The tracks are all actual race tracks you’d see in real life – no tearing down back roads or through Harajuku. The cars are all standard race models or street variants of some of the finest racing cars made in the last ten years. Even the oldest car models in the game – a sweet 80s BMW and an Aston-Martin DV… something or other – are totally realistic from the body detail to the sound of the engine (both inside and outside the car).

And gameplay is totally not what I expected. There isn’t much to driving in video games – forward, back, faster, more faster. The key to winning in a racing game is driving the fastest car faster than the other guys. But in RACE Pro, the idea is to drive like a pro to win the race. On single tracks, there’s a static line that shows you how a professional racer would take a track (instead of an adaptive line that follows your own personal best). And in 16 car races, there’s none of this un-sportsman-like ramming and nudging that’s common in other racing games.

RACE Pro is more like a racing sim than a racing game, really. And because it has its roots in PC gaming, don’t expect to button mash your way to victory; you’ve actually got to open up the in-depth control modification menu and tweak the 360 controls so that they work with the nuances of each car for the best possible handling. And don’t run into walls.

You start out with small contracts – like minis and lesser-than-Ferraris – and work your way up to the bigger contracts by placing well in races. You don’t own the cars, mind you; you just earn the right to race them. And thanks to that performance balancing, it’s possible for you to have your own favorite car and not have to gravitate towards some other car so you have a hope in hell of winning in online multiplayer for 12.

I like Audis myself, because they look like little eggs and accelerate like bats out of hell. So I picked out a racing model and tried out a single track. It’s still early days for the game’s development cycle, so the graphics and collision weren’t all there – but it definitely felt real to me, even more so when I went into the front seat view where all the dashboard features and steering wheel details are spot-on.

I actually felt bad for wrecking cars in this game. Because not only do the cars look so good as to make me want to keep them shiny – the consequences for wrecking your car are severe. It’s not like other games where you get a wicked-looking damage model and maybe you go a little slower while smoke pours out from under the hood. In RACE Pro, I slammed into a brick wall and broke my steering column. For the rest of that track, I couldn’t really steer anymore and the car kept desperately listing to the left. Eventually, I ran over a curb and did something that screwed up my transmission such that the Audi couldn’t even accelerate anymore and I had to quit out.

I’m not going lie – this isn’t a game for casual types or Mario Kart devotees. It’s multiplayer-friendly, though, so if you know a guy who’s into racing like nobody’s business, you’ll have no problems playing with him. Especially since single system multiplayer is a turn-taking time attack instead of split-screen, (which I’ve always found to be less friendship-wreckingly competitive). And if you are that guy that’s into racing, I’ve honestly never seen a better console game for you (at least one that didn’t have a gimmick to trick you into racing).

Atari Revs its Engines With the Ultra Realistic Racing Experience 'RACE Pro'

Nothing Gets Closer to the Real Thrill of the Race Track on Xbox 360 this Fall 2008

NEW YORK, July 11: Atari (OTC Pink Sheets: ATAR) is revving it up with the announcement of the ultra realistic racing video game RACE Pro, scheduled to speed into stores this fall 2008 exclusively for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Developed by renowned award-winning game developer SimBin, a leading creator of PC racing simulators, RACE Pro brings SimBin's formidable skill and know-how to Xbox 360 for the very first time this fall.

RACE Pro recreates a breathtaking reality giving gamers the ultimate racing simulation experience, all powered by Lizard, SimBin's own physics engine. With precision physics and handling, racers will feel every bend and burst of acceleration along with every emotion from pre-race tension in the pit lanes to the exhilaration of capturing the checker flag. RACE Pro provides unrivalled realism and deep immersion into the racing world through ultra realistic car models and official FIA championships and tracks. Putting players in the driving seats of their simulated racing careers, racers will have the opportunity to work their way up the leader boards through intense training and winning key races. RACE Pro has something for everyone, allowing players of all levels to pick up and play, while offering challenging tracks and advanced modes for the more experienced players.

RACE Pro offers a wealth of cars ranging from 200 to over 1000 horse power, as well as a host of championships including WTCC (World Touring Car Championship), Formula 3000 and Formula BMW. GT cars from manufacturers including Aston Martin and Saleen take their place on the grid as well as production cars such as the Audi R8 and Dodge Viper SRT10. In addition, RACE Pro is exclusively bringing all the WTCC cars from manufacturers Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet and Seat to Xbox 360 for the very first time. For a blast of accessible fun, the Mini Cooper Challenge invites players of all abilities to take the wheel.

Gamers and racing fans alike will experience the thrill of racing these powerful cars on 13 real life tracks covering all continents, of which Macau, Porto and Pau are exclusive to RACE Pro, and US tracks Laguna Seca and Road America are brand new to SimBin fans.

"With five years worth of experience under SimBin's belt, RACE Pro ensures a unique racing experience unlike anything seen before on console," said Cyril Voiron, VP Brand Management, Worldwide Publishing, Atari. "Nothing gets you closer to the ultimate racing sensation than RACE Pro and Atari is proud to add this product to our holiday line-up."

"Having personally taken the leap from 20 years of championship racing to racing simulation development, I am really excited for SimBin to be taking its own leap from PC to Xbox 360," said Henrik Roos, CEO, SimBin Studios AB. "We are proud to be taking this significant move with Atari, our trusted partner since our very first game."

Online play via Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network for Xbox 360 and System Link support lets up to 12 players take on equally high-powered opponents and test their skills to the limit to reach the finish line ahead of the pack. For friends closer to home, the brand new 'Hot Seat' feature puts players in the driving seat for a limited amount of time before passing the controller to the next player and so on, demanding exceptionally quick reactions and precision racing from even the most seasoned drivers.

Nothing gets closer than RACE Pro, the ultra real racing simulation game exclusive to Xbox 360, scheduled for release this fall 2008.

US, June 30, 2008 - "We are issuing this statement to counter false rumours currently circulating on the internet regarding a new X360 game. We do have plans for an upcoming X360 game and an official announcement from Simbin will follow shortly with correct information on title and publisher. The information currently circulating is incorrect," said Magnus Ling, Vice President, Simbin Studios.

About the SimBin Group

The SimBin group is a privately owned group of Swedish companies that occupies a total staff of 80 people, consisting of 50 employees and 30 distributed consultant's world wide.

In the SimBin portfolio you will find award winning titles like "GTR – The FIAGT Racing Game", "GT Legends", "GTR 2 – The FIA GT Racing Game", "RACE – The WTCC Game" and "RACE 07 - The WTCC Game". GTR and RACE are registered trademarks owned by the SimBin group.

SimBin Studios AB is the mother company, responsible for the publishing and IP rights for all productions developed within the SimBin group. SimBin Studios AB is also responsible for Business Development, Finances, Marketing, PR and administration.

SimBin Development Team AB is a Swedish game developer founded in 2003 and is a subsidiary of SimBin Studios AB. SimBin Development Team AB handles all the game productions in the group and develops games for all leading platforms.

SimBin Distribution AB is a daughter company of SimBin Studios AB and has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. With RaceRoom, a franchise concept including marketing, branding, game software and hardware in a turn-key solution, SimBin Distribution offers a new business opportunity in the event and experience industry