product Marketing for Interactive Entertainment at Logitech. Mr. Mookerjee was nice enough to answer some questions we had about the DriveFX Steering Wheel for the Xbox 360. Of course, expect a full review of the wheel very soon, in the meantime, enjoy the interview. Special thanks to Pamela McCracken, Logitech Public Relations Gaming and Audio Devices Specialist, for making this interview happen.

1. Can you explain the technology behind Axial Feedback? Axial feedback technology, which is being used in the new Logitech DriveFX wheel for Xbox 360, features powerful motors built into the base of the steering column. These motors translate the vibration feedback signals of the Xbox 360 into an axial force on the wheel and steering column, which is much more realistic to the actual driving experience.

2. How is Axial Feedback a better choice than standard rumble effects? Typical vibration-feedback designs on the market feature motors and weights embedded in the steering wheel grips. This simply vibrates the thin plastic on the wheel rim, but does not provide any force against the drivers’ hands like a real car would do. With Logitech’s axial feedback system, the effects of surface changes and impacts with scenery in the game are more intense and realistic due to the design of the motors.

3. I think one of the big questions game players have when it comes to steering wheel controllers is the use of "true" Force Feedback. What are your thoughts on this? Unfortunately, neither the original Xbox nor driving game titles currently on the market for the Xbox 360 support true force feedback. Force feedback has a directional component. For example, it forces the steering to the left when your competitor impacts you on the right hand side. This information is not present in Xbox 360 driving games, and consequently, all other driving wheels on the market have simply taken game-pad technology and added a steering wheel. Logitech’s axial feedback uses a motor and gear mechanism similar to a true force feedback wheel to replicate the torque and bumping effects that are more realistic of a car’s behavior.

4. Is "true" force feedback necessary for a quality steering wheel? Force feedback can add significantly to the overall driving experience, and if it is well implemented on the platform and the games (as today is the case for PlayStation 2 or the PC) then a high-quality wheel makes a major contribution to the overall realism of the experience. It’s the difference between a playing a driving game and experiencing a racing simulator. We are certain that Microsoft will add force feedback to their Xbox 360 platform in the near future, and will encourage game developers to implement force feedback to the same high standards as the other existing gaming platforms.

5. How do you think Axial Feedback compares for "true" force feedback? As I mentioned, since it is a limitation of the console platform, the comparison of axial feedback should not be with “true” force feedback, but with the ordinary vibration wheels on the market. Axial feedback is a much more realistic and “force-feedback-like” experience than regular vibrating wheel rim designs.

6. I assume the small button located on the left face of the steering wheel near the directional pad changes sensitivity settings on the wheel, can you give readers a little more detail on what the different settings mean? When a developer designs a driving game to be steered by a gamepad mini-stick, they build in a “dead-band” around the straight-ahead position (i.e. a small movement of the stick will not turn the wheels). It helps the player to translate the relatively coarse movements of the mini-stick into the very fine inputs needed to steer a car, without throwing it off the road on every turn or making it too unstable to drive straight. When you use a wheel to play the game, you no longer need (or want) such a wide dead-band, since it makes the car seem unresponsive and insensitive. The DriveFX wheel has special settings to compensate for the dead-band in a particular game, which helps you find the driving line more accurately.

7. Finally, what else can racing game fans expect from Logitech in the coming months? Logitech also just announced the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel, currently compatible with the PC and PS2 platforms, which will be available beginning in October (in the U.S. and Europe) at www.logitech.com and through select retailers. The Logitech G25 Racing Wheel offers advanced features which, until now, could be found only in specialized or custom-made racing simulators that sometimes cost thousands of dollars to assemble. These features include a six-speed gated shifter and clutch pedal; two high-torque force-feedback motors; an 11-inch wheel; and a full 900 degrees of rotation. The wheel, shifter and pedals are made with premium materials such as stainless steel and leather, delivering the look and feel of parts from a race car cockpit.

Alright, so we've had the Logitech DriveFX steering wheel for the Xbox360 in-house for about a week now. That's about enough time to give you some initial reactions, but we'll hold off on a final verdict, plus a few fun statistics until a later time.

For this week's column, enjoy our first thoughts on the DriveFX wheel.

First, the official pitch, courtesy of Logitech:

“The Logitech DriveFX wheel combines axial-feedback technology with quality materials to deliver an exceptional driving experience on Microsoft's new high-powered gaming platform.”

Here some stats to digest as well:

Axial feedback: motors in the steering wheel column offer varying levels of feedback from standard rumble effects to a twisting sensation;

A one-piece gas-assisted injection molded wheel with leather-like rubber grips along the sides;

A 10-inch diameter wheel that is lock-to-lock, not a full 900-degrees;

Every button save the triggers and joysticks are available on the face of the steering wheel;

Small, paddle shifters behind the wheel in lieu of a standard shifter;

A floor module with gas and brake pedals; and

A plug-in behind the wheel for Xbox Live handsets.

 Judging from the response we've seen on the forums, most folks want to know what the heck Axial feedback is and is it any good.

Well, like I said, we're not quite ready for a final verdict on the product as a whole, but for what it claims to do, Axial feedback isn't all that bad. The entire steering wheel module will rumble in the same, non-directional manner as a standard Xbox360 gamepad, but the wheel also features a motor that can tug the steering wheel left or right.

Now, this isn't rip-it-out-of-your-hands, struggling-for-control feedback we're talking about, but so far it does add another layer to the standard rumble effects present in games like Project Gotham Racing 3.

While it may not be in the same league as true force-feedback steering wheels like the upcoming Xbox360 Wireless Racing Wheel from Microsoft, it also doesn't require any work on the game developer's side to include true force-feedback effects.

Whether that's a worthy trade-off is really up to you.

By the way, this wheel is not wireless. Without plugging in an Xbox Live headset, you've got one cord from the pedals to the steering wheel module, another from the Xbox360 console to the wheel and one final AC adapter cord.

For now, we're enjoying our time with the Logitech DriveFX steering wheel. As we get more comfortable with it, we'll be able to give you a far more detailed review, included plenty of photos. The wheel is scheduled to ship to retailers this July with an MSRP of $99.99.  For comparison, MadCatz's MC2 Steering Wheel carries an MSRP of $69.99.

I think I've successfully detoxed from this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Between the thousands of folks in close quarters and the eerie persistent fog of L.A., it took me a couple days to recover. I'm back, however, to give you the lowdown on what I saw first-hand at the 2006 E3 Expo.

Gran Turismo HD (Polyphony Digital/Playstation 3) My timing was terrible when it came to checking this game out. Every time I neared the demo kiosks, the Metal Gear Solid 4 cinematic trailer would begin playing on Sony's mammoth overhead display screen. In other words, there was always a crowd that I had to fight through just to get close to the game. When I got there, I certainly knew where the HD in the title came from. Running on widescreen, 1080p displays, the next-generation Gran Turismo certainly looked "High Definition." Frame rates were quite smooth and the series' legendary variety of vehicles was still in effect. Still, I wasn't blown away by what I saw. Everything was high-resolution, certainly, but the crowd, the trees and, to some extent, the cars themselves didn't look like much more than higher-res versions of the Playstation 2 game. For die-hard GT fans, that may be enough, but in light of the Playstation 3's newly announced price ($499 for the stripped down version, $599 for the big kahuna), I would hope for a bit more out of the console's flagship racer. There's still plenty of time however, and no one should ever bet against Polyphony Digital.

Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft Game Studios/Xbox 360) Oh, how I wanted to see the next Forza in person. However, in-game footage was nowhere to be found on the show floor. A quick conversation with a friendly fellow from Microsoft confirmed the developers of the Xbox 360 racing simulator weren't quite ready to show off the game just yet. Still, we had a constructive talk outside the Xbox Community Bus and an outdoor Forza 2 display featuring a pair of Lamborghinis and a Ferrari. There may be a chance we'll be able to check out the game at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond in the near-future. I'll keep my fingers crossed for what is easily one of my most anticipated games.

Moto GP 06 (Climax Entertainment/Xbox 360) Quick confession: I am terrible at motorcycle racing games. Moto GP 06 is no different. In just a few turns around the track, I was able to fling my rider of his bike a disturbing amount of times. It didn't help that, for whatever reason, the controls at the demo station I played differed from the controls outlined on the diagram in front of me. When I was actually on my bike, I was treated to a fast-paced and good-looking game. Detail on both the rider and the bike were impressive. Nifty effects helped differentiate between materials so that leather looked a lot like leather and metal and plastic also looked the part. Frame rate was quite solid, giving the game a great sense of speed.  I did notice some ground textures looked quite a bit blurrier than the textures on other objects in the game. It didn't affect gameplay in the least, but it stood out amongst the otherwise solid graphics. According to the placards at the demo stations, the version I played was 80 percent complete. I'm not certain if this is the same demo that was made available to Xbox Live users, but the finished product should provide tons of two-wheeled fun.

Formula 1 '06 (Sony Computer Entertainment/Playstation 3) I'm not trying to bash the Playstation 3 (really I'm not) but what I played of Formula 1 '06 wasn't very next-generation at all. The Formula 1 racer featured a detailed cockpit view and a generally solid framerate, but I didn't see anything "next-gen" about the game in my time with it. The color palette seemed muted and overall texture resolution wasn't that great. I noticed little to no damage modeling despite attempts by several people around me to crash their cars into opponents. The gentleman to the left of me had to stop playing when his demo froze and the ground texture disappeared. That right there should tell you this game is obviously a work in progress and hopefully things will improve soon.

DriveFX Steering Wheel (Logitech/Xbox 360) While PC and Playstation 2 racing wheels were on full display at Logitech's booth, their upcoming Xbox 360-based DriveFX Steering Wheel was practically tucked away, waiting for passers by to discover it. Thankfully, I happened upon the wheel, at a stand-up demo station and eagerly tried it out. Perhaps the biggest deal for Xbox 360 racing fans is the DriveFX wheel's axial feedback system. Steering wheels on the original Xbox mostly featured rumble feedback, a pale imitation of the force feedback included on the long line of excellent PlayStation 2 steering wheels. This new wheel, according to a press release, "translates the feedback commands of the game into axial forces that make the steering wheel respond realistically to the car´s dynamics, creating a sensory experience similar to that of a real steering wheel and column." Sadly, I got to experience none of that because the demo station was running Ridge Racer, a game that apparently had no feedback system built-in. Still, I got a good idea of the construction quality and responsiveness of the wheel itself. The sides of the wheel are swathed in imitation leather, giving drivers of the 10-and-2 persuasion a good grip on the controller. The pedals seemed to respond well, too, though it was difficult to drive and brake while standing up. An exhibitor told me the wheel should be available in about a month or so and retail for $99. From my brief experience, I'd say it's well worth looking into, but more hands-on time with more racing games will be needed for a final judgment.

So that about wraps up my initial reactions to racing and motorsports games at the 2006 E3 Expo. It's just the tip of the iceberg, though. The advent of the Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, plus the second wave of Xbox 360 games, should be a blast.

Well, here we are with just a few days to go before the big show in L.A. I'm studying all the floor plans and I'm seriously considering mapping out all the Starbucks between my hotel and the convention center.

So, before I start packing and stop sleeping, it's time for a quick rundown of all the racing games I hope to check out during the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo. I brought up a handful of games in our first column, but folks have been coming up with some excellent suggestions since then.

Here's the list so far:

Test Drive Unlimited (Atari/Xbox 360) My wife lost her sunglasses in Oahu during our honeymoon and now thanks to Test Drive Unlimited's attempts to recreate the island, maybe we can retrace our steps in some sweet rides. It's being billed as a quasi-massively multiplayer racing role playing game, or QuMMRRPG as I like to describe it. It'll be interesting to see how good of an impression one might get from a demo kiosk, but I hope to find out. Of the suggestions I've received so far, this game may be the most requested. The second most requested...

Forza 2 (Microsoft Game Studios/Xbox 360) Yes, I mentioned this title last time, but folks apparently want to know as much as they can about this title. If it's at E3, I'll spend as much time as I can playing it.

NASCAR 07 (Electronic Arts/PSP) I've had fun with previous racing games on the PSP and it will interesting to see what EA has in store for NASCAR fans on the portable system. I'm hoping for a deep career mode among other things. According to their E3 press release, EA has also continued its tradition of giving dramatic names to every new feature so this version of NASCAR will feature Adrenaline Moments and RaceBreaker. We'll see what those mean at the show.

Colin McCrae Rally (Codemasters/Multiplatform) It's been a while for the long-running rally series, but Codemasters is set to debut the latest Colin McCrae Rally next week. The off-road racers has always been a gritty and challenging game, so we'll see if a two-year break means a fresh new start or a rusty retread.

Sega Rally Revo (Sega/Multiplatform) Three simple words: Easy. Right. Baby.

MotoGP 06 (Climax Entertainment/Xbox 360) Half the wheels certainly doesn't mean half the fun. MotoGP 06 marks the popular series' leap from one generation to the next, so we'll see if it comes off as a brand new experience or just a new coat of paint on yesterday's gameplay. Screenshots and movies so far look promising, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Force feedback steering wheel (Someone, anyone!/Xbox 360) Here we have a product that I gave up hoping for so long ago that I completely forgot about it. Thanks to the readers who suggested I keep an eye out for force feedback steering wheels for the Xbox 360. If these mythical creatures do exist, I definitely want a hands on. The Gran Turismo series on the Playstation 2 (and soon Playstation 3) have always benefited from some world-class steering wheels. Maybe soon the Xbox 360 will get its share too.

The annual sensory overload session that is the Electronics Entertainment Expo is nearly here. In a few short days, the Los Angeles Convention Center will host the big names and the who's who of the video game industry. Somehow, they're letting me go, too.

All of this means now is the perfect time to launch a new facet of Inside Track magazine, our in-depth coverage of racing and motor sports electronic entertainment.

Every Friday afternoon, expect this page to be updated with the latest news, previews and reviews of the newest in racing game titles. I'll try to cover thegenre as best as I can, plus I'll try to get some of your e-mail questions answered by folks in the industry.

If you're into racing games, you've come to the right place.

Now how about we get to the business at hand, the Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3. With two game console makers (Sony and Nintendo) set to debut their newest hardware later this year, and another (Microsoft) eager to show folks their second wave of next-generation titles, this year's E3 could be a stellar showcase of the future of racing games.

What can racing game fans expect from the 2006 E3?  Well, I've listed, in no particular order, the titles I'm hoping will make a debut. Now keep in mind this list isn't based on any official announcements regarding what will actually be on display. It's merely a list of titles I would love to see there.

Some will be more likely than others, some in a more playable form than others. We shall see.

Before I start, I want to share an overarching hope for the conference as a whole.

Hopefully, the developers won't go the "visual target" route. The visual target, in which pre-rendered or non-real-time footage is displayed as an approximation of what the actual game will look like, has caused some ire among gamers disappointed with the discrepancy between what was advertised and what was sold. The practice has caused a stir for some developers, such as EA Sports' Madden football game on the Xbox 360 and Guerilla Games' upcoming Killzone 2 for the Playstation 3.

Now then, onto the games:

Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft Game Studios/Microsoft Xbox 360)  I don't think they've officially announced this title,  but we know they're working on it. How do we know?  Well, we ran into the developers last year at Pacific Raceways in Washington, recording audio from some of the world's most exotic cars. I don't think they were just out there recording someone's new ringtone, so I expect the Forza sequel to be on display.

Gran Turismo 5 (Polyphony Digital/Sony Playstation 3) The king of racing simulators for many years, the Gran Turismo series has stood relatively unchallenged until the recent Forza Motorsport was released on the original Xbox.  This time around, expect a substantial graphical update thanks to the upcoming Playstation 3 platform, a more robust online mode and a dizzying array of cars. With Polyphony Digital's penchant for detail and the lengthy development process these games usually require, I don't expect to see anything nearly final at E3. I do, however, expect to see a pretty good glimpse of what the next Gran Turismo will be.

NASCAR (Electronic Arts/Multiple consoles and PC) EA Sports' NASCAR series of games have advanced quite a bit, better showcasing the complexity and skill required in the world of professional racing.  Recent games, such as NASCAR 06 Total Team Control, brought a much more team-oriented element to the game.  The result was a far more strategic game, with a robust career mode.  As is customary with most EA Sports titles, expect more refinement and some added features for the next round of NASCAR games. EA tends to operate by finding winning formulas, then tweaking them each year rather than reinventing their games every time. For the next go-round, NASCAR fans can look forward to more advanced graphics, sound and possibly online options thanks to the latest generation of consoles.  Living the life of a virtual professional driver is about to get more real.

Mario Kart (Nintendo/Nintendo Wii) This one's just a shot in the dark. I don't know if Nintendo's popular Mario Kart series will be showcased at E3, but imagine the possibilities. The company's next-generation console, recently dubbed "Wii" (pronounced "We"), features motion sensing controllers shaped like TV remotes. Instead of moving thumbs, players use their arms and perhaps entire bodies to control movement on the screen.  With a game like Mario Kart, where Nintendo mascots race go-karts that can be upgraded with various power-ups, such a control scheme opens the door for some interesting gameplay. Imagine catching up to an opponent in a race and instead of pressing a button to poke them off course, you actually have to physically thrust your arm out.  Actually, that could get dangerous, but the potential for fun gameplay is there.

Well that's my brief list of games I hope to see in the next few days. I might not see them, and I may see others that completely grab my attention (c'mon, be there Halo 3). Whatever games companies decide to show, 2006 is shaping up to be a stellar year for racing game fans.

And now we've come to the part where you come in.  Since E3 is an industry-only event, the general public isn't invited. That means a lot of gamers, with lots of questions, won't get to see first-hand the next wave of games.

So here's your chance to get some questions answered.  If you've got some questions about racing games at E3, like "How many cars are in Forza?" or "What's Gran Turismo's online mode like?" e-mail me at:  Philip@InsideTrackMagazine.com

I'll bring as many questions as I can with me, and try to answer them in our next column.