colin mcrae DiRT 2 is coming (screenshots available)

19 november 2008 the announcement of the colin mcrae DiRT 2 game and on the 20th november 2008 you can already download several stunning screenshots of the game at http://www.colinmcrae.110mb.com/dirt2.htm

example:
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3160/colinmcraedirt2screenam1.jpg

...and of course in the future we will keep you up to date about colin mcrae DiRT 2.......i can't wait to get my hands on that game.


greetz
cmr2game

[pino]

Great news ! let's hope they will make a more realistic/better game without any american accent...thank you very much :p :

[I am evil Homer]

Rallycars in Battersea Power Station??!! Way to ruin a legacy Codemasters!

How about a decent rally sim? With a variety of real-life cars..C4, Focus, Subaru, SX4 maybe some S2000!!! Long stages, decent physics...it's not like there's any excuse if it's designed for a PS3.

[AndyRAC]

Great news ! let's hope they will make a more realistic/better game without any american accent...thank you very much :p :

I doubt it, Codemasters have lost the plot completely with their recent games. Dirt, Grid were arcade racers at best - How can you have a Le Mans 24 Hours without pit stops? Just look at the first Colin McRae game from 1998 - that's how it should be like, instead of all the other off-road rubbish. And get Nicky Grist back on the notes.

I wonder what their new F1 game will be like.......

[pino]

"Well, I'll be scratching my head if you don't like the car physics for DiRT 2. We have completely new tyre and suspension physics, along with new weight shifting algorithms, which I think will open up the reach to more simmy fans as well as making the game just as accessible to fans of DiRT 1, of which there were many indeed. Keep watching for more news and also our demo of course, which will be available before launch."

Look forward to find out myself whether is telling the truth or not ;)

[Rat]

any idea on computer specs needed to run this game? Mine just ran the demo and I thought it would do it with 2Gb RAM.

[christophulus]

I'd have been happy with some snow stages.. ah well.

I think I'll give it a miss to be honest, given the problems I had getting the original DiRT to run due to that ridiculous DRM they bundled it with. Just did not like my computer!

[MrJan]

Parts of the non rallying stuff I really like. F'rinstance I find pikes peak really good fun and a few other things are an interesting diversion.

Ultimately though I think that almost all of us just want a game that plays like CMR2 but has longer stages and better sounding/looking things. I remember spending hours trying desperately to tame the 6r4, not because it was too fast but because it was an effort to handle. And the 5 minute+ stages were really enjoyable. I think that it was stages 5 and 9 of Great Britain that really got me hooked, wasting days trying to beat my PB.

What made it even better was that it was true rallying. There were Group B cars, a Safari rally, and the GB round had many facets with a stately home day and then heading out to forests. CMR 1 and 2 were genuine rally games for rally fans, sadly they realised that they had a brand on their hands and have proceeded to sell out to the masses ever since.

[raybak]

Looking forward to it, really love the Pikes Peak as it's a long stage. Bring back the long stages.

Ray

[52Paddy]

"Well, I'll be scratching my head if you don't like the car physics for DiRT 2. We have completely new tyre and suspension physics, along with new weight shifting algorithms, which I think will open up the reach to more simmy fans as well as making the game just as accessible to fans of DiRT 1, of which there were many indeed. Keep watching for more news and also our demo of course, which will be available before launch."

Look forward to find out myself whether is telling the truth or not ;)

Thats the problem. Game creators like Simbin aim their games at the hardcore sim fan, and boy do they succeed. Personally myself, I think the GTR series, RACE series and GT Legends were all fantastic games.

But Codemasters are trying to make a compromise which, in my opinion, will never result in the ultimate rally sim. CMR2 and RBR are still the best rally games currently in my opinion. The WRC series isn't too bad but isn't a shadow over the former two.

[bennizw]

I have already show my opinions to their approach of making the game on the Codemasters forum. Please read what I have written and if you agree please second it! :)

[spyros]

I totally agree benniz,coddies with every new game gone away from what rally games is all about,shame.

[AndyRAC]

The WRC license was previously held by Evolution Studios, wasn't it? So, who, if any, now has it - or isn't there one?

Time for Codies to dig into their deep pockets.

[pino]

I have already show my opinions to their approach of making the game on the Codemasters forum. Please read what I have written and if you agree please second it! :)

Just did that ;)

[Allyc85]

Really not looking forwad to this, like I was the old games :( Would love a straight rally game, not with all these extras and fictional stages like the power station.

[raybak]

We need a new version of Rally Championship 2000, nice long stages, reasonable car control.

I remember when the Codemasters team came to Canberra to look at the rally stages, they took a lot of photos but didn't really get the feel of the stages.

The RBR team had a go at speed on a few of the stages, so got a good feel for them.

Ray

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I remember when I was younger I used to spend almost all of my free time on Codemasters driving games. They peaked with CMR2 and Toca2. But since they have gone sh!t they are the main reason why I don't bother playing video games and haven't bothered getting a new console.

[lugnut_usa]

http://videogames.yahoo.com/news-1267329

IGN: First of all, could you tell us about the decision to retain the McRae name for this game following his tragic death in 2007?
Gavin Raeburn: The decision was made jointly between Codemasters and the McRae family. His ventures into events such as the X-Games, Dakar Rally and the Race of Champions have inspired us to look at events covering the extremes of off-road motorsport. This is where we're taking the series with DiRT 2 and Colin will play a part in that. DiRT 2 will be a great tribute, and we'll be revealing more about this over the coming months.

IGN: Last time we saw the EGO engine in GRID it was looking pretty spectacular – how much room for improvement was there for its third outing in DiRT 2?
Gavin Raeburn: We made key improvements to the EGO engine during the GRID project which lifted the quality of the game to a level we were very happy with. 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. In DiRT 2, we're building on these changes to the engine, adding more physical modelling of the environment, improving lighting and shadowing, and broadening the use of our streaming system to allow much higher texture detail. 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.

IGN: The career progression was an excellent part of GRID – will there be a similar mode in DiRT 2?
Gavin Raeburn: Absolutely, the single-player experience is a very important part of our games. For DiRT 2, we wanted to create a journey for the player which encapsulated the spirit of off-road racing – it's about travelling the world in your RV, hitting off-road festivals and building your rep as a driver. Along the way you'll build friendships with the stars of the off-road world – like Travis Pastrana and Ken Block – and these relationships help you move up the ladder. If you get on well with someone like Ken Block, he'll invite you to cooler events and even offer to team up with you from time to time.

IGN: Likewise, the rewind function in GRID worked brilliantly – is that something that's being integrated in DiRT 2?
Gavin Raeburn: We're proud of the replay technology we have within our engine, and you'll certainly see fully featured replays in DiRT 2. We're going to include an improved version of the Flashback feature that was developed for GRID too. I think everyone who played DiRT will have had an unfortunate incident with a tree or rock at some point!

IGN: The online features in the original DiRT felt a little compromised – is there going to be significant changes to the multiplayer for the sequel?
Gavin Raeburn: It's all new. You'll see competitive online racing in all race types, plus a progressive reward system and community features which we'll talk more about in coming months.

IGN: With so many disciplines of off-road motorsport included, how do you manage to produce a cohesive package?
Gavin Raeburn: We have to strike a balance. We don't want to restrict what the player can do by saying "car X can only drive on track Y", but on the other hand we don't want to break the believability of the game's career progression with mismatched opponents. In DiRT 2 we'll be going further, looking at game mechanics that transcend race disciplines and vehicles to provide that cohesion. We'll reveal more details in this area soon.

IGN: And being the huge F1 fans that we are, we've got to ask – how is work going with the F1 game, and when can we expect to see anything of it?
Gavin Raeburn: The F1 project is progressing well, although it will be a while before we start showing it. In the meantime, the F1 team have a blog on our community website with which you can stay up to date with developments.

[MrJan]

While I think that the Flashback function will make things easier it will just cheapen the whole experience even more. I know that sometimes I've totalled a car because of a duff pace note (IMO they were as good as useless in Dirt because they often came too late or would say that a corner was long when in reality it was just tight) but that's what happens in rallying and the whole notion of being able to press a button and go back is just a nasty gimmick which takes the challenge away.

Sadly the whole game is very much made for an American audience rather than a European one. We don't travel around in our RVs over here, you trailer the car to an event on the back of a transit van and return home on the Sunday ready for work on the Monday morning (for all but the very highest level anyway). F*** 'off road festivals' I just want a rallying game to actually have some rallying in it.

If they really wanted to do a tribute to McRae then it should have covered all the way back to his days trashing Legacys in the British Championship, not the last few years of his life which he just spent cocking about having a go at different things.

[AndyRAC]

Well looking at all the info and photos, I won't be purchasing it. It should be predominately Rally-based, with a small percentage being other off-road activities. I still play on the Colin McRae 1 game - some fantastic stages/Rallies on there - New Zealand, Monte Carlo (Sisteron in the dark), GB (Dolgellau in the dark).
This just looks like a poor excuse for a game.

[Daniel]

If they really wanted to do a tribute to McRae then it should have covered all the way back to his days trashing Legacys in the British Championship, not the last few years of his life which he just spent cocking about having a go at different things.

That is annoying. Sure Colin did the Dakar and XGames but he's predominately remembered for his rallying.

As long as Codemasters continue on with Starforce I won't be buying any of their games.

[Rat]

Andy RAC, how are you playing CMR1? what addons did ya need?

[MrJan]

On the back of this thread I dusted off the old PLaystation for another go at CMR2. Couldn't find a memory card with any data on it so had to search for some cheats but then did GB on intermediate in a 6r4. Awesome stuff, tricky stages, good handling and to cap it off a night stage (remember them, rallying used to do them ocassionally ;) ) Think I might turf out the original CMR game today and have a crack on New Zealand :D :D

[AndyRAC]

Andy RAC, how are you playing CMR1? what addons did ya need?

I still play it on either Playstation 1 or 2 - okay, so the graphics are 10 years old, but the gameplay is still fantastic, especially the Night stages.

[AndyRAC]

On the back of this thread I dusted off the old PLaystation for another go at CMR2. Couldn't find a memory card with any data on it so had to search for some cheats but then did GB on intermediate in a 6r4. Awesome stuff, tricky stages, good handling and to cap it off a night stage (remember them, rallying used to do them ocassionally ;) ) Think I might turf out the original CMR game today and have a crack on New Zealand :D :D

Go on do it, I think it is SS4 in New Zealand were big time gaps appear - the stage before is wet mud and wet gravel, but SS4 is dry gravel - so tyre choice is crucial. A mega stage!!

[Rat]

aha PS2 I'll get a copy then I thought you had it on PC.

[Simmi]

This game sounds awful. The first DiRT was poor I totally agree with what most people have said on here. Now it's become really Americanized. No offense to the guys but do I want to make friends with Ken Block and Travis Pastrana to improve my career progress? Travelling around in my RV?

I just want to drive a rally car on some nice stages.

Unlike some I was a real fan of the WRC games from Evolution Studios with the officially licensed cars/drivers etc. Nowadays those guys do the Motorstorm games which are one of the higher profile PS3 only games. I doubt they will go back to the WRC. I agree with whoever said Codemasters peaked with TOCA2 and CMR2. Those were the days.

[306 Cosworth]

It'll be crap, unfortunately :(

[lugnut_usa]

Well, with luck they'll get it right with their F1 title. One of the team members mentioned on the forum that the DIRT/GRID titles were meant to be a more arcade & console type experience, but that they're making the F1 title more of a sim.

I guess we'll see. ;)

[pino]

About Game :

DiRT 2 will feature a roster of contemporary off-road events, taking players to the most diverse and challenging real-world environments. This World Tour will have players competing in aggressive multi-car and intense solo races at extraordinary new locations, from canyon racing and jungle trails to city stadium-based events.

To be powered by the third generation of the EGO™ Engine’s award-winning racing game technology, DiRT 2 will benefit from tuned-up car-handling physics system and new damage engine effects. It will also showcase a spectacular new level of visual fidelity, with cars and tracks twice as detailed as those seen in GRID.

DiRT 2’s garage houses a best-in-class collection of officially licensed rally cars and off-road vehicles, specifically selected to deliver aggressive and fast paced racing. Covering seven vehicle classes, players will be given the keys to powerful vehicles right from the off. In DiRT 2 the opening drive is the Group N Subaru; essentially making the ultimate car from the original game the starting point in the sequel and the rides just get even more impressive.

In addition to the World Tour, DiRT 2 will come complete with full online functionality that will be core to the overall experience, with head-to-head competitive online play and new social features to engage the racing community. Prepare for mud, gravel, dust and dirt too in DiRT 2, coming 2009.


Yes it sounds awful :s

[AndyRAC]

They just don't get it, do they??

What was wrong with the first McRae games??

[pino]

The new physics are an area of DiRT 2 where I'm particularly looking forward to reading your feedback. You're never going to get another RBR as, love it as we all do, it appeals to such a small minority of people (one of these days I'll post a bunch of sales figures for all known racing games...), but we can still deliver something that I think you will like. :)

Let's wait for this demo then...

[spyros]

Ask him which game physics is like the new dirt2.

[306 Cosworth]

I think Codies should make another version of this game aimed at the hardcore fan, make it with physics like RBR and ALL of the cars McRae drove throughout his career.

Game Title:

Colin McRae Rally - The Legend Lives On