Free PC Gaming Blog

A new Mario Kart style PC racing game is now available and it’s free to play! Kart n’ Crazy is now available from free to play games portal Goa.com.

Launch of Kart n’Crazy, new free game on the Goa.com portal.

Kart n’Crazy has taken off like a rocket!

Compete against up to 16 challengers online on a multitude of crazy tracks! The final version has new options that were not available in the beta, including new tracks, items, and stunts…
Customise your character and choose your personalised kart before the race begins!

Kart n’Crazy, the third game from the free online games portal Goa.com, is being launched exclusively in Europe in 4 languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

Kart n’Crazy features:
- Completely free online gaming without subscription.
- Amazing items to help you win against your opponents.
- A learning curve suitable for gamers of all ages.
- Extra content added every two weeks: there are already more than 140 items, 15 karts, 6 characters and 22 tracks.
- 4 game modes.

To download the Kart n’Crazy client and start playing today, completely free of charge, visit http://www.goa.com/#/kartncrazydowload/

Trackmania Nations Forever, the full version PC Racing game followup to TrackMania Nations is now available for free! Announcement from the Trackmania Nations Forever site:

TRACKMANIA NATIONS FOREVER - FULL GAME, FREE AND FOR ALL

Launched two years ago, TrackMania Nations became a true video game phenomenon. The free downloadable racing game attracted an unbelievable number of players around the world who were obsessed with the game’s fast cars, spectacular tracks single- and multiplayer play and simple yet powerful tools for creating tracks and race videos. For the past two years, it has been installed more than 30 million times and nearly four million players have created an account to play the game online on the game’s servers.

Its highly awaited sequel, TrackMania Nations Forever, is now available as a free download. TrackMania Nations Forever offers a new complete “Forever” version of the Stadium environment, a complete solo mode and 65 brand new, progressively difficult tracks. TrackMania Nations Forever will unite an even larger number of players thanks to its engaging multiplayer modes, innovative online functions and revolutionary interactivity between players.

For TrackMania Nations Forever, Nadeo studio chose to take advantage of the PC’s capacities as a gaming, creative and communications platform in order to allow a greater number of players to share a unique gaming experience:

Florent Castelnerac, Director of Nadeo studio, explains:
« The PC is the premier gaming platform when it comes to the number of casual and expert players. To satisfy this wide range of players, we designed the game for everyone instead of trying to focus on the average gamer. We have put a lot of effort in developing the competitive spirit and challenge between players in order to present a game adapted to big e-sports competitions while remaining captivating and accessible to players who have less gaming experience. Even if you play Nations Forever quietly alone, you can still be ranked in the world, your country, your city or even in your list of friends that you can create by inviting friends to join like in Facebook or MySpace. It is up to each player to set his/her goals - become one of the best players in the world or just impress friends. These ladders are adapted to everyone and they add ten times more interest to solo or multiplayer modes. Always searching for new ways to add interest and unite an even larger number of players, we explored the possibilities the PC offers as a universal communication platform: for example, a system that allows you to challenge your friends by mail or Messenger. Since the game is free, fun and works on most computers, there is a big chance that many people that you know will play it. Finally, as for creativity, the PC is the only game platform that allows players to easily create additional game content, and the game comes with powerful creative tools like the track editor. We increased creative possibilities even more with richer, more complete editors while making creation more accessible to a larger number of players with a simplified track editor. Tomorrow, we will see exceptional creations from the four corners of the world that players will be able to exchange for free and easily. It’s a tremendous motivation for the entire development team. »

The release of TrackMania Nations Forever will also allow the convergence of the huge TrackMania community. For the first time, players of the free versions will be able to play online with players from the retail version of TrackMania United on servers dedicated to the Stadium environment that is common to both games. Players of the TrackMania United retail version also gain a brilliant free extension named “United Forever”. In addition to being compatible with Nations Forever, this extension offers many bonuses - including tracks that have never been seen before, new design blocks for the game environments and a spectacular graphics update for the three historic environments Desert, Snow and Rally.

I took a trip to New York City last week over the holidays with the fam. I love New York! I almost moved up there a few years ago and have visited the big city many times since. We took some relatives from out west who had never been to NYC to all of the tourist sites in the 3 days we were there. When we got to Time Square, I had to snap the shot above… I was surprised to see a gigantic advertisement for one of my favorite free to play online games KartRider! I guess the business model is paying off if Nexon can afford that kind of prime advertising space! Rock on Nexon…

KartRider remains one of my favorite non-RPG MMOs. The Mario Kart style racing remains a lot of fun. It’s one of those games I can just jump into and the time suddenly slips by while I jump from race to race against random players from around the world.

Nexon has announced that the free to play mulitiplayer racing game is getting a bit of a holiday makeover. They will be decking the halls …er tracks with Christmas items to get you into the holiday spirit.

Here’s the press release with more details:

KartRider’s Winter Wonderland

Holiday Tracks and Events Lighting Up the KartRider Christmas Season

Los Angeles, CA – December 12, 2007 – Nexon America Inc. is lighting up KartRider’s Arctic Rim with Christmas ornaments and decorations this holiday season. With tracks from Arctic Rim reverberating Christmas spirit, KartRider is also presenting holiday events, music and prizes to supplement the festivities. Already surpassing enormous expectations, KartRider, the free-to-download, free-to-play online multiplayer racing game, is anticipating an influx of new and returning users during the holidays. More information can be found at http://kart.nexon.net.

More specifically, Shark’s Fin, Penguin Town, and Ice Cave, the three tracks that currently comprise the Arctic Rim courses in KartRider, received a Christmas makeover that includes candy cane poles, penguins clad in Santa gear, and jingly bells amongst the numerous decorations. There will also be Christmas carol background music. Much like the neighbors on your block who are fiercely prideful of their annual Christmas light decorations, Nexon America is going all-out in an effort to bring holiday spirit to the rapidly growing number of KartRider users.

In addition to the decorations, KartRider is rolling out bigger events and prizes in the spirit of the season. KartRider’s Holiday Marathon, an endurance race for serious kart enthusiasts, boasts rewards such as laptop computers and Ipods, among other must-have holiday gifts. KartRider’s Myspace users are getting involved with the Holiday Wish List event, which prompts users to leave comments on the KartRider Myspace page stating which item from the Item Shop they’d like to receive for Christmas and why; winners will be selected to receive their holiday wish based their comments provided.

Also being released this month is the Holiday Plate and Holiday Baton items. The plate will be available in the Item Shop while the baton will be awarded to users who complete a certain amount of races in a quest. The Holiday Plate and Holiday Baton allow users to show their spirit through two different venues and promises to light up the karts of millions of users.

With all the decorations, events, and gifts, it’s shaping up to be a very merry Christmas for KartRider users. KartRider fans can check on http://kart.nexon.net for more news and updates regarding open beta and official launch. Nexon plans a pedal to the metal onslaught of promotions, contests, and events in coordination with KartRider’s launch schedule to “drive” this title to success!

Ok, so I’m a little behind on this one. The release below is over a month old, but Upshift StrikeRacer looks like a descent free to play multiplater "racing with weapons" type of game:

Free-to-Play Online Car Racing and Combat Game Opens all Vehicles, Tracks, Weapons and Items to Players; Unique “Club” Social Networking Web Sites Go Live  

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2007 – Lead foot and trigger happy gamers can now access all of the frenzied and explosive excitement of Gala-Net’s high-octane free-to-play online multiplayer game Upshift StrikeRacer as the service goes live today.  To sign up for and download Upshift StrikeRacer for free, head to the game’s official Web site at http://strikeracer.gpotato.com. 

Upshift StrikeRacer is a free-to-play multiplayer online game, where the client download is free and many of the vehicles, body kits, accessory kits, weapons, finishes and special items can be bought only with the Reputation you generate by StrikeRacing.  Players hit the road in explosive races where machine guns flare, rockets fly and a quick trigger finger is just as important as a lead foot and a steady steering wheel.  

Extending the game to the Web, Upshift StrikeRacer now also offers Upshift StrikeRacer Clubs, the most robust community tools available in a free-to-play game.  Players can form Clubs, network with friends, upload and share photos, share blogs, run polls and forums and keep track of in-game rankings and points. Each individual Club can have up to 50 members, and Clubs can align with other Clubs to create a guild-like network of up to 250 players each.  In addition, Clubs and their allies can declare war on other Clubs.  More information on Upshift StrikeRacer Clubs, which can be created by any StrikeRacer who is at least Level 10, can be found at http://upshift.gpotato.com. 

“Players across North America have enjoyed the content in Upshift StrikeRacer’s open beta, and we are excited to bring them the complete game as we launch the commercial service,” said John Young, vice president and producer, Gala-Net, Inc. “StrikeRacers now have unlimited free access to some of the slickest cars, most heinous weapons and trickiest maps available in an online racing and combat game.  They can also take that excitement out of the game and to the Web with the Club community services that are truly unmatched by any online game available today.” In addition to the distinctive Club service, Gala-Net’s Upshift StrikeRacer’s live launch offers players: 

• 13 different vehicles – from hot sports cars to hulking SUVs to deft minis.  Customize and upgrade your ride with radical body kits, unique accessories, slick paint and crafty electronics packages.

• Heinous bolt-on weaponry for explosive car-to-car combat, including the devastating Mauler gun, pyro-tastic Hellscorchers and Fireball cannons, hard-hitting Tomahawk and Sidewinder missiles and devious Freeze Mines — 16 ways to blast your way to victory.

• A variety of race modes, including Time Attack for the solo racer, Racing mode for the speed demons and no-holds barred StrikeRacing for players to pit their driving skills and their arsenal against other drivers as they race and fight for individual or team victory.

• More than 20 unique maps filled with short cuts, jumps, obstacles and road hazards.

• Additional garage space, cars, weapons and special items and services available in the Upshift StrikeRacer item mall for gPotatoes, Gala-Net’s cash currency.

For more information on Upshift StrikeRacer, head to http://strikeracer.gpotato.com

About Gala-Net
Founded in 2004, Gala-Net, Inc. is a subsidiary of global online community company Gala, Inc.  Together with its European subsidiary, Gala Networks Europe, Gala-Net is a leader in the burgeoning free-to-play online games market.  Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Gala-Net’s diverse service portfolio includes Flyff, Space Cowboy Online, Shot Online, Corum Online and Rappelz.  In September 2007 the company launched the high-octane car racing and combat game Upshift StrikeRacer.  Through the community portal gPotato (http://www.gpotato.com), gamers can access all of Gala-Net’s services and micro-currency, which players can use to buy in-game currency and virtual items for any of its games.