NEWS - Thursday, October 27, 2005
Full Auto For Xbox 360 Shifts To February
SEGA of America officially told IGN that Full Auto, the Pseudo Interactive-developed racer-shooter, will now ship in February 2006, removing it from the 2005 launch window. Seeing the 2005 launch with a strategic eye, SEGA told IGN that the early adopters would be more likely to buy a racing game with a familiar license. Both Microsoft, with Project Gotham Racing 3, and Electronic Arts, with Need For Speed Most Wanted, have well established franchises that gamers will buy without thinking too much. Full Auto, in comparison, is a new title. "We wanted to launch with the best possible game," said Bret Blount, PR director for SEGA of America. "With any new franchise, you don't have a second chance to build momentum and make an impression. As with most console launches, publishers will be betting on sequels from established franchises; several of which will be racing games. SEGA is proud to bring two new properties to the Xbox 360, but the strategy by which we bring those games to market is by no means trivial." Pseudo won't be slacking in the meantime. SEGA told IGN The team is tweaking and perfecting the online mode and adding more content to the offline mode. "Pseudo is fine-tuning and adding extra content to the offline mode which would not have been possible in time with the console launch," touted Blount. "We've also outlined an online mode that will give gamers an unparalleled level of competitive multiplayer mayhem. I would drill down, but we've not announced the online components yet. If I said it was just the most destructive racing game, it would be a huge understatement." Making its debut at E3 this past May, Full Auto was one of the few titles that instantly stuck a chord with gamers looking for genuine next-generation looks and gameplay. The fast-paced racing, high frame-rates, shiny, fully destructible vehicles, and infinite amount of destruction put the game on many folks' must-have list right away. But with a delay, will gamers forget about the new franchise? And what kind of position does that put Sega in going into the winter? "Our publishing plans are in great shape: Condemned: Criminal Origins is shipping at launch and Full Auto will be there during the launch window after the installed base has increased and gamers are looking for a racing game that shows off the capabilities of next generation technology," added Blount. "(Plus,) we are the only combat racing game! Regardless of specific launch timing, the unique blend of particle physics, massive destruction, and completive multiplayer features set Full Auto apart from other Xbox 360 games in the genre. On each level of this game, there are 10,000 individual elements, each offering a specific particle physics, awaiting to react to munitions and cars exploding from all angles." We'll have more on Full Auto in the near future.Source: http://xbox360.ign.com/
