If the waiting in Tournament Mode doesn't kill you, Ferraris on frozen London streets might.

By John Ryan
Microsoft Game Studios Web Content Writer

So, I'm racing through a storm-soaked road in Tokyo. It's just me, racing on the Shinjuku Skyscraper track as neon and lightning blur my vision. I'm trying to whittle down my best time so I can qualify for a Project Gotham Racing 4 Daily Tournament. By the time I get done with this adventure, I'll be at times bored, frustrated, and enlightened by my chats with fellow racers on the performance capabilities of shopping carts. I stumble into something fun, but it's mostly an accidental thing.

A few things you should know about me. I'm a writer for Microsoft Game Studios, specifically the PGRNations.com site. I like PGR 4 a lot, but I'm an average racer. I have nightmares that I'd be one of those players who are so inept that they spin out their rivals, ruining the race for everyone. But, hey, tournaments sound fun. Let's give it shot.

In the qualifier, I'm shoved into a GTR Supersport. It's an angry sculpture of metal and power that runs away from me any chance it gets. I finish at 2.17:42, a time that puts me in the basement of those who qualified.

I shave off 20 seconds by the time the elimination rounds start, which still places me in the lower ranks. As the qualifying deadline ticks down to zero, I cringe, thinking that I'm going to be racing against the top players and embarrassingly kicked out in the first round.

I brace myself to race, only to wait another 45 minutes until my heat starts. I sit and wait…and wait. There's too much time to think. I try to imagine the Shinjuru Skyscraper course, visualizing all the places I could improve when race time hits, like the uphill corkscrew or the s-turn right after the starting line.

Finally, elimination racing starts. Hey, wait—Triangle Building, in an Aston Martin? Light rain? What happened to the qualification settings? The race is just between me and one other guy. We will automatically go on to the next round, since the top two from each round advance. I also find out we're both in the Silver racing class.

I slide around Triangle like a drunken jellyfish. My rival says he's from California, and he just found out about tournaments by accident. He's having a hard time, too, and we laugh that it's like racing in shopping carts. He beats me by a humiliating 18 seconds. Total race time: about three minutes. We get shot back into the tournament lobby, where we're greeted by another 45-minute wait. Sheesh.

Next course: The short Michelin test track with DMC-12s. Once again I'm racing against the California guy. The DMC has all the sexiness of a go-kart with broken wheels. My opponent tells me over voice chat that he's not happy with waiting all night to race, and I agree. He beats me by three seconds. Not so bad. Total race time: less than three minutes, again.

By default, we both advance. Holy crow, we're in the finals on London's Embankment Rush. Ferraris on ice? And another 45-minute wait? Who's the sadist behind this? I go practice in a custom match until I make a lap in under a minute on the course.

Race time. My California buddy makes good on his promise from the last race and drops out. Another guy takes his place. I spin out in the first corner and my rival takes off. I grumble to myself as he beats me by seven seconds. I get second place in the Silver category for the day.

I'm not that frustrated by losing. I've been beaten countless times in online gaming. What steams me is this final tally: total race time for the evening, less than 10 minutes; total wait time, about three hours.

Even though I work at MGS, I'm a writer, and not a programmer. Game development is not part of what I do here. After a little digging, I learned that the long delays are part of the plan. Tournament play involves a lot of behind-the-scenes voodoo that places far-flung drivers on random tracks and monitors the winners and losers, and does it all over again until one driver is left standing. In order to accommodate everyone who qualified, some elimination races start later than others. And when you add in that next round starts one hour after previous round begins, you get a snowball effect pushing back racing for everyone.

Long story short, the delays are here to stay. The good news is, players can always bail out of the lobby and practice in custom matches. Once you learn the specifics of the next race, you can simulate the upcoming race with AI opponents until you think you are ready. Just be sure to jump back into the lobby before the race starts or you'll be disqualified.

See you on the track. I'll be the one with a fresh pot of coffee to keep my eyes open and my fingers ready to race.

Comments? Or if you want to join the I-hate-to-wait chorus, vent your exhaust here.