Ubisoft becoming Notorious

Given the popularity of The Fast and the Furious-style street racers (Need for Speed: Underground) and hip-hop-flavored "urban" actioners (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), it was only a matter of time until a publisher combined the two genres into a single game.

It turns out that publisher is Ubisoft, and that game is Notorious: Die to Drive. The previous war-game-crazy publisher has announced it would develop and publish what it calls "a unique combination of urban warfare and car racing." In the game, players will control their own crew in a street-racing circuit where opponents eliminate the competition with military hardware. Like most death sports no one has heard of, the winners earn huge amounts of cash, "bringing the finest bling and millionaire cribs to the notorious few who can survive this dangerous game," according to the announcement release.

Also according to Ubi, Notorious: Die to Drive "will feature car racing laced with the key urban elements of power and respect." Players will choose from over two-dozen vintage and modern vehicles and 20 different weapons, including semiautomatic pistols, fully automatic assault rifles, pump-action shotguns, and Molotov cocktails. Featuring nearly 50 stages, the game will center on "a quest to rule the streets of four West Coast neighborhoods." For more on Notorious: Die to Drive, check out our E3 hands-on preview.