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DiRT 2 to feature X Games stages News

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News by Ellie Gibson

23 July, 2009

Codemasters has signed a deal with ESPN to put X Games stages in Colin McRae: DiRT 2.

The stages will be titled X Games America, X Games Europe and X Games Asia. They'll feature official branding and "infuse added realism by bringing the series’ unique action sports atmosphere to the game". Before you can compete in the X Games events you'll need to complete specific achievements in World Tour mode.

Well-known faces such as Ken Block, Dave Mirra and Tanner Faust will appear in the game, along with X Games 14 Rally Car Racing gold medallist Travis Pastrana.

Each even will consist of two knockout rounds - quarters and semis - followed by a fanl. Locations will include London, Tokyo and LA.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will be released for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS and PSP on 11th September, with a PC version to follow.

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Comments: 1-34 of 34 in total

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JayeM
23/07/09 @ 13:59
#1
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Doesn't belong.
LukehMuse
23/07/09 @ 14:05
#2
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Really don't like the direction this game is going in... :/
myiagros
23/07/09 @ 14:11
#3
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what's a fanl??
JimWest
23/07/09 @ 14:13
#4
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@LukehMuse

What direction is that? Like Colin's latter career did by getting involved in the X Games, as well as WRC.
brappbrap
23/07/09 @ 14:17
#5
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Rally cars shooting down a half pipe busting backflips!
Sign me up!

Or.... Colin McRae on a skateboard doing gnarly grinds!

Alternatively..... Why not do a proper rally game with one car on a track at a time against nature and the clock, y'know... like what proper rallying is like?
FaceInTheCrowd
23/07/09 @ 14:18
#6
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ive no problem them putting xgames in dirt2,i know its to help sell game across the pond,but how about some love for euorpe codies,give us some ice racing.Have a look at RSC2 to see how its done :)
farticusmaximus
23/07/09 @ 14:26
#7
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This sounds worse and worse with each press release. We already have a gazillion generic americanised 'extreme racing' clones...

How about a bloody RALLY game?
Spooke
23/07/09 @ 14:34
#8
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He he he I didn't know the Rally Championship was full of junkies! awesome!

On a more serious note, Codemasters have clearly illustrated they don't give a flying fuck what European gamers want, it's all about impressing Americans now.
oreillymj
23/07/09 @ 14:35
#9
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In the words of James May COCK!!
jack_klugman
23/07/09 @ 14:43
#10
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Who is James May Cock?
YobRenoops
23/07/09 @ 14:47
#11
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It just makes it sound wank. But I imagine our ameri-friends will like it.

+1 for Ice racing however.
themorganator
23/07/09 @ 14:48
#12
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If it doesn't centrally pivot like the previous crap that was Dirt and Grid, I'll play it. I'm more interested on how it plays on the 360 wheel.
andromeda
23/07/09 @ 15:01
#13
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SWELL

*facepalm
laudy
23/07/09 @ 15:23
#14
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@ farticus

I wholeheartedly agree. They've obviously listened to folk that enjoy the experience of competing against the clock across various terrain, and paid no attention whatsoever. It's just about trying to shift copies in the US. Trouble is, americans can't be bothered with proper rally, unless of course your focus can "grind a rail" in an NPC car park.

I wanted this game, I really did, now I do not. There's a reason baseball games don't do so well over here...unless, of course, they introduce third umpires, tea and field positions at long-off, mid-on and deep square leg...sorry about the tangent but uncle sam should not interfere with games such as this.
Grievous1976
23/07/09 @ 15:37
#15
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1 word. NAFFORAMA!
redstanza
23/07/09 @ 15:50
#16
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I'm sure the yanks will love this game.

I remember when codies made driving games about the BRITISH touring car championship.
And they made games about a BRITISH rally legend.
Now they cannot even cater to Europe.

Edited 1 times, most recently on 23/07/09 @ 17:20
PapaSmurf630
23/07/09 @ 16:06
#17
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I'm not an American but I think it sounds bloody brilliant.

You guys are making it sound like they're scrapping the rally part of it all together...it's still there!! Just with other stuff bolted on which I think sounds great. The more, the better if you ask me. Now I think it's time everyone jumps off the bandwagon until the game actually comes out ;)
Spekingur
23/07/09 @ 16:16
#18
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X-Games are getting more and more popular and I see no reason not to include it in DiRT 2. That just means that we are getting more features :D

I would love to see something like this in DiRT.

Also, I really wish MS would try and get Rallisport Challenge and Motocross Madness made again.
LukehMuse
23/07/09 @ 16:17
#19
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@JimWest

I can understands that but I was just a fan of the traditional rallying games that the CM series provided is all, but I suppose what can you do when you lose stuff like the WRC license? Go into other areas such as the X games that McRae took part in.

It's just personal preference rather than criticisng the game anyways.
brappbrap
23/07/09 @ 16:25
#20
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@ Spekingur
RE: That youtube link

I think that'd make a pretty terrible game....
I can't think of an example right now, but I can see myself playing a driving game where i need to get over the crest of a hill, but I... just... can't quite... make it. And then my car falls down the hill and i have to get out and run round and round until I can find somewhere my character can climb.

Yeah, it would be like that except over and over and over and over. And there wouldn't even be any getting out and running around.
Helios_CM
23/07/09 @ 16:38
#21
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Traditional rally still features very heavily in the game, and only a couple of days ago we released a gameplay video from the Croatia rally stage. The video is viewable on Eurogamer at http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/dirt-2s-...

We're going to be elaborating further on the rally content in the game in further updates so please don't fret too much if you are a fan of traditional rally, as DiRT 2 will more than cater for this discipline!
Fatnick
23/07/09 @ 16:46
#22
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Hi Helios,

Here's a question: If I just pretend all of the Xgames bollocks doesn't exist, do I lose out on Much?

I liked the fact that you could basically get through the entire career by focusing on the Rally, Hill Climb and Crossover events.
redstanza
23/07/09 @ 17:55
#23
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Thanks for the post, Helios.
That video of the Croatian Rally does look good.

I personally would prefer a game that focused on the career of a rally driver, rather than a broad section of offroad stuff.

Obviously you want the game to appeal to a wider audience, but i think you should have developed a separate 'Motorstorm' like game for that target audience.

Codemasters Rally games are the best, most accessible representation of the sport for many, it is a shame that the experience has been diluted to cater for a wider audience.

FaceInTheCrowd
23/07/09 @ 19:04
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@redstanza

i think there 'motorstorm' type of game might have been FUEL.tried the demo and the words a bit pants comes to mind.

Norgy
23/07/09 @ 20:00
#25
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If they are using Ken Block why not put some Gymkhana in the game, that would be better than X-Game stages and would also appeal to a broad audience me thinks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNzkutTi...
JensonJet
23/07/09 @ 21:25
#26
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Codemasters made their money from rally fans, and now we're being shown the two-fingered salute as they drive past in their whatever cars they drive in X-sports!! "We've had your money, thanks for supporting us and helping grow our business, now we're going to do whatever the Americans want to play".

I think the most honourable thing Codemasters should do is to offer the Colin McRae rally franchise to a developer who actually cares about rallying and won't sell out to an American audience! 'Honourable' is probably a strange concept to a company that effectively stole the 'Operation Flashpoint' name from another developer (sorry, did I say stole, I meant purchased!). Clearly McRae's name is used in a hope that some of the fans from old will be duped into buying it, like last time. I've bought all but one of the previous McRae games, and absolutely loved them. I guess nothing lasts forever, and it's time to move on and forget about the past. X-games now, maybe monster trucks in the next version, then move into something equally as interesting... racing vacuum cleaners perhaps!! If Codemasters are so desperate to make money, why not release Colin McRae 5 on Xbox Live. Release it around the same time as Dirt and then while the kids can compare graphics, Codemasters can compare sales (and profits), and the rest of us finally have a half decent rally game on the 360!
SAH1977
23/07/09 @ 21:56
#27
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So long as DIRT 2 has a handfull of rally stage's and rallycross track's, and most importantly at least semi-sim handling for those that want it, I'll be happy.

I don't care for X Games, but they do use rally car's, so it can be considered a rally super-special stage.
Nephirion
23/07/09 @ 22:32
#28
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Prefer original Colin tbh
tachometer
23/07/09 @ 22:56
#29
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I personally preferred the original colin games with Nicky Grist giving pace notes. The English pace notes in Dirt were poorly timed making the rally sections impossible leaving the only playable sections as the trucks/buggies etc. which were poorly physicced.

Please get Nicky back to make professional pace notes and don't just hire some dude cause he's on MTV or something
Spekingur
24/07/09 @ 02:24
#30
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@brappbrap: Perhaps. I think you need to exprience it first hand though, for real. The engines in those 'climbers' are very powerful and make a very satisfying grunt sound - both for drivers and onlookers. The video doesn't really do it justice. The tracks are most of the time longer than the video shows and are more about precision since you need to cross between the white-painted tires or points are taken away.

I'd also like to say that I really like FUEL. It is huge! I would really like to see an MMO that's as big as that. Driving from one corner of the map to the other (through multiple smaller maps) will take hours.

So I shall hold of any judgement weither including X-Games in DiRT2 is bad or good until I actually play it.
MrMud
24/07/09 @ 07:48
#31
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Why cant they just have rally stages and skip all the crap?

The rally tracks were BY FAR the most fun parts of the original DiRT.
woodyrulesok
24/07/09 @ 07:51
#32
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I felt that the rally sections of CM_Dirt were too diluted with all the other guff in there (they would probably make a game in their own right but I'm interested in rallying), so I'm not holding out any hope for Drit2.
As Helios mentioned, the rallying is just one discipline in this game and I take that as proof that this is NOT a rally game any more.
I think we have to just except that this is a different type of game from the McRea games we loved before and hope that sooner rather than later someone makes a new WRC game. Until then well have to put up with busting some rad moves on the halfpipe.
sigh.
MrMud
24/07/09 @ 07:56
#33
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Yea I mean the problem isnt that the Rallying in this game wont be satisfying (it probably will be) its that with so much effort being spent on other stuff there just wont be alot of it.

I would rather have 20 rally tracks than 10 rally tracks and 50 other tracks.
Edited 1 times, most recently on 24/07/09 @ 08:57
coojam
24/07/09 @ 12:32
#34
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You guys get that this is "in addition to" rather than "instead of" rally? I really enjoyed stuff like the Raid tracks in the original Dirt so the more variety the better... that way people can take and leave what they want/don't want

Comments: 1-34 of 34 in total

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