Slighly Mad Studios’ Rod Chong has posted a very interesting feature article on the physics side of the studio’s upcoming Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed title over at Speedhunters.com.
The extensive article explains the ideology behind Shift 2’s physics and the immersion the developers are trying to create, it also highlights the fact that both the physics and 3d models are based on very accurate data:
“When it comes to advanced technology, the Shift physics system itself is second to none. It takes the actual suspension geometry that we receive from manufacturer CAD data and replicates the suspension components in 3D space. It is not some game producers “idea” of how a car should??handle.
Not at all, if you are say driving a Porsche 911 in game, then you are driving an actual 3D physics representation of that car based on CAD data. Within this driving experience though, we can layer on driving aids and tweak items like holistic track grip, tire slip angles and car setups. So there’s a bit of wiggle room to push the difficulty levels and physics modes in to a few different directions.”
Furthermore, the article shows how the developers are benefiting from real-race driver feedback as various race drivers such as Tommy Milner and Jamie Campbell-Walter have assisted the SMS staff during the development process. Last but not least, the article also reveals two maiden shots of the title’s real-time telemetry HUD display (see below), a new feature that was first revealed in a preview article some days ago.
Need for Speed Shift 2 Unleashed will include the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship & GT3 European Championship among lots of other racing content, new features include a new helmet camera, night racing and more realistic physics. The second Shift title will be available for the PC, Microsoft???s Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 in late March.
