New racing challenge brings Need For Speed video game to life

The challenge pitted Monster drift driver Luke Woodham and Need for Speed influencer Theo Thomas race against each other in a Ford Mustang on treacherous course. However, their only visibility was from a camera attached to the top of their car. It simulated the view gamers would see in the new Need for Speed Payback video game. With all the car windows blacked out, Theo and Luke had to rely on instinctive driving and gaming skills to make it through the real-life course, which was based on the fictional Liberty Desert in Need for Speed Payback. Now the Hype magazine wants to know more. That is why we took the time to discuss the event in a live satellite interview with Theo and Luke. They shared what is was like racing blindly and who was the better driver. Their involvement in the Castrol EDGE tournament at the PAX East gaming convention in Boston, and what it’s like being a professional gamer and drift racer.

Tell us about the challenge and what it was like to race a real car without being able to see out the windows.

I got the phone call from Castrol to come and drive the Ford Mustang in the Castrol edge titanium gamer section which is going to be put into the new Need for Speed game. I was very excited about getting a phone call and having to give this a go with a camera on the back of the car and a screen in front of us which we could see out of obviously, they gave us like a gamer point of view which for me, you know was really different, but it worked out fantastic. The car was brilliant and obviously with all the gear in the car and stuff it works fantastic we obviously had the Castrol edge fully synthetic oil in there as well so that kept things running smoothly. Like I said, it was just unreal. I had to pinch myself at many moments to actually remember I was in a real car, because it was so realistic. It was it was unbelievable.

Theo, how did the driving challenge compare to playing the video game?

Scarily similar! It’s a good thing I adapted to it really quickly, but at the same time as Luke said, you have to pinch yourself because you’re in a real car. You realized that you hit bumps in the road. Normally when you’re holding a wheel, you have the hood view, that’s what you’re looking at but, in this, you’re looking at the whole car and the car feels longer because of that. I actually feel shorter, but it is still a long car you have to remember that stuff. It was pretty intense!

Luke how did this experience test your instinct and skills as professional drift racer?

I’m used throwing a car around sideways and you know you can’t extremely fast, so a little bit apprehensive of how this would come across with their being like a delay maybe from the camera to the screen, but it was brilliant. I would take the car right now and I can do my shopping in it down the road. I’ll drive it day-to-day like it was. It was so good. Everything worked. It is really realistic so yeah for me it was a massive hit and I really want to do it again.

So, what are you doing for the Castrol Edge tournament?

So, pretty much we’re going to be going to the convention and meeting with people that have actually played the titanium trials in the game and have seen the titanium gamer video on the YouTube channel. Basically, going to be talking about our experience we had, and you know relaying that information to the people that have played them in the game.

Where can we go for more information?

You can check out the titanium gamer video on the Castrol USA YouTube channel.

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Tags: DCypher Studios

About the Author

David Morales is the Executive Editor of The Hype magazine. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, David has a background as an artist manager, writer, blogger, drummer, and in the human services industry. He is passionate about helping others, learning and has a deep empathy for the creative process. You can follow his social media @dcypherstudios