Little Racers v1.2 update enters review

The long awaited v1.2 update has started peer review process. We expect the process will take around two weeks, after that the updated game should be available for download. Remember, XBLC games don’t update automatically yet, so you’ll have to download the game again from the Marketplace when it’s available.

Full Change log from the v1.1 version:

Bugfixes

• Fixed freeze issues that happened on V1.1, they were due to the Sound.Play() framework bug and memory leaks.

Gameplay tweaks

• Lightened car textures to improve visibility and details.
• Reduced engine volume
• Handicap effect is more smoothed to reduce the “stats hiccup” that it could produce
• Set a minimum speed below which the car doesn’t reduce speed when crashing
• Now cars going over a wrong side can’t collide with other cars. They get a ghost effect when this happens.
• Crashes don’t affect car attributes at all (before they did for half second).
• Improved cars grip.
• Cars are slowed a little more when skidding
• Cars can turn a little better when skidding.
• Reduced a bit max car speed.
• “Random” Car class only selects classes between E and A, to avoid too slow or too fast cars.
• Lessened wait time after choosing cars to 3 seconds

Improvements

• Improved a lot game performance on crowded races.
• Improved ingame font readibility.
• Improved upsell screen.
• Sign in screen shows the sign in level needed (Guest on local games, Signed in on System Link, and Gold over Xbox LIVE).
• Reduced gamertag text size on sign in screens.
• Improved the song start system when starting a race.
• Player icons aren’t show on race countdown
• Improved skid particles

New features

• • Online Multiplayer mode
  • System link, Xbox Live
  • Integrated championship mode, can be restarted over and over.
  • Joining system much like Race Driver GRID: You can join while a race is in progress but cannot race until the current race finishes.
  • Allows host migration
  • Allows invites
  • Quick join and find game features.
  • Public and private session features.
• Added dynamic obstacles to many tracks, they serve two purposes: Add more movement on screen (races were a bit “static”) and serve as walls, but less clausthrophobic.
• When a crash issue is found, the game tries to show the exception message on screen instead to giving a Code 4 directly.
• Added one extra particle effect on crash
• Added intermitent vibration when going off track or over the pianos.
• Added a cloud system to add some extra variety to tracks.
• Added 2 new tracks, “Derby” and “Asphalt”
• Now the time difference to the car in first place is shown when finishing a lap.
• Car color configuration is saved automaticallly for each player.
• Race configuration is saved automatically.
• Added a tips section that browses all the loading tips available.
• Added ingame sounds for events like race start, race finish and last lap.
• Now cars leave a colored trail when going fast.
• Added a detailed trail when the car is going in first place.
• Added a section about car attributes on the how to play.

And many other minor improvements. We’re specially proud of how the game looks and feels now, the gameplay has really improved from previous versions.

Tags: update