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Dirt 3's Colin McRae charity DLC released, proceeds go to good cause
Codemasters has announced the first DLC for Dirt 3, and says that all proceeds from the sale will go to charity. The Colin McRae Vision Charity Pack is now available for the Xbox Live and Games for Windows versions of the game (for 160 Microsoft points / $2), and allows players to drive a Ford Escort Mk II with five different liveries. The PS3 version will be available as soon as the PlayStation Store returns. This was the car famously driven by Colin McRae, the original namesake of the Dirt series who died in 2007. All proceeds from the pack will go to the Colin McRae Vision Charity, which raises funds for worthwhile causes around the world in McRae's name. Codemasters says that this is the first of a few weeks' worth of DLC packs. Each will feature more cars and new tracks going forward.
ESPN debuts Dirt 3 in action
The first trailer for Codemasters' upcoming rally game, Dirt 3, debuted last night on ESPN's X-Games. It offers a glimpse at several environments and promises the return of chilly weather effects to the series -- well, right before a truck explodes and heats things back up. Dirt 3, which is supposed to turn all that EXTREME showboating down a notch, is due in 2011. Have a look at the trailer just after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
DiRT 2 Achievement takes off-putting meme off-road
Though "meme" is perhaps a euphemistic label for the lurid mental virus that is "Two Girls, One Cup" (don't Google that if the phrase sounds foreign), we're nonetheless pleased to see Codemasters taking the piss out of the fecal internet documentary and turning it into something more wholesome and rewarding: an Achievement (slash Trophy)! Witness the "Two Cups One Girl" Achievement, awarded in the upcoming off-roader, DiRT 2, for winning two team events with the same female teammate. Looking over the game's 47 pop-up awards, you'll also spot a Ghostbusters reference, a pun or two, and a joke that requires cursory knowledge of The Karate Kid. It's like they made this just for the internet. %Gallery-45501% [Thanks, Merkaba]
New Dirt 2 trailers feature fancy cars, lots of dirt
What do a BMW Z4 Coupe, a Subaru WRX Hatch, and a mess of big trucks have in common? They'll all be at your disposal in upcoming rally-racer Dirt 2, silly! Aside from the game's striking visuals -- the ones that we marveled over when we saw it last February -- gameplay has always been a strong suit for Codemasters' dirt racer. While the video above, titled "Baja Raid," looks vaguely similar to games like Motorstorm and Pure, we expect a different, more simulation than arcade, feel from Dirt 2. Check out the rest of the trailers after the break or head over to our sister site Big Download and snag them for yourself in full HD glory.%Gallery-45501%
DiRT 2 tips its hat to the late Colin McRae
When Scottish rally racer Colin McRae died in a tragic helicopter accident in September 2007, many wondered how his passing would affect the final version of DiRT, the McRae-branded racing game that would come out later that month. The answer? Well, it was too late in the game's development to include any significant changes -- but Codemasters is making sure that the upcoming sequel to the well-reviewed racer adequately tips its hat to the driver who spawned the series.MTV Multiplayer checked out DiRT 2 during a recent preview in NYC, and reports that players will be working to qualify for the Colin McRae Memorial Cup -- what's more, Codemasters' Mark Turosz explained that players will "hear other drivers talking about him," and that "he's the central figure in the narrative." Rarely do video games dabble in real-life tragedies -- though it looks like Codemasters is handling it with a refreshing touch of class. %Gallery-45501%
DiRT 2 DLC planned, promises shapely augmentation
Codemasters just dropped a knowledge nugget on CVG, letting it be known that they have plans to release multiple downloadable content packs for Dirt 2 after the game's September-ish release. "We have plans to launch a number of small DLC packs soon after launch which players can use to personalize and augment the boxed game," says Dirt 2 Executive Producer Gavin Raeburn.Also, advice for those who may be awed by Raeburn's use of the fancy "augment" verbiage: Do not get too excited for the DLC. The content will probably be new vehicles or maps. Most likely, his word choice was used to make the content seem super-humanly special and worth whatever amount they charge. It's either that, or his use of "augment" could be attributed to Mr. Freud.
Colin McRae Rally due out Friday
Ian of Feral Interactive kindly dropped us a note that Colin McRae Rally for the Mac has gotten a release date: this Friday, October 26th. I'm not sure if he's aware that he's got a little bit of competition that day (because, as we all know, Dan in Real Life is releasing on Friday, too-- what? Leopard?), but then again, maybe the big OS release will give a little boost to the latest rally racing game, PC editions of which have been reviewed pretty well so far.And if you don't trust reviews for other systems (probably a good idea), worry not-- we're told a demo is imminent, so you'll be able to try the game out for yourself. Find out more about the game itself over on the minisite. Apparently the game features more than 30 cars, 300 tracks in nine locations around the globe, and realistic physics and handling. Throw in a few muddy curves, and you've got a recipe for a fun Saturday night.On a sad note, the release was actually set for earlier this year, but was delayed due to the accidental death of the series' namesake. Very sorry to hear it-- fortunately, the legendary racer's legacy lives on in his memory and phenomenal racing career history.
Breaking news: Racer Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash
[Update: Codemasters, publisher of the Colin McRae games, has issued an official statement.]A sad day for fans of racer Colin McRae on Saturday as news broke that he died in a helicopter crash. He was apparently piloting a chopper near his home in Lanarkshire when something went tragically wrong, and according to eyewitnesses it exploded in a fireball. It's not known who else was onboard with him, but some reports say his five year old son may have been aboard as well. McRae's five-year-old son was also killed in the crash.The official Colin McRae website is completely black as a sign of mourning, and our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this tragedy. The last video game bearing his name, Colin McRae: DiRT was released earlier this summer, and sold over 500k copies in its first week of release. Born in Lanark in 1968, McRae was the son of five-time British Rally Champion, Jimmy McRae. He was the first Briton to be named world champion when he won the event in the mid-1990s and was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his outstanding achievements.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Codemasters says DiRT sold 500,000 in one week
Behold the power of mud! Rally racer DiRT has sold globally 500,000 copies in its first week of release, according to Codemasters. The publisher cites statistics from web site VG Chartz that the Colin McRae-less US version was number one on the Xbox 360 charts, a move that is sure to get the NPD a little hot and bothered.Speaking with Joystiq, VG Chartz president Brett Walton said that the 500,000 shipment figure "is likely to be a shipment figure" (i.e. Codemasters has sold 500,000 to the retailers, not necessarily to the consumer). Walton said that the sales were 110,000 in the US (70,000 for Xbox 360 and 40,000 on the PC) and around 150,000 total in Europe.
Sega Rally skids onto PSP this September
We never really understood what a "garally" was or why we had to say it, but our love for rapidly moving metal objects needs no explanation. Joining the previously announced PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 version on store shelves this September, Sega Rally for the PSP is described by Sega as a provider of "everything its predecessors laid out when defining the rally genre; amazing visuals, superb handling and closely fought competitive racing." And as any rally fan will tell you, the real competition comes in the form of dirt, dust and remorseless trees.In terms of human competition, the game will feature an infrastructure multiplayer mode along with Wi-Fi support. And for those worrying that Sega Rally might be a shoehorned PlayStation Port-able game, Sega assures us that it's been developed from scratch by Flatout's Bugbear Entertainment. Garally![Via PSP Fanboy]
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.
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?
Colin McRae DiRT screenshots are DiRRRTy
Yes, yes, the screenshots you are seeing are indeed from the PC version of the upcoming off-road title Colin McRae: DiRT, but that does not change the fact they're probably the same on the PS3 and the 360. What else can we say? It seems like a fun, rally car racing dirty adventure through the badlands of Nowheresville.Games with cars are fun, but... how many of these will we see this year? We're not hating on any particular racing/driving game, but they seem to clog up new consoles like nobody's business! Maybe it's just the PS3, and that's fine, but it makes us bring up the inevitable comparison: where does your racing game loyalty lie? Are you a driving sim person, a la Gran Turismo, or are you a crazy off-road maniac and enjoy your life with a splash of mud like in MotorStorm? Street racing may be your bag, too, with all those Need for Speed titles out there. What's your poison?
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.
Colin McRae consumes DIRT in June
Of course, North American rally fans will want to read that as "DIRT consumes Colin McRae in June." Eurogamer reports that the Scottish speedster's first outing on those newfangled Xbox 360 and PS3 devices is currently slated for a June arrival. A Codemasters spokesperson relays that "everything's on track", though it would be wise to remember that in this sport, everything doesn't always stay that way. Regardless, Colin McRae: DIRT, or DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road as it's vaguely known in the US, remains highly anticipated by those that prefer to race against an insidiously ticking clock as opposed to some playboy in a Ferrari.On a related note, we expect it was that very same playboy that said "no" (or "nay", if he's especially pretentious) to any chance of a Rallisport Challenge 3.
