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The franchise that set the gold standard for racing excellence on Microsoft Xbox is set for a command performance on Xbox Live. Microsoft Corp. has officially announced that Project Gotham Racing 2 arrived on store shelves this morning, leaving wicked skid marks along the way. The game is scheduled for release in Japan Nov. 20 and in Europe Nov. 28. Project Gotham Racing 2 was developed by Bizarre Creations Ltd. in Liverpool, England.

Project Gotham Racing 2 is the follow-up to the smash hit Project Gotham Racing. Rewarding drivers for racing with speed, style and daring, ,b>Project Gotham Racing 2 offers circuit-based racing through highly detailed city environments. Racers can choose from more than 100 of the hottest cars while speeding through the streets of 10 exciting cities, power-sliding around corners and accelerating through the straightaways before moving to a different venue. Players will also be able to race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, Germany’s famous 14-mile-long track. In the single-player mode, gamers will progress through more than 230 races in Kudos World Series and Arcade racing modes.

The racing game that rewards gamers for driving with style now sets the standard for online racing via Xbox Live online game service. Players can match up against seven other players online utilizing Xbox Live for intense grudge matches. For the first time, players using Xbox Live can also download “ghosts” — replays of the best races — and race against them or learn from them, and take online challenges that are rotated monthly or even weekly.

“When we launched the Xbox console, ‘Project Gotham Racing’ was the game that defined racing on Xbox,” said Ed Fries, vice president of Microsoft Games Content at Microsoft. “The sequel is going to do for Xbox Live what the original did for the Xbox console — define online racing.”

New Features

• New kudos, more rewards. Kudos is a measure of a driver’s skill, style and daring. Gamers earn kudos for pulling off power slides, 360-degree turns, staying on the racing line, drafting and more in over 230 races.
• The defining Xbox Live experience. Gamers can join eight-player races, take Scoreboard Challenges, download Live Ghosts of the best performers, keep track of statistics and talk “smack” using the Xbox Live communicator. To keep the game fresh, Xbox Live gamers will be able to download new content throughout the year.
• More than 100 sweet rides. Gamers should get set to floss the streets in 14 classes of the world’s most desirable cars, ranging from supercars such as the Enzo Ferrari, Pagani Zonda and Porsche Carrera GT to classics such as the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.
• Worldwide racing. “Project Gotham Racing 2” captures the essence of 10 cities with photorealistic re-creations of Washington; Sydney, Australia; Chicago; Edinburgh, Scotland; Yokohama, Japan; Florence, Italy; and others.

Microsoft Game Studios and Malaco Music Group will release three compilation soundtracks of music from the game that will be available in record stores this holiday season. Gamers and music fans can choose from among three distinct styles of music featured in the game: hip-hop, alternative rock and electronica. Some of today’s hottest musical acts, including Simple Plan, American Hi-Fi, Smilez & Southstar and Uncle Kracker, contributed songs to the game as well as the soundtrack. Each CD in the collection will be available in music stores for an estimated retail price of $14.99.