Driver races onto PSPs

By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Jan 22, 2007 12:46 pm PT

Ubisoft announces that first game in racing series since acquiring license is also first game in series for Sony's handheld; Driver 76 speeds into stores in March.

Every open-world shooter needs a Chinatown.

When Ubisoft purchased the rights to the Driver franchise from Atari last year, question marks surrounded one game that was already in development. Last February, Atari announced that Sumo Digital was working on a PlayStation Portable version of Driver: Parallel Lines, which was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in March 2006. However, after Ubisoft revealed that it had acquired the rights to the Driver name, little was heard about the game.

Now it appears that the PSP Driver game in development was also included in the licensing deal, with a few strings attached. Ubisoft today announced that Driver 76 for the PSP is currently in the works by Sumo Digital and Reflections, the original developer of Driver, which is now owned by Ubisoft. Ubisoft says Driver 76 isn't a handheld port of Parallel Lines and will feature an all-new storyline.

Driver 76 takes place in 1976 New York City, two years before the events of Parallel Lines. Gamers will once again be able to tackle missions by car or on foot, with side missions available to help pay for car upgrades. Outside of the 27-mission single-player campaign, the game offers several different game modes for multiplayer action and downloadable content.

Driver 76 has not yet been rated and will be released this March.

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BrideInDream
Posted Feb 18, 2007 3:47 am PT

u can't drive fast in this game... when u drive fast the cops will start chasing u... i hate that T.T
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gagan21
Posted Jan 23, 2007 12:44 pm PT

lets hope they make a better game
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LordAndrew
Posted Jan 23, 2007 7:52 am PT

The screenshots don't look very good.
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gatsbythepig
Posted Jan 23, 2007 6:59 am PT

i thought it was driv3r
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Ult_gam3r
Posted Jan 23, 2007 5:57 am PT

I loved Driver 1 too. >.>
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nevereathim
Posted Jan 23, 2007 3:34 am PT

I get the feeling this is going to be another failure
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Dolacide
Posted Jan 23, 2007 1:32 am PT

I remember when the driver name got people excited. Not anymore.
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pencilpusher69
Posted Jan 22, 2007 10:52 pm PT

Driver 2 was okay at best. This doesn't even make me tingle.
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UntoldDreams
Posted Jan 22, 2007 10:35 pm PT

Hahaha... oboewan9999 is one of those 8 year old kids who purposely rates anything Sony 1.0 even Metal Gear Solid 2 / 3 / Portable Ops. GTA. Etc.

GROW UP KID. The world doesn't need anymore childish acts like that.
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-REZ-
Posted Jan 22, 2007 10:31 pm PT

Graphics look surprisingly good... oh and Bren128 FF1 and 2 remakes are in development for the PSP...
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Homsar13
Posted Jan 22, 2007 9:23 pm PT

Driver PL was a great game. We'll see how this turns out.
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Bren128
Posted Jan 22, 2007 7:01 pm PT

Obewan, so mario kart ds isnt made up of PAST mario kart tracks?, Super Mario 64? whats that? Yoshis island? FF 3? yea um just because the graphics look like crap doesnt make it a ''unique'' experience ....
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ultimate_zero
Posted Jan 22, 2007 6:12 pm PT

Ubisoft is great at making games, lets just see how it turns out.
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TryMe01
Posted Jan 22, 2007 5:28 pm PT

hopefully this will make driver and the psp seem better
but only time will tell...
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games_pot1
Posted Jan 22, 2007 5:16 pm PT

Maybe Ubi can bring the series back.
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xtremeg4m3r
Posted Jan 22, 2007 4:31 pm PT

It will most likely be disappointing.
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kniveshurt18
Posted Jan 22, 2007 4:15 pm PT

oboewan9999 "Yes, but each mario game is different than each other mario game.
Oh, and if there are a lot of ports on the DS (there aren't), they are played in a whole different way, so they're not technically ports."

Wait, so Mario DS wasn't a port of Mario 64 just because it used a stylis instead of a joystick? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
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TLR_
Posted Jan 22, 2007 4:15 pm PT

Hmm... after the GBA version of Driv3r proved the portable version can be better than a console version that failed, I might check this out.
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Re_ensurer
Posted Jan 22, 2007 4:11 pm PT

I was wondering when this would come around.
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Gmacrusher
Posted Jan 22, 2007 4:07 pm PT

This is going to be cool because driver is coming back from the dead...once more!
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muscrat_01
Posted Jan 22, 2007 4:03 pm PT

fingers crossed its as good as the first.....

Ahh probably wont be
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TorugotoShinsan
Posted Jan 22, 2007 3:09 pm PT

This sounds awesome. I love the Driver series and I haven't seen a good portable game since Monster Hunter Freedom.
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kstegall2
Posted Jan 22, 2007 3:03 pm PT

I've always liked the Driver series, even Driv3r & Parallel Lines so I'm stoked to hear about this.
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MedevilDragon
Posted Jan 22, 2007 3:00 pm PT

Driver 2 was the best in the series, Driver 1 was ok, but 3 and Parallel Lines were awful.
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RaiKageRyu
Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:50 pm PT

Driver... can it ever be good again?
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Mechakucha
Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:30 pm PT

Driver hasn't been good since 1999. I don't expect this one to buck the trend.
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kenshinhimura16
Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:24 pm PT

Cool, sounds interesting
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PostedOval
Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:24 pm PT

Huh. Well, if they can bring back the magic of first Driver, I would LOVE THIS!
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firedrakes
Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:12 pm PT

now we will have a decent driver game!!
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comthitnuong
Posted Jan 22, 2007 2:09 pm PT

sounds kinda like a gta but i'll still be interested
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ScreamDream
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:55 pm PT

Hopfully a very good game.
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Flint247
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:53 pm PT

I loved driver 1. I did this glitch that made me fly into the air real high. It was awesome!!
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oboewan9999
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:51 pm PT

Bren128
obewan , even without the ports, the psp is still getting more support then the ds, and if there good ports who cares? How many mario games are on the ds again? The ds has its fair share of ports to........

Yes, but each mario game is different than each other mario game.
Oh, and if there are a lot of ports on the DS (there aren't), they are played in a whole different way, so they're not technically ports.
/Topic.
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grey-flood
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:42 pm PT

its failed from now!!!!!
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psymon_05
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:42 pm PT

Please take care, Ubisoft. Make this one worth having, I haven't had a Driver since the original.
That reminds me, can you download the original from the Sony Store on your PS3 for use on your PSP or whatever, being in the UK I don't know. A message would be greatly appreciated.
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Thorpe89
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:41 pm PT

Is this really a good idea to do?
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Bren128
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:38 pm PT

obewan , even without the ports, the psp is still getting more support then the ds, and if there good ports who cares? How many mario games are on the ds again? The ds has its fair share of ports to........
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Baroncx
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:37 pm PT

thinking this one will actually be half-decent.
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amplizine
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:31 pm PT

Hey, no one is denying the fact that most Driver games have sucked in the past, but the first two were pretty fun. They better not screw this one up though. Wait, what am I saying? It's Ubisoft, it'll be MUCH better off, so I'm not worried.
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oboewan9999
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:27 pm PT

Bren128
Has anyone else noticed how the psp is getting MORE 3rd party support then the ds even though the ds is leading in sales? today for instance, sid meirs pirates is released for the psp............weird.....

"Third party support" does not mean "Third party ports".
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elektrixxx
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:27 pm PT

I have faith in this Driver title.
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mooseman721
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:27 pm PT

LordAndrew
"Oh good. Driver is such a great series and Ubisoft makes great driving games."

Yeah, DRIV3R was awsome! Lol.
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Bren128
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:12 pm PT

Has anyone else noticed how the psp is getting MORE 3rd party support then the ds even though the ds is leading in sales? today for instance, sid meirs pirates is released for the psp............weird.....
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Bananna2
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:12 pm PT

Nice, Go psp. ohh how i miss a good Driver game
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OfficialBed
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:09 pm PT

neato
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CapinGreen
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:05 pm PT

ya just know it'll be really bad
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nikefreak
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:04 pm PT

-.-
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LordAndrew
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:04 pm PT

Oh good. Driver is such a great series and Ubisoft makes great driving games.
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iMuffins
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:04 pm PT

Awesome. I love the Driver series.
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sweet1234
Posted Jan 22, 2007 1:00 pm PT

maybe it will be something to look forward 2. *laughs a little inside*
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