More Sim Racing - PS4 - T300 and Project CARS - Sold the Spitfire

So I am back at it.. (sim racing that is) with new equipment and a new title... but more importantly my father and I made the joint decision to sell the Team Sex Pistons Triumph Spitfire LeMons race car. It had been sitting in the garage untouched since December 2013 so it was time. A group of younger more enthusiastic guys bought it and I am glad it will continue to be abused and thrashed as we intended. Not going to get sentimental, but I was a bit sad. We had a lot of fun and that was the point.


Good Bye you awesome British hunk of tin scrap - it was fun while it lasted

With the Spitfire sold, there was some extra cash for sim racing stuff... I have a new wheel stand, a TH8a shifter, and new T3PA-Pro pedals on the way. Once they are all setup I will eventually take some pictures and write proper reviews. For now I have to say Project CARS with the T300 wheel is an absolute blast. It is the most realistic racing title to ever be on a console. - Quick clip of me trying to drive the Formula A (Formula 1) car on the famous Spa track..LINK TO VIDEO

Anyways.. life is good.


Wife and I in Sequoia

The rest of the funds normally spent on racing will go towards travel for my wife and I. We recently took a weekend up at the Sequoia National Park, will be going to visit friends in the Cali Bay Area soon, shortly after a trip to visit some family in Colorado, then a cruise to Alaska. All before October this year. Bonus note from Sequoia - we saw some bears and I took a pretty OK photo of one between freaking out..



More to come later!

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - New game (not a review)

It has been quite some time since I played a Call of Duty game (Black Ops 1), but before then I played them all. The game series just got stale, nothing got better or really different, and my interest was lost. Now on a new console, backed by positive reviews, I decided to throw my free Dell credit down (big spender) and order COD: Advanced Warfare.

So far so good - everything works well, there are new aspects to the game, and it is pretty (1080p 60FPS). Basically they took the old COD recipe and threw in an Exo suit to allow you to move faster, jump higher, carry a shield, go invisible, etc etc.. Hell, they even hired Kevin Spacey to play a main character in the story. Yeah, I actually am playing the single player part of a COD game, go figure.

Now if Destiny will just loosen it's grasp on my interest long enough for me to play the game, I can see what it is really all about then report back. Shit, I still have Metro Redux and some Assasin's Creed game laying around unfinished... Oh well forget them, that is the past and COD AW is now.

Is it 5'o clock yet? I want a beer or three....

Destiny - My review (now that I have completed the raid and I'm almost level 30)

Well honestly I had become completely addicted to this game. Since purchased, it is the only video game that has run on my PS4. I have a level 29 Warlock that has completed the raid on normal winning 2 pieces of raid armor, and a level 26 Titan. For those who don't play the game, that is about 4-5 days (96-120) of play time, or 130 hours at my pace. $60 for that much enjoyment is easily worth the cost 4 times over. This review is based on Destiny as of November 6th 2014, before any later patches or any DLC. It does not include video and only 2 screen shots of my characters because you can find that stuff all over the internet. Hell, I don't even know why I am writing this review as that same point could apply against even making this effort.. oh well here goes anyways.



Straight out lets get to the point, I give the game 9/10. It is awesome, kicks ass, shits rainbows, all of that jazz.. Considering there is no monthly fee for the game (PS+ is required but I had that anyway) there is no other game out there that has given me as much enjoyment for so little money other than Gran Turismo series. There is no reason to say the game isn't great or I would be some kind of video game masochist with over 120 hours of time put into it. The cross between PVE (playing with others against the game) and PVP (playing against other players) has been done so well in Destiny. Bungie, well done sirs... but nothing is perfect.

There are a few things I could say need improvement and they are the same from my original post about the game. Basically improve the community features. Note: this only really matters because otherwise the game is so good, if the game was bad no one would care.

1. Give us the option to use voice chat all over the game, not just in private fire teams.

2. Improve the clan features by showing a clan list in the game and allowing clans to communicate in the game via some sort of clan message board.

3. Give us a better way to find groups for the harder events, Bungie and Activision were completely lazy with this and the player community had to create their own ways. So I have to go on a forum or social media site to communicate. There should be some way to easily find others looking to do the harder parts of the game, in the actual game.

There are also a lot of complaints about the story but meh, it is not really something much of a concern for me, this is one thing I don't mind having to read about using the grimoire cards on the bungie website or cell phone app. Some of it being a mystery is also fun to me. Knowing the full story right away would kinda kill it.

So there you have it... Destiny rules. Hopefully when the DLC comes out in December it will continue and only improve.

Laters, I'm out!

Destiny - The Game - PS4

OK so I lied, one more post before my race.. I picked up a copy of Destiny for the PS4 and it is lots of fun.. stayed up late last night with a few beers and played until I realized I had to be at work in 8 hours. Yes I like it and highly recommend it. I won't do a full review of this game other than a few points because the only way to understand is to play it. Besides, there is way more info out on the interwebs than you need to make up your mind if you will buy it. If you game, more than likely someone you know is playing it right now, so you could also ask them.



My first character is a Exo Warlock because I enjoyed the warlock class the most in the beta. I picked the Exo race because well.. the humans and aliens just look too emo and prissy for my liking (no options for beards WTF?)



The graphics look great and the controls are well designed.. the world(s) are fun to explore. Bungie made this game available on last gen (PS3 & Xbox 360) and current gen (PS4 and Xbox One) consoles. Also if you get the digital copy on last gens console, you have the option to upgrade your copy of Destiny to the same company's current gen console for free. Your account, characters created, and loot all carries over. So don't wait if you are saving up for the new console, get it on the one you have and upgrade later when you get a chance.



If you have not heard about this game then likely A. you are not a gamer (or only play a tight niche on PC) B. you live under a rock, or C. -I am too tired to think of another reason-. You likely have seen an advertisement for this game somewhere and not known what it was. This is based on the fact that $500M was spent by Bungie & Activision on this game, a majority of which was on marketing. Seems well spent as there were so many people talking about it, the hype was huge, and now so many people are playing it.



My only complaints so far: I don't have enough time right now to play as much as I would like, and the in-game communication and community features are lacking. The only way to communicate with people in game is to use the PSN/XBL network messaging system which requires you to switch over the the console interface, be in a private party (also provided by the console's network), or to join in a fireteam (group) with other players in-game so you can use voice chat to talk to them. There are no text chat or area voice chat options provided by the game itself. As for the in game community features, you can join a clan (but that requires going on a computer and using a website) but you can't even see an active clan list in game to join up with your clan mates. You have to use the console's network and add them as a friend anyways.. So all the clan gives you basically is a label. Hopefully Bungie will improve on those limiting features. None of this keeps me from enjoying the game though.

Now back to the cubicle .. (would rather be playing Destiny)

inFAMOUS: Second Son - Review

To start out - I finished my first play through using evil karma with 100% completion and the game is very entertaining. Sucker Punch designed a great game again and this is my short review; good controls, good story, good game, now go play it. You happy?

Oh you want more info.. OK.. Now for the big issue, the gripe, what irritated me through the whole game.. the DAMN main character, Delsin Rowe, is an annoying hipster douche. If the writers intended him to come off that way then bravo! So to go along with that, I could not help myself when I found the "SWAG" store and took a screenshot, very fitting. Now onto the good stuff...









THE POWERS!! they are as fun as the last two inFAMOUS games and now with the higher specs of the PS4 they look even better. Sucker Punch has thrown in a photo mode to compliment the Playstation share function so you can enjoy every part and show it off. Blow stuff up, move fast, run up walls, snipe out yellow umbrellas.. there is so much to enjoy.









The recipe for Second Son has not changed much from the past two inFAMOUS games. Collect shards to increase your powers which you then use to get around and battle a military style group who is constantly after you. Gain new powers, collect shards to improve them, fight more enemies, rinse, wash, and repeat. This all works very well though.. just as you get comfortable with a power you can gain a new one and continue to enjoy.





There are also other side missions to keep you busy, the example above is tagging or street art missions. You find them, clear the enemies from the area, then use your controller to paint in the stencil. Basic but the artwork can be amusing. Other side missions include (but are not limited to) chasing down secret agents, destroying hidden cameras, handling protesters, and district showdowns. None of which are needed to complete the game, but they are part of the experience and I highly recommend doing them all.







Sucker Punch has turned the city of Seattle into an absolutely stunning playground, and tells you a pretty decent story to go along with all your evil doing.. (or if you choose Good Karma, your heroic acts). They have really set a high standard for what people should expect from the latest consoles and games in general. Yes, I said I would take videos.. I did.. and meh.. there are so many out there, I figured it not worth my time, just go to youtube. Maybe I will make one for my next review, but no promises. Besides, I do my best to not include any spoilers and videos can quickly ruin that.



If you own a Playstation 4 and haven't played this game then go get it. The discounted used prices you can pick it up for make it an absolute bargain for the number of hours of entertainment, more so if you play through twice to complete both good and evil karma. If you don't own a PS4 then sorry you wont be able to experience this game.. so switch to cheaper beer or stop eating out so much, because you need one so you can go grab a six pack and play this game.

Picked up Metro Redux for PS4

So another HD remaster of a past game (for this example two games), but is it worth the $50 price tag? That has been the main question for those who already have played these titles. As for myself, having not played Metro: 2033 and only just starting Metro: Last Light on PS3, this will be a new experience. 4A games has done a graphical revamp of both Metro games so they run at 1080p 60fps on Playstation 4 and are said to hold their own visually against any modern shooter available today.



I have only scratched the surface of the game, but already I am highly impressed with the graphics, solid controls (once adjusted), and game play of 2033 Redux. You are given the option to choose different levels of difficulty and play style, and even though I chose the non-hardcore spartan route, the game is still difficult and I have died a few times. Combined with a constant feeling of fear brought on by the dark eerie environment and music, the difficulty helps with the games immersion into a dark world the original author of Metro 2033 likely intended.





There are moments when you can see old textures and can tell you are playing a remastered game (somewhat noticeable in the next two screenshots), but it really doesn't take away much.





Most of the graphics are well done with the smooth 60FPS game play that blows you away with deep environments, detailed character models, and sophisticated lighting seen bellow.





Hopefully the game holds my attention and will be money well spent. If the beginning is any indication of how both full games are, then that should not be a problem. If you are interested, head over to a Best Buy (or go online) as they will include a $10 gift card free with the purchase of Metro Redux. That brings the cost from $50 down to $40, assuming you make good use of the gift card. Best Buy is also holding a 50% bonus for game trade ins so if you have any games laying around you don't play it maybe a good time to take advantage. These deals end in a few days on 08/30/2014.



If I finish each of the Metro Redux games I will give them a proper review, but this could be awhile. I am currently in the middle of inFAMOUS: Second Son and the hugely anticipated title Destiny is just around the corner. So many games, so little time....

Picked up inFAMOUS: Second Son

Recently got myself a used copy of the popular Playstation 4 game inFAMOUS: Second Son and so far the game is a blast (get it?). A used copy of this game works fine as there is no online pass or any other benefit for buying it new that I know of. So thanks to Walmart for selling used games now and supplying me a copy for only $32.



With such great graphics, it has sparked my interest in the screenshot & video share function available on the PS4. The screenshot above was taken and uploaded with the press of a button while playing. Too bad they only allow direct upload sharing to Facebook and Twitter as I would like to directly upload to google+.



Having already played inFAMOUS 1 & 2 on PS3, getting used to the controls took no time at all and the powers already obtained in just a short period of time are pretty amazing.

Will collect screenshots and video and write up a proper review once I have completed my first play through.. if you played an inFAMOUS game before you know it is best played twice, once with evil karma and once with good karma. I started with evil so my review will be based on that.... now back to the cubicle....

Killzone: Shadow Fall - A quick and dirty review.

I recently picked up Killzone: Shadow Fall which is a First Person Shooter (FPS) for the Playstation 4. The story continues a few decades after Killzone 3 with the ISA (Humans) allowing the Helghast (Human descendant alien types) to live on their planet now that theirs is no longer habitable. This leads to a cold war and you follow the two main characters of the opposing races as they face escalation and possible annihilation. The campaign is roughly 10 hours long (for me anyways) on the normal difficulty, and never drags or becomes frustrating. A more avid FPS fan should play it on hard to get the most from it but I am not that dedicated and lean a bit casual with FPS games so normal gave me the right amount of challenge.

Basics - you shoot and kill humanoids, blow stuff up, and try not to die. The feature that make this game a little bit different is the addition of a multi use flying drone which shoots, shocks/stuns, hacks, provides a mobile zip-line, creates temporary cover, and can revive you. A nice element that adds a little more depth to the already crowded FPS genre.

I did not buy any of the extra content, but have and continue to still play a bit of the multiplayer which is also fun and adds value to the purchase. There are plenty of different modes and enough character customization to please almost all multiplayer shooter fans.

This game has been out for about 9 months.. so yeah this review is a bit late but is is still a good buy. You can find it well under the release price of $59.99. Lucky for me a friend told me when Best Buy had dropped the price to $20 new which was a no-brainer purchase for my first PS4 game.

Killzone: Shadow Fall is a great looking, well designed, and most importantly a fun to play first person shooter for PS4. So if you have not played it yet trade in some games, sell some blood, or do whatever it is you do to raise video game and beer money.. then buy it, grab some of your favorite beer (or cheap beer), and enjoy.

"Firs" official Gran Turismo App is released but not for Android...

Oh Polyphony Digital, why must you continue this way? "Firs" of all, you have a larger fan base that owns Android devices than iOS, yet you officially stated an android version is not in the making in the notes section on the bottom of your web page. "There is currently no plan to release an Android version of the app" (Source Gran-Turismo.com ). Second, you advertise this Apple App on Facebook with a banner containing an obvious spelling error, twice. Did anyone even look at the image before it was posted the first time let alone the second?

You continue to put out huge patches and updates to GT6 that mostly contain HD videos that hardly anyone cares about and would rather just watch on a stream online and not waste their PS3 hard drive space with. Important features advertised when the game was released nearly 8 months ago are still missing. Also one of the most entertaining, not to mention popular, online modes from GT5 you did not even bother to include in GT6 (Shuffle).

GT7 is already in the works, but you have not proven you deserve any positive attention..

Exciting F1 race in Hungary and I got a PS4...

Getting ahead of myself - I found a deal on a PS4 console that came with a controller, a game, 3 months PSN, and a $100 gift card for $450. Which is basically a savings of $115. Since I was going to get one before the end of the year anyways, I decided to take advantage of this deal. The game that came with it was MLB 14 - The Show, but I have no interest in baseball games so I traded it in for Killzone: Shadow Fall and a $10 gift card. Sadly there are no racing sims out for this console yet nor quality wheels that are fully supported. The first force feedback PS4 supported wheel (Thrustmaster T300 RS) is coming soon, and the first racing sim (Project CARS) is coming in November. In spite of the lacking conent, I have had a lot of fun over the past few days playing on the PS4 with the free to play games, the PS+ free games, and Killzone: Shadow Fall. One of the best features of this system is the ability to remote into the system using my PS Vita handheld console. So when my wife is watching TV, I can still game on the PS4 using the handheld screen which Sony calls remote play.

And onto the F1 race... I have to say 'Wow what a race!' The last 10 laps were what racing is all about. Three different teams battling it out for the top positions, a huge fight to the podium from starting in the pits by Hamilton... Daniel Ricciardo's second win, and even some rain.. Sure I am currently favoring Williams but I will always rather have a race like that over having my favorites do well. The people who say open wheel racing is boring need to watch that race and rethink their ideas of what open wheel circuit racing can be like. For the official F1 race report go HERE. As for now, F1 is on their summer break and won't return until August 22-24 at Spa. Hopefully we will see some more great racing and some better results from Williams.

And for me... I will have to continue getting my racing fix on the old ps3 with Grid Autosport, WRC 4, and Gran Turismo 6.. that is, if I don't keep turning on the PS4.

Playstation Gold Wireless Headset - Review (help racing games sound better)

So with a majority of my time playing racing games occurring during late night hours or early morning before work, I am required to wear headphones. With the lack of a headphone port on our TV, I was left rigging something up to get sound from my PS3 to a pair of headpones. The set up I have been using for quite awhile now has been OK at best.



These ragged old headphones powered by a $10 headphone amp (that lacks EQ adjustments)connected to the RCA audio out on the ps3, has served me well. Sadly I knew the flat neutral sound achieved from this setup was always lacking bass and trebble. Having used the headphones for music through my MAC I knew they could sound better and that the configuration was the problem. I also was left without a way to voice chat with other online racers... Sure I had the old ps3 camera that has a mic, but it picks up every little sound in the room, leading others understandably to mute me.



Then while searching online for PS4 console deals (will be upgrading soon to a PS4 and looking forward to ProjectCars) I came across a sale on the Playstation Gold Wireless Headset. Normally priced at $99, they were going for $69 on Groupon... so I figured it was worth a shot. Once they finally arrived and I got them charged up, I was really glad I made the purchase.

The most important part - The sound quality - it is really good for gaming. There is plenty of bass and everything comes in clear. The sounds in Grid Autosport are so much more intense. Deep throaty motors, wheels screaming, and blasting backfires... really all the sound for me is improved. I am also currently playing the Destiny Beta and it also sounds great. I tried messing with the different sound profiles you can load through the ps3/ps4 companion app (to do so you must directly connect the headset to the console with the USB cable - which the instructions fail to mention), but I found using the plain "Bass Boost" profile worked best. When trying to set the EQ myself I over did the bass and could hear distortion, and really the other sound profiles did not sound any better to me. There is a basic switch for off, 1 (flat standard EQ), and 2 (bass boost by default or the profile you uploaded from the app). There is also a built in virtual surround sound (VSS), which is on by default, but I suggest you turn it off because the sound looses depth and bass. Unless you are playing an online shooter where you want the exaggerated highs to hear the location of other players around you the sound quality diminishes with VSS on in my opinion. Give it a shot though, you may like it, and VSS is easily turned on and off by simply holding a button down on the headset for a couple seconds.

They are actually very comfortable and wireless!... once I got them fitted over my large ears, I was able to play for hours with no comfort issues. I must have played for at least 3 hours strait. They are also much better for the organisation of our entertainment center. No longer do I have the headphones, the amp, and the extra RCA cables connected to the console. The only cable needed is for charging which I hook up to the back of our Wii console. The whole setup is much cleaner looking with less clutter.

The battery life is long enough for me.. Considering I used them for multiple hours and the charge meter still showed 1/2 full, I would say that the battery lasts plenty long. Just make sure after each use you hook them up to a charging source. I have read they can also be used while charging, but I would rather not have to figure a way to do that. Thankfully the Wii always has power to it's USB ports even while off, which I have been using to charge my PS3 controllers already anyway. I am sure any generic cell phone wall adapter would work as well considering most are in the 500-1200ma range.

The mic quality is good so far..No one has said anything about the sound of my voice being weird, and that used to happen all the time when I used the USB camera/mic. When I tested my voice using the console accessory settings, it sounded fine to me. Also there is a control to adjust the volume of game sounds vs chat. So if you are not very concerned with hearing everything spoken you can fade the chat out a little, or if playing in a team based game (like Destiny) you can have the chat sound level come in a bit louder so you never miss a word. Another mic related feature of this headset is Sidetone which allows you to hear yourself talk. This works by taking sound from the mic and directly playing it back to the headset in real time so you don't naturally start talking loud to hear yourself. The idea is to recover the lost sound of your voice caused by heaving your ears covered by the headphones. I found it effective and a welcome feature but it does introduce a slight static noise. So when you are not chatting just hit the mute button and the static will be gone.

Compatibility...The Playstation Gold Wireless Headset works on PS3, PS4, (and with a driver install) MAC and PC. So these can be purchased to use on your computer as well for video chatting and gaming there. Bonus for me, they are compatible with PS4 so I will be set when I upgrade. One thing is, you will need a PS3 or PS4 if you want to change the EQ or load a sound profile as the app has not been released for MAC or Windows.

A few minor complaints...
Having to use the USB dongle.. this is more a complaint about the PS3 and PS4 consoles, the newest ones only have 2 USB ports.. so space is limited. When using items like headphones and wheels, you do not want to split off too many USB ports as the signal quality can be compromised. Though there are good USB hubs out there that could handle it no problem, I would just rather not bother. Plus if you lose the dongle, the headset becomes almost worthless, so I just keep it plugged into my console.

The profiles in the companion app don't explain much.. they don't show you what their EQ setting is, otherwise you could use them as a starting point and adjust from there. They also do not reference the VSS and if the profile is intended to be used with it. With VSS on, the EQ settings should be different, at least I would think so. Like I said before, with VSS on there is less bass with exaggerated treble and that could be because I am using the wrong profile perhaps? After about 3 different profiles and 1 failed attempt at a custom setting, I uploaded the bass boost standard that was the default for position 2 on the switch. So if you don't want to play with the companion app, you can just set the switch to 2, turn off VSS, and forget it.

The included USB cable is, for the lack of better words, stupid short! This was the first thing I changed out.. even to use it for a charge cable you must have the headset right next to the USB port. Not sure how such a short cable really saved Sony any money.. but this is not a major problem as micro USB cables can be found cheap and likely, if you have been using android phones, you have an extra one lying around.

Overall, Sony has produced a good quality headset at a competitive price point. Soon there will be more sound profiles for games and custom side plates to change the look if you so desire. So if you are looking for a new headset for your PS3 or PS4 be sure to take a look at the Playstation Gold Wireless Headset.

Grid Autosport Review (PS3) - 7/15/2014

Now that I have been playing for a week, it was time to give the game a proper review. I won't be getting into any type of story telling, but this game is fun online and off because out right, Codemasters did well on Grid Autosport. There are no pictures or video in my review, you can find plenty of that on the interwebs.

Pros:
Lots of cars and different classes - there are plenty of different cars (even a classic mini) and with recently announced DLC there are more on the way. Plenty of content to enjoy offline in single player, and if you want to jump right in to online racing, loaner cars are available in all classes and car types, so you are never left out.

Lots of different tracks - Circuits (with different routes)and City courses (not my favorite but still fun) all well designed. Looks like there might be drag strips with future DLC.

Great AI - these guys are fast and fun to race against with adjustable difficulty. OK sometimes they can get a bit crazy and rough but that is better than dull lifeless AI (::cough:: GT6 ::cough::) So the offline career is great fun.

Having Practice - that you can also skip or use all of it, and it has a time limit so you don't spend too long. Gives you long enough to tune your car, change options, and get a feel for the track if it is new to you.

Having Qualifying - This is good, being able to run a few hard laps and improve your starting position, and get an idea of how fast or slow you are vs the AI.

The sound - The engines sound good, the voice over is good, the tire noises are good. Well done except for when the sound glitches. Does not happen very often but sometimes the motor sound is completely gone for a full race.

Different view options - Having all the different driver views is always good, and this game takes it one step further allowing you to remove the steering wheel animation in the game. Why do you want to see your hand and gaming wheel and then another set on the display? I find that distracting and has always led me to use a different camera view. Well done!

Race Clubs - Not into creating your own livery? Want an easy way to find like minded races to race with? Then these race clubs are for you. You can check who is online racing and join them easily.

Racenet - This is not new for this game or managed by it either. It is a website based tool. The support Codemasters has added for Grid Autosport is very nice. It adds a weekly set of challenges to earn money and xp. Also you can compare yourself in online leader boards, check race club info, and review stats. Racenet is also the tool used to apply for and join those race clubs.

Custom Liveries - Though the customization is no where near the levels of Forza, this is still a nice feature. It allows you to change how your car looks and elect different sponsors for rewards. If you manage a race clubs you can create one for it as well, but players have the choice to use the clubs or their own on any car in their garage.

Wheel Support - Lots of different wheels are supported and the DFGT (which I have) works great. At first I did not like the force feedback but once I got my settings dialed in and got the feel for the game, I really like the way it feels and responds to what the car is doing.

Cons: Take in mind, none of these out weigh the pros..

No working mirrors - My biggest issue with the game - The mirrors don't show cars.. and when you use the bonnet cam there is not even a virtual mirror.. Really? mirrors in racing games are basic and should be a given. Codemasters really dropped the ball on this one. It wouldn't be all so bad if the indicator letting you know a car was close by worked really well, but it does not. I often find out a car is there because I turn in on it or it bumps me. - They plan to update this for the PC version and add working mirrors and a virtual mirror - I really hope this comes to PS3 as well. Update - an employee of Codemasters who frequents the GTPlanet forums has stated they will not be adding mirrors to the PS3 or Xbox360 version.. BUMMER!

No text chat while online - This is a.. well yeah it is also a bummer. I often play online late at night wearing headphones and don't want to talk as my voice carries. Shhhhhh... the wife is sleeping. Consoles can use keyboards and have chat pads.. people like to text chat so why not let them?

No wall or board for race clubs to communicate on - so just like the lack of text chat.. you have to go in game and put on a mic to communicate with your race club unless they have a forum. This is why I joined the GTPlanet race club as they have a very active forum for all popular racing games.

Limited garage space for cars purchased for online racing - No idea why Codemasters did this... you can add more slots by buying them but I do believe the max number of spaces is less than the total number of cars possible to own. Not that I will get that deep into it but there are those out there that will and why limit your biggest fans?

No shift light - Not sure why this is left our either. Shift lights are simple to program, considering they already have a tachometer, and take little to no resources. Since there are a lot of different cars with different RPM ranges and sounds, having that simple indicator light that comes on when you are at the ideal shift point for straight line full throttle acceleration helps. If you watch any real life motorsports or participate in any, you will see them in all different forms.

Conclusion - Well it is really early in the games life, but I can say Codemasters has done a good job creating a fun challenging racing game, with good visuals, and sound. All this will keep racing game fans happily busy for quite some time. I just really wish they would add working mirrors to the ps3 version, when basics like that are missing I am not likely to fork over more money for DLC or pre-order their next racing game. Grid Autosport is still worth the $50 it cost at launch and fans will get their money's worth for sure. Anyways, I don't have any type of rating system but will tell you to go buy it, grab a beer 6 pack (if you are old enough) and enjoy!

Picked up Grid Autosport for PS3 - Updated July 15th, 2014

Now that the wedding and honeymoon are over (which were awesome FYI).. there is more free time for car stuff, including racing games. I got my copy of Grid Autosport for PS3 and have put in a couple hours and it is good fun so far. The graphics are a bit dated but OK for the 8 year old console, the physics are more arcade like than I prefer (not as good as GT6), but the AI drivers (the in game drivers you race against) are fast and competitive which is a breath of fresh air coming from over half a year of GT6 which has the most boring AI drivers in any modern racing game I have played. Also the engine sounds are very good! (Also much better than GT6 where most cars sound like a vacuum)

Like other Codemasters games I have played in the past, it took a bit to get the wheel settings to feel right but the following seems OK for PS3 using a DFGT wheel with the touring cars and street cars (have not tried open wheel or drifting yet)...

Force feedback = On
Vibration strength = 60%
Wheel strength = 100%
Wheel weight = 70%

Steering deadzone = 0%
Steering saturation = 100%
Steering Linearity = +5
Throttle Deadzone = 0%
Throttle saturation = 100%
Brake Deadzone = 0%
Brake Saturation = 100%
Interior wheel = off
Multi-Turn = On

The way I came to these settings - I first had multi-turn off and it seemed a bit too touchy then I turned it on and it was not nearly sensitive enough. So using my awesome brain, I figured that a saturation of 50% of 900 deg would be 450 deg .. then fine tuned with +2 steering linearity. I will likely try lowering the wheel weight and fine tune the steering linearity and steering saturation a bit more while trying out the other car types, but for anyone looking for a starting point give those a shot.

Once I get more time in the game I might write more of a review, but so far so good. Can't wait to get more time on it.

Look for me playing online soon PSN = SoCaLLbeer

- Update - I have changed my wheel settings as I have found the sweet spot for me. Having the saturation so low (45%) seemed to be limiting the FFB response, so I upped the wheel saturation (65%) and increased the steering linearity to +4 to get the sensitivity correct. The game is still tons of fun, started doing the online Racenet challenges and progressed a little further in single player career with touring cars. Now that I am used to the control feel and learning the tracks, it just keeps getting better.

- Update - 2 - I have changed my wheel settings again. Increasing the wheel saturation all the way to 100% is giving me the best feel - I am not going any faster but it is more enjoyable. Been playing online more and find that I am generally slow... bottom of the leader boards for my racing clubs and generally finishing in the back of the pack. Oh well.. it is still very fun.

My DIY, budget, portable, sim racing set up. Yes, this is a full geeked out post about gaming.

To lay it out in short, this blog post is about my home sim racing (race car gaming) setup. I wanted to show and explain that it does not have to cost a lot (about $400), have to take up a ton of space, nor require the best equipment to own a fun and functional home sim racing setup. If you have no interest in car racing games, then you can just skim through the pictures and maybe watch the video at the end then move on.. cause that is all this post is about. Before we get started, not one of these mods, components, or ideas did I come up with on my own. So get that straight, I am not claiming to have come up with any of this on my own. I just copied what other, more intuitive, gamers came up with and found what works best for me. This is about my full set up as a whole.



Starting with the basics.. I play on a Playstation 3. Not some expensive home built PC gaming rig or even a new PS4 (Don't get me wrong someday I will upgrade to a PS4 or build a nice PC). It is an old PS3 and you can get one of these things for very cheap now.. $200 brand new with a couple games or buy one used somewhere for less. The racing games on this system play at 720p basically (except for Gran Turismo 5 & 6 which is some scaled version of 1080 that is not exactly 1080p). Not quite full HD but trust me it is good enough. The games that I play currently are Gran Turismo 6 and WRC 4 but I also have F1 2011 and Dirt 3. Another good game series for this system is Need for Speed Shift, but I have not tried that yet. WRC 4 is my favorite.. rally is just more fun to me, but everything else is fun shit too. Now, on to the components...



The first and most obvious, the wheel. This is a very important choice for sim racing. There are many different models and brands. What I wanted was force feed back (Wheel pushes back as you drive like a real car), it would work on PS3 & PC, and it did not break the bank. I chose the Logitech Driving Force GT wheel and pedal set (DFGT for short) seen above. They retail for about $149.99, but can be found used for as low as $50, or in my case new but dented box for $99. This wheel is great for the cost, full featured, and 900 degree steering lock (which means it turns around a full turn in each direction like a real car). Biggest weak point on this wheel is the cheap, low resistance, no feel, brake pedal that really should be improved. I will go into the simple ways I improved the brake feel on mine later. First I will start out with an improvement for the wheel that I also consider a component because well, I paid for it.



This component has to do with the second major short coming on the DFGT, which is the tiny shift buttons on the back of the wheel. They can be easily missed when making sharp or quick erratic turns like when drifting or rally racing for exmaple. I tried using the sequential stick on the right of the wheel, which works fine on its own, but then I would be missing my handbrake which is key for rally. I tried different button combos, considered different modding options, even stopped playing WRC 4 until while surfing for DIY mods and sim racing sites, I came across Gran TurGismo. This guy makes these sweet dynamic shifter paddles that work wonders. The sample bellow are the real carbon fiber ones, but I opted for the hard plastic ones with red carbon decals. No bother to me though, the quality and operation are the same plus they cost less.



The kit comes with everything you need and no tools are required. They are held on with some industrial adhesive strips, and as far as I can tell, wont come loose. They feel screwed on to me, but if they ever even slightly come loose, I will drill holes in my wheel and screw them on with the pre-drilled holes, I like them that much. The specific model I have are the latest DPS-200s which are adjustable allowing me to make more room for my fat fingers. These things have been out for years, have been through some serious testing, improved over time, and are just rad... They look sweet, and I highly recommend anyone with a DFGT to seriously consider buying yourself a pair. These shifter paddles where the last addition to my rig and made it feel complete and more enjoyable. I almost dropped the cash to upgrade to a Logitech G27 which costs $250, so he basically saved me over $200 with this product. He even makes cool carbon fiber decals for the DFGT wheels, which I have installed on mine.



Another very important part to a sim racing set up is where and how to mount the wheel. If you have a nice solid desk and play from there, well then you're set. I used to have a wood desk that I set up on and it worked great. Then I hooked up with this great girl, one thing led to another, blah blah blah.. the desk is gone and I live with her. Now that I am not living in a bachelor pad, I had to figure out a way to set this stuff up and be able to store it away. I looked online and saw many creative ways to make a setup, and even more costly purpose built ones. It took many hours searching the net until I came across a guy who found a decent priced solution that required very little modification. A RIDGID Flip Top Portable Work Support. These things range from $20-$30 at hardware stores, are very strong and fold up nicely. There were a few quick and dirty modifications I needed to make to this stand that I will get into later.



Since I often like to play late at night while others are sleeping, I needed a quick cheap way to hook headphones up to my PS3. The volume strait out of the PS3 and the audio out on our TV was just not loud enough. I also messed with a pair of wireless headphones, but they seemed to get interference from the electronics, like the wheel, the PS3's blue tooth, wifi, and who knows what else. So I found myself a headphone amp online for $13.



To get it hooked up to my console and my headphones, it required a couple adapters as the input and outputs are 1/4" stereo jacks.



The PS3 has the ability to broadcast sound out of both the HDMI and the standard audio cables it came with. So I leave the HDMI connected to my TV and connect the standard RCA audio out to an RCA to 1/4" stereo adapter allowing connection to the headphone amp. During the day I just use the TV speakers and at night, I turn the volume down on the TV and use headphones without any loss of sound quality.



Just use some good quality headphones and you're all set.. let's see.. what is left. Oh this is also kind of important. My chair.. yeah so a real laid back racing seat would be really sweet huh? Well, like I said before, I don't have the room for it. So I found myself a very comfortable and stable fold up chair at CostCo for $14..



So what am I looking at here.. $200 for the console, $100 for the wheel, $30 for the shifter paddles, $25 for the stand, and $14 for the chair... lets just call it $400. Get a couple used games and your at a total around $450 (including taxes). This is assuming you already have a TV to setup in front of. Alright, now onto a little DIY modding needed to get this all to work like I wanted..



As you can see the stand has a weight hanging from it and the height adjustment bar is no longer sticking out the bottom. I just fond that the stand needed a little extra weight to feel solid, and hanging a weight off the top bar to the front legs worked the best for me. Naturally I push forward on the wheel and don't pull back much. So hanging the weight in this manor kept it out of the way and is the easiest to remove for storage. This I find is the most ghetto part of my setup. Oh well though, it works. It is a 8lb plastic weight, a rubber bungee cord, and an old belt. Things I had laying around. As for the height adjustment bar.. I just used a saw and cut the extra length off. No need for that thing to go 6FT high and having the extra bit sticking down would get in the way. The pedals rest against the rear leg bar and the rear down bar goes in between the two pedals. Since I started out racing go-karts as a kid, braking with my left foot is natural to me, and so I use my left foot for the brakes.





Since this stand was originally designed to have a free moving top with only a single pin to hold it flat, it was not very solid. So I took the bolts out and used rubber and metal washers to fill the open space between the stand holes, and the table top's holes on the bolt. That way when I tightened them back down it was snug. With the pin out, it takes a good amount of force to fold the top down, so with the pin in place it is very solid. So that is the stand.. not as pretty as a purpose built play seat, but does the trick. I plan to upgrade it a little more as the seating position represents more of a mini van than a sports car.. being that the pedals are not very far back from the wheel. My idea to fix this is to bolt an extension on the top to allow the wheel to be closer to the driver. Also to put something under the stand legs where the pedals are raising that end of the stand and angling the pedals more naturally. This would also add weight and pressure on the stand increasing stability. But it works so well as is, so I am not in a huge hurry to get it done. The video at the end of this blog shows how well this stand works.





Now on to the pedals.. Out of the box these things need some work. They are almost exactly the same ones that came with the older Logitech Driving Force Pro wheel. People have been complaining to Logitech about the crummy brake pedal for years.. yet it is what it is. There is a spring on the pedals, but the resistance is basically only enough to push the pedal back to the top. Some people even report it struggles to do that. So as you can see in the picture above there is a piece of green foam behind the brake pedal, plus there is also a small piece behind the gas pedal. The foam is there to add a gushy resistance that increases the further you push the pedal down. There are other things people use, one of the more popular is a Squash Ball, but I had foam laying around. I cut foam in different shapes and found what worked best. I found that a 90° triangle wedge cut out of the wider green foam with about 2 inches of flat space on top does the trick. It does not have to be perfect. If you need to see an example this video is where I got the idea from Video Link Foam Rubber Wedge .



Now if you want to get an even better feel.. you should add more resistance by either modifying the spring or using bungee cords. I did not like the bungee cord idea as they bound up on me, others really like it so try it yourself. I chose to open up the pedal box and modify the spring. Once I got it open, I found I did not have the right tools in my apartment to open up the spring to create more resistance. So I found the idea seen above and went that route. If you need instructions on how to unscrew and open up the pedal box you can search online. If you are the type that works on electronics, RC cars, or anything of that sort then jump right in it is pretty easy. Just take a few pictures of the inside once it is open, and carefully work the pedals to see how it operates in case it comes apart on you, that way it is easy to get back together. If you are not sure there are pages after pages of instructions online. Just google search driving force brake pedal mods or DFGT brake pedal fix or anything of that sort.



I did not have any fuel hose or rubber tubing on hand, but what I did have was a box of vacuum caps that can be purchased for a few dollars at any auto parts store. I just cut the closed end of the caps off on the smallest ones and slipped it over both ends of the brake spring. This helps the spring fit tight and make it thicker, both add more resistance. I put it back together and liked the results but wanted a bit more.. So I opened it back up and slipped the next size of vacuum caps over the ones already on the spring on each end, then added a third to the end that does not rest inside the brake pedal arm. This end is held by the bottom plate of the pedal box, so you could even just glue rubber to the location the spring rests on the bottom plate and get the same affect. This gave me a great feel combined with the foam. I did not modify the gas pedal spring, but if I open them up again, I will likely just put the smallest vacuum cap on the end of the spring that rests inside the pedal arm. This would give it a snug fit and better feeling when first pressing the pedal.





Portability.. This is one of the best features of my set up. This thing folds down in a couple mins and can be put under the bed, in a closet, or even put in a car to transport to be played elsewhere. I also own a 24" LCD monitor that has audio out so I can set it up anywhere there is power. I have used it with my xbox 360 and the crummy xbox force feedback wireless racing wheel (discontinued) to play Forza 4. Only so my LeMons racing team can practice Sonoma Raceway which has been missing from the Gran Turismo series for sometime. Forza 4 is a great game, but the wheel options for Xbox 360 are terrible except for the costly ones. This is why I only play racing games on the PS3 and my xbox is collecting dust. To connect the xbox wheel to the stand, I had to use a book as a spacer.. the clamp on it is functional at best and poorly designed.



Well that is pretty much it.. not much to it. Here is a crummy video I made to show off how well it works with the addition of the Gran TurGismo shifter paddles. Enjoy!