GRID driving Codies to Japan

Codemasters wants to be big in Japan. The British company, which was founded in 1985, has set its sights on conquering the market as a publisher. The first game to be shipped east will be the multiplatform Race Driver: Grid (titled just GRID in the US).

The Japanese edition of the game, which is due for release in the winter, will be "fully localised" for the country, and will include Japanese speech and text. The game will be bundled with fellow racer Colin McRae: DiRT, a decision made based on the success former Colin McRae games under licence have enjoyed in the country.

GRID already features content set in Japan, including Drift and Touge events set in locations including Tokyo Shibuya, Yokohama, and Haruna.

Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens commented, "We have pursued options in the market for some time and this announcement is but a first indication of our ambitions in that market... The recent success of key western titles in Japan is indicative of the current trend where Japanese gamers are not only more aware of popular western gaming brands but actively seeking them out."

Codemasters has also recently netted an exclusive deal to develop Formula One-licensed games, and snapped up the Sega Racing Studio in Solihull.