Sunday, May 11, 2014

Fanatec Talks New Gen Consoles and their Wheels

   

     If you missed it on Fanatec's blog here it is below. 

Since Fanatec makes such great products there has been lots of discussion about existing wheels not compatible with the new XBOX ONE or PS4. Below is a Q&A about the XBOX ONE version with PS4 coming later. 
Check it out!

From Fanatec Blog:
 Xbox One Compatibility FAQ and Poll
We are continuously getting a lot of questions, but also complaints from our customers about the COMPATIBILITY of Xbox 360 wheels to Xbox One so we decided to make a FAQ and poll about it.

Q: Did Microsoft allow steering wheels (or other input devices) of the first generation Xbox to be       compatible to the Xbox 360?

A: No

Q: Was there a legal and official way to make Xbox (first generation) wheels fully compatible to Xbox 360 ?

A: No

Q: Will it be technically possible to make an adapter to use Xbox 360 peripherals (like steering wheels) on the Xbox One? 

A: Probably…..yes but the effort and complication would be significant. The new console uses a completely different force feedback communication protocol, wireless transmission protocol and a different security chip. The security chip needs to be purchased by the 3rd party manufacturer
from Microsoft and it makes sure that only official licensed products can be connected to the console. Only if you get the official approval from Microsoft you will be able to purchase such a security chip for Xbox One. Besides that, given the high development costs and limited market it would not be possible to offer it at a cheap price.

Q: Does Microsoft allow the use of Xbox 360 devices to be used on Xbox One?

A: So far no and there is no indication that this will change. This means it is impossible to make such an adapter. This is the case for any company and not just us. There are other expensive peripherals like music instruments for Xbox 360 which also cannot be used anymore.

Q: Did Fanatec plan to make such an adapter or do you rather prefer to sell new wheels?

A: Of course we would have rather made a simple adapter or even just a firmware update and continue to sell the wheels we have. Instead we now have to develop something completely new. As other companies were faster, the chance of losing customers is very high. This is not in our interest at all!

Q: Can you make such an adapter without the confirmation of Microsoft and sell it directly or indirectly to your customers?

A: Making a device which cracks the security chip of Microsoft is clearly not legal and we would immediately destroy the good relationship with Microsoft. Furthermore we would be sued if we would attempt to sell or even just support the development of such a device. If Microsoft would
allow such an adapter then the whole security chip system would not make any sense anymore as it would suddenly be an open system and you can connect anything to the console. This system actually has positive effects for the consumer as well as it makes sure that all connected peripherals are tested and work with all games. This is not the case on other consoles.

Q: Since when do you know that such an adapter is not possible?

A: Microsoft never confirmed that such an adapter is possible or not and we were waiting up to now. But given the technical complexity and also the philosophy of Microsoft, we do not expect any more that such an adapter will ever come to the market.

Q: Are you working on a new Xbox One wheel and when will it be released?

A: We do work on a next generation wheel and the Xbox One is a key market for us. But at that point we cannot reveal any further information or give a timeline. If there is any announcementit will be made here on the blog.

Q: Why did you not release an Xbox One wheel at launch?

A: We would have loved to do so but the 3rd party peripheral department of Microsoft which authorizes all Xbox peripherals has limited capacity. Therefore other companies which make much bigger business with Microsoft than us got this wheel business first. Our relationship is very good with them but we have to respect that bigger customers get better service. That is a standard business practice and there is not much we can do about it. 

The only one who can change that is the Xbox One customer with its’ buying behavior because Microsoft likes whatever the Xbox user likes and buys.

PS: PS4 compatibility will
be discussed separately as it is a completely different and independent
subject

Assetto Corasa Multiplayer is Up!

     You ready for some multiplayer on Assetto Corsa? 
Well it's up and running so check it out. Also here are some links to explain how to connect online with Assetto Corsa along with a PDF version. 






Thursday, May 8, 2014

Check out Fanatec New F1 Carbon Fiber Edition Rim

     So are you wanting a new sexy rim to mount up to your Clubsport base? Well check out the new Formula rim with real CARBON fiber!

The new rim functions the same as the existing Formula rim with the same amount of buttons, but the style is completely different. The 3D effect of the Carbon Fiber makes it looks different from every angle. This rim is sexy and exhibits the pure racing style we love.

It also comes with exchangeable grips and Fanatec has plans to offer different colors and material options in the future.

Available very soon at a price of USD $249.95 (excl. tax) or € 249,95 (incl VAT)




Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Project Cars PS4 Screenshots

     Check out some new screenshots taken in game of Project Cars. Some might think there is some tricky photography going on to sell there game, but it's not the case. These are actual screen shots from in game just like you would do yourself by pausing the game and snapping a pic.

Looks good to me!
        
  
      
    
 
 


Sim Pit hits the web with Shaun Cole

     Yes I help promote other sim racing websites. Why not? Lets spread the word so this genre can really blow up!

Shaun Cole the co-host of Inside Sim Racing is now the host of his own Sim Racing website called SimPit. I have always enjoyed Shaun's take and reviews on simulation racing products. Heck after watching some of his reviews on Fanatec products I rushed out to buy my own. I now have owned 3 different Fanatec wheels and their 3 iterations of shifters.

So we wish you good luck Shaun with your new digs!

Check out SimPit here.




Get to know DRIVECLUB on PS4


At first this sounded like a micro transation nightmare, but seeing as if your a Playstation Plus member you can worry about being fast instead of figuring out how to afford to play the game with added content.

See ya on the track

Monday, May 5, 2014

Fanatec's New Classic Wheel Coming Soon!


     Well those of us that follow Fanatec closely was expecting something great from them. This CLASSIC rim features fine brown leather and polished aluminum center with no buttons to disturb the nostalgic look Fanatec says. The wheel also comes with the famous all metal quick release system the other Clubsport line has. So far this makes 3 rims for the Clubsport line ( F1 style, BMW M3 GT3 and Classic) which is for sure to cover the full gamut of cars we race with.

     The diameter is 35 cm (13.7 inches) and it looks and feels just like a real steering wheel. The metal hub cover made of polished aluminum gives a nice and elegant touch to it even adding the hot rod lighting holes into the aluminum spokes

The classic rim exudes class!

It sells for 349,95 USD (excl. tax) or 349,95 Euro (incl. VAT) and will be available for sale this summer.




Watch Dogs: 8 minute Multiplayer Walkthrough


Another look at Watch Dogs before it hits the shelves this month May 27th on XBOX ONE, PS4 and PC
Check out the latest multi player video. This game looks to be a sure winner in the variety of game play.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

GRID Autosport Announcement Coming June 2014


My Thoughts

Wow!! With all the hype of sim racing games like Project Cars, IRacing, RFactor 2, Assetto Corsa this ones comes from left field with a huge surprise. Grid AutoSports is hitting it out of the park with the variety of cars and tracks. It's coming with 22 locations with combined route list of 100!

Grid Autosports is not promissing to be a full blown sim racing experience, but definatley farther to the sim side then before without the car always trying to kill you. Sounds like a good compromise so I can't wait to play it next month. 

It hits our living rooms June 27th on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. No PS4 or Xbox One yet, but has plans for next gen consoles

Check out the Official CodeMaster blog for Grid Autosports.

Basic Training: Welcome to iRacing - Chap. 1 (+playlist)


Iracing Training

Check out the full list of training videos from IRacing. If you are new to IRacing or just need some tips on how to drive fast safely check these out. You can never know to much on how to be fast.
Here is the link to whole Training Series: IRacing Training Series

Enjoy!