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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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
Why Apple's Mighty Mouse is like the Apple III
If you're old enough to remember the fiasco that was the Apple III, you may know what I'm talking about. The Apple III was supposed to be Apple's business computer. It flopped, in part because Steve Jobs demanded no fans were to be used in cooling the beast. The result? The machine would overheat, loosen the solder used to hold chips in place, and the machines became legendary for their craptacular performance. The fix by Apple was to hold the machine a few inches off the table, and let it go, making gravity jam those chips back into place. Nice huh?Well Apple's done it again with the so-called "Mighty" mouse. Their 3 or 4-button wonder is great, as long as you don't get hooked on using the little scrollball. Never mind the fact that you can't move in X and Y directions at the same time (as you can using 2-finger trackpad scrolling)-- the trackball is a piece of junk. I mean, the build quality is nice (just like those Apple III's had heavy-duty aluminum chassis), but after about a month of frequent use, the thing gets jammed with gunk, making it largely unusable. And yes, I wash my hands regularly...Apple's fix? Here's the parallel to Apple III: the fix sucks. You can't remove the ball, so you really never can get inside the mouse to properly clean it out. Apple's own KB on cleaning the Mighty mouse says, "hold the mouse upside-down and roll the ball vigorously while cleaning it to help dislodge any particles that may have collected on the internal hardware." You know, I'm getting tired of doing this every week, just to use a mouse. Apple's innovation is legendary, but sadly, they have lately been innovating new annoyances. From 3rd-gen iPod batteries, to breaking iTunes 7 to locking up the Finder, Apple's having a run of small but glaring mistakes in their otherwise newly-untarnished reputation. Or maybe I expect too much in the age of commoditized computing?
Colin McRae less popular than dirt
Who? For some, Scottish speedster Colin McRae has become synonymous with the automotive art of guiding a howling hunk of metal over bumpy roads, horrifying hairpins and, when things go wrong, oddly exposed cliffs. This is partially because he's an expert Rally driver, and partially because his name is plastered across Codemasters' excellent series of serious sims -- Colin McRae Rally. Though the games have always had a larger following in Europe (they got a PSP version, you know), the man's popularity in the US has never been called into more question than with a press release announcing his next-gen debut. Though the document promises all the usual technological trickery, such as exquisitely detailed tracks and realistic physics, it's the minor note regarding the title that proves to be the most telling. NOTES: Game titled "Colin McRae: DIRT™" in PAL territories. In the U.S.A, the game is titled "DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road™". Naturally, this minor marketing maneuver ensures success in both territories. Europeans will spot Colin's name on a shelf and exclaim, "Hey, it's Colin McRae! I like him and / or the previous games in that series! I'll buy it!" whereas Americans will be greeted by familiarity. "Hey, it's dirt! I know what that is AND I know it's awesome! I'll buy it!" Being bested by dirt and its appealing gaming possibilities in your own franchise can't be a massive self-esteem boost, but it's certainly preferable to people mistaking you for some sort of pornography enthusiast. Colin McRae: DIRT DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road hits the PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and mobile phones in 2007. Read - Press Release Read - Screenshots (possibly "target renders" since they're so purdy)
Get your rollcage ready -- next-gen off-roading is here
A simultaneous multi-platform smack in the face is coming for 2007 when DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road is released. This game will feature a variety of locations to spin those wheels, not to mention multiple different objectives. Ever hear of Pike's Peak International? Don't worry. But all 12.4 miles and 150+ turns have been accurately replicated for our amateur driving pleasure. Don't want to peel out in a standard rally car? Go to the desert and drive some interesting looking trucks and 4x4s. Or climb steep hills in massive vehicles. Don't want to play alone? Online multiplayer support has been confirmed, which is nice. Don't really care about the game? That's okay -- check out the other screens at IGN.com. For still being in development and not using actual gameplay footage, (just referencing the 3D models and locations -- imagine it like putting separate pieces of the game together for an action shot... if that's not what it means, please clarify for us) those are nice images for car lovers and gamers alike.
Practice safe dialing with "Skins"
In this harsh, dirty, unforgiving world we all call home, damaged and destroyed mobiles are a reality we can't easily escape -- unless you have 75 microns of latex between your phone and its surroundings, that is. Innovalife of The Netherlands is marketing "Skins," a tube-shaped rubbery apparatus designed to be rolled around your phone to provide near-total protection from "water, dirt, mud, paint, sweat, blood, snow and much more." Apparently, there is a slight loss in sound quality, but the phone remains otherwise completely functional. The Skins are available in a variety of colors for the kind of stylish protection today's youngsters, butchers, and painters demand -- yes, butchers and painters are a major part of Skins' target demographic. Unfortunately, we're going to have to roll the dice with our naked phones; we're guessing clamshells aren't invited to the party, and we don't think we get splashed with enough blood to encase our beautiful devices in thick, impersonal rubber anyway. [Via The Register]
Sharp's Mebius PC-AE50M for the unwashed
What's this, today Sharp announced a single new computer!? Not the 40-plus from Sony, or 26 from NEC, or even paltry 5-and-change from Toshiba, just one, the Mebius PC-AE50M. Not only are they bucking the shotgun announcement trend engulfing us, the new Mebius also loads-up a non-Core Duo, 1.80GHz AMD Sempron 3000 . Whoa Sharp, you go cowboy. The 2.8-kg Mebius PC-AE50M (that name just rolls, eh?) can bring up to 1.5GB of RAM and 60GB of disk and features a 15-inch, 1024 x 768 LCD, 802.11b/g WiFi, CD-R/RW & DVD-ROM drive, and UV radiation coating to keep palm-gunk from polluting the case. Rejoice o ye defiled brethren, rejoice!
