2006-07-20 17:26:40 Test Drive Unlimited Priced at $40

http://www.xboxcore.com/news/1657.html

Atari today announced official pricing for its upcoming, next-generation racing game, Test Drive Unlimited. Atari will offer Test Drive Unlimited for Xbox 360 for $39.95. To further extend consumers' gaming experiences, Test Drive Unlimited car packs featuring six or more cars, complete with genre-specific radio stations, will be available for download monthly, beginning six weeks after launch on Xbox Live Marketplace.

"Innovation should be available to everyone, not a privilege for those can afford high price tags," said Bruno Bonnell, Chairman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Atari. "Our GamersFirst program demonstrated the positive impact of flexibility in pricing. We believe it is our mission to deliver triple-A games that are accessible to the masses. As such, we are offering Test Drive Unlimited -- a game that is being positively touted and recognized by the media -- for $39.95, and furthermore, will continue users' experiences past launch by featuring new cars and free music for download."

Test Drive Unlimited's monthly car packs will feature a mixture of manufacturers and models of the world's finest vehicles. Each downloaded car pack will also include a free radio station. Radio stations will be set according to genres, such as Rock, Blues, Electronic, R&B, Jazz, Latin, etc., and feature between 10-20 songs.

Test Drive Unlimited has been receiving accolades from industry media as one of the top racing games this decade. GameDaily declared, "This is the kind of racing game I live for," while IGN.com stated, "There's no denying Test Drive Unlimited is looking like one of recent memory's most unique racers." TeamXbox described Test Drive Unlimited as a "revolutionary online driver." At this year's E3, the annual video game trade show, Test Drive Unlimited received a slew of E3 nominations and awards, including both PLAY Magazine and GameTrailers.com "Best Racing Game."

Packed with 90 vehicles, one thousand plus miles of open roads and a host of online options, Test Drive Unlimited is M.O.O.R.: Massively Open Online Racing -- the ultimate online automotive gaming experience for Xbox 360 gamers. Both online and offline gamers will experience the world's most exotic and fastest vehicles on Test Drive Unlimited's diverse Hawaiian roads. Gamers win races, challenges, missions and tournaments to earn credits and purchase new cars, bikes, apparel, homes and garages. Boasting huge online content, racers around the world can challenge others to join them in the virtual paradise of the game's persistent online racing world. Players will engage in online challenges, and build communities by creating or joining exclusive members clubs to talk, trade cars, and race with other like-minded and similarly-skilled drivers in Test Drive Unlimited, one of the most comprehensive online racing experiences to date.

2006-07-20 17:29:22

$40 for a new game? Atari has been reducing pricing lately, but if TDU was a killer game it would be $60... I spot an "uh oh" coming.

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Now that I retired I can play more MGS games.

2006-07-20 17:39:02 In reply to Acert93 (2006-07-20 17:29:22)

Not really. All Asian XBOX 360 titles are priced at $40...that's the standard in my part of the world.

If Microsoft adopts this strategy by making games in North America and Europe cost this much, then it would be an effective way to combat the PS3 and the Wii whose games will be priced probably at around $60-$65.

2006-07-20 17:49:28

Unless they are going to try and redeem the rest with updates over Live?
$3 dollars a car anyone?

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Do not underestimate the power of the Darksyde
Fanboy=Ban boy.

2006-07-20 18:06:24 In reply to roxwell (2006-07-20 17:49:28)

Exactly what I wanted to say! given the financial trouble Atari is facing, this is not far from being the truth.

2006-07-20 18:40:25

Yeah considering Atari's financial situation I would say they are in fact confident that the game is good enough and that people will be happy to buy additional content for it.

2006-07-21 03:13:47 In reply to Acert93 (2006-07-20 17:29:22)

Exactly..but hey--it's about time people start pricing crappy games accordingly. MS is not going to lower Xbox 360 MSRP for new games for a good while Wuffyx, if ever..don't count on it. Atari seems to know what they've got here. Any chance of the PC version being $30 now heh..aw hell it will be a week after release anyway :)

2006-07-21 05:31:12

Yeah its a great strategy in my opinion because it will get the game out there and being played. As we have seen the game is was ok / good (some say great) from the E3 demo, and there have been numerous reports (like that one on the teamxbox forum) saying the E3 demo was nothing like how good the final build will be...So I have no fear the game will not "be worth a certain price"......

Also....whats very smart....its tapping into the obsessive nature of petrol heads....for example if a car I worship isn't in the game....and they release it for a price i as the obsessive fan will HAVE to get that car.....And the opposite applies...as it has done imo for PGR3....if the car pack doesn't have anything I want...i won't buy it....

Great stuff from atari....gonna be a great game.....I've got this sneaky suspicion that europe might NOT get the same price cut....but we'll see :D

2006-07-26 16:48:46 In reply to shido (2006-07-21 05:31:12)

Sorry for the double post...and the quoting of myself lol...but just found this out....

http://www.totalvideogames.com/news/Test_Drive_Unl...

Thats right my fellow europeans...we are getting ****** again...full price TDU....
I'm sure it will be worth it....but how many more times are we euros gonna get screwed over.....its getting a little tiresome....

Oh and i quoted myself just to show the great clairvoyant gift that I have as I saw this move coming a long way off :D