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Codemasters is confident that their third iteration of their Ego engine (the first being used in the original DiRT and the second being used in GRID) is pushing boundaries of both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
In an interview with CVG.com, Gavin Raeburn, the senior executive producer of the game, said;
"DiRT 2 is actually running on the third iteration of Codemasters' EGO Engine proprietary technology, whereas DiRT was the first generation. As a result, there are many improvements that have been made to DiRT 2 over DiRT,"
"The development team have learnt a lot from the development of GRID, and have strengthened massively in their ability to get the most out of the hardware, notably pushing SPU usage on PS3, improving multi-core performance on Xbox 360 and adding PC specific features and technology."
"Overall these changes mean we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the hardware as much as possible, and we're confident in our ability to lift the quality bar again."
Read the full interview here for more golden nuggets, although they may be a bit biased!
Discuss here or on the board.
As seen on Twitter, Criterion has announced that the upcoming DLC for Burnout Paradise entitled "Legendary Cars" is coming on February 19th. There was no mention of price, however. The DLC will include cars based on famous fictional vehicles, like the DeLorean from Back to the Future and the Ghostbusters vehicle. Included here are some interesting features, like the Jansen 88 Special's (DeLorean) ability to hover above ground.
JoyStiq posted a cool gallery here showing the Legendary Cars and their similarities to the famous vehicles.
Are you excited? Discuss here or on the board.
In a teasing message on their website, Criterion revealed a new pack was coming to Burnout Paradise, but you could only see it by accessing the in-game site on the PC and PS3 versions of Burnout Paradise.
The pack is coming after the Legendary Cars, Toy Cars and Boost Specials DLC that are coming soon. It will feature the "thrills and spills of cops and robbers chases", something the Burnout franchise has been lacking since Burnout 2: Point of Impact, where the player could unlock new cars by chasing them down and hitting them enough times before time ran out.
PC and PS3 owners can access the site and view some screenshots right now, while the rest of the world will have to wait for Monday when Criterion releases them to everybody.
Are you excited for this DLC?
Just a friendly reminder that the Party Pack for Burnout Paradise was released for 10 US Dollars on the PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 Marketplace. The pack focuses on more fun graphics and pass-the-pad gameplay similar to the multiplayer Crash modes in previous Burnout games.
The game is also patched with an update that adds an in-game store (there are some issues with the 360 patch so it might not be out yet), improved gameplay and matchmaking. The trial for the PC version of Burnout Paradise was also released and is available here.
Will you be getting the DLC?
Written by Benny_is_here - Mikael Barstad
In a Q&A with GameSpot, EA has revealed that it will be releasing three new Need For Speed titles coming this year. The games are as follows;
Need for Speed: Shift is a hardcore racing sim coming this fall for the PSP, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. It is slated to be "built for racers, by racers".
Need for Speed: Nitro is coming this fall for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii. It will use a "unique visual [look]" and - judging from the title - probably be more of an arcade racer.
Need for Speed: World Online is a free, PC-only online racer releasing in Asia this summer. It's coming to NA in "Winter 2009", which probably means early 2010 if they are using the right sense of the word "winter". It being released this winter (the one we're in now) seems unlikely.
Comment below on what you think of this big shift (pun intended) from EA.
Written by mjwickstrom1
After the folks over at Criterion Games released a trailer (embedded below) to show off their newest Burnout project, The Ultimate Box, rumors sparked. You see, in the video there was a short look at the new Burnout in game store, coming in early February. On the store was a pack named PCPD (Paradise City Police Department), which brought up romors around the web that Burnout Paradise will soon have police chases in the future.
[video=6203880:1a6e66f409]
There's already a police car in the game, dubbed the Hunter Citizen. The Citizen was even given police lights and a siren in the "Cagney" update in August 2008. Check it out below:
Tell us if you're excited for this possible update by commenting below.
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
Last week Criterion Games breifly announced their Freebie Pack, set to release February 6th, one day after their first premium content, the Party Pack, is released. This week they detailed the free pack, and boy does it have a lot to offer.
First off, for PS3 and PC owners of Paradise, there will be an in game store where you can access all released content for Burnout Paradise. Access this from the pause or easydrive menus.
Beginner cars like the Hunter Cavalry will now be easier to drive as well. The update will make these cars slower nd easier to handle for newcomers to the game. As a result Burning Routes goal times will be changed.
You can also filter what you see in the junkyard. Filer between cars, bikes, Legendary Cars, etc. to find what you want easier!
The Stunt Run timer will also be modified, once again for Burnout newbies. The timer will run slower than normal on low multiplier stunts, and faster as you build your multiplier up. Road Rage timers will not increase everytime you score a takedown either, making the timer more set and preventing ridiculous 100+ takdeown scores.
Visuals will also be turned up a notch. The lighting will adjusted allowing you to see better at night. Superjumps will now pulse blue, smashes yellow, and billboards red to be more noticeable when driving around Paradise City.
And finally, after much scrutiny, Criterion has added a restart option to the game. NUFF SAID!!!
Tell us what you think of this update by commenting below.
Written by Mikael Barstad - Benny_is_here
For reasons unbeknownst to anyone outside of the people in charge of the game, Outrun Online Arcade will not be available for the North American PSN. Outrun Online Arcade was previously announced for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, but Sega has told CVG that the game will not be available on the North American version of PSN, even though it will be available in the other regions. One can speculate what lead to this exclusivity, but Sega has refused to comment on the reasoning behind this. Outrun Online Arcade is still slated for an "early 2009" release.
Written by Mikael Barstad - Benny_is_here
It must have been years ago when a trailer for Vin Diesel's vehicular game "The Wheelman" was announced at E3. Now the game has gotten another delay, arriving at the starting line on March 20th 2009. Midway also announced a demo for the game will be coming before the game's release, so look out for Vin Diesel's boyish good looks on the Xbox 360 marketplace, Playstation Network and PC soon.
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
Criterion is on the presses again today with some big new considering Burnout Paradise and upcoming release dates for premium downloadable content.
To start things off, the Party Pack, adding brighter visuals, an all new HUD, 8 player offline, and all new tophies / achievements, will be available for download on February 5th.
And for you LOSERS who don't have Burnout Paradise, The Ultimate Box which includes all game changing updates from Cagney to the Party Pack, will be out on February 6th.
Check back for more news in the future, and leave a comment telling us what you think about this dlc as well.
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
Announced a while back was Fuel, being developed by Asobo Studio and produced by Codemasters. We haven't heard or seen much about the game until today. Bursting onto the internet are several new screenshots for Fuel, as well as a trailer. All of this can be seen below:
[video=6203280:ae0a7f98b6]
Tell us what you think of Fuel by commenting below.
Writer - Garfield360UK
SimBin announce new GT event cars
SimBin have recently announced a new list of the GT cars available in the up comming Race Pro game (avaiable on XBox 360).
The car list is as follows:
GT PRO
Saleen SR7
Viper GTS-R
GT SPORT
BMW M3 GTR
Corvette C6R
Spyker C8
GT Club
Aston Martin DBRS9
BMW Z4
What are your thoughts on this news? Will you be buying this game?
For more information on the above cars visit this site.
Note: Credit to Mr Brad Shomaker of Giantbomb.com for the images and infromation gained in this post.
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
Criterion Games was back today with some big news; their first of the new year concerning Burnout Paradise! Today they revealed the last three of the upcoming four car Legendary Cars Pack. If you don't remember, the first car revealed was the 88 Special, based off of the Delorean in 'Back to the Future,' seen below:
Unlike the 88 Special, they three newest revealed cars are all based off of Paradise originals. First off, the Manhattan Spirit.
The Manhattan Spirit is based off of Paradise City's Hunter Manhattan. Although this isn't one of the fastest cars you'll see in the game, it's great for stunts, and features a boost surprise! Ooooooooooooooooh!!! See it below:
Next up is the Carson Nighthawk, based off the Carson GT. This is one of the nicest looking and best pursuit cars in the game. When you boost you'll be treated to a fancy lighting display, making this car even more noticeable throughout the city, especially at night.
And up to bat last, the Cavalry Bootlegger. Dedicated to The Chicanator, this car based off the Hunter Cavalry featured a Mexican themed license plate and horn.
Footage of the cars can be found in Criterion's latest Crash TV here.
Tell us what you think of these cars by leaving a comment below.
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
As you may know, talk of a Forza Motorsport 3 has gone on for a long time, but without any real confirmation from Turn 10 or Microsoft. Well, today, Kaarbo Designs, a partner from Microsoft, may have given us all the proof of a Forza 3 that we needed, or hoped for. You see Kaarbo Designs job an a partner of Microsoft is to create menu assets for the Forza Motorsport franchise. Well, they just finished a project, and luckily shared it with us. Unfortunatly for them the pictures they released on the internet clearly show the Forza 3 logo on them (top right). Check the pictures out below:
Of course the guys and gals over at Kaarbo are trying to cover this up, saying that the templates above were not made by them, and that they "are only samples and are not to be used" in any Forza title. Hmm....
So now I ask you, what better proof could you ask for?
Written by Benny_is_here - Mikael Barstad
Sega just announced that their arcade racing series OutRun will be coming to the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in early 2009. Featuring 15 US courses, 10 Ferraris and 6-player online multiplayer, OutRun Online Arcade promises to bring the same high-speed arcade drifting madness the series is known for. An announcement trailer can be viewed here.
Will you be getting the game in early 2009?
Written by Benny_is_here - Mikael Barstad
Rockstar announced new downloadable content coming to their racing title Midnight Club: LA in early 2009 for the 360 and PS3 versions. The DLC will be in two parts. The first, the South Central Upgrade Map, is a FREE extention to the game's existing map. South Central is about one third of the original map and stretches south to the 105 Freeway.
The second, the South Central Content Pack, will be premium. The price has not yet been announced. The Content Pack adds new character competitions, music, cars and races. The new cars represent the new South Central area, with muscles and SUVs - both car types in Midnight Club 3: DUB that were not included in Midnight Club: LA.
Rockstar previously announced a patch that will change the AI of the game to make it easier on players after many reviews criticized its harsh AI. Are Rockstar doing enough for the game to make it something special? Will you be getting the DLC?
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you're one of the lucky people who heard that for the first time ever Criterion Games will be releasing a Burnout game (Burnout Paradise) on the pc. Then, not long after that, you must have heard that the game will be re-released on Xbox 360 and PS3 as well, and will include all game changing updates through next year's Party Pack. That game bundle is subtitled "The Ultimate Box" for obvious reasons.
Criterion recently announced that in their joy of the upcoming pc release of Burnout Paradise, they've used their extra time aside from making and testing game updates to construct an in depth free trial for Burnout Paradise on the pc, which will release on criteriongames.com and ea.com alongside it's retail pc counterpart.
After you're done downloading said trial you'll be greeted by the lovely title screen, seen above.
In the trial you'll be happy to know that all of Paradise City is accessable, including all 120 events, as well as limitless 8 player online.
Just like in the console demo, you'll start out in a beat up Hunter Cavalry. As you complete events the Hunter Mesquite and the Nakamura SI-7 will become available for you to test out as well.
This trial is obviously limited, so you'll have a timer running down once the demo launches. The amount of playtime you will have is currently predetermined, or Criterion is just mad and refuses to fill us in!
Aside from downloading your trial off the internet, Criterion Games will be distributing disks around, Once you setup the trial off the disk onto your pc you won't need the disk anymore, so you can then spread the joy by giving it to a friend or two! How to get these disks is also undetermined.
If you play the trial and love it (and happen to be lazy too), then do we have good news for you! Pause your trial version of Burnout Paradise to find a screen to buy the game right from your cushy seat, no walking (or effort) invlolved, unless you consider getting your credit card out tough sweatin.'
Tell us what you think of this trial by commenting below.
Written by mjwickstrom1 - Matt Wickstrom
Today Electronic Arts announced for the first time that they would be carrying over their NASCAR franchise to the Wii, but not really. You could call it anything but a continuation of the franchise. After all, EA has never made a NASCAR go karts racing game before.
NASCAR Kart Racing has been dubbed by EA as the "first and only NASCAR title available for Wii," which is pretty obvious considering they have exclusive gaming rights to the sport. Kart Racing is a continuation of EA's All-Play genre of games for Wii.
The game will include 14 of NASCAR's biggest stars, listed below:
Jeff Burton
Kyle Busch
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Carl Edwards
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Jimmie Johnson
Kasey Kahne
Matt Kenseth
Elliot Sadler
Tony Stewart
*Two Unlockable Mystery Drivers
As hoped for, the game will also include various mini versions of real worl tracks, including Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, and Dover, as well as random tracks based on junkyards, freeways, deserts, etc. You will be able to race on these tracks with up to four people, offline only.
NASCAR Kart Racing is scheduled to crash into stores on February 10, 2009, just days before NASCAR's prestigious Daytona 500, version 51.
Tell us what you think of NASCAR Kart Racing by commenting below.
Edit: The first teaser for NASCAR Kart Racing can be seen here, and more screens here.
Written by Benny_is_here - Mikael Barstad
The "8-Ball Pack" for Codemasters' racing game GRID is now out on the XBox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network for 800 MS points (9.99$). The description goes like this:
"The '8 Ball' pack for GRID features 8 thrilling new cars and two new online events as the first in a series of three new extensions for the game. Each carefully selected and beautifully realised vehicle is a thoroughbred racing car chosen for its unique personality to deliver a stunning race experience. All 8 cars become available in 'Race Day' mode and in online races. Two new multiplayer events, set on existing circuits from across GRID's three continents, have been created to test drivers to their very limit online. Car List: McLaren F1 GTR, TVR Cerbera Speed 12, Mitsubishi 2.0 Turbo Lancer Evolution X, Honda S2000, Nissan GTR GT500, VW Nardo, Pontiac Firebird Trans AM, Volvo C30 Green Racing."
This pack will also add 100Gs worth of achievements;
Jack Of All Trades – Win an online race in each of the 8 Ball pack cars.
Drift Master - Achieve a 99x combo in the Honda S2000.
Gas Guzzler - Clock up over 250 miles in your favourite 8 Ball pack car.
Clean Passing - Win a clean race in an 8 Ball Pack car from last position.
Will you be getting this downloadable content?
Written by Benny_is_here - Mikael Barstad
Some bizarre news coming from Bizarre Creations, known for the Project Gotham Racing series. According to MTV Multiplayer, Activision unveiled that Bizarre Creations is working on a new James Bond racing game and a new intellectual property. No details of the James Bond game are available, except that it will be released in September 2009 and not be tied into a movie story-line. The new IP is described as "Mario Kart meets Forza Motorsport", but that is all the information that exists.
Do you think these games sound like something you would enjoy?
