ModNation Racers Message Board

Palloza-mania has hit ModNation. Can you feel it? Can you feel the love, people? This is week two of our Anniversary Celebration and this shin-dig is just heating up.

Check it out…

The “Moddys”: Our Favorite Mods
This week we begin the uber-popular “Moddys” Celebration 2.0. We searched through thousands upon thousands of Mods. Karts, and Tracks to present you with some of our favorite amazing, scary, and wacky creations.

This week we bring you… our favorite Mods.

The categories include:

• “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” (Favorite Mod Eating Another Mod)
• “Mostly Found In B-Rated Restaurants” (Favorite Fly Mods)
• “Baby Got Black” (Favorite Goth Mods)
• “I Find It Rather Easy Being Green” (Favorite Green Mods)
• “These Tights Cut Off My Circulation (Favorite Superhero Wanna-be’s)
• “We’re Big In Japan” (Favorite Japanese Themed Mods)
• “I Flatulate In Your General Direction” (Favorite Knight Mods)
• “That’s Gonna Leave A Mark” (Favorite Ouchy Mods)
• “Oh Great, Nightmares For A Week Now!” (Favorite Scary Mods)
• “hsssssssss……….” (Favorite Snake Mods)
• “Excuse Me, Can You Take My Picture?” (Favorite Tourist Mods)
• “Mommy… I’m Scared” (un-Favorite Clown Mods)
• “Making You An Offer You Can’t Refuse” (Favorite “Wanted” Mods)

Please take the time to view these creations HERE

ModNation Racers Two-Year Anniversary Collectable Wallpaper

Over the next few weeks we will randomly be handing out these limited edition wallpapers (25 only ea.) for your PS3 or Vita. Those lucky fans will have our crack team of artists customize their wallpaper with their PSN ID! Everyone will have the chance to attain the non-personalized anniversary wallpaper in our forums and Facebook page this week!

“Road Trip” Track of the Week / Community Hot Lap Challenge
Each week we will host the “Track of the Week” Community Hot Lap Challenge to see who can post the best time on selected tracks. The top three times will be mentioned here in this ModNation Monday blog for the world to see.

Last Week’s Hot Lap Results:

Track: “ModNation Movie Studios” by DougHeffernan

JuJitsu97 52.947s ZlheckJr 53.497s Jeanbean8 56.222s

This week’s track:

ModNation Racers For PS3

Track Creation Challenge: “Home Sweet Home”
This is going to be fun and quite possibly the best track creation challenge yet: We are pushing the ModNation track creators to design a track modeled after their hometown! The challenge will test the skills of the best track creators in the game. Relying on imagination and not a “midnight pizza-vison” to come up with amazing tracks or creations, those skills may not work here. Players will need to simulate the city where they live. Our favorite tracks will make their way into Top Tracks or Hot Lap for a week of notoriety. Sign up HERE!

Anniv. Celebration Fun Race Nights in May
Join ModNationSD for a night of fun races all throughout the month of May from 4:30 – 5:30 pm PST! If you would like to race, send a friend request to ModNationSD and I will add you for the night!

ModNation Racers Grand Prix 2012
Sign up this week for the ModNation Racers Gran Prix 2012 Racing Championship. The first set of qualifying “time trials” will be held this weekend (May 12-13). Racers will have the chance to qualify on a pre-determined United Front Games track to be hosted in Hot Lap all weekend. The top five fastest lap times (of those signed up) will automatically be entered into the finals. A remaining five spots for the finals will be decided the following week. Signup’s HERE.

Note to ModNation Racers players of both Road Trip and PS3 MNR – you may qualify for an “invitational” spot in the ModNation Racers PS3 Grand Prix Finals. The racer with the fastest time on a track tba will earn an automatic bid in the Grand Prix. Pretty cool huh? Sign up HERE and add the comment VITA GP to your name

Top Tracks: Best of PSN ID: MrDufus

ModNation Racers Hot Lap Track of the Week – Camping school in summer by Std9325

Monday: Croatia-Paklenica Park by mackAttack8000
Tuesday: The Corner Garden GP by anaximperator
Wednesday: Polar Plaza by Audi_S4-HB84
Thursday: Crocodile Chaos! by flathletics102
Friday: Dino Derby by Iop330
Saturday: Camping school in summer by Std9325
Sunday: Kyronia City by prob_alex

Happy Anniversary ModNation-ites!

Mark
PS3: ModNationSD
Vita: ModNationSDVita

Lately I’ve been spending a great deal of time outside the studio and, I must say, the positive reception the game is receiving from those that get their hands on the game has been outstanding. From in-store demo stations to my local “corner coffee station” to my kid’s little league team each and every comment is similar to “I’ve got to get this!”

But hey, don’t just take my word for it. Below is a random screenshot* from my personal Vita’s “near” feature showing what I and many others have experienced: players are loving this game! After only a few minutes of hands–on time with ModNation Racers: Road Trip they realize just how much long-lasting fun this title has to offer. That’s all we can ask for. Give it a play or two and you’ll be sold. The game speaks for itself!

You like us and we couldn’t be happier. Thank you!

ModNation Racers: Road Trip For Vita

Mod Explorer Destination Check-ins
Speaking of “Out and About” here are the Top 10 Mod Explorer destination check-in locations so far…

San Francisco – USA New York – USA Los Angeles – USA Toronto – Canada Tokyo – Japan Kyoto – Japan Singapore Berlin – Germany Melbourne – Australia Chicago – USA

ModNation Racers: Road Trip San Diego Studio Faves

Show Us Your Creations!
Here is what we are looking for…

• ModNation Racers: Road Trip for PS Vita – MODS / KARTS
• ModNation Racers: Road Trip for PS Vita – TRACKS
• ModNation Racers: Road Trip for PS Vita – POSTCARDS
• ModNation Racers for PS3 – MODS / KARTS
• ModNation Racers for PS3 – TRACKS
• ModNation Racers: Road Trip “Track of the Week” Ice Empire by punishthem420

ModNation Racers For PS3

Top Tracks: A “RAD” Tribute
Imitation truly is the purest form of flattery, so we thought that the most appropriate way to celebrate the creativity of one of ModNation’s most celebrated and talented “Mod-jesters” was to challenge the community to design a track in the flavor of RADMANROB.

Look at what they came up with…

Hot Lap Track of the Week: Pirate Kingdom by statickey_660
(IMHO this is the definitive Pirate Themed track for ModNation Racers. Obviously a lot of planning and impeccable execution went into creating this track. Truly an epic adventure. Thank you statickey_660! )

This week we put the community up to the task of selecting this week’s “Track of the Week” and Hot Lap tracks.

Take a look and see if you agree.
Monday: Dino Crisis Coaster by statickey_660 (Another great track submitted this week from our friend statickey_660 from Japan. This man knows how to build some blockbuster tracks!)
Tuesday: Desert Garden Utopia by LLoyd2k4 (LLoyd2k4 is one of the best racers in the game so there is never a doubt you’re getting a great track from him)
Wednesday: Tenuki Midnight Showdown by ath_racing (atheistsw’s new name and as expected, same great tracks)
Thursday: Blizzard Beach Resort by statickey_660 (this could well be the first week ever with three tracks from one creator in Hot Lap. All three are well deserved IMHO)
Friday: Ice Carnival by anaximperator (Last minute votes put this track into the rotation. Congrats!)
Saturday: Pirate Kingdom by statickey_660
Sunday: St. Philipsburgh Thaw by atheistsw (This track was a very close second in the Hot Lap voting this week. Any other week it would have won. Great track!)

Have a great week everyone,
Mark

PS3: ModNationSD
Vita: ModNationSDVita

* randomly taken at casa de modnationsdvita

#littlebigplanet Take a look at the first trailer for LittleBigPlanet Karting the PlayStation 3 game whose very existence is something of en eye-roller, except... that trailer actually looks pretty good. More »

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be spending a lot more time enjoying this fun new feature than you would ever have expected. The Mod Postcards feature is found in the “Favorites” section of the Creation Station and for a good reason – you’ll be coming back to it over and over (and more than likely yet again).

1. Postcard Image
The first thing you’ll be asked to do is either load an image or take a photo. “Take a photo” is fairly straightforward. Using either the Vita’s front or rear camera you’ll frame your shot using the front touch screen’s viewfinder. You’ll notice a miniature Tag and his Kart superimposed into the center of the display awaiting the click of the shutter. Simply touch the “Take Pic” icon in the top left corner to take the picture.

The second option is “load a photo”. Trust me when I say this makes things even more interesting. Load any image you have downloaded onto your Vita as the background of your Mod Postcard or utilize Vita’s built-in web browser and you’ll have access to all the images you could hope for via the web.

2. Mod / Kart Poses
The next step asks you to tap on the Mod or Kart and thus begins the fun. Use your fingers to move, pinch, push, pull, squeeze and rotate Tag or his Kart to your desired size and position in the photo. You will also have numerous options for your chosen Mod’s expression as well as pose. Just a press of the save icon (pencil writing to disc) button and voila!!!… your very own Mod Postcard! Oh, it doesn’t stop there – remember the two million-plus creations that you and the ModNation community have created so far?… YEP, you’ll have access to ALL of those Mods and Karts to use in your ModNation photo masterpieces. Think about the possibilities. Ba-BAM! That was your mind being blown right? Yeah, I thought so!

3. Share Your Postcards
With Vita’s connectivity you have the ability to link to your Facebook account and publish your Mod Postcards for all your friends and family to see! hmmmmm… can’t wait to see what the ModNation “paparazzi” come up with. This ought to be fun!

ModNation Racers For PS3

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of StealthReborn–

Speaking of…, ModNation Photo Challenge!
Over the past year we’ve seen some awesome screenshots (and creative track icons) and thought what better time to collect these “masterpieces” for the world to see!

We will be collecting your best MNR track / racing screenshots and track icons over the next few weeks to ultimately present the grand opening of the “ModNation Museum of Art”. Here are just a few of the categories we will be collecting for our favorites – Action, Floral, Abstract, Sunset, Bizarre, Humorous, Scary, etc… The best part is that they don’t have to be your tracks!

To participate or for more details please click HERE.

Creations of the Week: Best of craigybaby_86

Hot Lap Track of the Week: UFO Site: Airborn by its2l84that
its2l84that completes(?) his UFO Invasion Trilogy with a track that can only be described as epic! If I was ever abducted by aliens (again?) this is EXACTLY what I envision the experience to be like. I am not sure what was done to me inside its2l84that’s glorious alien spacecraft but when my new(?) friends dropped me back down to earth, I felt a peace and harmony unlike I have ever known before. I also had a profound ringing in my ears and a large rash down both legs; other than that, it was heavenly!

Hot Lap Tracks of the Week:
This was a great week of Hot Lap track submissions by many of the best racers in the game. The top hot lap times on these tracks will surely be a feather in any racer’s cap.

Monday: National Capital Region by Freshwick, Takila101, Ambr0ster
Tuesday: WHALE wander land by tadaryou
Wednesday: Ryukyu big wave by marusarusa
Thursday: We Come In Peace by Ph1LThy31
Friday: Jungle Boogie on High by Lloyd2k4
Saturday: UFO Site: Airborn by its2l84that
Sunday: AssyrutopiA by Assyrion

ModNation Racers Grand Prix: Round One
The much anticipated MNR Grand Prix is well under way. Weekend one of the final’s pre-qualifiers took place with over 60 racers competing for the Top Five fastest times to pre-qualify for the Grand Prix Finals.

The Top Ten Times (Mt. Pain UFG qualifying track)

maverick–07– 43.616 wipeout_god 44.090 yahhohoi 44.120 Assyrion 44.226 earlizd1 44.437 TUKSILHA 44.481 glaudea 44.528 circuitferrari 44.635 NUKACOLA9 44.854 Lloyd2k4 45.139

(had to withdraw – WD. AngelG_No55_FTW 44.564)

Check next week’s blog for details on the latest qualifying races leading up to the 10 player Grand Prix Finals!

Truly, 2011 was a great year for ModNation Racers. Community represents the core ModNation Racers, and with ModNation Racers: Road Trip coming very soon, our creative and energetic community is getting geared up to expand. During the development of ModNation Racers: Road Trip, we made each decision with our community in mind — whether it was the improved racing engine or the dazzling PS Vita visuals. Our goal was to deliver the best, most addictive kart racing game out there.

With that in mind let’s take a look back at some of our favorites over the past six months in an event we are calling “The Moddys 1.5.” Creative huh?

The Moddys 1.5: Favorite Year-End 2011 Creations
We recognize the ModNation community for all the effort, creativity and skill you have poured into this game over the past six months.

Our Favorite Tracks:
1. “Have Fun Storming The Castle” (Favorite Gladiator Tracks)
2. “Best Raced Under A Blacklight” (Favorite Colorful Tracks)
3. “We’re In Some Deep Powder Here” (Favorite Winter Tracks)
4. “Redonkulous. Absoluley Redonkulous” (Favorite “You Did What?” Tracks)
5. “Smells Like A Gym In Here” (Favorite Sports Themed Tracks)
6. “Woohoo!” (Favorite Track With The Word “Wu” In It)
7. “Sandals, Sweat, and Swords” (Favorite Gladiator Tracks)
8. “Bleep Blop Bloop” (Favorite Outer-Space Tracks)
9. “Fire. Good.“(Favorite Prehistoric Tracks)

Click HERE to view the recipients.

Important Recognitions:
1. Overall Favorite Mods of the Year
2. Overall Favorite Karts of the Year
3. Overall Favorite Tracks of the Year
4. ModNation 2011 “Hall of Fame” Inductees
Click HERE to view the recipients.

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of Laidbackcat

Laidbackcat is a favorite track creator both among his esteemed peers. He doesn’t build tracks as much as he creates worlds. His creates on his terms and is never in a rush to finish a track. This shows itself in the amazing design, detail and stories his tracks exhibit.

ModNation Racers Grand Prix

Sign up this week for the ModNation Racers Gran Prix Racing Championship. The first set of qualifying races will be held on the weekend of January 7-8th. Racers will have the chance to qualify on a pre-determined United Front Games track to be hosted in Hot Lap all weekend. The top five fastest lap times (of those signed up) will automatically be entered into the finals. The remaining five spots for the finals will be decided the following week.

More details and signs up HERE.

Creations of the Week:

Hot Lap Track of the Week: Pearl Blue Soul by marusarusa
Let me start off the new year a little differently with my track reviews. I am often accused of being too enamored with pretty colors, flowers, rainbows, unicorns, puppies and other soft, squishy things. So for the first Track of the Week of 2012, let me start off a little mean and nasty by listing this track’s negatives:

1.
2.
3.

There were none! (I tried!)

We are kicking of the new year with a few adjustments to the Hot Lap lines ups. Starting NEXT week our spotlight “Track of the Week” will be placed in a Saturday slot (instead of Monday) to bring more well-deserved attention to the “best of the best.”

Monday: Pearl Blue Soul by marusarusa
Tuesday: Nature by apricot-jam-IS
Wednesday: 14 Days In May by jefferzone
Thursday: Sensei Xu’s River Rally by flathletics102
Friday: Azuzzi Peninsula by atheistsw
Saturday: Grand Prix Qualifiers (see above)
Sunday: Grand Prix Qualifiers (see above)

Bring on the pretty colors!
Mark (PSN ID: ModNationSD)

Excerpt from recent internal San Diego Studio memo…
—————————————–
From: ModNation Racers Scientific Research Lab – Weapons Division (MNR: SRL-WD)
Re: Fun Factor
To: All Concerned
cc: Biff, Gary
bcc: Kevin Butler

b(cool weapons + explosions) + w(great racing + track design) * y(MNR’s “Secret Sauce”) = !(freaking fun kart racing)

Key: b = BOOM, w = WOW, y = YAHOO, ! = !!!

(please note: this information IS NOT CONFIDENTIAL)
—————————————–

b1. Weapon Classes
ModNation Racers: Road Trip weapons add more excitement to our already great racing experience on the PS3 with all new weapons that give the racers more control both offensively and defensively. The seven weapon classes fall into these categories: Earth, Fire, Ice, Mines, Bolt, Guns, and Sonic weapons. Notice below that weapon classes are distingushed by color. Once a weapon is attained all future weapon pods collected will remain the same color until used. Color key: Red – Gun, Dark Green – Earth, Light Blue – Ice, Dark Blue – Sonic, Pink – Bolt, Orange – Fire, Light Green – Supercharger, and Yellow – Mines.

b2. Weapon Types:
- Track Based Weapons: These weapons are triggered by you or your opponents to bring potentially devastating damage to enemies and/or yourself if you’re not careful! Imagine being in the middle of a heated race and desperately needing to break from the pack. Well, if you have a Level 3 Phoenix in hand unleash that bad boy and watch it literally fly ahead of the pack. At the right moment your Phoenix will stop and unleash a rain of fire upon the track. Racers will scramble along with you to make it through the carnage. Some will make it, some won’t. Will you? This is just one of the uber-powerful level 3 track based weapons along with and Level 3 Rockslide and a Level 3 Sonic Rift.

- Spray Weapons: These multi-purpose weapons allow racers to swerve their kart while firing to spray projectiles across the track. This gives the players a choice: hit a single opponent with all of the projectiles, or spray to try and hit multiple opponents.

- Roaming / Near Weapons: These weapons add the random factor to your weapon arsenal. Set one off and watch as they travel freely down the track. They don’t lock on to your Kart but you’ll have to act fast to avoid these.

- Drivable Weapons: These give players the ability to use their driving skills to dish out punishment to their opponents. I personally can’t begin to tell you how rewarding it is to literally snowball over a racer(s) that just sideswiped me into a wall. No. Really – I can’t tell you. The judge and my anger management coach restrict me from articulating this pleasure any further.

– Lock-On Weapons: Ah, lock on weapons… so much fun to give, not so fun to receive – the pure definition of being “pwned”. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip you’ll have a little more say to the degree of “pwnage” your opponent can dish out. You will still have audio clues (can be turned off) of incoming attacks but you’ll now have the advantage of a “lock-on” reticule for visual assistance in timing your shields. This results in a more balanced racing experience while not removing the pure joy of unleashing your “Hydra’s” up someone’s tailpipe!

- Mines: Now a weapon class of their own and the only instance you’ll be dropping a weapon behind you (see below). This class includes Plutonium Mine, Toxic Cloud, and Toxic Cesspool

b3. Weapon Pod Cash In
In ModNation Racers for the PS3 you could drop weapons as mines behind you or in essence “dump” weapons that you did not like. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip you now have complete control of how to best use your acquired weapon. Don’t like the weapon you picked up and maybe running a little low on boost?… simple…you can press the weapon icon on the bottom right of the front touch screen or just hold down on the fire weapon button to “cash” it in. Voila… more boost in you gauge. You can “cash-in” your weapon up to and including level three’s! The sprint towards the finish just got a lot more exciting didn’t it? Yeah it did!

b4. Amnesty Shield
Another brand new feature to ModNation Racers Road Trip is the Amnesty Shield. This automatic shield comes into play when you fire a weapon and an opponent fires the same exact weapon at or toward you. This again adds a little more strategy to the racing experience and helps avoid races being decided at the very last second by the ever popular “Hydra-palooza”.

ModNation Racers Road Trip: Recent Features Preview
Track Studio I – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Your Wish is Our Command!
Track Studio II – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Part Two
Mod Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Studio Preview
Kart Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Kart Studio Preview
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – New Racing Features

PS3 ModNation Racers News

Triple Threat Team Challenge – Results!
A few weeks ago we challenged players to team up and create the ultimate MNR experience. Judging from the great response this was MNR’s best creation challenge yet. We choose our favorite overall “experience” based on these criteria – Track: 30%, Mod(s):25%, Kart(s): 25%, and Story: 20% (how it all ties together). After careful consideration of all the hard work that went into every creation, we came up with our overall favorite – Team “Parenthood” (DeathsMom, OnePoppa, POULTRY_GOD). Take a look around the track as you drive and you’ll see many of life’s big events. Congrats!

Please take time to download and experience all of the entries unique creations HERE

Creations of the Week: Team Triple Threat Challenge

Hot Lap Tracks of the Week: Team Triple Threat Challenge

Monday: Land of the prehistoric by Team “Prehistoric Invaders” (prob_alex, Flathletics102)
Tuesday: X’mas Cake [BSA] by Team “Japan” (skid18-18, asura-007, big-village_920_)
Wednesday: Parenthood by Team “Parenthood” (DeathsMom, OnePoppa, POULTRY_GOD)
Thursday: Kawaii High Rise by Team “5W” (Ginsu_Loki02, Blu_Caracal, Yika)
Friday: Hiroko’s Secret Dimension by Team “Otaku Trinity” (BandaiNamco209, parise93, John31269)
Saturday: The Astro-Prison by Team “Super-Duper-Leet-Awesome-Epic-Lazer Explosion-Steve” (Biver_, dane9261)
Sunday: Ivo’s Trash Lands by “Team Science” (IvoYaridovich, IndustrialSavior)

Have a great week everyone!
Mark (PSN ID: ModNationSD)

Every so often, the team at San Diego Studio allow me up from the basement, favorite red stapler in hand, to take a peek at the upcoming week’s new features. I’ve learned to “extend” my gameplay sessions with “coincidental” occurrences of…

Free highly-caffeinated energy drinks and donuts in the break room. A sudden rash of car alarms blaring from the parking lot like a jet plane just grazed the roof top. A bogus announcement over the company P.A. system that Kevin Butler has arrived on campus.

These events usually buy me an additional hour or so with the game. This is a purely selfish endeavor as it really only takes a few minutes with the game to see and understand the brilliant, creative, and subtle, yet powerful features of ModNation Racers: Road Trip. I have yet to (voluntarily) set the game down and not walk away saying, “now that was just flat out fun!” Indeed when it comes right down to it that’s what ModNation Racers: Road Trip for Vita is… a flat out fun kart racing game!

Let me share with you a little of what I experienced…

1. Controlled Drifting
An essential element of any great kart racing game is the drift mechanic. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip drifting is no longer solely about building up your boost meter to gain acceleration or as a cache for shielding from weapons or hazards. Though these abilities are still a large asset of drifting in the game, we have made many improvements allowing players more complete control of their racing lines. In a correctly-executed drift your forward momentum is increased while your outward momentum (inertia) can be managed (or decreased). You will find your kart easier to hold a desired line by being able to carve and progressively link drifts together without over- or under-steering into walls, guardrails or flying off the track. This refinement allows veteran racers to rely more on their racing skills as well as allows newbies a greater sense of control.

2. More Forgiving Collisions
Now racers will notice fewer if any “dead stops” brought on from an opponent’s attacks. Racers will also find it easier to get back into the pack if they happen to land a jump a little off kilter or accidentally slam into a wall with the new auto-correct feature built into the racing controls. It can be frustrating in any racing game to have the slightest error result in what seems like an eternity of reverse Y-turn after Y-turn to get you back in the race. ModNation Racers: Road Trip = problem solved.

3. Refined Braking
Braking? What’s braking? I don’t need no stinking braking!
Sure you can still go all out and avoid your helpful little friend (the brake button) but if you truly desire to master the art of racing in ModNation Racers: Road Trip you will appreciate the ability to finesse your level of control with the a reworked braking system. Players can now use the brakes to adjust steering controls while drifting and this does not stop or cancel the drift.

4. The Best For Last!
These “tweaks, changes, and improvements” not only improve the experience for all Vita-centric tracks but also insure that all PS3 user-generated tracks played on Vita would enjoy the same enhancements. This means a brand new exciting racing experience on all your favorite PS3 tracks. That ModNation is quite frankly awesome! We hope you’ll agree!

ModNation Racers Road Trip: Recent Features Preview

Track Studio I – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Your Wish is Our Command!
Track Studio II – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Part Two

Mod Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Studio Preview
Kart Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Kart Studio Preview

PS3 ModNation Racers News

Creation Challenge: Holiday Themed Mods, Karts, And Tracks!
We are looking for some great Holiday themed Mods, Karts and Tracks to promote in our upcoming Mod-Holiday blog.

If you would like to submit your TRACK or recommend a Holiday themed track you liked click HERE. If you would like to submit your MOD and/or KART or recommend a holiday themed Mod / Kart you liked click HERE.

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of IndustrialSavior

Check out his player profile HERE
Creations of the Week: Best of PSN ID: rainbowhillbilly

Hot Lap Tracks of the Week: University Challenge by atheistsw
atheistsw has outdone himself yet again! He has built us a complete college town including what I perceive to be a world renowned library, a top research facility and charming off campus housing. I know I added at least 15 I.Q. points after only racing one lap (that takes me up to 37!). Yes, he’s that good!

Monday: University Challenge by atheistsw
Tuesday: Oasis River Run by OnePoppa
Wednesday: Guards Guardin’ Gardens by Yika
Thursday: CITY the shuttle bridge by inosan0518
Friday: Christmas Shopping V 1.1 by JNM-CIM
Saturday: Verazzo Pass by atheistsw
Sunday: Mega Skyscraper Hop by statickey_660

Every so often, the team at San Diego Studio allow me up from the basement, favorite red stapler in hand, to take a peek at the upcoming week’s new features. I’ve learned to “extend” my gameplay sessions with “coincidental” occurrences of…

Free highly-caffeinated energy drinks and donuts in the break room. A sudden rash of car alarms blaring from the parking lot like a jet plane just grazed the roof top. A bogus announcement over the company P.A. system that Kevin Butler has arrived on campus.

These events usually buy me an additional hour or so with the game. This is a purely selfish endeavor as it really only takes a few minutes with the game to see and understand the brilliant, creative, and subtle, yet powerful features of ModNation Racers: Road Trip. I have yet to (voluntarily) set the game down and not walk away saying, “now that was just flat out fun!” Indeed when it comes right down to it that’s what ModNation Racers: Road Trip for Vita is… a flat out fun kart racing game!

Let me share with you a little of what I experienced…

1. Controlled Drifting
An essential element of any great kart racing game is the drift mechanic. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip drifting is no longer solely about building up your boost meter to gain acceleration or as a cache for shielding from weapons or hazards. Though these abilities are still a large asset of drifting in the game, we have made many improvements allowing players more complete control of their racing lines. In a correctly-executed drift your forward momentum is increased while your outward momentum (inertia) can be managed (or decreased). You will find your kart easier to hold a desired line by being able to carve and progressively link drifts together without over- or under-steering into walls, guardrails or flying off the track. This refinement allows veteran racers to rely more on their racing skills as well as allows newbies a greater sense of control.

2. More Forgiving Collisions
Now racers will notice fewer if any “dead stops” brought on from an opponent’s attacks. Racers will also find it easier to get back into the pack if they happen to land a jump a little off kilter or accidentally slam into a wall with the new auto-correct feature built into the racing controls. It can be frustrating in any racing game to have the slightest error result in what seems like an eternity of reverse Y-turn after Y-turn to get you back in the race. ModNation Racers: Road Trip = problem solved.

3. Refined Braking
Braking? What’s braking? I don’t need no stinking braking!
Sure you can still go all out and avoid your helpful little friend (the brake button) but if you truly desire to master the art of racing in ModNation Racers: Road Trip you will appreciate the ability to finesse your level of control with the a reworked braking system. Players can now use the brakes to adjust steering controls while drifting and this does not stop or cancel the drift.

4. The Best For Last!
These “tweaks, changes, and improvements” not only improve the experience for all Vita-centric tracks but also insure that all PS3 user-generated tracks played on Vita would enjoy the same enhancements. This means a brand new exciting racing experience on all your favorite PS3 tracks. That ModNation is quite frankly awesome! We hope you’ll agree!

ModNation Racers Road Trip: Recent Features Preview

Track Studio I – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Your Wish is Our Command!
Track Studio II – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Part Two

Mod Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Studio Preview
Kart Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Kart Studio Preview

PS3 ModNation Racers News

Creation Challenge: Holiday Themed Mods, Karts, And Tracks!
We are looking for some great Holiday themed Mods, Karts and Tracks to promote in our upcoming Mod-Holiday blog.

If you would like to submit your TRACK or recommend a Holiday themed track you liked click HERE. If you would like to submit your MOD and/or KART or recommend a holiday themed Mod / Kart you liked click HERE.

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of IndustrialSavior

Check out his player profile HERE
Creations of the Week: Best of PSN ID: rainbowhillbilly

Hot Lap Tracks of the Week: University Challenge by atheistsw
atheistsw has outdone himself yet again! He has built us a complete college town including what I perceive to be a world renowned library, a top research facility and charming off campus housing. I know I added at least 15 I.Q. points after only racing one lap (that takes me up to 37!). Yes, he’s that good!

Monday: University Challenge by atheistsw
Tuesday: Oasis River Run by OnePoppa
Wednesday: Guards Guardin’ Gardens by Yika
Thursday: CITY the shuttle bridge by inosan0518
Friday: Christmas Shopping V 1.1 by JNM-CIM
Saturday: Verazzo Pass by atheistsw
Sunday: Mega Skyscraper Hop by statickey_660

Welcome to ModNation Monday! In response to questions from loyal ModNation Racers fans, let’s investigate a few features from the Kart Studio in the upcoming ModNation Racers: Road Trip for PS Vita.

1. Kart Parts – Explode View
Yep, it’s as fun as it looks! ModNation Racers: Road Trip for Vita brings you even closer to a true Kart modeling experience (without the sticky toxic smelling glue) with the rotatable “exploded” view of your Kart and it’s customizable components. It’s as simple spreading your thumb and finger on the screen to open and then a pinch to close the view. We can’t say it enough but there is just something intrinsically fun with the tactile feel of using your fingers to “explode” you kart open, spin it around, rinse and repeat!

2. Drag and Drop
As with the Mod Studio Edit feature, you simply drag and drop your parts and props right onto your Kart. You’ll feel like a real mechanic as you drag a new set of wheels onto your kart or simply touch the color selector and add that “new coat of paint to items like your shocks, engine, seat, etc. The same ease of drag and drop also goes for adding stickers and text to your Kart (or Mod). Drag, drop, rotate, resize, etc… all with ease of using your finger(s). If you have a penchant for sticker mania this feature is your new best friend.

3. Shake To Randomize
ah… finally a way to “encourage” your Kart (or Mod) to randomly transform into your perfect creation… by shaking it! It’s an experience similar to the PS3 randomize feature yet while playing the nickel slots in Vegas. As opposed to your time in a casino, a few shakes of the Vita may find you hitting the road in the car of your dreams!

ModNation Racers Road Trip: Recent Features Preview

• Track Studio I – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Your Wish is Our Command!
• Track Studio II – ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio – Part Two
• Mod Studio – ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Mod Studio Preview

PS3 ModNation Racers News

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of PSN ID: PH1LThy31

ModNation Player Profile: PSN ID: PH1LThy31
In our opinion one of ModNation’s most unheralded premier track creators is PH1LThy. He is a VERY respected creator amongst his peers and one of the best track design collaborators in the game. We hope a little long overdue public recognition will garner his tracks a few more eyes. Take a look at his tracks and get ready for some spectacular racing moments. Some off his own personal favorites are … Cliffside, Japanese Tea Garden, Cool Breeze, Green Acres, and Trailblazer. Read PH1LThy’s player profile HERE.

Creations of the Week: Best of PSN ID: Hey-There-You

Hot Lap Tracks of the Week: Ruins of Aztlan by prob_alex

A truly EPIC track. Never been anything like it, probably never will be.

Monday: Ruins of Aztlan by prob_alex
Tuesday: White Summit Winter Games by IndustrialSavior (an instant classic in my book. Hockey FTW!)
Wednesday: “Red Sun” Oil Factory by marusarusa
Thursday: Junglira Shrine by dane9261
Friday: River of Eternal Life by IndustrialSavior (I loved this track. I actually felt as if I was racing along a beautiful river. Very well done!
Saturday: Immortal Rainforest by atheistsw and PH1LThy31 (Difficult to not choose this as “Track of the WeeK”. Two top creators joined up to create a beautiful track that has to be raced a few times to see everything it has to offer. Five stars at least!
Sunday: Multi-Story Mayhem! by OnePoppa and atheistsw (another great collaboration this week with atheistsw)

If you are interested in submitting your mod, kart or track for consideration as “Creation of the Week,” please visit us on the official ModNation Community site and who knows? You might see your hard work on the PlayStation ModNation Monday blog or in-game on the Hot Lap section of the Modspot. You never know what catches our eye.

ModNation Thursday Fun Races
Join ModNationSD for an evening of fun racing this Thursday from 4:30-5:30 PST. This is a great opportunity to meet some nice people in a casual racing environment. Check our ModNation Facebook page on the day of the race on how to join.

1,102,202 Mods to date and counting! That’s the current number of user-created Mods in the ModNation database. This works out to an average of 1,971 Mods created per day since the franchise was born in May 2010. We might be going out on a limb here but we suspect you kinda enjoy creating those cute, colorful, frightening, bizarre, silly, awkward, and many times artistic “alter egos”.

Now with ModNation Racers: Road Trip and Vita in hand (or pocket) you can create and tote your favorite Mods along with you while “on the road”. Anything that catches your eye from a statue in a garden courtyard to the gigantic inflatable mascot at a high school football game can instantly be preserved in time with your portable Mod Studio.

Here are a few of the new features…

1. Mod Parts
Creating a Mod has always been a fairly straightforward, simple, yet powerful process. Mod Parts now streamlines the process even more with instant access to your Mods parts and features. Touch your finger to your creations head and all parts and props groups for the head pop up (eyes, ears, nose, etc…). Touch his body and all parts and props for his torso appear (pants, shoes, shirts, etc…). Sounds simple because it is.

2. Drag and Drop
Once you have chosen your selected area it’s again as simple as drag and drop the features and props right onto your Mod. With parts like eyes, ears, stickers, etc., you can stretch, pinch, move and rotate to your heart’s desire. You can also do things like change the color of most anything by simply touching the color picker tab at the top right. There is just something that makes the “modding” experience a lot more fun when the items are “at your fingertips”.

Whether you are working on your Mod for minutes or hours you will appreciate the ease and feel of these new features.

PS3 ModNation Racers News

This Week’s Top Tracks:

Medieval Mini-Theme is available in the PlayStation Store now for $6.99

ModNation Player Profile: PSN ID: Assyrion
Assyrion is one of the more well-known ModNation members from France who has made a name for himself as not only a great racer but a great (underrated) track creator. Take a look at his player profile HERE.

Creations of the Week: Going All Medieval Up In Here

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week: Granada by marusarusa

Each week’s submissions bring with them a new challenge to the question “what exactly qualifies a creation as the Track of the Week”? We’ve mentioned assets like environment, track flow, item placement, lightning and more which USUALLY add up to one track standing out amongst the other great tracks. This week’s TOTW has us a little baffled. jefferzone created an amazing tribute track with elements used together in a way that we have not seen before in his tracked title “Smokin’ Joe”. prob_alex added to his astonishing portfolio of track creation elements in his “Mammy Mammoth” track and all other qualifiers presented Five-Star tracks. Yet something stood out with Granada by marusarusa that kept us coming back. Maybe we should add Mojo to the elements we are looking for?

Monday: Granada by marusarusa
Tuesday: Smokin’ Joe by jefferzone
Wednesday: City Underwater Fiasco by atheistsw
Thursday: Hydropark by RADMANROB
Friday: Planet Ravaia by John31269
Saturday: Mammy Mammoth by prob_alex
Sunday: Solar Ice Cap UV Grid by IndustrialSavior

This week we follow up with even more great features of the ModNation Racers: Road Trip Track Studio. Last week we revealed these exciting brand new features… Multiple Themes, Fully Rotatable Props, Draw / Trace Track, and Estimated Track Times (read about them HERE). Here are a few more great features in ModNation Racers: Road Trip for Vita that will help you to become the ultimate track designer:

1. Mod Terrain
The most talked-about feature in ModNation Racers: Road Trip is the use of the front screen and rear touch panel to sculpt your track’s terrain. In Finger Sculpt simply touching a finger to the front touch screen will immediately begin to lower that section of terrain. Continuing to press or rub the area will result in lowering the terrain or create lakes, valleys, or rivers. Conversely the rear touch panel allows you to raise your terrain to create mountains, peaks, plateaus, vistas, etc… with just you fingertip(s). Try making a mountain range with all your fingers… kinda awesome! That’s what Multi-Touch Functionality is all about!

2. Edit Track
Probably the most powerful tool in the new track creation studio is the Edit Track feature. To put it simply, using the corresponding points on the Edit Track Bar you can raise, lower, bank, widen or narrow your track with super simple intuitive touches. Want to raise a section of the track?… press and hold the middle point of the track edit bar and simply slide your finger up. Too high?…slide you finger back down. It is very natural and very intuitive. It’s guaranteed to bring back those childhood memories of building that dirt track in your back yard for your toy cars and trucks. All other adjustments are equally as simple. This feature takes track creating to a new level and it’s a lot of fun!

3. Alternate Route
This feature allows you to easily create branching routes or shortcuts (depending on your desired outcome) by simply touching a beginning and end point on your existing track. An alternate route is instantly generated for you. You can of course undo and try again from a different spot on the track until you achieve your perfect route. The Alternate Route feature does all the heavy lifting for you.

4. Offroad Path
Want to take your racers a little off the beaten path?… Show them some of the hidden beauties of your track?… Reward them with a shortcut of hidden item pods?… or just lead them on a wild goose chase?… Simply use your finger to draw your path off and back onto your track and voila!… you’re offroadin’!
As you can see we’ve not only given the players more power to create but all this can be done in a fun, intuitive, and immersive nature. This is just the beginning. Hang on to your hats as we will be bringing you more details in the upcoming weeks!

PS3 ModNation Racers News

This Week’s Top Tracks: “Best By The Best” prob_alex
While we are on the subject of track creating what better example of the “art” of track design can we offer than prob_alex? He is one the of the game’s most prolific and creative track designers to date. He shares his personal favorite tracks here as well as a nice tutorial on his unique and often “replicated” track creation style. TUTORIAL HERE
Take a look at his MNR Player Profile HERE.

Hopefully you can take away some great tips to become a more creative track designer. I know I did!

Creations of the Week: Happy Turducken Day!

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week: prob_alex’s Favorite Tracks
Take a look…

Monday: Elephants Graveyard by Laidbackcat (“My fav track of the game.. this inspired me to create what I create today. Truly inspirational”)
Tuesday: Sanctuary by O-jaga (“A truly unique track. vvery simple idea but extremely well executed”)
Wednesday: Another World by BongSoldier (“One of the most creative tracks I’ve played. It really feels like another world”)
Thursday: Gravija Wilds by IvoYaridovich (“Very fast flowing track with perfect curves for fast cornering”)
Friday: Arctic Heaven by marusarusa (“Beautiful looking track and fun to whizz around and a few sneaky shortcuts to find”)
Saturday: Tatroi by Big-village_920_ (“Visual stunning and a great track in every aspect.”)
Sunday: Rumble Rally by WilsonPhillips-x (“Golden oldie in my eyes. For me the creator could not create a better hillside track. Feels so real.”)

One of the keys to designing ModNation Racers: Road Trip was listening carefully to our current community’s input. They gave us their wish list and like a genie in a bottle we are ecstatic to reveal these great new additions to track your creating arsenal.

1. Multiple Themes: With the power of Vita, San Diego Studio was able to give the user access to up to five times more “goodies” to create with than on PS3. In ModNation Racers: Road Trip the creator has access to over 20 different prop themes and can now mix-n-match up to fifteen of those into their track’s creation.

This means ModNation Racers: Road Trip players can now look forward to experience whole new un-seen worlds. Now THAT is cool! I can’t wait to see them!

2. Fully Rotatable Props: Now track creators have the ability to manipulate all of their track props in full 360 degrees on all axis points (big words for AWESOME!) along with complete scalability of items. Now that alien invaded scenario you have wanted to create with its buildings, buses, parked cars, tanks and park fountains turned on their heads is as easy as rotating two fingers on the front touch screen on the Vita.

3. Draw Track / Trace Track Modes: One of the first features most players will notice and enjoy right off the bat is the two track draw modes. You have previously seen how with MNR: Road Trip you can draw your track in only seconds using just one finger via the front touch screen. What you may not know is now with Vita’s built in camera you can snap photos of anything from your little brother’s face, a fire hydrant, a bus route map of your town or maybe even your cat. Import it and trace the image as the outline of your track. We can’t wait to see what the ModNation comes up with!

4. Estimated Track Times: When you have the whole world in your hands time can seem to fly by so we created a meter that estimates the lap time of your track.

These are only a few of the many cool new features introduced in ModNation Racers: Road Trip. Stay tuned for more in the upcoming weeks.

Creations of the Week: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and RACE!

ModNation Racers prides itself on these environmentally friendly issues:

• Zero tolerance Kart exhaust emission policy
• Modspot maintenance EVERY night from 2am-4am (in case you didn’t know)
• All Mod and Kart paints are lead free
• Flowers not only look nice but do indeed smell nice (preparation for smello-vision)
• No night racing saves on electrical bills
• Biff and Gary carpool. They actually do like each other!

This Week’s Top Tracks: One Man’s Trash…

Creations of the Week: Paper or Plastic?

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week: Didjerama and Big Thunder Mountain by statickey_660 (this week’s Hot Lap tracks were chosen by the community so it goes without saying that having two of your tracks chosen as track of the week is quite an accomplishment and a first in the vaulted annals of ModNation history. Congrats!)

Monday: Didjerama by statickey_660
Tuesday: Big Thunder Mountain by statickey_660
Wednesday: Ruins of Karzha v1.3 by Iop330
Thursday: Ski resort by yISK8TLZPqQ
Friday: WHALE old resort by tadaryou
Saturday: Port Islander by atheistsw
Sunday: Grab Some Pine by PH1LThy31

The buzz is getting louder and louder each week… Take a look. Next week we will begin to roll out some new and exciting details on ModNation Racers: Road Trip! We’ll start by introducing the new Road Trip Track Studio as well as a few features that will literally take the track creation to a new level.

It’s only fitting that this week we feature one the of the game’s most prolific and creative track designers, atheistsw. He shares his personal favorite tracks as well as in-depth tutorial on the ins and outs of his popular and unique style of track design. Hopefully you can take away some great tips to become an even better track creator — just in the nick of time to take your tracks on the road to show your friends at work or school, on the bus, on a plane, on a horse or on a train!

This Week’s Top Tracks: Best of atheistsw

Invasion: Aftermath – Creating this alien invasion took all of my imagination and editorial know-how to succeed but the end result is one of my most fun courses to date.

Verazzo Pass – Much time was taken to create this scenic downhill-uphill course to try and stamp my own unique signature on the base arctic theme. The result is one of my favorite tracks in a long while.

Mary Jane’s Mega Mall – A logistical nightmare to create, I was very pleased with the scale with which I was able to create this typical multi-storshopping mall.

Suburban Sprawl – A case of the simpler the better, this suburban themed race is essentially a giant spiral before a mad dash to the finish line.

Kingdom Of Zarathustra – Inspired by the lost city of Shambala, this ambitious track combines beautiful scenery with varied racing designed to challenge even the most hardened MNR veteran.

Creations of the Week: “rippin” it up!

Player Created Tutorial: “Create A Visually Interesting Track” by atheistsw

If you want to improve your track creating skills you now have no better tool than this spectacular visual tutorial from arguably one of the best track creators in MNR. Take a look HERE

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week:

(choosen by atheistsw as tracks he greatly admires)

Monday: Sacred Grove by manlius10a (A beautiful track from a criminally underrated creator that is a joy to race again and again. Trumps his own far east remake due to its creative genius)

Tuesday: Lake Eerie — The Marina by puppethand666 (One of the first tracks I played that opened me up to the possibilities of the track editor, I still consider puppethand666 one of my earliest track-making influences and a pioneer of the game to boot)

Wednesday: Samurai by Laidbackcat (Many amazing tracks have made their way to us from this chilled out Cornishman, but Samurai gets the nod due to its totally ingenious construction of two ancient samurais involved in an epic duel to the death!)

Thursday: A n C’s – Scorpion Temple by prob_alex and Laidbackcat (One of the best possible examples of an amazing track concept and an amazing race experience married as one cohesive whole. A superb creation from two of the best in the business.)

Friday: Laboratory Outbreak by grey_jeep (grey_jeep makes many excellent tracks but this one makes fantastic use of the Alien Invasion and Moon Colony props to create a unique and exciting race location)

Saturday: Spring Marsh Castle by big_village_920 (This creator is a master of extreme creativity when using props and this track perfectly demonstrates his uncanny skill at creating a unique and exciting race every time).

Sunday: Borealis Valley Ridge by IndustrialSavior (An oldie but a goldie this one. Long before the arctic theme appeared as DLC IndustrialSavior created this picturesque mountain dash through a snow peaked mountain range that flows fantastically well.)

If you find yourself anywhere near as excited for ModNation Racers: Road Trip on Vita as we are then I am very surprised any of us are getting much work done. I personally spend most of my day roaming the hallway panting heavily with my eyes bulging wide-open like a dog when rumors of the new game code gets passed around the developers offices. Yep, It’s going to be that good!

Don’t just take my word for it, take a look at these early first hand impressions from IGN and Destructiod.

This Week’s Top Tracks: Boo!-yah

Enjoy some of our favorite Halloween-y tracks. Please be advised these tracks are best played with the lights on and/or with a friend in the room. We also cannot be responsible for any “dry-cleaning” needs due to the sure fright and horror these track may induce.

ModNation “Triple Threat” Challenge!

Join us in this fun MNR community challenge we call the “Triple Threat Experience!”. This challenge will host teams of 2-3 (selected by you!) to build the ultimate MNR experience. We are looking for the best united themed track, mod, and kart. For example if you choose an outer space “experience” your track, mod, and kart would all work together to tell an outer space theme story. Maybe the mod is an alien, the kart a spaceship and a sci-fi track. They all work together to tell a story (figuratively or literally). Our five favorite OVERALL “experiences” will be promoted in an upcoming ModNation Monday blog. The tracks from those themes will be featured in Top Tracks. The associated mods and karts will also be featured together in the “Creations of the Week” section of the MNR blog! Sign up HERE

Creations of the Week: More Boo! (and some more yah!)

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week: Chrancity Haunted by Sweetbebek

Monday: Chrancity Haunted by Sweetbebek (I thought I had another tie for Track of the Week on my hands until the last few feet of the finish line on this track. I found it both a trick and a treat for sure! Lol!
Tuesday: Ghost Hill Dr. by kartmeister1 (you had me at “meister”)
Wednesday: The Haunt 2 by LinKueiNinja (Really fun, track that I could easily see set in one of SoCal’s many over-priced theme parks. One ticket please!)
Thursday: Course on Haunted Hill by boingorob (other than the 600’ leap over a forest I think I visited this location on a trip to Germany once!)
Friday: Forest of the Halloween by Chamorro-709 (I found this track at the very last second and I am so glad I did! Loved it! AND someone figured out how to make pumpkins. Way to go!)
Saturday: halloween by wueisman1 (This is a great race with a perfect Halloween settting… overgrown trees and brush, textbook castle grounds and spot-on lighting that again make all the difference)
Sunday: Wicked Day Dream by PH1LThy31 (easily could have been track of the week! I loved all the scenery changes. Every play though I noticed something different. PH1LThy31 is one of ModNation’s top track creators and this adds to his great variety of tracks)

Become A Hot Lap Judge For A Week!
Next week we will put your tracks though the ultimate proving grounds… the opinions of your peers! That’s right, Hot Lap Tracks will be selected by the MNR community (with our “guidance”) for the following week’s Hot Lap Tracks seating. If you are interested in becoming a Hot Lap judge look for more details HERE

Halloween Race Night
Join ModNationSD for a ___________ (insert Halloween-ish cliché adjective here) fun night of racing on Monday, October 31st from 4:30-5:30 PST. Check our ModNation Facebook page on how to join.

ModNation Racers: Road Trip Logo

We are really excited to reveal the official logo for your next favorite racing game – ModNation Racers: Road Trip!
ch-check it out…

“Big Ups” To Our Friends In Japan!
This week we pay tribute to our ModNation family in Japan. You may not realize that many of your favorite creators and top racers are quite possibly half way across the globe in Japan and Asia. Don’t let a little time zone difference stop you from enjoying these amazing creating and racing gurus.

This Week’s Top Tracks: Favorites of Japanese Creators

ModNation Player Profile: big-village_920_
big-village_920_ is just one of many great tracks creators from Japan who have made a name for themselves in the ModNation community. Read his profile HERE.

BOO!
Ha! Gotcha! Last chance to send us some of your favorite Halloween themed tracks, mods, and kart for next week’s ModNation Monday blog Spooktacular-palooza-rama (too much?) HERE

Creations of the Week: Favorites of the Japanese Creators

Check out some more great creations from Japan’s Top MNR creators…

Mods: Doscarion, Erezeve, R-ASKA, hoshii961miki, orenekonano, kuri-pa8shi, E_D_F
Karts: asura-007, etsuo-s, QminimumnQ-, kazuix2000, ra_koi, Gachiko3x3
Tracks: AS-NOIR, arashi200xjp, kuro-anco, yamasita-kouji, ylSK8TLZPqQ

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week: Atlas City Mini Golf Park by IndustrialSavior
My first thought upon starting this tracks was “hmmm… cheeseburger” but I digress. Immediately my second thought was that of absolute joy as I raced what should be considered the gold-standard of the golfing (miniature or otherwise) track design genre (along with apricot-jam-IS’s tracks). Race under castles, though pipes, between windmill blades and around alligators, etc… all of the mini-golf staple elements are present here. Now if somebody could just design a great Disc Golf (Frisbee Golf in laymen’s terms) course I could die a very happy man! *wink*

Summary:
1. Cheese-burger
2. Joy
3. Excitement
4. Accolades
5. Alligators
6. Great race!

Monday: Atlas City Mini Golf Park by IndustrialSavior
IndustrialSavior has discovered some sort of time-warp continuum in the universe lately that allows him to produce 2-4 great tracks a week! Don’t “Bogart” the time machine, IndustrialSavior!
Tuesday: Viking’s Valhal by Biver_
Biver_ wasn’t sure if his track was Hot lap worthy. What?! We’re not worthy Biver_, we’re not worthy!
Wednesday: TR [Twisted Routes] by resven
This is a really impressive submission considering resven being new to the game and only their second published track. Great job!
Thursday: Porta Valara by Cmckinney94
Another strong creation from a relative new comer to the Hot lap creation world. Keep ‘em coming!
Friday: Highways n’ By-Ways by atheistsw
atheistsw is still loving his Big City theme creation tools, evidenced by this strong racer
Saturday: Indusburg Nuclear Winter by IndustrialSavior
IndustrialSavior has become a track creating madman recently. Check out his portfolio over the past few months. He’s on fire!
Sunday: Jumping the Great Wall by dane9261
I have always enjoyed dane9261’s creation sensibilities. His obvious vision for his tracks pays off big time here

私はチーズバーガーを食べに行きま～～～す！！
Mark
(PSN ID: ModNationSD)

#modnationracers Sony's been making a big deal out of ModNation Racers on their upcoming handheld, the Vita. I still shudder to think about the ten minute stretch of their E3 press conference when (very nice, I should say) ModNation guys came onstage to demonstrate how to build a track and customize things in the game. I just wanted to fall asleep/watch Jane's Addiction already! More »

We are so very excited to introduce to you our official title ModNation Racers: Road Trip for the upcoming PlayStation Vita!

In the upcoming months we will begin to roll out more details on where the future of ModNation is going to take us. We are thoroughly excited to have you join with us in this great time of the ModNation Racers franchise. Hang on people, the fun has just begun!

Thanks to all who submitted thousands of great ideas for the title of the new game. As we mentioned, we have some “goodies” to hand out to a few gamers who helped us choose the name ModNation Racers: Road Trip. We will be contacting them very soon.

Here are some more that didn’t make the cut (WHY we don’t know, lol)

VitaMeataVegeModNation Racers Honey I Shrunk The Modnation Racers In-A-Gotta-Mod-Vita Steve Modnation Racers: Purple Monkey Dishwasher

This Week’s Top Tracks: Our Favorite Water Themed Tracks

The 12 Hours Of Le Mod Wrap-up
Saturday, October 8th ModNationSD hosted a half day marathon we titled “The 12 Hours of Le Mod”. Close to 100 players participated in this fun community casual racing event. Many players popped in and out for a few races, some stayed for an hour or two, and one racer made it the complete 12 hours – AlphaOmegaBreakr. Congrats to all who made the event so great! See you next time!

Trick OR Treat, We’re Good With Either
Be on the lookout for some really “Halloween-y” Mods, Karts and Tracks for our upcoming Spooktacular ModNation Monday Halloween blog. If you find any let us know HERE

Creations of the Week

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week: Sunset Slope by apricot-jam-IS

Sunset Slope at first may just seem like a nice, simple looking snow track, but this is a perfect example of looks being deceiving. This track features over 30 possible paths to take! Winning races on this track will surely take some exploration and creative thinking. Step back and take a look at the mountainous world apricot-jam-IS has created. Very, very impressive!

Monday: Sunset Slope by apricot-jam-IS
Tuesday: Verazzo Pass by atheistsw
Wednesday: Tactical Base SkyTek Labs by IndustrialSavior
Thursday: Circuit du Culte by Assyrion
Friday: Alien Mini Golf by apricot-jam-IS
Saturday: Alien Base by marusarusa
Sunday: Downhill Blitz by prob_alex

A truly global lineup of tracks with creators these from France, U.K., Japan and the U.S.!

Remember, you can submit tracks you have created to be considered for Hot Lap recognition HERE

A great new chapter in the ModNation begins!

Hmmmmm… it’s too early for Christmas, and still too early for “trick or treats” in your ModNation goodie bag but we’ve got too much good stuff just to keep it all to ourselves.

So… FREE DLC giveaway and Double XP! Check it out below.

Build It, Race It, Post It, Rate It
That’s a pretty daft title for an announcement of DOUBLE XP week but sometimes we just throw caution to the wind like the punks that we are. Double XP October 10th – 17th means it is “get busy” week in the ModNation. You’ll earn 100% more XP in all XP races as well as double the fun with every download of your creations. Will this be the week you reach level 30? We hope so!

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now
We’ve heard some rumors that you like free stuff. How about some free DLC? We’ll take a look around and see what we’ve got in the vaults. We might have some DLC stowed-away that hasn’t seen the light of day for a while.

We will be posting voucher codes for some random free DLC throughout the week at these sites between 10am and 4pm PST. Good luck!

Monday (today): ModNation Monday Blog
Tuesday: MNR FACEBOOK PAGE
Wednesday: MNR FORUMS
Thursday: MNR FACEBOOK PAGE
Friday: MNR FORUMS

Team Track Challenge II: Top Tracks (with a twist!)

A few weeks ago we randomly placed teams of three to four track creators together to collaborate on building a united team track. This was our second Team Track Challenge and this time included a slight twist. The teams were given the track foundation (spline) with the challenge to create something unique though starting from the same base layout. None of the teams knew the track they were going to create from was laid out by an 8yd old volunteer (see image above for initial track layout icon). Initially most team members couldn’t wait to jump into this challenge to show just what they could do. It did take a few players a while to warm up to the idea but they stepped up to the challenge and put out some fun tracks. It was really interesting to see the variety that came from the same foundation. Give them a drive and we’re sure you’ll learn something new about track creating (and collaboration).

Teams emerged with some really great tracks, of which our five favorite are featured in this week’s Top Tracks in the Modspot.

ModNation Thursday Fun Races
Join ModNationSD for an evening of fun racing Thursdays from 5:00-6:00 PST. This is a great opportunity to meet some nice people in a casual racing environment. Check our ModNation Facebook page on the day of the races on how to join.

ModNation Player Profiles: marusarusa
This week we feature one of ModNation’s most committed players, marusarusa. Living in Japan can be a bit of a challenge to connect with the MNR community in the U.S. and U.K. but neither time zone or language differences hinder marusarusa from being a valuable member of the MNR community. His creations are among many of my personal favorites. Check out marusarusa’s profile HERE

Keep Your Eyes Open and Your Head On A Swivel:
Be on the lookout for some really spooky Mods, Karts and Tracks for our upcoming Spooktacular ModNation Monday Halloween blog. I have a slight case of “fear of dark places”, so I sure could use some help searching the catacombs of the ModNation vaults.

If you find some Halloween-y creations, let us know HERE

Creations of the Week: “Ding!… Fries Are Done!”

Hot Lap Tracks Of The Week:
We thought many of the tracks from the Team Track Challenge II deserved to be put through the rigorous trials Hot Lap races so give em’ a spin. We will be looking for the “TTC2 Hot Lap King”. Will it be you?

Monday: Shrines of Edinia by prob_alex & LinKueiNinja
Tuesday: Shire Siege by IndustrialSavior & bnArmz
Wednesday: Elite Polar Park by R_Kaim, RockToonz & moriarty1975
Thursday: TTC2 Seasonal Transition by Laidbackcat, RMPage & SpitKing
Friday: Rocket Bay – TTC2 by Ph1lthy31, dane9261 & sackstuffing
Saturday: The Solemn Ruins – TTC2 by MagicalHamster, OnePoppa & Perish Song
Sunday: Graven Return TTC2 by JP38, ArgorokX, & PatrickJames777

Living the digital dream!

Join the members of the San Diego Studio ModNation Racers team for a day of racing (8am-8pm PST) on Saturday, October 8th for the First Annual ModNation Racers “24 12 Hours of Le Mod”!

This is a great opportunity to race many of the best user created tracks ModNation has to offer alongside members of the MNR team. Who knows…you might just walk away with a win in your pocket and the bragging rights that go with that!

Look for ModNationSD in your local Modpsot throughout the day.

Note – The International Federation of Fictional Kart Racing Federations requires us to take frequent “personal time” breaks and at least two carbo-load sessions to make it through this event safely.

Don’t Be So Skeptical, Double XP Week Coming Soon!
The Modnation community is continually asking us questions such as… are Biff and Gary wearing any pants behind their commentators’ booth?… if I set off a mine on myself would anybody notice? …is the world still flat?… does this sticker make my mod’s butt look big? And our favorite – will there ever be another Double XP week in MNR?

So in observance of International Skeptics Day on October 13th we offer this to you… double XP from October 10th – 17th. So loosen up a little, shrug off those woes and worries because you at least have this to believe in!

Top Tracks:
You would really be missing out on some great tracks if you only raced upon good old “terra firma”. These tracks will keep your head in the clouds for a long time. Check them out in this week’s Top Tracks section in the ModSpot.

ModNation Player Profiles: Stitchless
Currently one of the game’s more prolific Mod / Kart designers, Stitchless blends his keen eye for color and detail with an uncanny look into the future of “Modkind”. We really enjoy how he melds his creation theme across his matching Mod and Kart combos. Read more about Stitchless HERE.

Creations of the Week
Let’s admit it, some days we all wake up a little dazed and confused (me more than most people) and some days’ events leave us a little dumfounded (again, probably me more than most people), but the moment I came across the “APOLLO (reflection)” Mod seen below I found myself transformed into a big, giggling, messy, smiley, drooling, “*mod-paranoid” mess of a human being.

*Mod-Paranoia (mawhd-par-uh-noi-uh) noun. origin 2010 modnation
When a mirrored image of a mirrored image on a mod creation is so realistic that it compels the viewer to constantly look back over their shoulder to confirm the scene in question is not actually behind them. – no known cure at this time.

Hot Lap Track Of The Week: Phantom Cathedral by prob_alex
Two features that set great tracks like this apart are the use of scale and light. Many great tracks begin as a good track placed into a spectacularly designed environment and visa-versa. Tracks like this incorporate the environment and its structures as part of the track. The cathedral prob_alex has built becomes the track as you drive into, over, and through multiple areas of the structure. Add the appropriate gloomy lighting and atmosphere and you have a track that has evolved from a race to an experience. Wednesday’s track Modina City 3D is also a great example of this motif.

Hot Lap Tracks:
Monday: Phantom Cathedral by prob_alex
Tuesday: Stairs to the Gods by its2l84that
Wednesday: Modina City 3D by jefferzone
Thursday: Big In The City by LinKueiNinja
Friday: Hagar’s Icy Retreat by MasterB
Saturday: Serenity Pool Of Gaea by IndustrialSavior
Sunday: Orion Cliffside Refinery by IndustrialSavior

Mark

Join the members of the San Diego Studio ModNation Racers team for a day of racing (8am-8pm PST) on Saturday, October 8th for the First Annual ModNation Racers “24 12 Hours of Le Mod”!

This is a great opportunity to race many of the best user created tracks ModNation has to offer alongside members of the MNR team. Who knows…you might just walk away with a win in your pocket and the bragging rights that go with that!

Look for ModNationSD in your local Modpsot throughout the day.

Note – The International Federation of Fictional Kart Racing Federations requires us to take frequent “personal time” breaks and at least two carbo-load sessions to make it through this event safely.

Don’t Be So Skeptical, Double XP Week Coming Soon!
The Modnation community is continually asking us questions such as… are Biff and Gary wearing any pants behind their commentators’ booth?… if I set off a mine on myself would anybody notice? …is the world still flat?… does this sticker make my mod’s butt look big? And our favorite – will there ever be another Double XP week in MNR?

So in observance of International Skeptics Day on October 13th we offer this to you… double XP from October 10th – 17th. So loosen up a little, shrug off those woes and worries because you at least have this to believe in!

Top Tracks:
You would really be missing out on some great tracks if you only raced upon good old “terra firma”. These tracks will keep your head in the clouds for a long time. Check them out in this week’s Top Tracks section in the ModSpot.

ModNation Player Profiles: Stitchless
Currently one of the game’s more prolific Mod / Kart designers, Stitchless blends his keen eye for color and detail with an uncanny look into the future of “Modkind”. We really enjoy how he melds his creation theme across his matching Mod and Kart combos. Read more about Stitchless HERE.

Creations of the Week
Let’s admit it, some days we all wake up a little dazed and confused (me more than most people) and some days’ events leave us a little dumfounded (again, probably me more than most people), but the moment I came across the “APOLLO (reflection)” Mod seen below I found myself transformed into a big, giggling, messy, smiley, drooling, “*mod-paranoid” mess of a human being.

*Mod-Paranoia (mawhd-par-uh-noi-uh) noun. origin 2010 modnation
When a mirrored image of a mirrored image on a mod creation is so realistic that it compels the viewer to constantly look back over their shoulder to confirm the scene in question is not actually behind them. – no known cure at this time.

Hot Lap Track Of The Week: Phantom Cathedral by prob_alex
Two features that set great tracks like this apart are the use of scale and light. Many great tracks begin as a good track placed into a spectacularly designed environment and visa-versa. Tracks like this incorporate the environment and its structures as part of the track. The cathedral prob_alex has built becomes the track as you drive into, over, and through multiple areas of the structure. Add the appropriate gloomy lighting and atmosphere and you have a track that has evolved from a race to an experience. Wednesday’s track Modina City 3D is also a great example of this motif.

Hot Lap Tracks:
Monday: Phantom Cathedral by prob_alex
Tuesday: Stairs to the Gods by its2l84that
Wednesday: Modina City 3D by jefferzone
Thursday: Big In The City by LinKueiNinja
Friday: Hagar’s Icy Retreat by MasterB
Saturday: Serenity Pool Of Gaea by IndustrialSavior
Sunday: Orion Cliffside Refinery by IndustrialSavior

Mark

Last week we introduced you to our sunny San Diego campus at MNCC (ModNation Community College), whose motto is — what else? — Play Create Share (and win!).

As with other institutions of higher learning, MNCC couldn’t offer students a valuable education without the $upport of a flourishing athletic department. The faculty of MNCC would like to introduce to you the star athletes of the ModNation Fighting “_____________”! (insert team mascot name suggestion here).

We base many decisions on what the television tells us. so if it’s good enough to be on a 24-hour cable TV sports channel, it’s good enough to be a part of our ModNation Athletic Dept.

ModNation Player Profiles: grey_jeep

A favorite among his track creating peers and the creator of one of my all-time favorite tracks (Prehistoric Coliseum), grey_jeep’s track creation portfolio is one of the most diverse in the game. Check out his player profile HERE

Top Tracks: If You Build It…

It never ceases to amaze us what this community of track creators can come up with. Below are just five of the many great “fields of glory” on our expansive MNCC campus. We’d also love to see some of your favorite sports-themed tracks — let us know in the comments section below this blog post!

Track of the Week

This week we put your tracks though the ultimate proving grounds… the opinions of your peers! More than 20 members of the ModNation community helped us to choose this week’s Hot Lap Tracks. The voters’ top five of the seven possible choices were very similar to our picks. Truly a united ModNation – how cool is that?

Hot Lap Track Of The Week: Magnum Opus De Axis Mundi by IndustrialSavior

Hot Lap Tracks

Monday: Magnum Opus De Axis Mundi by IndustrialSavior is possibly the best Medieval ModNation track so far! EPIC! And not in the “dude, that was so epic!” sense, but more in terms of grandeur, detail, vision and brilliance. Now that I think about it… yep, ok… “Dude totally epic-licious for sure!”

Tuesday: Dia Palace of the Equinox sees IndustrialSavior continue his bid to secure his position in the ModNation Hall Of Fame with his second of three Hot Lap entries this week.

Wednesday: Oil Ocean by dane9261 is a lot of fun in that you’re racing on a track that feels like an erector set exploded and all the parts fell in exactly the right place. This is a standout industrial track!

Thursday: The Disused Car Factory by suimei_0907 is a moody, animated and highly detailed romp through an auto factory. A great premise combined with superior execution for this track.

Friday: Aquatica Palace sees dane9261 going two-for-two this week!

Saturday: Downhill Tropical Glacier by apricot-jam-IS is a special case in that you’ll have to race this track a few times to appreciate the variety of shortcuts and their unique features. Nice track!

Sunday: White Box City by Yika has players jump to, through, and up onto *rhyme* skyscrapers. Always a crowd pleaser!

Modnation Kart Posse Challenge 101

This is the last week to enroll for this first of more Mod and Kart creation courses at MNCC. This is a great opportunity for you to learn and collaborate on the kart creating process with creators of all skill levels. See HERE for details and sign ups.

Our favorite “Posses” will be featured in the “Creations of the Week” section of an upcoming ModNation blog! Be on the lookout for more upcoming creation “courses” soon as well as education focused on racing skills.

We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, how ‘bout you!!

A recent scientific study out of ModNation Laboratories Research and Development department (located in sunny San Diego, CA) reveals that 75% of ModNation creators are eagerly looking to further their Mod and Kart design education. Now you (yes you!) have the opportunity to learn and work with the best that ModNation has to offer. MNR’s Community College is now in session (or MNCC as we like to call it).

Enrollment starts this week for “Modnation Kart Posse Challenge 101”, the first of many Mod & Kart creation courses here at MNCC. Here is how it works… MNCC students register (for free!) for “MKPC101”HERE. The faculty will randomly place students into high-energy lab teams of at least three members who will put their creative minds together in designing their team’s karts “Posse” style. Teams’ names could look like “Team Too Many Stickers”, “Team Big, Bad & Ugly”, “Team Chicks Rule, Boys Drool” or maybe even “Team Color-Blind”, who knows? This is a great opportunity for you to learn and collaborate on the kart creating process with creators of all skill levels.

Our favorite “Posses” will be featured in the “Creations of the Week” section of an upcoming MNR blog!

At MNCC we let you decide the path of success leading to your degree what we like to call PCS-ology (get it? Play Create Share). Bad pun. My bad.

Top Tracks: Tracks That Made Us Say…HUH?
Students of ancient history understand that the period of time known as the 1960s and 1970s was a very awkward time indeed. Mankind went from “Peace and Love” to “Disco and Leisure suits”. We celebrate those “far out” days with tracks that obviously have tapped into that “trippy” vibe.

If you are looking for some more creative, mind-blowing tracks with a little more “WOW!” and maybe a little less WHAT?, WHY? and HUH?, try these creators – Bongsoldier, RADBOYROB, MagicalHamster, OnePoppa, Laidbackcat and BrianDaleBaxley1 just to name a few.

ModNation Player Profiles: Tuksilha

Tuksilha is one of the hardest working and most tenacious racers in MNR. Look at a few of his stats…
- Over 5,000,000 Race XP points
- Most total races with 30,267
- Most victories with 14,483

Read more about this amazing ModNation Racer in his profile HERE

Creations of the Week: Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah
Join us as we reach back yet again into the MNR time machine for a look at the Mods’ and Karts’ true “old-school” style.

If you come across and choice Mods / Karts in your travels, do me a solid and let me know. We will accept lame-o’s, dweebs, or totally bogus Cheese Weasels. Dig it?

Track of the Week

Beauteous Oasis by prob_alex

Hot Lap Tracks:

Monday: Beauteous Oasis by prob_alex (I am not sure the term “gorgeous” is proper to describe a racetrack but I am going with it. Gorgeous!!!

Tuesday: City controlled by Aliens by SergioChileno (I need to get SergioChileno, RADBOYROD and RockToonz to collaborate on a track! I think it may blow my mind, and my home’s power supply!)

Wednesday: Botanical Village by PH1LThy31 (three strong entries from PH1LThy31 this week. All great, but this was my favorite)

Thursday: Irabella Ice Jam by IvoYaridovich (Ivo has definitely found his groove with the Arctic DLC theme tracks)

Friday: The Low Country by atheistsw. (It’s a great track and a great race but the subtleties are what make atheistsw’s tracks excel, as this one of course does just that)

Saturday: The Lost City 1.0 by lop330 (the scenery changes and multiple terrain choices must be seen to be appreciated. I loved it. In fact, I wish I made it!)

Sunday: Walhalla by marusarusa (I holla, you holla, we all holla for Walhalla!)

No Guts, No Glory

Next week we will put your tracks though the ultimate proving grounds… the opinions of your peers! That’s right, Hot Lap Tracks will be selected by the MNR community (with our “guidance”) for the following week’s Hot Lap Tracks seating. If you are interested in becoming a Hot Lap judge look for more details HERE

Fight on MNCC!
Mark

Don’t look now but that kart that just pwned you (again) just might be one of the lady racers of ModNation Racers. Racing games tend to be male dominated but that’s not the case in ModNation Racers. So this week, we’re featuring the ladies of ModNation. The women are all about what makes this game so fun – Playing, Creating, and Sharing – and they truly are some of the best in the game!

Track Creation 101: The Lady’s Eye For Detail

Atmosphere and environment are two key aspects I focus on when looking for user-created tracks to promote. And let’s be honest: these are sometimes overlooked by guys. Let’s not assume the ladies tracks are all sunny, bright, colorful, flowery jaunts, though: In this week’s Top Tracks, you will race around a polluted landfill, explore the inside of an epic super computer, and whip through a bleak, gloomy, moldy swamp just to name a few. Give em’ a spin.

ModNation Player Profiles: Shout Out To The Ladies

Here is a look into some of our game’s best…

PSN ID: DeathsMom
Not only one of the game’s best racers but also one of the nicest. At any time during the day (or night) you’ll find DeathsMom racing and/or hosting a series of really fun tracks with some really nice people. Don’t let her PSN ID fool you, she’s a sweetheart! See her profile HERE

PSN ID: Meepcow
Meepcow (her friends call her “meep”) has created some of ModNation’s classic tracks such as “Meep’s Winter Wonderland” and “MRC Recycling Center v2” to name a few. Take a look at her player profile HERE

PSN ID: MagicalHamster
Highly creative tracks and highly race-able tracks do not always go hand-in-hand. MagicalHamster is one of the few ModNation creators that can meld the two into one great racing experience. If you are looking to be inspired by something new and different, load up one of her tracks and give it a few goes. I know you will learn something new. I know I do every single time! Look and see HERE

Ladies’ Night of Fun Races

Join us for a LADIES’ night of fun racing this Thursday, September 15th from 5:00-6:30 PST. This is a great opportunity for a “Girl’s Night Out” in a casual racing environment. Ladies: SIGN UP HERE

Creations of the Week

Hot Lap Tracks:

This week’s tracks feature more of the great tracks from da’ ladies!
Monday: Paradise Falls by froodle_noodle
Tuesday: Tranquil Garden by argonautica79
Wednesday: Medieval Time by kittiekatlady
Thursday: Fasten Your Seatbelts by AMBERLOCOx22xX
Friday: having fun by vickie163
Saturday: *** Happy Park*** by MagicalHamster
Sunday: Meep’s Winter Wonderland by Meepcow

Upcoming Events: Team Posse Challenge

Check in next week for details on this fun Mod / Kart creation challenge. Get your “mod-ing” thumbs warmed up, it’s going to be a blast!

I hope you enjoyed this well-deserved tribute to the ladies of ModNation!

A few weeks ago we challenged you to build us a waterpark track using the recent Water World DLC. Just in time for Labor Day (U.S.) you delivered some really fun, wet ‘n wild waterparks that we might actually pay admission to visit in the “real” world! It seems as there is no challenge that the genius of the MNR community cannot handle. Our Top Tracks this week feature five of our favorites. Dive in and treat yourself to some really fun racing!

Hey Ladies In The Place…

We’re calling out to ya! That’s right, we are looking for the “better half” of the ModNation population for a long overdue, upcoming all-ladies tribute. We want to feature the best Mods, Karts and Tracks from the girls but we need your help. If you know of any of MNR’s “fairer sex” creations we need to your help to point them out to us. Please submit any creations HERE and we will feature many in next week’s blog.

ModNationSD’s Top 25 All-Time Favorites
The past two weeks I have featured my All-Time Top Ten favorite tracks in the Top Tracks section of the Modpsot. This was an almost impossible task to narrow down all the great tracks I have played to only ten, so here is the complete list of 25. After racing and re-racing, nights and weekends I think I have a produced a decent list. These are the tracks I go back to time and again. Take a look HERE! As always, I’m interested to hear about your favorite tracks, so let me know.

ModNation Player Profile: PSN: its2l84that
These weekly ModNation player profiles give all of us a look at the “best of the best” MNR has to offer. its2l84that has created some of our favorite tracks like Pirate’s Cove Village, Journey To Mt. Zion and Downtown UFO Crash Site. These alone warrant a look into what makes him tick. Take a look HERE.

ModNation Thursday Fun Races
Join ModNationSD for an evening of fun racing Thursdays from 5:00-6:00 PST. This is a great opportunity to meet some great people in a casual racing environment. Check our ModNation Facebook page on the day of the races on how to join.

Track of The Week:

Overgrowth Shrine v1.2 by lop330

Hot Lap Tracks:

Monday: Overgrowth Shrine v1.2 by lop330 – Where do I start? Lush, scenic, picturesque track with so many paths and variations that I’m not sure I found them all. Looks like we have a new top creator on our hands!
Tuesday: Donkey Disco ! by Laidbackcat – I’m not sure if this is a race or a game within a game but I know one thing for sure… it is absolute GENIUS! I’m speechless. Thesaurus useless.
Wednesday: Lumia Citadel Vector Ark by IndustrialSavior – Great rooftop tracks are not easy to create. This is one of the better I have seen.
Thursday: The LOST CITY …. by prob_alex – This track demonstrates prob_alex’s versatility. He creates both amazing tracks/creations and subtly beautiful great Hot Lap tracks like this one.
Friday: Sewer Sanctum by grey_jeep – One of my favorite creators does it again. His track “portfolio” is among the best and most varied. Love the sewer theme!
Saturday: One Mod in the grave by villain29 – Creeped me out… in a good way!
Sunday: Willow Haven Kirkbride by IndustrialSavior – I may need to visit this “restful” location soon. (read his description).

Creations of The Week:

Go ahead slap on those shades because the upcoming months the Blu-Ray supernova known as ModNation Racers becomes brighter and brighter.

I watch day after day, week after week as the ModNation community create amazing Mods, Karts and Tracks that makes the development team wonder, “how did they do that?” This is one case where the students have truly become the teachers. One of my roles as community specialist is to not only share with you the evolution of ModNation Racers but the evolution of the Play Create Share vision. Each day I experience something (or somewhere) new that I never could have imagined and, if that’s not enough, in just a few months we will be able to hold all of those gems in the palm of our hands with the introduction of the PS Vita.

Aren’t we fortunate to have a game that gives us dozens of new and fabulous “toys” every time we play?

Top Tracks: ModNationSD’s Favorites – Part IIThis week features part II of ModNationSD’s favorite tracks. This is an almost impossible task to narrow down all the great tracks but I am giving it my best! Next week I’ll reveal the complete list of 25 All-Time Favorites!

ModNation Player Profile: PSN: Lloyd24K
He will always offer you a fair race and point-blank critique of your track. I asked one time and after I was done crying I re-tooled my track. I found he was right. Read about Lloyd24K HERE.

ModNation Thursday Fun Races
Join ModNationSD for an evening of fun racing Thursdays from 5:00-6:00 Pacific Time. This is a great opportunity to meet some great people in a casual racing environment. Check our ModNation Facebook page on the day of the races on how to join.

Track of The Week:
Atlantis Rising by PH1LThy31 and atheistsw

Hot Lap Tracks:
Monday: Atlantis Rising by PH1LThy31 and atheistsw – I don’t use the word “epic” very often. This is epic!

Tuesday: ***Happy Park*** by MagicalHamster – This will bring a smile to your face. Fun race. Great ideas. You have to check out all of MagicalHamster’s tracks. VERY unique!

Wednesday: Redstone Ridge by athiestsw – my favorite Western themed track so far. LOVED the ghost town shortcut. Take note how athiestsw uses lighting as a tool in his designs. Brilliant.

Thursday: Land of Misthalianus V2.0 by dane9261 – Stoked watching dane9261’s tracks getting better month after month!

Friday: Eerie Estate by Laidbackcat – Get your cornering skills tuned up. You’ll need them!

Saturday: Tell No Tales by PatrickJames777 – One of the best examples of the Pirate DLC I’ve seen. So many varied routes that’ll keep you coming back for more!

Sunday: Mary Jane’s Mega Mall by athiestsw – This week should’ve been titled athiestsw-palooza. Three great tracks that cannot be denied from Hot Lap. Great work!

Creations of The Week:

We have been making you work pretty hard lately with all the new DLC to play with so we thought we owed you a little pampering. This week is all about you. Sit back, relax, put your feet up, pour yourself a nice cold beverage and settle in for some good MNR times.

Double XP Week
For starters, here is a little helping hand to take the load off of that grueling Level 30 trek you are on – Double XP Week is August 21st – 28th. Enjoy!

FREE DLC “Drop” For The 9-5’ers!
Hey you…! Yes you, we know you work hard during the week and deserve a little extra something for the effort on the weekends. Our next Free DLC Giveaway will be this upcoming Sunday, August 28th. Check our Facebook page throughout the day for some free random DLC… so you’ve got that going for you!

Build A Better Track: Video Tutorial
Thanks to Argorox for this video that will make EVERYONE a better track creator!

ModNation Racers For Vita: “Name The Game”
Thanks go out to all who submitted their ideas for the name of the upcoming ModNation Vita game. We collected close to 3,000 title suggestions and approx. 2,990 of those were really good.

Some that didn’t work out…

The Game Formerly Known As ModNation Racers ModNation Cornucopia of Awesomeness Racers ModNation Racers : touchy-feely-makey-racey ModNation Racers: Get in, Sit down, Shut Up! Modnation: Better than What’s-his-face Kart Modnation Racers: Next Generation Extreme Vital Turbo Adrenaline Racing With Radical Editors And Community Support Featuring Driving Related Stuff To The Max Special Edition

Good effort though! We will keep these on file!

Top Tracks: ModNationSD’s Favorites
By popular demand, the next two weeks Top Tracks will feature ModNationSD’s Ten Favorites. This is an almost impossible task to narrow all the great tracks down to 10 but I’ll give it my best. The final week I will post an entire list of my Top 25 favorites! So here we go… (in no order)

ModNation Player Profile: PSN: maverick–07–
Most never get the opportunity to actually “race” maverick–07–. A race constitutes everyone having an equal opportunity to finish 1st. When maverick–07—is in the room, that glimmer of hope goes out the window. He is one of the very best! READ HERE. Maybe we will all learn something new!

ModNation Thursday Fun Races
Join ModNationSD for an evening of fun racing Thursdays from 5:00-6:00 PST. This is a great opportunity to meet some great people in a casual racing environment. Bring your favorite Mods and Karts and strut your stuff out on the track. Check our ModNation Facebook page on the day of the races on how to join.

Creations of the Week:

Track of The Week:
Disaster City by Argorox

Hot Lap Tracks:
Monday: Arcadia Nova v1.0 by Iop330
Tuesday:Disaster City by ArgorokX
Wednesday: South West Balloon Fiesta by athiestsw
Thursday: CARNIVAL OF THE ALIENS by RADMANROB
Friday: Koushien Ball Park by big-village_920_
Saturday: Outlands by Lloyd2k4
Sunday: Vallis Bellatorum by jefferzone, prob_alex and Laidbackcat

Kart of The Week:
Dragon Hunter Machine by R_Kaim

See you on the track!

You have to admit this has been a one rippin’ great summer to be a member of the ModNation!

• Fun ModNation-palooza events
• Two million creations milestone
• Fresh new DLC (Big City, Arctic, Medieval, Pirate, etc…)
• The “Moddys” celebration of the ModNation community
  
• More new DLC (Western, Alien, Junkyard, Oil Stain, etc…)
• Reveal of the new ModNation Racers game for the Vita portable system
• Free DLC “Drops” in our ModNation Monday blog and on our Facebook page (more to come!)

…and most recently the “name your next favorite game” event (see last week’s blog)

We have a lot more events in store for you in the months to come leading up to the release of ModNation Racers on the PlayStation Vita. We can’t wait to get our hands on that baby, but trust us – you’ll have plenty to do until then!

Hey, if you have an idea for a fun MNR event let us know HERE. The more ideas the better!

ModNation Team Track Challenge II – Are You In? (again!)
The last team track challenge was a roaring success so we are doing it again! Are you new to track creation and want to learn from AND work with the best? Are you one of “the best” and want to impart your “MNR wisdom” on the newbies? Well this is the event for you. We will randomly be putting together teams of 3-4 track creators to work together on building their united track.

If you want to join in the fun look HERE for more details and to sign up.

RECENT DLC: On The Zombie Bandwagon!
The Haunted Parts Pack is available in the PlayStation Store for $4.99. Let the freaks come out at night!

ModNation Player Profile: IndustrialSavior
IndustrialSavior is one of the ModNation’s most prolific track creators. His tracks always deliver a great race AND a great story! Read his profile HERE

FREE RANDOM DLC GIVEAWAY: “Find Me”
Tomorrow (8/16/11) is an opportunity to acquire some FREE ModNation Racers DLC. I will be cruising around the ModSpot tossin’ around some free MNR DLC (while supplies last). Look for PSN ID: MNR_FIND_ME.

Creations of the Week:

Track of The Week:
Planet Zatox by prob_alex

Hot Lap Tracks:

Monday: Planet Zatox by prob_alex (prob_alex continues to find beautiful, ingenious and astonishing new ways to push the track design envelope! This week is no different. I raced it so much I see it in my dreams at night, and that’s a good thing!)
Tuesday: Halloumi National Park by atheistsw (I don’t know where this “park” is but I want to vacation there for about a week!)
Wednesday: The Maze of Despair by Industrial02 (In recognition of National “Meaning of Is” Day)
Thursday: THE ORBITRON by RADMANROB (I like this track a lot RADMANROB! (AKA: RADBOYROB)
Friday: alien arctic 51 fix by LinKueiNinja (great effort from a rookie track designer)
Saturday: Budget Deficit Crisis by manlius10a (well played sir, well played)
Sunday: Eden Vale Office Park by atheistsw (Wow! atheistsw can even turn a depressing office park into a fun race. How does he do it?)

Party on ModNation, party on!

It takes quite some time for a game to work its way through the development cycle, but usually, a game has a name (or at least a code name) very early on. But for San Diego Studios' portable iteration of ModNation Racers, the game's simply been referred to as "ModNation Racers Vita." San Diego St...

If you haven’t heard, we at San Diego Studio are proudly bringing the ModNation franchise to the much anticipated PlayStation Vita and we would like to tap into the brilliant minds that have conceived over two million amazing MNR creations by asking for your input. What do YOU think the title of the upcoming release should be? To help your creativity here are some details about the upcoming game.

• All PS3 user creations will be available on day one for the vita.
• Create a track in only seconds by drawing it with your finger.
• With the power of the back touch you can raise terrain with a simple touch. Likewise the front touch screen allows you to lower terrain in a simple yet powerful manner.
• The fun of ModNation kart racing remains intact with the advantage of dual analog sticks.

It is a great time for technology and the PS Vita gives you a wealth of tools to work with. And this is only the tip of the iceberg! We have much more exciting information to share with you in the upcoming months, so keep your eyes peeled here on the PlayStation.Blog and ModNation.com.

With that, let us know what YOU would name this game. Ask your mom, your dog, your “invisible friend” or just shoot us a title or two of your own and let’s see what happens! Who knows…. if we like it, we just may want to hook you up with some cool ModNation goodies!

Suggestions will only be collected from this blog post. Please leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

This ought to be fun! And now, back to your regularly scheduled ModNation Monday update!

NEW DLC: On The Zombie Bandwagon!

Here zombies, there zombies, everywhere you look zombies! We thought why wait until the “official” zombie holiday in October, so here you go. Let’s see who can create some intentionally frighteningly good tracks with this DLC! The Haunted Parts Pack will be available in the PlayStation Store on August 9th for $4.99. Let the freaks come out at night!

Recent DLC

Oil Stain Mod & Kart is available now in the PlayStation Store! Mod is $.99, Kart is $.99 or both for $1.75

TEAM TRACK CHALLENGE: The Nation That Creates Together Stays Together!
A short while ago we presented a Team Track Challenge to the ModNation community. We randomly placed interested participants together in teams of three with a goal a designing one united track for each team. Teams consisted of MNR “Hall of Famers” and rookie first time track builders to see what they could dream up. We wondered if players could truly PLAY CREATE and SHARE together. Final verdict – YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE IT!!!

Below are five of our favorites that will be showcased in Top Tracks all this week. Do yourself a favor and run a few races with you and your friends. These are truly gems in the ModNation crown. Congrats to ALL the teams on their tracks and the fun they had working together.

Read the full story of the event HERE

Free DLC Giveaway: “DLC Drop”
Tomorrow you have an opportunity to acquire some FREE random ModNation Racers DLC. Check our Facebook page HERE

Creations of the Week

Track of The Week:
Land of Myths by manlius10a
If someone can make a better track next week or this month, I will be VERY surprised! Players constantly ask me what I look for in a track, this is it! ABSOLUTELY beautiful environment and a great, intense race. I love the little touches like the sunlight angle. At high noon this track would look totally different and this choice makes the colors so rich and saturated, those are the small things that can take a track from a 4 star to a 5 star in my opinion.

Hot Lap Tracks:

Monday:Land of Myths by manlius10a

Tuesday:Invasion: Homeworld by atheistsw

Wednesday:Extinct Civilization by SergioChileno

Thursday:Ripper’s Gardens by ripper171

Friday:Mystery of the Sphinx by marusarusa

Saturday:Star Gate by b-nArmz

Sunday:Cixuanfu by John31269

Kart of the Week:
Hudson Motorsport by villain29

Hey ModNation… have fun naming your next favorite video game!

Nothing says summer (sunburn, too much chlorine, overpriced bad theme park food, etc…) like a good ol’ local water park! Do the ModNation a summertime favor and build us that themed waterpark of our (and your) dreams.

A Renaissance waterpark? How about a Western waterpark? An Outer Space waterpark?… the themes are pretty endless. Make us some cool (pun intended) waterpark tracks using the new DLC and they just might end up in Hot Lap or Top Tracks! DETAILS HERE.

NEW DLC:

Oil Stain Mod & Kartwill be available in the PlayStation Store on August 2nd.
Mod is $.99 and includes: Undershirt, Ragged Overalls, Hillbilly Beard, Straw Hat, Kart is $.99 Includes: Mark I Body and Mattress Seat. Both for $1.75

RECENT DLC:
Junkyard Parts Packis available in the PlayStation Store now for $4.99.

DLC SHOWCASE:
Don’t hold back on us. We are DESPERATELY “jones-ing” for some new tracks with all this great DLC in it. We know they are out there; we just need your help finding it. I mean, I’m decent at my job but with an average of 800+ new tracks created per day I can’t be expected to be THAT good! Help me! Who knows… you might just help me win the coveted “Employee of the Month” parking spot!
Please let us know if you find any recent track gems like these using any new DLC by visiting our forum HERE.or listing them below in the comments.

FREE DLC GIVEAWAY: “DLC Drops”
Today you have an opportunity to acquire some FREE random ModNation Racers DLC. Check the comments section below and our Facebook page regularly for more FREE “DLC Drops”!
ModNation Player Profile: RADBOYROB
Need a smile? Race a RADBOYROB track! Read why he is a favorite in the ModNation community HERE

Creations of The Week:

Track of The Week:
Invasion: Aftermath by atheistsw
I always have such fun playing atheistsw’s tracks. First things first… they are always top notch races, but what I admire the most is the environments he builds, they actually tell a story… from the ModNation Mayor addressing the hysterical (but strangely in-line) masses, the head of the alien invasion asking to be “taken to your leader”, the alien bugs climbing the skyscraper walls, the towns buildings in shambles (with broken water mains!), and an award has to be given to atheistsw for the “Best Placement of Army Tanks In An Alien Invasion Track”. The tanks are in wait across a broken bridge to the finish line. Genius!

Hot Lap Tracks:
Monday:Invasion: Aftermath by atheistsw
Tuesday:Rottimus Berg Hyhenluft by IndustrialSavior(you had me at Rottimus)
Wednesday:Peruvian Shakedown (2.0) by corliss(simple but not simplistic fun course)
Thursday:Reassembled Ruins v1.0 by lop330(I really like the two themes working together. Well executed. Fun race)
Friday:Ocean View Heights by PH1LThy31(PH1LThy31 has been a mean lean Hot Lap creating machine lately. Textbook Big City course. One of my favs!)

Saturday:Sequoia Summit Raceway by corliss(Didn’t grab me until after a few races. Once I got it I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was back in Yosemite!)

Sunday:Death Valley Oasis by PH1LThy31(see above!)

Creations of The Week:
Kart: Freestyle by Shelbot3001

Mod: Freestyle Biker by Shelbot3001 (Shelbot3001 this is amazing! Real three dimensional jewels for the reflectors and twist-ties for the cabling? This is AMAZING!)


I’m expecting some slippin’ and a slidin’ in a ModNation Water park soon!