Friday, November 17, 2006

Colin McRae Dirt and the Neon engine (xbox 360, Ps3)



Codemasters have announced the 2007 next gen release of a perennial favourite Colin McRae Dirt . The new Colin McRae title will go beyond the series’ point-to-point rallying to deliver the most diverse selection of extreme off-road competitions. "Sensational" (their words not mine) gravel, mud and dirt racing events from the world over will include perilous Hill Climb and collision-packed Rally Cross events.

International rallying competitions will also feature, with official cars on tracks based on real roads and locations around the globe. The title will also expand on beat-the-clock racing and include events with multiple cars on track to satisfy anyone who wants to push their on-the-edge driving just that bit further.

With official cars and official events across a wide variety of off-road and rally disciplines, "the most authentic and thrilling tracks ever in a McRae game", modes that make the most of online multiplayer and the series’ trademark intuitive car handling system tuned to perfection, Colin McRae Rally is evolving.

Neon:
Colin McRae: DIRT is the first game being created using Codemasters Studios’ proprietary engine, Neon. Neon is a game engine thats been in production for over 18 months with over 30 tech experts on the team. Neon is being used to build Colin McRae: DIRT from the ground up with technology developed exclusively for next-generation formats.

Says Gavin Cheshire, Vice President of Codemasters Studios:
“Neon delivers an engine that provides us with so much more scope and possibilities than an update of existing tech would have ever allowed. The most obvious result is in the visual detail and physics that produce incredible particle effects. Neon makes it possible to go into seemingly minute detail but will create the most realistic and involving environments in the racing genre.”

The detail Neon provides enables the team to model locations and environments as accurately as possible, providing each with a unique look and feel, right down to the effects of the wind. Using real-time physics to model air movements, everything will be affected by the wind: exhaust smoke, trees, foliage, trackside flags, rainfall and the vehicles themselves. A car will create an air rush wake that will have an effect on everything it passes and also generate a real-time slipstream.

Impact from damage will see metal crumple, glass smash and everything that you collide with in the environment will be destroyed in a realistic way. Small trees snap and bend, grass can be flattened, wood will splinter and stone will be smashed, it’ll even wrap a car around a tree if the crash is serious enough.

Colin McRae Dirt xbox 360 Screenshots from teamxbox


Clickable inkies

2 comments:

Random J said...

I loved the original Colin McRae on PlayStation, then they started messin' the series up with the sequels.

The graphics in DIRT looks awesome. Way better than Gran Turismo HD judging by the shots.

Unknown said...

...a mcRae nut myself, you are quite correct the original playstation game had superior handling.... and the one I have the most affection for.... but i'll have a look at the reviews first i've been bitten once or twice with the series..