My super secret spy network has discovered that Load Inc's Things On Wheels is entering what should be final certification in about a week.  No way to know exactly how long it will take or precisely when the game will be released, but it's on its way and getting close. 

Here's a screen to get y'all ready for the slick, shiny, and racy racer.

It took a bit longer than expected to nail down the winners for our contest to name two cars that will be featured in Things On Wheels, but we finally have the results straight from the decision makers at Load Inc. 

If you see your name below check your email (especially the junk mail folder) for some further information.  If you don't see your name below thanks for participating.  We here at XBLArcade and the folks at Load Inc. had fun checking out everyone's ideas.

Without further ado:

	The Orange Car will now be named "Buster" thanks to Travellinman.
	And the White Car has been dubbed "Oscar" thanks to Wimjet.

A big thanks to Rob at Sandbox Strategies for helping us set up this killer opportunity and Load Inc. for offering up such a cool prize.

Last week we gave you a chance to name two of these cars but the other three are brand new. And yes, they're shiny. I am not complaining though. The stylish curves of the cars and the art-deco inspired house are the main reasons Things on Wheels sits firmly within my radar. Who cares about racing when you can spend your time polishing these cars? What do you mean there's no polishing mini-game? Guess I better start writing that angry letter.

But before I do that, one more tidbit of info. There will be twelve cars total in the game. Simple math tells me there are a mere seven other cars are waiting in the wings, preparing for their day in the sun. Red and black seem like obvious choices for colors, but will we see a purple car?

The other four are after the break. And yes, click them for wallpaper worthy versions.

The contest to name those sadly nameless cars for Load's upcoming Things on Wheels ends today.  So, get off your duff, follow the link above, and get naming!

I recently had the pleasure of posing an excruciatingly serious series of questions to the most serious man in the XBLA world: Denis Bourdain. Anyone that has had contact with Mr. Bourdain knows that he hates the spotlight, despises talking about games, and generally lives the life of a hermit. And so, I count my lucky stars that I was able to track down this elusive and evasive man to peel back those layers of shyness.

Without further ado, cue the interview.

XBLArcade's LunarDuality: Denis, thanks for risking contact with the outside world in order to answer my questions. First question: What's the biggest lesson you learned in the aftermath of Mad Tracks' release? And how have you applied that wisdom to Things on Wheels?

Denis Bourdain:

1. Buy a larger coffee machine (from 10 to 16 bars!)

2. Spend more time on the multiplayer lobby system (why do I know you were thinking about this?).

3. Ask the community what they want – after all, we’re doing this for them, why not include them in the process?

4. Don’t confuse people with a wide genre. I think the ‘mini games + racing’ gameplay of Mad Tracks was too wide for some casual players to grasp. We’re stripping ToW to racing only.

After the break find out how Denis feels about NASCAR, desert islands, and whether lawnmowers will be featured in Things on Wheels.

Once in a while we here at XBLArcade get a chance to get freebies in the hands of our loyal readers.  Sometimes it's a free game code, maybe a t-shirt, but nothing previous comes close to the pure genius that is this contest.

It's very simple.  Things On Wheels (Load Inc.'s upcoming art deco RC racing game) has two unfortunate, neglected, and completely nameless cars in its roster.  That kind of disrespectful treatment will not be allowed on our watch.  Just look at this one -- it's crying, poor thing. 

Therefore we task you, faithful reader, with giving us the best names you can muster.  Let them be clever or shocking or silly or brilliant, just put them in the comments below and let us all bask in your brain's massive power.

Load will choose two winners by the end of next week and not only will the each winner's amazing car name be featured in Things On Wheels, but also his/her actual human name will appear (credits-style), launching each of them into XBLA history.

Pictures are after the break.  Ready...set...go!

Load Inc., the makers of both Mad Tracks and the upcoming Things on Wheels, are already talking about their third XBLA title.  Absolutely nothing is yet known about the code named WKTYY (which stands for "We Can't Tell You Yet.").

For those of you who see this as a sign that more news will soon follow about this title, note that Dennis and the boys showed Things on Wheels (then code named ToW) at the same show back in 2006, not to talk openly about the game until just recently.

One interesting thing to note is that, for the first time, the title will also be making it's way to the PSN service.

Click read more to read the entire Press Release

Good ol' DenisDenis (aka Denis Bourdain, Load Inc.'s resident "Big Wig") has updated his IGN Blog with talk of inspiring things that inspired Things of Wheels (or ToW to those in the know).

It's a quick and enjoyable read and will help you to understand how the crushing expectations of mothers (not to mention publishers) have made ToW much more than just a ReVolt and Bioshock mashup.

[via ThingsOnWheels's IGN Blog]

To prove my post title correct, I present two new screenshots from Things On Wheels.

Looks pretty.  And shiny.  Anybody excited yet?

While you think about it, go check out the interview with Dennis Bourdain of Load, Inc. over at (where else?) TeamXbox.  He talks fridges that spit ice cubes, being inspired by ReVolt, flunking lobby design in Mad Tracks, splitscreen in ToW, and what he would do if he was restricted to 150MB on XBLA*.

*ToW currently stands at 900MB of uncompressed data and it's not done yet.

[via TeamXbox]

Did Mad Tracks leave you wanting more RC style racing?  Looking forward to Vigilante8 but would like a little less carnage?  Well it seems Load Inc, the guys behind Mad Tracks, are finally showing off a bit of their upcoming title ToW (which I believe stands for Things On Wheels, but I could be wrong).  The only thing that I really wanted to see in the teaser (and yes I do understand that it's just a teaser) is sadly lacking, an online lobby!

Regardless here it is:

Unfortunately their is still no release date for this title.