Board Thread:Game Discussion/@comment-27048451-20160103003337/@comment-26715739-20160108095433

Speculation hat on...

6 week window is a January 12 release. They normally (from a data set of 2 other years) have a longer release window over Christmas, but they're wrapping everything up tidily to get everything ready for January 12 so I think it's pretty likely.

Speedrush 3 was... somewhat unpolished to say the least (I think the drag race problems could as easily have been play-testing problems as grand money-grabbing conspiracy - ie never assume malice where stupidity will equally explain...). This all suggest that they're very keen to hit a January 12 date to coordinate with their next release.

My usual "go to" for checking this stuff is http://racedates.com/ but I have to say nothing jumps out for the first weekend (16/17 January) that would explain the unseemly haste, nor the second (23/24).

There is some rally stuff - but I think "off-road" would tax some already strained devices so I think it unlikely.

Another option could be a "Endurance Gauntlet/the 500" scenario where you have an intro event before the main show. Bathurst 12 hour is in early February - there have been lots of calls for Aussie V8s. Same weekend is the next round of the Formula E. Either would certainly fit for being the second round for the standard model of 2 special events per release.

For the V8s - looks like McLaren GT are involved so that push it up the likelihood tree given how closely they've been working of late. http://racedates.com/Events/DisplayEvents.asp?STitle=&SStartDate=8%20Jan%202016&SEndDate=7%20Feb%202016&SCountry=Any&SPostcode1=&SDistance=&EventId=EV02836

6 week cycle from 12 January is 23 February which is an interesting date as it puts it just before their next anniversary (bearing in mind they gave away a 50 gold car last year). So they could also just be trying to hit that date (for a special big release) and this release not be linked to anything special.

On the pressure sensitive touch-screen - that's what might bring about RR4. A competitor could get a jump on RR3 by using pressure sensitive controls (maybe, maybe not), they can't bring that into RR3 due to backward compatibility issues, so they develop RR4.

We also need to see what they do with the Gauntlet this release. It is supposedly a new "Feature" - rather than a one-off. I think it gives them some great flexibility (for a low development cost) in terms of hitting "external dates".

In terms of "dates to watch for" - last year they did a special offer on Valentines Day (Agera R IIRC) - which should fall in the upcoming release.