Slightly Mad: We want to turn sim genre on its head with Shift 2

Slightly Mad's Andy Tudor has said it's aiming to revolutionize car sims with Shift 2: Unleashed.

"The simulation genre, really, is just a numbers game at the moment; it's all about, 'We've got the greatest physics engine, and we're going to add 1,000 cars, tracks etcetera.' It's quite a dry experience," the Shift 2 lead designer told The Guardian at its recent Gamesblog Live event.

"We want to turn that on its head, by adding in social features, such as Autolog, for example: which lets you compete with your friends, even if they're not online right now. But having that thing, where I can see all your lap times, and spend half an hour or an hour trying just to beat you is great."

Tudor added further that competition Gran Turismo 5 and Forza Motorsport 3 were "numbers" games.

"I've gone on record before saying GT5 and Forza are on pedestals at the moment: everyone believes they are the games to beat," he said.

"They have great products, but they stop at being a numbers game, a mathematical simulation of great physics, whereas we go beyond that with the emotional and social aspects."

Shift 2 releases on March 29 in the US and April 1 in the UK for PS3 and 360. Watch the latest footage for it here.