ModNation Racers dated for May 25

Sony and United Front's highly customisable driving game ModNation Racers is set for a May 25 release, according to the US PlayStation blog. The European PlayStation blog followed up the American announcement with confirmation that the release in PAL territories should be the same week but did not commit to a specific date.

ModNation Racers lets players build and customise racetracks, racers, and vehicles as well as share them with others using the PlayStation Network. Billed by Sony as the spiritual successor to Little Big Planet, it has a similar focus on user-generated and shared content and is the second title to carry the Play, Create, Share tagline.

The US blog also announced preorder bonuses; early pledges will be rewarded with access to a select Sony character depending on the retailer of choice. Drivers will be able to give Kratos a break from vengeance to tear up the racetrack by reserving at GameStop, reunite plucky Lombax Ratchet and his mechanical sidekick Clank through Amazon, or give Nathan Drake a chance to show off his half-tuck on the racetrack with a Best Buy preorder.

There is no mention of similar bonuses for European gamers as yet, but Sony's track record with preorder incentives for customers outside the US may provide some hope. European players of last year's hit Uncharted 2 were treated to golden weapons, a currency multiplier, and a revenge perk for multiplayer, which were originally available exclusively as preorder bonuses in the US.