I always pick red ones. I need the advantage.

Being a gamer doesn't necessarily mean being a penny-pinching old Scrooge, but our hobby doesn't always come cheap, what with high resolution displays, quality accessories, decent sound, multiple platforms, the games themselves... That's why a big flashing "free stuff" sign is a fairly good method of attracting my attention, at least. System 3 are clearly cognizant of this fact, and are employing this method by marketing beta access for their upcoming SuperCar Challenge as a "FREE DEMO!" Clever!

Demos, you might point out, are usually free - but in the racing world, it is apparently entirely appropriate to release a demo literally years before the finished product and then charge substantial amounts of money for it, so you can't really fault the PR staff for jumping on the distinction.

The demo isn't available through the usual Playstation Store methods, but must be accessed through a redeemable download code, lending the whole process an exciting air of exclusivity. It doesn't actually seem very exclusive though, given that I had my code in about thirty seconds despite confessing to being signed up to the Australian end of the PSN. I am assured places are limited and the offer is time critical, but then again, I was also advised that the opportunity to try the demo will be open to everyone.

It's quite a nice little package despite all the cloak-and-dagger you have to go through to get it; the demo contains three cars (Aston Martin DBR9, McLaren F1, and Enzo Ferrari) and two tracks (Nürburging and Spa), and the opportunity to change your livery and switch between some of the assist options. Rather than racing about morosely on your own, you can pit yourself against up to fifteen other equally blessed demo holders - assuming some have turned up and are interested in more than testing the tracks out by themselves.


Although my colour of choice is, of course, racing yellow.
You can sign up and try the hopeful Forza rival out for yourself over at the System 3 beta sign up page; while the demo only weighs in at about 500 MB, System3 cheerfully advise you to make yourself a cup of tea while you wait the ten to twenty minutes it seems to take for the file to drip out of the Playstation Network's hallowed vaults. And then install. And then update itself unnecessarily. Two cups of tea, then...?