Atari Plays a Waiting Game With Test Drive Unlimited - New York Times

Atari Plays a Waiting Game With Test Drive Unlimited - New York Times: "The second surprise is Test Drive Unlimited itself, a sprawling, sumptuous experience that seems poised to become one of the more engaging games of the year. The game models the entire Hawaiian island of Oahu and allows players to race any of 90 cars over more than 1,000 miles of roads.

Extensive testing is still needed to fine-tune the innovative online mode, but the idea is that thousands of players will cruise the island simultaneously over the Internet, challenging one another at any traffic light to lay down some rubber. On the Xbox 360, the game's main system, the graphics dazzle and the cars evoke a realistic sense of speed."
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I may have to break down and get an Xbox360 after all. This game looks like a great step forward in virtual reality world. It is an open-ended sandbox game, and they hope virtual communities form up. Like Second Life, but with an underlying game. Or like Star Wars Galaxies without the need to grind out experience points.