Microsoft's free-to-play Avatar racing game Joy Ride is reportedly getting a major motion-controlled tune-up. The BigPark-developed racer is now planned as a Project Natal launch title, CVG reports, and may no longer be free.
CVG cites a "senior retail source" in its report, who says Joy Ride will "no longer be free to play, but that it's been completely reworked into a bigger, richer game than before." The cartoony racing game made its debut at E3 2009, then pitched as a downloadable, stunt-filled title that would be supported by plenty of downloadable content. It was playable then, but its product page recently disappeared from Xbox.com. Yeah, something's up.
We're a little more than a week away from Microsoft's big Xbox 360 and Project Natal events, so expect confirmation or denial of Joy Ride's fate soon.