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Codemasters VP casually reveals Dirt 3
Up until now, we hadn't the slightest inclination that Codemasters was hard at work on a third installment in the rallycross racing series, Dirt. According to a recent interview with Edge, though, studio vice prez Gavin Cheshire confirms not only the game's development, but also says, "there's some really great stuff coming from Birmingham that's going into Dirt 3." Cheshire was being interviewed on the subject of Codemasters as one of the last "big British publishers" when he revealed the publisher's development plans for the sequel. The exec hopes to see more of the company's home of origin (and its culture) leak into the next Dirt game, saying "Dirt 2: brilliant game, but it's all American accents, so maybe we're a little over the top with those ... maybe we should fly the flag a bit more." In addition to this week's announce of Bodycount, that brings the publisher's GDC new game reveals up to two. Will we see more before the week is out? We just dont know. [Via VG247]
Best of the Rest: Randy's Picks of 2009
Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes If I had my way ... well, a lot of things would be different. When it came to video games, I'd make sure that everyone -- whether they own a Nintendo DS or not -- had a chance to play Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes. Now, I know, Might and Magic? Isn't that some long-dead RPG franchise that's probably best left in the ground? Well, yes -- but Clash of Heroes is about as far from any of the other games in the series as you can get. At its core, it's a puzzle game -- a combat puzzle game -- developed by Capybara, the same team behind PSN's wonderful Critter Crunch. Take that game's core mechanic, add a load of clever new ones and build a story-driven experience around it and you have one of the finest (not to mention most addicting) DS games ever.
Okay, for serious this time, DiRT 2 is coming to PC on December 8
After suffering from a series of delays, Codemasters rallycross racer DiRT 2 is arriving on PCs this December 8. As confirmed by Codies community man "Ice" on the developer's forums, the game will be arriving a week late to the PC due to a reason that is "far too boring to go into." He assures fans that it's not a "technical issue in any way, shape, or form," and that he has assurance from the US office that the game's ship date is confirmed for December 8. Just a few more days, PC-owning DiRT fans! We promise this time! %Gallery-45501%
Colin McRae: DiRT 2 is official, arrives 2009
In a recent interview with IGN UK, Codemasters' Gavin Raeburn spilled some of the first detaiils on Colin McRae: DiRT 2. First, Raeburn spoke to the decision to keep McRae's name in the title -- McRae died tragically in 2007. According to Raeburn, the decision was made by Codemasters in conjunction with the McRae family. He added that Colin McRae's "ventures into events such as the X-Games, Dakar Rally and the Race of Champions have inspired [Codemasters] to look at events covering the extremes of off-road motorsport. Raeburn says DiRT 2 will move in that direction and that "Colin will play a part in that." Raeburn concluded that "DiRT 2 will be a great tribute." The game will be running on an improved version of the EGO engine, which powered the previous DiRT as well as the more recent GRiD. Among some of the improvements are "more physical modelling of the environment, improving lighting and shadowing" as well as greater use of a streaming system "to allow much higher texture detail." Raeburn adds that Codemasters is "pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the hardware as much as possible, and we're confident in our ability to lift the quality bar again." Given that DiRT is still considered one of the best looking games available, these are some hefty statements to make. Players can also expect revamped single-player and multiplayer experiences, with Raeburn promising "progressive reward system and community features" for online multiplayer. DiRT 2 is scheduled to launch in 2009. [Via Joystiq]
Picking up the PS3 version of DiRT? It's ready to rumble
John Yan recently took the time to tour the booths at E3 and came away with his impressions for a few games, but one bit near the end caught our attention above all else. He saw the PS3 version of Colin McRae's DiRT and claimed it looked more refined than the 360 and PC counterparts. We're not worried about the graphics and all that, though. There was something else that piqued our interest. There was a rumble option in the game's options screen. John asked the folks showcasing the game if the rumble feature would exist in the final product for the PS3 and they answered yes. DiRT is prepared to take advantage of the new rumble feature coming to the Sixaxis controller in a matter of months. Isn't that exciting? The controller isn't out yet, but game developers are already prepared to offer the feature in their games. It's great news for all of us, especially those who really need to feel some vibrations in their hands. You know who you are! [Thanks, John!]
DiRT kicks up 500,000 copies in one week
Codemasters announced today that DiRT has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide in its first week of sale. Codemasters further notes that the game has reached the number one sales position in North America for Xbox 360 and is in the top 5 globally for all platforms. Additionally, the company notes that the Xbox Live Marketplace and PC demos have been downloaded in excess of 500,000 times. On a console dominated by shooters and action games, a racing game landing at number one is a hefty feat indeed, and landing in the top 5 globally is impressive for any title. It would seem Codemasters is on a roll, with both DiRT and Overlord receiving impressive reviews. We're curious to see how well Overlord does at retail (we're guessing that 500,000 copies is a bit high).
Shipping this week: mo' DiRT edition
With the demo available for weeks, rally racing fans can finally get their hands on Colin McRae: DiRT. At first we were hoping it was the long awaited video game adaptation of Joe Dirt. Much to our chagrin, this is not the case. Still, it appears that DiRT is a competent racing game. We're told these "racing games" typically involve automobiles which are attempting to circumnavigate a predetermined path as fast as possible, preferably faster than the other automobiles. We're also told that it is purportedly "badass" with the Wireless Racing Wheel. Alas, there are no other retail releases for the 360 this week.
European PSN releases for June 8th
Those of you who enjoy your beat-em-ups will no doubt be pleased with the recent European PSN update. As well as a couple of trailers for upcoming PS3 games, Sony gave us Mortal Kombat 2. The full release list is as follows. Mortal Kombat 2 (£1.99) Colin McRae: DiRT trailer (free) Ninja Gaiden Sigma trailer (free) Isn't it is nice to finally get some playable content with a name that doesn't start with "Go!"? MK2 is a worthwhile purchase, especially considering the low price. We reviewed it in May (back when the Americans got it), giving it a score of nothing-to-write-home-about out of ten. Things can only get better for the PSN though, with upcoming releases of Calling All Cars and Super Stardust HD. Will removing the spines of our friends over the internet keep us occupied until then? We hope so.
New DIRT pre-order goodies revealed
Codemasters has announced that those who place pre-orders on Colin McRae: DIRT will get some exclusive in-game content. Pre-ordering players will receive a code to unlock 10 additional cars as well as access to exclusive videos featuring Travis Pastrana (whom we're guessing is famous). It's unknown if this code will unlock cars that can be obtained in other ways or if the content will really be exclusive to those with pre-orders. The 10 cars are: Subaru Impreza WRX-RA STI version II Toyota Celica GT-FOUR Peugeot 205 T16 Lancia Delta S4 Icker Jimco buggy McMillin Racing Car Kamaz 4911 MAN TGA Freightliner Century Class S/T Kenworth T2000 So, is that enough to make you get your pre-order on? [Via Evil Avatar]
Forza 2 racing wheel tuning possible through DiRT
Over on the Forza Motorsport 2 forums members are investigating a way to change the 360 racing wheel's force feedback in the Forza 2 demo. Currently, the Forza 2 demo does not allow customizable racing wheel options, but the Colin McRae DiRT demo does allowing players to change various settings. And, as such, some forum members are reporting that the DiRT demo's force feedback settings magically transfer over to the Forza 2 demo. So, if you're feeling the need for more force feedback in Forza 2, fire up DiRT, customize your racing wheel options and see if it helps your Forza 2 demo situation. Although, all this confusion could be avoided if Microsoft would integrate some sort of racing wheel options menu through the dash. You hear us Microsoft? [Thanks, thermodynamic]
DIRT demo tracks mud onto nice, clean marketplace
Rally fans rejoice, for the Colin McRae: DIRT demo has finally arrived on Marketplace. If you prefer your racing a little muddier than, say, Forza 2, then DIRT is just the thing for you. If the footage we've seen of the game is anything to go by, then DIRT looks to be a stellar title. Why not download the 770MB demo and find out for yourself? Have any fanboys out there taken this filthy racing sim for a test drive yet? What do you think?
DiRT demo muddies up the Marketplace Thursday
European Xbox community manager AceyBongos has confirmed that a new Colin McRae DiRT demo will be hitting the XBLM this Thursday. AceyBongos mentions that the demo will be released at 9:00AM GMT in Europe, but we suspect it'll also be released to North Americans too. The DiRT demo will include three different racing modes including super stage crossover, nine player buggy racing, and a hill climb which promises to make everyone who plays it wet themselves with excitement. We'll keep our ears open for more details to where the demo will be released, but until then be prepared to experience DiRT this Thursday morning. [Thanks, MuJaHiDeEn 420]
Achievements revealed: Ratatouille, DiRT and more
Yesterday, Xbox360Achievements.org posted complete achievement lists for a few upcoming games including family friendly Ratatouille and the messy DiRT. Ratatouille offers a bunch of objective based achievements with nothing overly spectacular, except for the "Beat Hoisting the Hefty Weight" which caught our eye. DiRT's achievements are rather bland too, nearly a yawn-fest until we spotted the "First Clean Race" achievement. That achievement will be impossible for those of us who like to play dirty. Also, take a gander through Aegis Wing's achievements and focus on getting a few friends together to earn the "Epic Warrior" achievement. Hooking up four players has never been so rewarding. Read - Ratatouille Achievements Read - DiRT Achievements Read - Aegis Wing Achievements
Get DiiiiiRTy with us today -- 3 new videos!
If you love rolling around in the mud like us, then you'll love watching cars doing similarly exciting things! We've got three exciting gameplay videos of Colin Mc Rae's DiRT and let us just say: it looks darn-tootin' good. We're not sure why, in the video above, the game goes from what seems to be actual gameplay to the whole cinematic "you finished the race!" angle, though we assume the user is just testing out all the different camera angle options like in the third video we've got posted. The narrator/guy telling you to watch out for whatever's ahead is sort of annoying, too. Optional, we hope. Anyway, the other two videos will be stuck under our continued link -- check them out, too.
Grimy new screens of Colin McRae: DIRT
Colin McRae: DIRT screens just keep coming in and they are positively filthy. Seriously, these cars are covered in mud, grit, and grime, all while racing across the dirty countryside. Does that sound like fun to anyone? Oh, wait, it does? Oh, well then by all means, have a look at these fantastically dirty screens of DIRT. All kidding aside, the game is looking very sharp. The car models are very detailed (and dirty) and the environments are top notch as well. The lighting effects in particular are very slick. Hit the "read" link to check out more high resolution screens.
Video: DIRT trailer drops jaws [update 1]
Gametrailers has the first trailer (also in HD) of Colin McRae: DIRT up and it is truly breathtaking. It starts with a lone rally car navigating turns around a cliff edge, then moves to some buggy rally, complete with well, dirt. Plumes of dust and debris trail all the tires, then we come back to another rally car negotiating some rain-slicked trails when ... well, you're just going to have to watch it yourself. The score during the trailer is really moving and we're totally psyched to get our hands on this come June. What'd you think of the trailer? [Thanks, DjDATZ] Update: Major Nelson also gave word that the gameplay trailer is available on Marketplace
Colin McRae DIRT video proves... dirt is cool.
Even though this is clearly an FMV sequence, this Colin McRae fellow (apparently a big deal outside of the US) really wants his game to "wow" us. Take a look at the video and be moderately impressed. Interestingly, my several-year-old laptop can't handle watching the HD version, but it's the recommended way to watch anything "next-gen". The game is due out for the PS3, 360, and PC -- so the "wow" factor can be shared among all of us, agreed?
New filthy shots of Colin McRae DIRT
Neural over at MondoXbox got his hands on some Colin McRae: DIRT screens, and they're looking pretty as ever. The tracks you'll be racing on certainly don't look clean but everything does look crisp. The five new shots feature a couple with rally cars, another pair with off road trucks, and a loan shot of some buggies going at it. It's good to see these varied aspects of rally racing making it into the game, and hopefully will spice up the gameplay come June. What's your favorite type of rally racing?
New (dirty) SEGA Rally Revo screens
SEGA has finally lifted the veil on it's latest Rally installment SEGA Rally Revo by showing of a few in game screenshots. It looks good, it looks dirty, and looks heavy on the motion blur effects, but we're not sure how much more we're supposed to get from these screens. SEGA promises to re-energize the Rally franchise with dynamically breakable obstacles, bumper to bumper action, and a flurry of two and four wheel vehicles. Can it compete with Colin McRae: DIRT? We'll just have to wait and see this fall when SEGA's Rally Revo makes its dirty debut on the 360.
Cleaned off DIRT to reveal Colin McRae Box Art
While we haven't seen new screens in a while for Colin McRae: DIRT, we do have box art, or the "Hake Jacket" as babelfish fumbles on the french translation over at Xboxygen. In any case, it definitely lives up to its namesake, with plumes of dirt trailing the Toyota in the shot. It kind of reminds us of a reversed angle of the Burnout Revenge cover art. Then again, we've been sort of hit and miss with the whole comparing to Burnout thing. At least we're not saying the gameplay will be similar. Are you looking forward to playing this at the tail end of June? Super high resolution version available by clicking the box art that is available after the break.
