Games manufacturers and publishers aren’t backwrads in coming forwards and when a game like Race Driver:Grid comes along it’s kind of inevitable that they will go all out to cause mischief, mayhem, and above all else media coverage. Codemasters scored the perfect score by bringing all three to Oxford Square.

So, what’s the perfect recipe for a successful racing game launch?

• 3 x Aston Martins
• 1 x Mercedes Benz
• 1 x Range Rover
• 1 x Bentley
• 6 x Professional racing drivers

Amid all of this, though, it’s actually quite easy to forget there was a 360 game involved somewhere and that would be a shame because Race Driver:Grid is being billed as one of the most realistic racing games ever to have graced our gaming rigs. A lot has been made of the EGO damage system as being the most realistic and intuitive ever, and the demo had been downloaded a staggering 1 million times by 21st May.

Anyway, the game stunt did its job - bagged some column inches and, as an added bonus, none of the ridiculously expensive cars worth a combined total of more than half a million pounds were towed and crushed.

Great result all around, then. Oh, if you want to see screenshots, play a demo, and listen to the beautiful engine noises then check out the official Race Driver: Grid website.