Volume 75 -- Jan. 18, 2008
A Turn 10 Introduction...
By: Che Chou, Community Manager
Hey everybody, welcome back to the Turn 10 Weekly Pitpass Report, our community newsletter that comes to you here at Forzamotorsport.net with all the scoop on what's shakin' in the world of Forza 2. First of all, big salutations to everyone who is just joining us -- both in-game and on FM.net -- since the holiday break. We hope you enjoy your stay with Forza 2 on Xbox Live, and FM.net. We're seeing some phenomenal numbers over Xbox Live for Forza 2 online play each day. Even more remarkable, although unsurprising, is that our daily unique user count jumps by over 30% on weekends alone.
But here's the kicker: Over the past week (seven days), and I'm seriously not making this up, our online userbase have collectively played Forza 2 for nearly one-million hours on Xbox Live. Nearly 1,000,000 hours, and that's just in the past seven days, not even counting those currently playing Forza 2 offline! I think if I tried to calculate how many total hours people have played Forza 2 since launch, the Intel chip in my laptop would probably curl up in a fetal position and foam at the mouth. So yeah, thanks everybody for your continued love of Forza 2 and all your valuable time you're pouring into the game.
1997 Mazda RX-7 by: ODINS VOLK - Mazda Photomode Competition
Speaking of Xbox Live, we realize that the network may still have the occasional hiccup and it may affect your connectivity to the Forza 2 Auction House server. Unfortunately, for a small minority of you, it could mean that timing out of the Auction House and then powering off your Xbox 360 in the midst of the disconnect will get you a "tampered profile" message on your next visit. If you find that you've been hit by this error, simply email us (forzafb@microsoft.com) your Gamertag and unique ID (aka PUID) and we'll try to get your problem resolved. For more info on this and lots of other questions you may have, please visit the Forza 2 FAQ here.
Also, are you seeing lots of undesirable (i.e., profane and inappropriate) cars in the Auction House and you'd like to help us report offenders and make the Auction House a fun place for all? There are two ways to go about this. The first one is pretty straightforward -- you simply click this link and report the Auction House abuse with our handy form. Or if you'd like to get in on more community-based action to help police for inappropriate content, check out this thread by Forza community VIP Jerod -- he's calling for volunteers to help search for certain types of cars each day to report offenders. For all the details, check out this thread and be sure to drop Jerod a note to let him know you heard about this via the Pitpass Report.
A Pair of 2007 Porsche 911 GT3's by: Porsche AG
Those of you who can't get enough of these Turn 10 community updates should also definitely check out the Turn 10 Blog, which I try and update on a daily basis. Okay, didn't get to it today, but Friday's might be an exception. We recently got the ability to embed videos onto our blogs and forums (I'll put up a video posting tutorial thread in general discussions); sure we're a little late to the party, but let's get this party started. We'd like you guys to start creating Forza-related user videos, posting them to MSN Videos (http://videos.msn.com/) and sending us links. If we like 'em, we'll let everyone know and promote them within the Forza community loud and proud. Who knows, maybe we'll even put our favorite ones into a compilation and put them on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Keep in mind, we're not expecting professional level editing and cinematography here. And they don't necessarily even need to feature direct-feed in-game footage. Keep in mind these videos should be Forza-inspired, but it doesn't have to just be game footage -- it could be about how Forza has changed your real-life ride, a monologue about how much you dig the game, or a bunch of screenshots where you go through and describe each of the cars in your garage and why you love 'em. There's no time limit, no creative limit, no limits period. Think about it, and then pick up that camera, or turn on that webcam and start shooting. We want 'em to be fun, off-the-cuff, and most of all, inspired. Oh, and also keep 'em decent please. Same Xbox Live terms of service would apply to these videos if we're to even consider as a favorite. Anyway, I'll harp on this idea some more in the coming weeks, but we'd love to start seeing some videos.
2007 Lambo Gallardo Superleggera by: JohnnyQuesttt
Speaking of user-generated content, have you checked out the Team Seattle Porsche 996 replica competition yet? I posted about this in our blog last week and had really good responses. Curiously enough, but understandably, we haven't had any actual entries yet. I didn't want to create a thread on this where people post their creations. I want entries to be private -- so nobody really knows what to expect. Just think, if you end up being the only guy/gal to submit an entry, then you automatically win 3 gift cars and 15 million in-game credits for you and a friend. Yup, that's 6 cars and 30 million credits. Woot! Again, go and check out the rules and car photos here, and shoot us an email (forzafb@microsoft.com) if you've got any questions.
Before I check outta here, just want you all to know that Turn 10 game director Dan Greenawalt has exited the building for the next two weeks in anticipation of him and his wife's first um... couple of babies, actually. Yes, the Greenawalts are having twin boys any day now, so we eagerly await pictures. Wish them luck everyone, and have a great weekend!
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R by: PyroDonkey and Garage Setagaya
The Forza Motorsport 2 Community Update
By: Landin Williams, Community Moderator
Welcome to this week’s Community Update. Before we get into some of the details for this week I wanted to quickly mention a few things regarding our forums. I spent some time browsing through the massive number of topics and posts in the various forum sections and realized how great the members of this community really are. It seems that everyone is willing to help new members and point them in the right direction if they are looking for something specific.
For example one user was looking for a Back to the Future Delorean replica (who wouldn’t want one?), and was quickly pointed to a very old thread where these rare cars could be found (thanks to Jerod and Treewick). With so many new users joining the forums it was really great to see other more experienced members who are willing to lend a helping hand. This is what an online community should be about so I wanted to thank everyone on the forums for making it a friendly place to visit!
2003 Honda S2000 by: SW2-Tuning - Tuning Catalog
I guess now is also a good time to mention a few additions that have recently been made to our forums. The first thing you will notice is that the “Tuning Marketplace” is no longer a subforum, but a standalone section! This forum has seen a steady increase in traffic since it was originally created and we decided that it deserves its own section. nother reason why we promoted this section is to make room for a sub-section known as “Tuning Shops Catalogs”.
This subforum will essentially be used as a virtual catalog where tuners can maintain a thread that contains all the cars that have or will be released. This will make it much easier for customers to find a specific car and to stay up to date with a tuner or company they like. This was something that the tuning community was asking for, and I am happy to say that it is a great addition to the forums. So if you’re looking for a car that looks great and handles even better then head on over to the tuning catalogs section HERE. I have included a few pictures in this week’s update of some of my personal “tune-shop” favorites, so if you see a car you like then check out the corresponding catalog link underneath the image!
2005 Scion tC by: Tuning AG - Tuning Catalog
Having a great livery and car set-up will not only make you look and feel faster on the track; it will also help you understand how the tuning options can impact the overall handling of your cars. Learning how to tune cars can be a very tedious and complicated process, especially if you are looking to run with some of the fastest players in the world.
Speaking of the fastest Forza players in the world it’s time to make an announcement regarding our Official Hotlap Series. For various reasons we have decided to postpone the start of the series by one week. What does this mean for those wanting to get involved? Well nothing really, except we will not be adding up any scores this week. It is official that the series will begin with this week’s challenge, with the same rules and regulations as outlined in Pitpass Volume 74. So if you were scrambling to get your team together for the end of this week you can relax a little, as the team registration deadline has also been pushed back a week.
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R by: Gearbox - Yellow Magic
This week’s challenge will feature the #2 Audi FSI Racing R8 (R1 Class) on Road Atlanta, and we expect to see another exciting and competitive finish. This car is unlocked at the start of the game so if you are a newcomer to the series don't be shy! Want to compete in the individual point’s race? Well all you need to do is place in the top 50 on our customized scoreboard (found in the “Tournaments” section of the “Multiplayer” menu) and your points will automatically be counted towards your overall total. Have a small team but still want to accumulate team points? Consider creating an alliance with another team with similar interests! So get out there, tune a car and run some laps!
As you will notice in this report we have not included the final statistics from this week’s Hotlap Challenge. Considering we are set to begin a new Hotlap season we have decided to offset the results by one week. This means that the results from this week’s challenge will be featured in next Friday’s update. This will allow us to verify and correct the scores from the Hotlap series during the week, and post the official results the following Friday. Remember no changes will be made to the scores once they have been published in the Pitpass, so make sure to alert us to any changes that need to be made as soon as possible. The overall scores will be posted on our forums as soon as them become available so stay up to date in the “Tournaments” section if you are interested in the Hotlap Series. Additionally if you would like to know the winners of the “Random 30” for week 18, check out the thread for week 19 that will be updated once the challenge has ended.
Speaking of the “Random 30” I wanted to quickly mention that the range for being selected as a winner will once again be increased. I will be selecting winners according to the following pattern: 15 Winners from the top 100, 10 Winners from the top 200 and 5 winners from below 200. This means that even if you can’t break into the top 200 you still have a shot at a free car; however your chances will increase as you move up the scoreboard!
2008 Audi R8 by: DLfreak - Forza Central's December Car of the Month
Forza Central’s Car of the Month Competition
I was recently informed that our friends over at Forzacentral.com have been running a Car of the Month contest where the winner is selected by community choice. You can submit your car for this award by posting in THIS thread on Forza Central’s community forum. This month is dedicated to FWD “Hot Hatches”, and a list of accepted cars has been posted in the same thread. In order to build up some excitement surrounding this monthly event, we have decided to increase the prizing from 1 free gift car to 3 (and you can request to send your prize car to a friend). The thread already has some entries, so check out Forza Central if you think you have what it takes to win!
Congratulations to DLfreak for winning the “December Car of the Month” award with a mouth watering “Fanta” Audi R8 (see above image).
Official Mazda Photomode Competition: Winner’s Announced
Congratulations to ODINS VOLK for winning this week’s photomode competition hosted by “Johnny Questtt”. Shout out to Team PRO and sphilli22 for finishing in second and third place respectively! If you would like to enter this week’s “Black and White” photomode competition then check out the submission thread HERE.
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R by: SnakeEyes Friex and ChelseaFan
Legend of Gaming Competition: Winner’s Announced
Another great contest has recently been completed and let me say the submissions are (as always) amazing! Congratulations to SnakeEyes Friex and ChelseaFan for winning both the “Best Overall Design” and the “Most Complex” categories with a beautiful SSX inspired livery (see above image). Shout out to DT 31770 for winning the “Best Use of Car in Design” category with a nostalgic representation of the classic racing game “Outrun”. There are plenty of other great designs so make sure to visit the official thread HERE.
2000 Nissan Silvia Spec-R by: you_again
Alright that’s it for this week’s community update! There are lots of ideas brewing for some future community events, and details will be released once we figure everything out. I don't want to release any details just yet as we still have some planning to do, but this event is going to attract alot of attention from the community. :)
Enjoy the weekend and thanks for reading!
Peace
Landin
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