Category: Xbox News

Forza fans, prepare for an action-packed start to the launch of Forza Motorsport 7 with the upcoming launch of the The Fate of the Furious™ Car Pack, created in collaboration with Universal Brand Development. Available for players who have purchased the Deluxe or Ultimate Editions of Forza Motorsport 7, The Fate of the Furious Car Pack features ten hero cars from the nitro-fueled blockbuster action franchise.

The Fate of the Furious Car Pack for Forza Motorsport 7 is only available for players who own the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions digital bundles of Forza Motorsport 7, and will be available for standalone purchase at $9.99.

Now let’s take a closer look at the cars included:

1966 Chevrolet Corvette The Fate of the Furious Edition

This C2 Stingray was built to emulate the autocross and chase down cones with the best from the modern era. Underneath the period-correct fender flares you will find a lot of rubber and an independent rear suspension that delivers tons of grip. Given its lightened and strengthened chassis, the 400 horsepower transferred through a Muncie four-speed should provide the perfect package for straightening out any set of curves you may encounter.

1968 Dodge Charger The Fate of the Furious Edition

This fully modified ice racing version of Dominic Toretto’s favorite car has little left of your typical Charger. In fact, only the roof and pillars are stock. This chunk of American muscle has been widened to accommodate its 18-inch tires that fight for traction with the help of a custom all-wheel-drive system and ridiculous steering angle that would make even a drifter drop their jaw. Under the hood is a Chevrolet LS motor with more than enough juice to keep it sideways. Naturally the entire car has been reinforced and fortified for battle. Even though you might not need to dodge bullets in Forza, this Charger’s look will surely strike fear in the heart of any competitor.

2015 Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupe The Fate of the Furious Edition

It’s no surprise to find Deckard Shaw driving another gorgeous modern coupe from his homeland of England. In Furious 7 he rolled an Aston Martin DB9 and in The Fate of the Furious he is behind the wheel of this elegant and powerful Jaguar F-TYPE. The car is appropriately presented in British green and fits its driver to a tee. Of course the 550 horsepower super-charged V8 gives Deckard the edge to hang with the fastest cars of his team mates.

1971 Plymouth GTX The Fate of the Furious Edition

The GTX marked the end of the muscle car era and was one of the last models to offer the early Hemi engine. The 383 under the hood is all grunt; one listen will tell you it means business. That makes for the kind of ominous and powerful presence you expect. How much horsepower is under the hood? Let your right foot do the talking and you will undoubtedly be impressed.

2016 Subaru WRX STI The Fate of the Furious Edition

In the real world and in the world of The Fate of the Furious, the Subaru WRX STI is a staple, hence this beautiful and highly-modified wide body STI. With its humongous, awesome wing, and full racing cage, it’s plain to see that this car driven briefly by Little Nobody means business. That downforce and chassis stiffness can only make a car with massive grip even better. No, that white paintjob doesn’t stand for innocence; in fact, car was purpose-built to take to the streets with a vengeance.

2018 Dodge Demon The Fate of the Furious Edition

The Dodge Demon really had no reason to be produced beyond making gearheads the world over grin with unabashed glee. The Demon has claimed the title of fastest 0-100 mph production car in the world. It makes for the perfect movie Mopar for Dominic Toretto, since out of the box it can destroy the quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds. While based on the Challenger model, there is little left of the original by the time the chassis is imbued with its Demon heart. The 840 horsepower from the optional crate package (808 stock) are supported by the Demon’s amazing drivetrain and suspension that help get all that power to the pavement. Burnouts are of course second nature, but given proper technique, this monster will launch like a Saturn rocket down any straight brazen enough to challenge it.

1951 Chevrolet Fleetline Special The Fate of the Furious Edition

Due to trade embargoes begun in the 1950s, Cuba’s one-of-a-kind car culture is literally a thing of the past, where post-war Chevys like the Fleetline are still king. This has forced some ingenious service-life-prolonging tactics to keep those cars on the road, which has also made the country a real-life time capsule for cars. When Dominic Toretto is challenged to a street race by a local with a heavily modified 1955 Ford Fairlane, he must get innovative to make his Fleetline – affectionately deemed “the slowest car in Havana” – competitive. This Chevy is all but stripped to the chassis and endowed with a huge Garrett turbo from a marine engine. Running 30 pounds of boost, and a few other hacked together modifications gives Toretto a serious street weapon. Give this rusty beast a run at the strip to feel the power for yourself.

2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S The Fate of the Furious Edition

The gull-wing doors are about all that is amiss in this SLS-inpired AMG GT S. Take one look at its low sleek lines backed by the performance of a twin-turbo V8 and you will find the perfect match for The Fate of the Furious family member Tej Parker. Rolling in high style in the New York scene, Tej puts the power and style to good use for the team. Whether you drive this super coupe for the way it makes you feel or the wins it can put under your belt is up to you.

2013 Subaru BRZ The Fate of the Furious Edition

Even though the modifications to this Subaru BRZ for The Fate of the Furious were minor, it still stands out as an immaculate ride. The fact that three of the four cars built for the movie survived is a testament to the proven performance of the model. Little Nobody had the pleasure of driving it first in the film. Now it is your turn.

2014 Local Motors Rally Fighter The Fate of the Furious Edition

The Local Motors Rally Fighter is the perfect vehicle straight from the low-volume, open-source design factory. Driven by Letty Ortiz for the astounding ice lake scene in The Fate of the Furious, the buggy-like build with massive tires and Chevy LS power under the hood is the perfect match. Far from stock, this Rally Fighter is equipped with a massive push bar and lighting that could illuminate the dark side of the moon. Just like its driver, this rig is ready to do battle on any surface, anytime.

Don’t forget to preorder Forza Motorsport 7 Deluxe and Ultimate Edition to get your Fate of the Furious Car Pack. Forza Motorsport 7 will be available to play on Sept. 29 for Ultimate edition owners, and on Oct. 3 for Deluxe and Standard edition owners.

See you on the track!

Hey, Xbox gamers! Tabz Llama here from the Tips & Tricks team. I’m going to show you 5 tips for Destiny 2, Bungie’s follow-up to their 2014 epic. Destiny 2 takes place one year after the events of the first game, starting you off in the middle of a war, where The Last City has been attacked by a Cabal fleet named The Red Legion. They want to take the Traveler’s light for themselves and crush humanity while they’re at it. It’s our job to defend The Last City and drive away the Cabal fleet.

These 5 tips talk about post-campaign content, so be warned that you’ll be entering spoiler territory. The original Destiny was well known for their post-game content, keeping you busy for hundreds of hours after you’ve beaten the main story. These 5 tips are to help you get the most from your Destiny 2 experience so hopefully you learn a thing or two.

For even more strategies and tactics on today’s hottest games, plus plenty of other gaming-related fun, tune in to Tips and Tricks live every Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT on Mixer.com/TipsAndTricks!

Welcome to another exciting edition of Next Week on Xbox! A slew of highly anticipated titles drop this week on Xbox One, all of which we can’t wait to get our hands on. Forza Motorsport 7 Ultimate Edition, Cuphead, and FIFA 18 lead the way as well as ambitiously creative ID@Xbox games like Ruiner, Splasher, and Lightfield. Check out the full list of titles below and come back every Saturday for a look at the newest games coming soon to Xbox!

Games

September 26, 2017

• Windows 10 / Xbox One

Pinball FX3 is the biggest, most community focused pinball game ever created. Multiplayer matchups, user generated tournaments and league play create endless opportunity for pinball competition and its tables are backwards compatible with previous versions of the game!

Games

September 26, 2017

• Xbox Play Anywhere Title

Set in the year 2091, a wired sociopath lashes out against a corrupt system to retrieve his kidnapped brother and uncover the truth under the guidance of a secretive hacker friend. Acquire deadly supplies, enhancing your tactical senses, and master other skills and gadgets that will leave your foes confused and powerless as you seek revenge in Ruiner.

Games

September 26, 2017

Lightfield is a hyper-futuristic racing game with a parkour twist. Drive on any surface including walls, tunnels and sci-fi architecture to piece together the fastest racing line. Only by mastering your anti-gravity spaceship and finding the best omni-directional route can you race to the top.

Games

September 26, 2017

Continue the story of Bruce Wayne and Batman as the Riddler returns to terrorize Gotham City. With the arrival of a ruthless federal agent and the return of a still nascent Joker, Batman must navigate uneasy alliances while Bruce Wayne undertakes a perilous series of deceptions.  

Games

September 29, 2017

FIFA 18 brings to life the players, teams, and atmospheres that immerse you in the emotion of soccer. Play with the most iconic legends in FIFA Ultimate Team, continue the story of Alex Hunter in his second year in the Premier League, or build your very own Ultimate Team Squad from thousands of players in the game’s most popular mode. EA Access members can start playing today, only on Xbox One.

Games

September 29, 2017

• Xbox Play Anywhere Title / Console Exclusive

Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, Cuphead is a classic run-and-gun action game with painstakingly created handrawn visuals and an original jazz soundtrack to help set the scene. Play as Cuphead or Mugman (in single-player or local co-op) as you traverse strange worlds, acquire new weapons, learn powerful super moves, and discover hidden secrets while you try to pay your debt back to the devil!  

Games

September 29, 2017

• Xbox Play Anywhere Title / Console Exclusive

Experience the thrill of motorsport with the most comprehensive, beautiful and authentic racing game ever made. In Forza Motorsport 7, players will experience racing at silky smooth 60 frames per second, HDR (Xbox One S and Windows 10 PC), and 4K (Windows 10 PCs) and collect over 700 cars, including the largest assortment of Ferraris, Porsches, and Lamborghinis in any racing game. With over 30 world-famous environments and tracks featuring dynamic weather and race conditions, no two races are the same. And with Xbox One X coming November 7, players will experience racing in native 4K, at 60fps and HDR. Pre-order the Forza Motorsport 7 Ultimate Edition today and receive early access starting on September 29.  

Games

September 29, 2017

You awaken from a deep slumber to discover most of the ship’s crew are dead. To survive the horror of what remains, arm yourself with weapons and scare ammunition to deal with the monstrosities lurking in the shadows who react to every movement and noise.

Games

September 27, 2017

Play as Lilith-M, a robot who embarks on a difficult journey in a steampunk-inspired cyberspace. With a unique design of controlling two characters at the same time with one controller, can you solve these puzzles for Lilith and find the answers she’s looking for?

Games

September 27, 2017

Armed with a splatter cannon, our young hero launches an attack in order to save the Splashers and stand up to the dictator. Splasher is a 2D platformer with unique arcade-style action gameplay. It offers gamers challenges that require agility, speed and fast reflexes, all set in a crazy cartoon universe.  

Games

September 29, 2017

The legendary arcade shoot ’em up from 1996 is back in this meticulously crafted release that’s sure to please both devoted fans and a new generation of shmup maniacs. In addition to a perfect recreation of the original, experience all new game modes and gadgets to help you conquer Battle Garegga‘s notorious difficulty!

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!

Your Invitation to Feel the True Power of Xbox One X
Starting Saturday, September 23, head to one of several retail locations across the United States hosting in-store demos of Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One X, so you and friends can be one of the first to experience true 4K gaming on the world’s most powerful console… Read more

List of Xbox One X Enhanced Games Grows to Over 130, Console Pre-orders Available Today
Last month at gamescom, we unveiled pre-orders for the Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition, a limited edition console designed for our biggest fans. Thanks to you, we saw record-setting sellouts in the first five days, making Xbox One X the fastest-selling Xbox pre-order ever… Read more

Play Battlefield 1 During Xbox Live Gold’s Free Play Days, September 22-24
Between September 22 – 24, all Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One can enjoy Battlefield 1 for free with Xbox Live Gold’s Free Play Days. Once the event begins, download Battlefield 1 by clicking on the Gold Member area on the home dashboard or downloading directly from the Xbox Store… Read more

Play FIFA 18 First on Xbox One to Win 2 VIP Packages to Watch Real Madrid Play Live
Today, Xbox One owners can kick off a brand new season of the world’s game with EA Sports FIFA 18 ahead of its official launch on September 29 thanks to EA Access. Available exclusively on the Xbox console, EA Access members get FIFA 18 up to five days before anyone else… Read more

James Corden to Play FIFA 18 on Xbox Live Sessions on September 24
Xbox is thrilled to announce James Corden, comedian and host of “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” as the next guest to join Xbox Live Sessions. James Corden, and his witty sense of humor, will be sure to entertain viewers as he plays the all-new FIFA 18 on the interactive livestream… Read more

Play Forza Motorsport 7 Today with Xbox One and Windows 10 Demos, Check Out Our Launch Trailer and More!
We’re excited to let everyone know that the official Forza Motorsport 7 demo for both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC is now available for download, with three unique racing experiences showcasing the depth and breadth of the experiences available in the game… Read more

Rise of Nations: Extended Edition Available Now on Windows 10
Calling all Real Time Strategy (RTS) fans! You might remember that last month, we announced that Rise of Nations: Extended Edition would be arriving to the Windows Store, for a special price and with features like cross-network play with Steam… Read more

Get Ready to Party Like It’s the 1930s at the Cuphead Launch Party
It feels good to say it – Cuphead is almost here! Whether it’s the gorgeous hand-drawn 1930s inspired artwork, the wonderfully jazzy big band soundtrack, the incredibly precise gameplay or frantic antics in local co-op, Cuphead has something to offer everyone… Read more

Ghost Recon Wildlands Adds PvP in Ghost War Open Beta, Starting September 21 on Xbox One
Ghost Recon Wildlands shows that a four-person Ghost fireteam can accomplish just about anything, from stealth to assault to taking down a massive drug cartel. So what happens when two teams of formerly cooperative players draw down on each other? The upcoming Ghost War mode… Read more

Tips and Tricks for Agents of Mayhem
Hey, Xbox gamers! The Tips & Tricks team is here with 5 tips for Agents of Mayhem! This is an open-world, over-the-top action game based in Seoul, South Korea. You play as a team of Super Agents who’ve been given the green light to do whatever they need to in order to grow the agency… Read more

At the Heart of Warframe’s Open Zones Lies the Sentients of Eidolon
The day before we held TennoCon 2017, our second annual Warframe convention, in July, I worked late into the night. Of course I wasn’t the only one! Our team here at Digital Extremes burned the midnight oil polishing the Plains of Eidolon demo while trying to calm their nerves… Read more

Creating Living Tracks in Project CARS 2, Available Now on Xbox One
Hi everyone! For today’s release of Project CARS 2, the team at Slightly Mad Studios would like to share some insights on the process of creating the authentic motorsport experience you’re going to discover in-game, particularly how we got all four seasons of weather into Project CARS 2… Read more

Starting Saturday, September 23, head to one of several retail locations across the United States hosting in-store demos of Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One X, so you and friends can be one of the first to experience true 4K gaming on the world’s most powerful console.

Experience firsthand the gorgeous graphics of Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One X. Forza Motorsport 7 immerses players in the exhilarating thrill of competitive racing. Built from the ground up to be UHD at 60 frames per second and true 4K resolution in HDR, Forza Motorsport 7 will be the premiere 4K gaming experience. From mastering the new motorsport-inspired campaign to collecting a wide range of cars to experiencing the excitement of driving at the limit, this is Forza reimagined.

Games play better on Xbox One X. With 40% more power than any other console, experience immersive true 4K gaming. Blockbuster titles look great, run smoothly, and load quickly even on a 1080p screen.  In case you’ve missed it, here’s a peek at what’s under the hood:

• Faster processing and smoother gameplay: The 8-core Custom AMD CPU is clocked at 2.3GHz to bring enhanced AI, real world detail, and smoother interactions to your gaming
• More memory, bigger worlds: 12GB GDDR5 of graphic memory add speed and power to game performance to enable bigger worlds, further horizons, and quicker load times
• Immersive worlds, life-like detail: A 6 Teraflop GPU enables 4K environments and characters to become more realistic than ever, with more detail and smoother animations
• Memory bandwidth means faster load times: Game graphics are faster and more detailed with 326 GB/sec memory bandwidth, to keep your gaming momentum flowing

Xbox One X also works with all your Xbox One games and accessories as well as Xbox Live, the most advanced multiplayer network, giving you more ways to play.

Try it out for yourself with a friend or three. Check out Best Buy to find a store hosting demos near you, and stay tuned for more details for demos at Microsoft Stores and GameStop locations.

Xbox One X is available November 7 — reserve yours today.

We love adventures here at MercurySteam. And we love shooters too. Oh, how we love them… Thus, when the time came to decide on the next game we wanted to make, we had this seminal idea of merging the narrative components of the classic, gritty adventures we grew up with. We were fascinated by films like “The Dirty Dozen,” “Seven Samurai” or “Serenity,” where an unseemly band of castaways raised against tyranny, and the direct, honest fun of shooter games. And so, an epic sci-fi adventure was born: Raiders of the Broken Planet, available now on Xbox One and Windows 10 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title — buy once and play it on both console and PC.

At the very beginning, we asked ourselves, “Does the world need another shooter?” And our sincere answer was “Yes!” But it needed to be innovative if it was to succeed, and it needed to be damn fun!

Raiders of the Broken Planet is our own take on the shooter genre. While prototyping the cooperative campaign and working on the enemy IA, we put a lot of thought into how the enemy would behave. What was their motivation based on their lore? How would that reflect on the gameplay mechanics? Putting ourselves in the enemy’s mindset, we realized it would be a lot of fan to play the bad guys’ side, and thus The Antagonist figure was born. Raiders became a 4 vs 1 counter-operative game, and that truly made the difference.

Okay, so we had the concept. But then we needed to populate it with an interesting cast of characters. The Raiders themselves had to be iconic, visually stunning and charismatic, adding to the narrative with their unique personalities and aesthetic impact. We are fortunate to count some of the best artists and designers in the business among our team, and the concepts and ideas they came back with were nothing short of mind-blowing.

There was Harec, the Raider’s reluctant leader, a pacifist forced to take arms and seek vengeance against the humans who invaded his planet and slaughtered his people. We also have Alicia, a girl who should have been broken by her past, but who is strong enough to fight back with teeth and nails (and shotguns). Konstantine, a cyborg discarded by his former masters only because he refused to forsake his humanity. And, of course, Lycus; the eternal warrior. Some claim he has taken part on old Earth’s most bloody battles since the XIX Century, but how could that be even possible, unless he has made a pact with some devil? Maybe he just loves war too much, and is too stubborn to die.

Shae, Hans, Mikah, Ginebra… You will soon learn of the rest of the Raiders, their unique abilities, and how they came to join Harec’s colorful band of misfits.

Humankind arrived in force at the Broken Planet in a greed-fueled quest for Aleph, the most powerful energy known in the galaxy that can only be found there. Soon enough, they ravaged the already fragile world and enslaved or butchered its peaceful inhabitants. Raising against the Earthling oppression, Harec is set to recruit a group of mercenaries, defectors and malcontents to form his Raiders and wage a counter-operative war against the invaders. But there’s more to this conflict that meets the eye, as a devilish power seem to be opposing the Raiders, stealing their appearances and seeking to foul their efforts… Who is this mysterious Antagonist and what agenda is it pursuing?

This is the setting for our “4 divided by 1” gameplay concept. Having your games invaded by a living, breathing player whose only purpose is to troll your game and defeat you before you reach mission success adds an unpredictable fun component to your cooperative games. As the Antagonist, you get to experience Raiders of the Broken Planet campaigns from the enemy’s point of view. Cooperative play and tactically choosing the best Raider team and the most optimal build for each character in every mission is at the game’s heart, but every so often it feels so good to play the bad guy under the Uras-Beherit judgement, a dark deep-space demon, and just watch how the Raider’s plans fall apart under your well-laid ambushes and subversive tactics.

So, this is our game. But we want it to be your game too. Raiders of the Broken Planet will continue to grow, as we plan to add a ton of new content, missions and characters over the next weeks and months, and the feedback we gather from the fans will have a direct impact over the game’s future. In the same vein, we have made the compromise to be fair to our audience with our business model. Raiders of the Broken Planet is a Triple A game in look and content, but it is an indie development at its heart. We want as many people as possible to play the game, and then decide how much they want to invest in it.

Raiders’ Prologue, including two lengthy missions, is free to play — and always will be. At the same time as the Prologue goes live on September 22, the first campaign, Alien Myths, will be available for purchase. We have three more campaigns coming out shortly after, Wardog Fury, Hades Betrayal and Council Apocalypse, packed with new missions, characters and weapons that will also be available for purchase.

Thanks for reading and please keep an eye out on the website for more information, or feel free to drop us a line on Twitter and Facebook. We look forward to meeting you at the Broken Planet!

Calling all Real Time Strategy (RTS) fans! You might remember that last month, we announced that Rise of Nations: Extended Edition would be arriving to the Windows Store, for a special price and with features like cross-network play with Steam! That day has come — Rise of Nations: Extended Edition is now available for purchase here. For a limited time, Rise of Nations: Extended Edition will be available in the Windows Store for a promotional price of only $4.99 USD.

As a reminder, Rise of Nations: Extended Edition for Windows 10 includes both the original Rise of Nations game as well as the PC Game of the Year expansion, Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots.

Key gameplay features include:

• Lead one of 24 nations, each with its own distinctive attributes and special units
• Learn to play with six tutorials for beginning to experienced strategy gamers
• Take command over a hundred military units operating on the ground, sea, and air— from Hoplites to Frigates to Helicopters
• Research more than 50 technologies over eight historical epochs
• Build wonders of the world, including the Terra Cotta Army, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower. Each wonder gives your nation special bonuses
• Play a variety of the critically acclaimed Single-Player Conquer the World campaigns including, Alexander the Great, The New World, Napoleon and The Cold War
• Experience more than a dozen map types in single and multiplayer scenarios, ranging from the Amazon Rainforest to the Himalayas to the Nile Delta
• Xbox Live Integration
• Multiplayer with ranked matches (ELO)
• Achievements
• Cloud saves

Enjoy and I hope you have fun!

Hi everyone! For today’s release of Project CARS 2, the team at Slightly Mad Studios would like to share some insights on the process of creating the authentic motorsport experience you’re going to discover in-game, particularly how we got all four seasons of weather into Project CARS 2.

With LiveTrack 3.0, snow, ice, rain, mist, sunshine, and wind all affect the grip and handling of the 180+ cars across every single track in Project CARS 2. With 60 venues and over 140 layouts on four continents, this is the largest track roster to ever feature on consoles, and each track is truly a world of its own, alive in ways that are truly unique.

When it rains in Project CARS 2, the water gets absorbed into the surfaces on and around the race track. Behind the scenes, every track in-game features hundreds of thousands of sensors, each communicating with one another to create a seamless union between what is happening climate-wise, and what is happening on the track grip-wise.

Some surfaces, like dirt and gravel, absorb water better than other, non-porous surfaces such as tarmac. When the rain falls, water will begin to pool on non-porous surfaces and eventually begin to flow down to the lowest point where it will dynamically puddle. Because tracks in-game are created to mirror their real-world counterparts, water will pool at the exact same spots in-game as it would in real life.

Complex dynamics, meanwhile, control drainage, and once the rain has stopped, the track will begin to dry in unique ways. For instance, if you’re racing in the summer, higher temperatures will see the track drying far more quickly, while sections of the track in the shade of trees will take a lot longer to develop a dry-line. The racing line will dry a lot faster as cars deposit rubber, and all of this has major consequences on the driver: overtaking on a drying circuit means having to get offline onto the still-wet part of the track, and deciding when to pit for slicks on a drying track is crucial. Get it wrong and you’ll be slipping-and-sliding your way to the back of the field. Get it right, and you’ll be the hero cutting through the field and sailing off to a win.

The constantly evolving tracks adds a whole new realistic dimension to racing games. Tracks begin their lifecycle on a race weekend in a “green” state until the cars get out and start to deposit rubber down on the racing line. This will improve grip and laptimes. Meanwhile, if a car has an off and then comes back onto the track, they will deposit dirt and gravel, which will affect the grip of the cars coming up behind until the line has been “cleaned”.

This dynamic track evolution brings changeable weather, wind direction and speed, ambient temperature, height above sea level, and time of year along with a myriad of other factors into play every single time you arrive at a race weekend. In the summer, on a clear day, your laptimes will probably be a little quicker than if you come to the same track on a cool autumn morning. Your turbo, meanwhile, will gasp for air at higher elevations. Such is the organic nature of LiveTrack 3.0 that no track will feel the same even during a single race as corners continuously alter the grip of the cars as they respond to the heat, the rubber, and any of the climatic conditions from four seasons of weather.

The greatest challenge for us when incorporating this technology was how to unify the grip-and-handling, the graphical look, and the four seasons of weather. The final result, though, was worth all the hard work.

Xbox is thrilled to announce James Corden, comedian and host of “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” as the next guest to join Xbox Live Sessions. James Corden, and his witty sense of humor, will be sure to entertain viewers as he plays the all-new FIFA 18 on the interactive livestream hosted on the Mixer Xbox Channel on Sunday, September 24 at 12:00 p.m. PDT.

Corden is the third guest to join Xbox Live Sessions, following exciting livestreams by DJ Khaled and Marlon Wayans. Corden, a European football aficionado himself, will play FIFA 18, and thanks to EA Access, give fans a sneak-peek of the game before its release to the public on Friday, September 29. Fans will have the chance to ask him questions throughout the livestream as well as win codes for FIFA 18 and EA Access.

“I’m a massive football fan, so being able to play the all-new FIFA 18 on Xbox One S before the launch thanks to Xbox and EA Access is unreal,” said James Corden.

“Xbox One is the only console with EA Access, which allows fans to play FIFA 18 first starting today and what better way to celebrate that than with James Corden who will undoubtedly entertain fans globally during his Xbox Live Session,” said Aaron Greenberg, GM of Games Marketing at Xbox.

James Corden will also be joined during the Xbox Live Session by special guest host Graeme Boyd, Xbox Live’s Aceybongos.

Fans should continue to be on the lookout for other Xbox Live Sessions announcements with some of the most iconic athletes, actors and musical talent joining soon. And for all of the latest news for gaming on Xbox, keep it tuned to Xbox Wire.

Today, Xbox One owners can kick off a brand new season of the world’s game with EA Sports FIFA 18 ahead of its official launch on September 29 thanks to EA Access. Available exclusively on the Xbox console, EA Access members get FIFA 18 up to five days before anyone else.

Powered by the Frostbite game engine, and fueled by the world’s best player and back-to-back European Cup winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, see for yourself how football has changed. FIFA 18 includes data capture of Real Madrid star’s acceleration, skills, run cadence and shooting technique to bring complete accuracy to his likeness in game. With an all-new animation system, Real Player Motion Technology, FIFA 18 unlocks the next level of responsiveness and player personality, making top players like Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and others feel and move exactly like they do on the real pitch.

Fans on Xbox One will also be the first to experience the return of The Journey, continuing the story of Alex Hunter, who’s back for a second season with the chance to compete at some of the biggest clubs in world football including PSG, FC Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and LA Galaxy. The FIFA 18 Play First Trial will also include ability for you to start building out your Ultimate Team from thousands of players in the most popular mode in FIFA. FIFA Ultimate also introduces FUT Icons, where you can now play with the most iconic legends of football, and experience different stages of their incredible careers through FUT Icons Stories. Plus, during the EA Access Play First Trial, there are more ways than ever to personalise your club in Ultimate Team. Players can unlock the EA Access kit and earn the exclusive Xbox kit through the ‘Let’s Get Started’ Squad Building Challenge.

To celebrate the FIFA 18 Play First Trial on Xbox One, we’re teaming up with Real Madrid to offer fans a once in a lifetime experience. Play FIFA 18 first on Xbox One through EA Access and be entered to win a chance for a trip for 2 VIP packages to the Bernabéu Stadium to attend a Real Madrid match, plus a football clinic with the coaches, along with other prizes including Xbox One S consoles and FIFA 18. Want to increase your chances of winning? Gain a further entry by retweeting the official Xbox FIFA 18 Twitter post. For more information on the official rules, please visit: www.xbox.com/en-US/promotions/Play-It-First

On top of early trials of the latest games, EA Access members also get a 10% discount on EA digital purchases on Xbox One, including FIFA Points, to help you assemble your ultimate team even faster.

Plus, access to The Vault lets members play a growing collection of EA’s best games as much as they want, including Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2 and EA Sports UFC 2.

For all of the latest news about EA Access and FIFA 18, be sure to keep it tuned to Xbox Wire.