Drift Stage [2016 E3 Edition]

The "Drift Stage: E3 2016 Press Build" - comprised of two playable versions of Drift Stage. One version, distributed via sealed envelopes on proprietary Super Systems USB drives at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, and a second alpha version, only complied for internal testing  - which incorporated a new "speed boost" mechanic.

This new, never before released prototype, demonstrated the highly anticipated result of the second year of development of Drift Stage - iterating on the 0.1.1 "demo" from 2014.

Centered on the now playable "Island Test Track", a sub-tropical paradise featured in the games original video - redesigned around the new drifting mechanics and physics model.  This level was featured heavily in Drift Stage media like .gifs and screenshots.

Initially set in the Caribbean, the first "beach" track featured in the early Drift Stage media was too small for the first iterations of the games physics model, featuring a track layout more fit for a "karting" style racer. The techniques used in the creation of this early "Island" concept map were later used in the creation of all 3 of Drift Stage environments - with the most direct result being this island loop, which built on most of the assets from the initial art-test

Now set on a fictional landmass near the southern tip of Hawaii, this virtual island is lush in vegetation, pushing alpha-mapped transparency to new heights, with dynamic shadows and an animated coast line. Beyond that, a massive blue ocean - and the iconic dithered sky-box full of large storm clouds dominating the horizon - featured in a multi-layer parallax “2D” sky-box effect based on the work done with the "City" course's sky box, which had yet to be revealed.

---

What’s in this version?:

A full prototype version of Drift Stage, with a similar feature set to the 0.4.6 "Minecon" demo, now featuring a prototype version of the "Island Track" course, a car select, and most importantly a working manual transmission - this new build featured an experimental variation of  yet-to-be revealed physics engine and level design, as well as the new debris and spark particle effects. At one point in time, it was the single most important version of the game – and to this day remains highly requested due to its absence in the testing-build archives.

When was the E3 press build found?

The "Drift Stage E3 2016 Press-kit" build, version 0.4.5a and 0.4.5b were located on an HDD that had failed in 2017. After a successful attempt to spool the drive, over 60GB of lost Drift Stage related material were recovered. Builds, source code, art and production assets, and related media (gifs, icons, key art) were also recovered.

As this version was less polished and underwent less testing, the "Minecon" version 1.6 from later that year was deemed the release candidate - and distributed to key holders - then eventually as a free download in 2020 due to demand. In addition, the undistributed envelopes were located in a box of shirts and mailing supplies intact. Their USB drives still containing the original press kit and game files.

This version of Drift Stage was considered lost for 8 years; not seen since that say in 2016 – during the last days of E3. 

Until now.

---

Note: The controls from v0.4.5 are almost identical to the 4.6 “Minecon” version of Drift Stage, but the controller input library used is not as sophisticated as later builds; limiting controller compatability. (v4.57 )

Basic Controls:

[Note]: Controls written “[In This Manner]” indicate keyboard controls.

• Left Stick - [Arrow Keys] - Steering / Menu Navigation
• RT / [C] - Accelerate
• LT / [X] - Brake
• START / [Esc] - Pause
• [Mouse] - Menu Navigation (Optional)
• Manual Transmission Only:
  Shift Up – A button or [Left Shift] . Shift Down – B button or [Left Ctrl] .

Gamepad & Keyboard Controls:

Be sure to plug as many controllers into your computer as required before launching the game; ensuring they are both detected before selecting any game modes (hot-swapping controllers was in-development at the time).

Xbox 360 / Xbox One controllers are recommended - but the build was designed with support for PlayStation 3/4 controllers and some generic game pads.

Menus:

Use Left Stick or [Arrow Keys] and A button or [Space] to navigate the main menu.

Press Start or [Enter] to confirm on main menus.

To pause the game or exit the main menu, press [Esc].

Options: Options can be set from the Options Menu item on the main menu - or during a race by pausing the game and selecting options.

Available options:

• Graphics - Adjust screen resolution and graphic quality settings.
• Controls - Rebind Menu or Racing controls to your liking (Keyboard & Gamepad). (Rebind clearing is bugged, you may have mixed results with keyboard.)
• Gameplay - Adjust measurement units (KPH/MPH) and other misc. settings

Driving & Steering:

[Note: All controls can be rebound in the controls option menu]

To steer your vehicle, use the Left Stick or [Arrow Keys].

To accelerate, hold Right Trigger or press [C]. Begin braking by pressing Left Trigger or [X]. You can brake while accelerating to slow down without entering a drift.

To drift you car, release the accelerator (Right Trigger or [C]), and then briefly press the brakes (Left Trigger or [X]) while steering left or right with Left Stick or [Arrow Keys].

Steer during a drift by turning in the direction of a corner with Left Stick or [Left & Right Arrow Keys].

To return your car to normal driving position after performing a drift, use Left Stick or [Left & Right Arrow Keys] to steer the vehicle back to the center of the course.

Tap or hold the brakes ([X] or Left Trigger]) while exiting a drift to help control your exit speed.

[Note: Be sure to remap your controls - your ideal layout is likely not the default.] 

This specific release of Drift Stage was not complied for Linux – due to its use for debugging, testing, and press demos for the E3 2016 expo. We recommend running the PC version with Wine - a free Windows emulator for Linux if you want to play on your Linux based setup. 

Bugs: 

Due to the early nature of this specific version of Drift Stage, expect less stable behavior from the engine in general – meaning you may experience off graphical bugs like model flickering and physics engine “hangs” – where the car slides or collides in such a way that is outside of the normal input or “grip” calculations you would expect in normal play.

Multiple plugins used by Drift Stage have since been updated to meet broader systems specifications, but this specific iteration of the game is using 2015-2016 era versions.

As with previous developmental build releases, this version of Drift Stage has multiple bugs that may interrupt your race if you encounter them at the wrong time. Quitting to the main menu and restarting is necessary, but be sure to take a screenshot of where you end up.

Clipping out of bounds due to a very hard collision (with the barrier or with another player) may cause you to fall through the map. A collision that causes the player vehicle to fly up over the barriers will also result in falling out of bounds, but is not directly caused by clipping. Sudden FPS drops or poor performance increase the chance of this occurring - so make sure your game is running above 30fps consistently or you may need to lower your graphics settings. Small camera ‘jumps’ occur on certain cars (ZX78). 

** The controller remapping in this build was at an earlier stage then the "Minecon" demo, so you may experience issues not present or documented here.  
 

---

Copyright Info:

Drift Stage © 2014 - 2025 Super Systems Softworks - All Rights Reserved.

Myrone © 2025 Hugh Myrone - All Rights Reserved.

Credits:

Chase P. - Programming & Code.

DD. - Artwork & Concept.

Myrone. - Original Score & Sound Design.

“E3”, the “E3 Logo” and all related trademarks are copyright ”The Entertainment Software Association”.

Special Thanks:

E3 2016 Staff. 

City of Los Angeles. 

Devolver Digital, Inc. (Free BBQ trailer.)

Mojang Studios.

 “Metal Gear Solid V: Online” team.

Half-Life 3 demo staff.

Doritos, Frito-Lay Inc. 

Sony Corporation.

Vending Machine Merchant’s Guild.
 

    
  Drift Stage © 2014 – 2025 Super Systems Softworks - All Rights Reserved.

v0.4.5_E3 ED1