Bizarre-Creations
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Trio of Blur tutorials explain the value of fans
We understand the value of a good fan just as much as the next guy, whether said fan is reading our humble video game news site, or keeping us cool in the humid summer months. In Bizarre Creations' arcadey racer Blur, they're even more valuable, serving as the player's main form of character progression. In addition, fans will offer a few bonuses which will pop up in the middle of each race, including Fan Runs, Fan Demands and Fan Targets. Bizarre Creations recently released video tutorials for all three of these bonuses, posted above and after the jump. We'd suggest checking them out if you're planning on picking up the game when it gets released next Tuesday.
Blur trailer and screens highlight Team Race, Team Motor Mash modes
In the latest trailer for Blur, lead designer Gareth Wilson takes us for a lap around the upcoming racer's bevy of team events. First, Wilson breaks down some tactics in Team Race, your run-of-the-mill us-vs-them race mode, in which teams duke it out on the track. Here, players can swap mods and lend assistance in a variety of ways -- all in an effort to finish the race in the best position possible, thus earning more points than the enemy team. The second portion of the trailer focuses on Team Motor Mash, another points-based team mode in which points aren't simply earned through pole position, but rather through the judicious application of power-ups. Players can also earn points by smashing into rival drivers, giving this mode a Destruction Derby-like feel. Aside from the new trailer, we've also got some new screens for you to check out in the gallery below. Blur races to the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on May 25. %Gallery-93377%
Blur multiplayer beta slams on the brakes
Ladies and gentlemen ... turn off your engines. Take the keys out of the ignition, and place them calmly on your living room end table. The Blur multiplayer beta has come to a full stop in anticipation of the game's May 25 release. We know you're worried about your sharpened driving skills dulling within the 14-day interim. Might we suggest driving recklessly while shooting devastating power-ups at other cars ... in real life? Sure, that might be physically impossible (not to mention illegal), but that's the price you pay to stay on top of the leaderboard.
Hands-on: Blur (single player)
click to enlarge Bizarre Creations is known for its racing expertise, honed in the great Project Gotham Racing series, and their latest title, Blur, is no exception. The arcade sensibilities of Bizarre's own Geometry Wars and the underrated (I said it!) The Club add a few new colors to the mix, but the driving is as solid as ever -- as you'll know if you've been playing the multiplayer beta. The real key to Blur, though, is the much-discussed social features. Bizarre has more or less perfected console racing over all of its past iterations, and so when we were invited to Activision HQ last week to check out Blur's single-player components, the focus wasn't so much on the how of racing, but the why. %Gallery-92682%
Blur multiplayer beta updated; new trailer races into view
Activision must be in a celebratory mood, as it's just announced over a million drivers have downloaded the Blur multiplayer beta. Remember, you've only got until May 10th at 2am PT to take it for a spin yourself. Before the finished game launches on May 25, the beta will play host to some expanded playlist settings and other changes. Starting now, you'll be able to play with A-Class cars in the standard playlists. The Supercar Racing Playlist also offers two new races, Tokyo and Amboy, and power-up placement has been shuffled to be different in each race. Finally, the amount of fans you can earn for each race has been doubled, placing the illustrious Rank 15 within reach. If you have yet to sample the Blur beta's brand of multiplayer mayhem, check out the brief trailer above or read our impressions.
Blur trailer takes a lap around the world, pulls into the virtual garage
Xbox 360 owners can actually sample Blur's particular brand of chaos right now -- a decision we'd say is "most wise." For the rest of you, the only solace we can offer is via a new trailer, admittedly awesome in its own right due to a high volume of hot whips. From licensed cars to completely fictional autos, it's all covered in the video above. There's even a rundown of the 14 different locations you'll be able to deposit some burnt rubber, if that's what you're after. Check it all out in the video above.
Retailer listing points to 'James Bond: Bloodstone' as title of Bizarre's Bond
According to a Gamespot report, a retailer website slip-up may have outed "James Bond: Bloodstone" as the title for the long-awaited "racing and driving focused" 007 game from Bizarre Creations. HMV reportedly posted a listing for a game with that title (though it's nowhere to be found now) in the "driving and racing" category. It was also tagged for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. With the next Bond film currently on hold, it's up to Activision to keep the spy in active duty. But just how much blood can you squeeze from a stone cold killer?
Blur multiplayer demo now available on Xbox Live
Are you anxious to take Bizarre's chaotic arcade racer, Blur, out for a spin? The multiplayer demo -- previously exclusive to beta players -- is now accessible to all Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Pull into the demo section of Marketplace to download the one gigabyte sampler. Blur will launch on May 25 in the U.S. and May 28 in Europe. [Via Major Nelson] Xbox.com: Add Blur Multiplayer Beta demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
Xbox Live Deal of the Week: Geometry Wars 2 for $5
Though the Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 leaderboards have all rocketed to unsurpassable heights since its release in summer 2008, Xbox Live Gold subscribers shouldn't be afraid of picking it up this week for the temporarily reduced price of 400 ($5). We mean, you should be afraid of its propensity for stealing your evenings away from you as you desperately attempt to unlock that pesky "Wax Off" Achievement. But hey, at least those attempts are pretty fun! (Or, at least, the first hundred are.) Shortcut: Add Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 to your download queue [Via Xbox.com]
No plans for Geometry Wars 3, Bizarre says
While Bizarre Creations is hard at work getting Blur out of the garage and onto the road, many fans are still preoccupied with the developer's hit dual-stick series Geometry Wars. Well, it looks like Bizarre has no plans for another sequel -- at least, not at the moment. "Right now, we don't have any plans for Geometry Wars 3," Bizarre's Gareth Wilson told Kotaku. But, that doesn't mean the series has been retired, as Wilson said that should Stephen Cakebread, the designer of Geometry Wars, get an inspiration, he could start working on a new sequel -- but as of now Cakey's "working on all sorts of other projects."
Hands-on: Blur multiplayer beta
While Blur's aesthetic is devoid of rainbow bridges and adorable car-icatures, it's undoubtedly a kart racer -- albeit one that feels like it was made for people who don't like kart racers. Or those bloody blue shells. The power-ups you'll pick up on the track can still knock competitors straight to last place, but opponents' fates aren't immutable once you send pulsating red orbs or bolts of electricity their way. Power-ups can be dodged before they grow too large in the rear-view mirror, or cancelled out by the blast of another weapon. It feels considerably more balanced and less random than the likes of Mario Kart, and being granted some measure of recourse makes it less frustrating when someone sends you hurtling to the back of the racing pack. %Gallery-63796%
No launch DLC for Blur, but there will be plenty
Blur has been in development at Bizarre Creations for at least a year now, and probably even longer, but in all of that time, no one in the studio has worked on any DLC, according to lead designer Ged Talbot speaking to MTV Multiplayer. While the title does have some in-game pre-order bonuses ready to go, there won't be any launch DLC, so you'll have to be satisfied with the 50 cars and 30 racing locales coming on the disc for a little while. But Talbot does say that Bizarre will be releasing additional content soon after the game goes on sale, and that "it's always been a massive part of the strategy to support the game with DLC." Your late '92 baby blue Subaru might not be in there right now, but just be patient, baby -- it's coming for you.
Blur issues Twitter challenges between friends, across platforms
Not only are the cats and dogs living together, but they're using Twitter. According to MTV Multiplayer, upcoming racer Blur will allow some social interaction not only between players, but between different platforms. Whether you're on Xbox Live -- silver or gold -- or PlayStation 3, you'll be able to issue competitive challenges to friends, with Twitter acting as a neutral intermediary. Think of it as that time you had to pass messages between your feuding parents, only you're telling Dad that Mom just utterly destroyed his pathetic lap record. Speaking at a Blur presentation, lead designer Gareth Wilson offered an interesting anecdote as explanation: "I've got a friend from university who lives in Australia, and I can't play with him, because he's available at night time when I'm sleeping. So the Friends Challenge thing was really, 'How do we get people together to play who might not be able to.'" And while PS3 and Xbox 360 racers might not be able to play together in real time once the game launches on May 25, Bizarre Creations thinks of the Twitter connection as an innovative way to foster some healthy, cross-platform rivalry. Wilson also notes that the social integration won't be a "horrible, spammy thing." So no Facebook support, then.
Blur arrives May 25 in the U.S., May 28 in Europe
Click image to slide into our gallery With the Blur multiplayer beta going live on March 8, we're anxious to get some quality time with Bizarre Creations' upcoming racer. In the interim, the game's official blog details what players can expect from the beta, but perhaps more interesting is what's tucked at the bottom of the update: a release date of May 25. Europeans will have to wait a few extra days, as the game won't be in shops until May 28 over there. While you wait, might we suggest you check out some new screens in our gallery below? That is, if you want to -- no pressure or anything! %Gallery-87187%
New Blur trailer meant to be watched with friends
If you and your buddies were wondering what the upcoming real-life kart racer (with realistic cars), Blur, has to offer in terms of multiplayer content, the latest trailer for the game was made specifically with y'all in mind. Like Super Mario Kart -- the game is often said to be a direct inspiration for Bizarre Creations' latest endeavor -- local split-screen seems to be a prominent component of the multiplayer experience, unlike the online-focused games we're so used to at this point. Oddly, though, the trailer speaks repeatedly of the "social" aspect of the game, while no mention whatsoever of any online components are made (and what of that multiplayer beta, eh?). We're not exactly flummoxed quite yet though, as Blur still only has a "2010" release window and we've hardly seen it since last year's PAX Prime. That could always be, though, that, you know, we missed it. It is a blur, after all. %Gallery-63796%
Activision: Blur multiplayer beta focusing in on March
During its 2009 financial earnings report, Activision CEO Michael Griffith noted that Bizarre Creations' recently-delayed Blur would have a multiplayer beta available next month. No specific platforms were mentioned, though a recent German rating suggests it will at least be on the Xbox 360. We don't think it'll end up being exclusive to Microsoft's platform -- after all, you might as well test multiplayer on all the systems a game will be released on, if you're running a beta -- but there's currently no indication to suggest otherwise. All Griffith said was that there would be a beta.
Blur developer diary explains plot, player progression
Yes, Bizarre Creations' fast-paced, Mario Kart-esque combat racer Blur will apparently have a story, according to the trailer above. We're just as surprised as you! Frankly, we expected the game to be completely plotless, unless you consider "you're a guy who doesn't like being blown up or not finishing in first place" a plot, which we don't. Check out the trailer above to get a brief taste of what the game's story and character progression will entail. We guess we're okay with these two elements being present in the game -- provided they don't provide long pauses between our drivefights.
USK: Multiplayer Blur demo for Xbox 360 in the works
Leadfoots looking to put the pedal to the metal in Bizarre Creations' upcoming racer, Blur, may just get their chance, as Germany's USK database has posted (machine translation) that a Xbox 360 multiplayer demo is in the works. The listing makes no mention of a PS3 demo, though we wouldn't suggest our PS3 brethren start taking long walks off short piers just yet. Odds are if a Xbox 360 demo makes its way onto Microsoft's console, a similar demo will also eventually end up on PS3, right? Blur is currently geared up to race onto consoles sometime in 2010. [Via VG247]
Bizarre-developed Bond opts for EastEnder over Daniel Craig
Activision's plan to annualize the Bond franchise -- regardless of the status of a movie to tie into -- has already come unraveled, with the decision to pull Mr. Bond out of Modern Warfare 2's line of sight this holiday. So, Bizarre Creations' "racing and driving focused" crack at Bond is now due in 2010, unattached to the Daniel Craig-powered, as-yet-untitled 2011 Bond movie. This poses an obvious question: With no theatrical attachment, will confessed gamer Daniel Craig reprise the interactive Bond role or will Bizarre's seemingly unique take on the license also have a unique actor in the role of 007? According to Adam Croasdell, the EastEnders star (it's a long-running BBC soap opera, for the non-British amongst us) has wrapped up voice work on the game. "Oddly enough I have just played James Bond in the new James Bond video game -- how weird is that?" Croasdell told BBC Asian Network, as reported by the Press Association. "I think video games and the making of that type of technology, being in a funny one-piece suit and being shot with 60 cameras, I think that's sort of the future." We're right there with you, Croasdell! Oh, and you better get used to that one-piece suit ... Activision has plans to milk that Bond license before it expires in 2014. [Via Digital Spy]
Blur crossing finish line in 2010
Blur won't be making its scheduled November release, as Activision has officially pulled the arcade racer from the track, pushing it toward a 2010 launch. According to Activision CEO Mike Griffith, the move is being made to "fully optimize the vision [Bizarre] set out to create for Blur including a distinctive and groundbreaking multiplayer mode that will appeal to a broad audience." The vision for Blur!Activision still has plenty on its plate this holiday season with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and DJ Hero. Then again, with the early part of 2010 as packed as it is with pushed releases, who knows what delays are still lurking.%Gallery-63796%
