What is actually going on with Joy Ride has been flushed out a bit more over the past couple of days in talks with our men in the shadows. According to the shadow dwellers, Big Park’s Joy Ride never was canceled, but the focus of the title as well as the plans for it has changed.

Instead of Joy Ride being a downloadable free-to-play title based on a micro-transaction model, the title has gone in another direction. First, Joy Ride will be a major launch title for Natal. Next, Joy Ride will not be a regular boxed release. We suspect based on the whispers that we hear that it will sell for less than the regular $60 demanded by most games; and once released the title will still have a micro-transaction model, but it will not be as heavily promoted as originally planned by Big Park and Microsoft.

According to our sources, the game has been much expanded and enhanced over what the original development target was for the title. Now, the title (which will use the Natal racing controller mode) should prove to attract much attention. The news adds another Natal title to the ones we have received word about. Microsoft will show off and officially announce the release date for Joy Ride during the Natal launch next week, according to our sources.