Infogrames has announced that it will release a North American version of Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 4, its upcoming Formula One auto racing game for the PC and the Microsoft Xbox, later this year. The next game in the award-winning Grand Prix series will feature a new 3D engine that supports special effects such as heat waves from car engines and reflections on wet ground. The game will also include precise re-creations of the 17 championship racetracks, and all the crews and teams of the 2001 season brought to life with motion-captured animation. In addition, the game uses improved physics and artificial intelligence.

　　Grand Prix 4 will have five game modes, including arcade mode, complete championship mode, quick race, and a tutorial. The PC multiplayer mode will support up to eight players over a LAN connection, while the Xbox version will include a two-player split-screen mode for head-to-head races.

　　The European version of Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 4, which is in development at Simergy and MicroProse, is nearly complete and will be available in stores this summer. The North American version is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2002. We'll post more information about the game soon.