November 22^nd, 2005 (12:19pm) - Namco today announced Ridge Racer 6 is now available at retail outlets throughout North America. The premiere racing game for the Xbox 360, Ridge Racer 6 continues the series’ trademark pulse-pounding drift racing action with true next generation graphics, a massive single-player mode and online gameplay modes for the first time in Ridge Racer history.

Ridge Racer 6 delivers an incredible gaming experience on the Xbox 360 that catapults gamers into the next generation of high definition racing. Running at a constant 60 frames per second, the game leads players through a breathtaking selection of high-speed courses throughout the world, from neon-drenched cityscapes to dramatic coastline vistas. Players will experience a remarkable sense of speed as they drift through hairpin turns in "Ridge Racer 6"’s more than 130 vehicles, each with their own unique traits and drifting style. Ridge Racer 6 expands upon the series’ nitrous system by letting players build up their charge and unleash explosive double and triple boosts of pure speed – further evolving the strategy for each race. By competing in Ridge Racer 6’s single player World Xplorer mode, players will be able to unlock additional game content such as cars, prizes and brand new routes by successfully completing their own customized multi-race route through the more than 200 races available in the Ridge Universe.

"Ridge Racer 6" takes the race online over the Xbox Live online game service, a historic first for the storied "Ridge Racer" series. Players can choose to compete in a wide selection of different modes for up to 14 players, with voice chat support, including Rank Match and Player Match. Rank Match is tied into the game’s persistent leaderboard, allowing players to compete for World Ranking Points in a series of races that can be customized by the game’s host. Players can enjoy more casual races in Player Match, with outcomes that are not tied into World Ranking Points and settings that are also customizable by the game’s host. In either Rank Match or Player Match, players can choose to get behind the wheel and take part in the action, or observe the four wheeled fury from a variety of different camera angles as a spectator.

"The ’Ridge Racer’ series has a history of delivering the most advanced next generation experience on new gaming hardware, and Ridge Racer 6 continues this tradition on the Xbox 360 with awe-inspiring graphics, original gameplay mechanics and thrilling online multiplayer for up to 14 players," said Yoshi Niki, Business Unit Director with Namco Hometek Inc. "The sense of speed is tremendous, the drifting is smooth and the nitrous is more powerful than ever – ’Ridge Racer 6’ is here and the next generation of gaming has arrived."