May 29, 2011
Wooden SNK Neo Geo CMVS
Eurogamer


There once was a time when varnished wood was considered to symbolise the very height of affluence and sophistication. Cladding your product - be it a motor vehicle, wireless radio or television set - with timber panelling was widely regarded as a sound idea if you wanted to attract the attention of fashion-conscious consumers back in the 1970s, but then so were glitter-encrusted platform boots, bedside coffee machines and The Bee Gees.


Mercifully, mankind's obsession for faux wood-effect consumer goods died out with the dawn of the plastic-obsessed eighties, but that doesn't mean that electrical items crafted from trees have entirely lost their lustre - as the unique wooden SNK Neo Geo MVS capably proves.


Produced by Analogue Interactive in the United States, this striking piece of hardware is the video game equivalent of a prohibitively expensive hi-fi separate or a custom-made suit. Fashioned with the hardcore enthusiast in mind and sure to become the stuff of legend in collectors' circles, it doesn't really get any better than this for rampant SNK fanboys.

MVS vs. AES


But there's a good chance that this machine may be of interest to those who aren't card-carrying Neo Geo freaks, so before we delve a little deeper into this 100 per cent walnut-encased console oddity, it's worth recapping exactly what kind of beast we're dealing with here. SNK's Neo Geo system premiered in 1990 and has gone on to become a cult; famous to many, yet played and owned by comparatively few.


Its genesis was down to SNK's desire to offer long-suffering arcade operators a risk-free route to profitability. Unlike most arcade machines of the era - which either came in expensive dedicated cabinets (see Sega's Space Harrier and After Burner) or used unwieldy and easily-damaged PCB boards - the Neo Geo MVS (Multi Video System) took inspiration from the burgeoning home console scene and utilised universal cabinets and easily-swappable compact cartridges.


The benefits were obvious; once a game had reached the end of its lifespan, the operator could simply whip it out of the robust MVS cabinet and replace it with a newer, fresher release.


Not content with succeeding in the coin-op arena, SNK also launched the AES (Advanced Entertainment System), which was essentially the MVS hardware repackaged for domestic use. The price tag of the hardware was astronomical, and the games themselves retailed for over £200 apiece - a truly eye-watering sum, even by today's standards. After all, this was cutting edge coin-op technology, and it made rival platforms like the Mega Drive and SNES look weedy in comparison.


Regardless of their format - AES or MVS - Neo Geo games were identical. Every cart used the same chips across both standards, the only difference being that when played on an MVS, games would default to the arcade setting (which required coins to be inserted to play) while on the AES a 'free-play' approach was selected. However, in order to prevent industrious arcade owners from purchasing the (then) cheaper home cartridges and making a tidy profit with their MVS cabinets, SNK ensured that the software from one system could not physically be played on the other.


Ironically, as the years have rolled by, the AES editions have become much more valuable than their MVS counterparts due to lower production runs and more attractive packaging. For example, a copy of Metal Slug on MVS will cost you no more than £50, while the ultra-rare AES edition is known to fetch well over £1000 on the second-hand market.


For this reason, many retro gamers opt for the MVS system rather than an AES one, as the software is usually much more affordable. Hence the coining of the term 'Consolised MVS'. Broadly speaking, this process involves ripping out the guts of the MVS hardware from its arcade cabinet and tinkering so that it functions on a standard television set.








The Hardware


As you can imagine, many of these CMVS units are somewhat on the ugly side. Produced by Neo Geo lovers with plenty of passion but little in the way of engineering talent, many horrific home-made examples can be found on the net. Even when you spot what is considered by collectors to be a 'clean' job, you'll usually be greeted by exposed circuit boards and trailing wires – two unfortunate by-products of the messy modification process.


So it's with a degree of surety that we can say that Analogue Interactive's Wooden CMVS is the best modification job we've ever seen. Encapsulated in aesthetically pleasing polished walnut and boasting a design largely inspired by the aforementioned AES, this handmade machine is both bewildering and alluring at the same time. A wooden console should by rights be a laughable spectacle, yet it only takes a single passing glance to fall in love with this one-of-a-kind system.


The wooden MVS comes supplied with component cables and a universal power lead. Although the lead can cope with different global power standards, you'll need a plug converter to use it here in the UK. It's also worth noting that you don't get any controllers with the system - these you'll have to purchase separately. Both the original Neo Geo AES stick (which boasts terrifying dimensions that nearly dwarf Sega's Mega Drive console) and the revised (and thankfully cheaper) Neo Geo CD variant will function perfectly - as will the Neo Geo CD joypad, an excellent micro-switched effort which proved so popular it was recently re-tooled and re-released for the Sony PlayStation 2 in Japan.


With RGB SCART, component, composite and S-Video connections around the back of the unit, this console is equipped to handle practically every AV scenario you can throw at it - including the latest HDTVs. Although it's not a HD signal, RGB SCART offers the best quality, with rich colours and sharp graphics - although you'll need to stump up the cash for a custom-made lead, which is also available from Analogue Interactive's webstore.

The Software


During its 14-year active lifespan the Neo Geo system was graced with over 150 different titles; the final first-party release was SNK's Samurai Shodown V Special, which went on sale in 2004. Although it's tempting to think of it as dead hardware, that isn't entirely true. Small-scale developers continue to support the platform over 20 years after its inception; German studio NG:DEV.TEAM launched the MVS edition of its 2D shooter Fast Striker at the tail-end of last year.


Even if you don't profess to being an SNK expert, chances are you'll be aware of - and have played - some of the company's most famous franchises. Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Samurai Shodown: all of these series started life on the Neo Geo. Many continue to flourish on next-generation consoles and handhelds, but for the most authentic experience, one undoubtedly has to turn to the original hardware.


As we've already mentioned, MVS carts are reasonably cheap when compared to their AES equivalents. Auction sites such as eBay offer thousands of games for sale, many of which are indelibly marked with dust and grime earned during a lifetime of service in the world's smokiest and smelliest arcades. Prices vary depending on desirability and popularity, but thankfully the fan site Neo-Geo.com maintains a reliable price guide for both MVS and AES software.


Although MVS carts will have been originally sold to operators with marquee graphic kits and possibly even a brief instruction manual, expect to purchase them today with no packaging whatsoever. It's possible to buy cases - known by collectors as 'Shock Boxes' - as well as fan-designed inlays, however. These go a long way to smartening up your burgeoning collection of software.

The Verdict


So, just how filthy rich or serially unhinged do you have to be to even contemplate purchasing one of these bespoke wooden wonders? The answer is not very, on both scores. Converted MVS machines tend to fetch high prices online purely because they're created by amateur enthusiasts in their own time, rather than large manufacturers with reduced production overheads and wide-ranging distribution networks. Because of this, there's a desire to recoup both cost of parts and effort involved. For the $649/£400 being asked by Analogue Interactive, you're actually getting an incredibly decent deal - compared to the norm, at least.


If you consider yourself to be an avid retro gamer than this is unquestionably the best way to experience one of the finest and most enduring video game platforms in the history of the medium. The cost of MVS carts is low enough to make collecting a very achievable venture, and the impressive array of TV connections strewn across the back of the unit means that you'll be getting the best possible picture quality for your own home entertainment setup.


Besides, owning a CMVS system - and a hand-crafted wooden one, at that - is almost certain to elevate you to the standing of gaming demigod in the eyes of your peers. The ones that remember the timelessly classy wood-panelled Atari VCS, at least.

May 28, 2011
Born Free
Eurogamer

Published as part of our sister-site GamesIndustry.biz's widely-read weekly newsletter, the GamesIndustry.biz Editorial, is a weekly dissection of an issue weighing on the minds of the people at the top of the games business. It appears on Eurogamer after it goes out to GI.biz newsletter subscribers.


This week, Funcom's Age of Conan became the latest MMORPG to embrace the free-to-play, or freemium, business model. From this summer, the game's basic content - a fairly expansive experience in itself - will be available for free, with expanded content and various items purchasable for a price. The existing subscription model will also remain available, satisfying current users - but it's fairly clear where Funcom sees the game's future growth prospects.


In the massively multiplayer sphere, freemium - a horrible crime against the English language, but arguably a more accurate term than free-to-play - has emerged as the rival business model to subscription gaming. Originally adopted by Asian MMO operators, most notably those in South Korea, the model has more recently been embraced by several major western firms - to the extent that it's now being retrofitted to existing subscription-based titles, like Age of Conan.


There's an inevitable temptation, when a company makes a move like this, to interpret it as a sign of failure. Age of Conan is a game which has unquestionably underperformed expectations, its commercial prospects damaged immensely by an underwhelming and very buggy experience at launch which the company took far too long to repair. Dogged by the resulting negative perceptions and criticism, recovery has been slow and halting despite vast quality improvements in subsequent years. As such, the game's detractors will no doubt be quick to characterise the shift to freemium as a final, desperate throw of the dice.

If the decision to shift an MMO from subscription to freemium is inarguably enabled by underperformance, that doesn't mean it's an act of desperation


Their argument is strengthened by a simple reality - if Age of Conan were doing very well from subscription revenue, this move wouldn't even be considered. The game's not in good company in this regard - the other high-profile freemium move that's ongoing right now is APB, the game whose disastrous commercial and critical failure sank developer RealTime Worlds.


Successful games don't make this kind of transition.There's no evidence of Blizzard moving World of Warcraft to a freemium model any time soon. When a goose is laying golden eggs, you certainly don't kill it, but you're also pretty unlikely to start feeding it something different or put it into a new shed - it might lay more eggs, but what if it stops entirely?


Yet even if the decision to shift an MMO from subscription to freemium is inarguably enabled by underperformance, that doesn't mean it's an act of desperation - and it certainly doesn't mean it's a mistake.


The experience of Lord of the Rings Online is a particularly interesting tale in this regard. LOTRO, unlike Age of Conan, enjoyed broad critical adulation from the outset and maintained a healthy subscriber base, even if it was never likely to give Blizzard any sleepless nights. Yet Turbine decided to turn the game over to a freemium model - and later reported that they'd trebled their revenues in the process.


LOTRO is hardly an isolated example, either. In fact, Funcom themselves have experience with this kind of transition - having done it before with Anarchy Online, way back in 2004. The move to freemium is credited with guaranteeing AO's long-term future, essentially taking a game which was widely perceived as commercially doomed and reinvigorating it to the point where it has now managed to become one of the longest-lived games in the genre.


Why does freemium work so effectively? Some of the benefits are very obvious. It breaks down barriers to entry, by allowing players to experience the game without making a financial commitment. Even offering a month's free play time doesn't have quite the same impact on players - those playing a free month are aware that a financial commitment is expected of them shortly, which makes them less likely to engage fully with the game and more likely to be hyper-critical of any failings. A free month is a test drive, a demo; a freemium game is something players can engage with in the knowledge that they can keep playing and won't be forced to pay at any point.


Freeing the player from financial commitment offers a number of other side benefits which make the game much more attractive. It means that cash-strapped players don't necessarily have to pay for the game each month - they can buy stuff in months when they're a little more flush, but can keep playing for free at other times. That's not just appealing to younger players, students and so on; it's also appealing to those who already have financial commitments to other game subscriptions, and don't want to increase that burden.









What that means is that a freemium game can survive, and even prosper, even in a market where there's already a huge, subscription-based game effectively monopolising the lion's share of the player base. It's no coincidence that that's exactly what the MMO market looks like right now. Subscription based games are essentially trying to wrestle players away from World of Warcraft (or other subscription rivals, but primarily WoW), or asking them to pay a second monthly subscription - which is pretty unlikely. Freemium games can coexist side by side even with an 800 pound gorilla like WoW, letting players engage casually at first and later invest as much, or as little, time and money as they'd like.


That leads on to the less obvious but perhaps even more powerful aspect of the freemium offering - the fact that it lets players decide how much they want to pay for the game based on how engaged they are with it. In a subscription game, players essentially pay the same amount of money regardless of whether they raid six nights a week with their guild and spend hours each day crafting or completing daily quests - or just log on for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon to meander through story quests on a months-long road to the top level.

WoW's very success should be driving other developers to recognise freemium as a sensible option for their games from the word go


Freemium games change this model to one where casual players generally don't pay anything, or make only small, occasional payments - but those who are deeply involved with the game pay for new content as it appears, and probably keep themselves topped up on premium items as well. It's tough to strike a balance, of course - you don't want a situation where people can basically pay their way to having a character that's better than everyone else - but the ability to cultivate "whales" among your audience, high-paying consumers who make up a decent percentage of your revenue base, is a major benefit.


Failures of that balancing act lead to the most common criticisms of freemium. It's tempting, from a business perspective, to make the premium items as powerful as possible so that more and more people will buy them - but if they actually make a huge impact on the game balance, casual players will be discouraged by the obvious imbalance, and more dedicated players will come to see such items as a resented tax rather than a welcome option.


Such balance problems are most likely to emerge, of course, if you're retrofitting the freemium business model onto a game that was never designed for it. That's arguably one of the things which many western MMO developers have failed to understand - that the business model and the game design aren't separate things, or at least, that they shouldn't be. They're tightly related to one another, and should be developed side by side. How a player pays for the game is a core part of his interaction with that game, and forms a major element of his thinking with regard to the game - an element that needs to be understood and respected in the game design from day one.


It's entirely possible to carry out a successful retrofit - LOTRO and Anarchy Online stand as good examples of cases where this has been carried out. Yet they both beg an essential question; if this is, as seems likely, the ultimate destiny of a great many MMOs, why don't developers grasp the nettle and build their games to a freemium business model from the outset? Why the reluctance to embrace this model, the determination to stick with the boxed game and monthly subscription business model which has worked wonderfully for World of Warcraft but crippled most other games that have followed in its footsteps?


Indeed, it's WoW's very success that should be driving other developers to recognise freemium as a sensible option for their games from the word go - and rather than simply accepting that success, it's also an interesting mental exercise to wonder how much money Blizzard could be making if they, too, used freemium. They won't; WoW has too much to lose, and Blizzard's willingness to take creative risks with the game is unlikely to be matched by an appetite for fundamental changes to the commercial structure behind its success. But considering the number of potential "whales" in the WoW playerbase, it's highly possible that WoW could be an even more profitable game if it left behind the subscription model.


Retrofits for games such as Age of Conan, LOTRO and perhaps even APB are a good idea, and if executed well, can turn around the fortunes of a game. In future, though, it would be nice to see less retrofits and a lot more thought being given to a long-term freemium future for MMOs, right from the outset of each new project.

If you work in the games industry and want more views, and up-to-date news relevant to your business, read our sister website GamesIndustry.biz, where you can find this weekly editorial column as soon as it is posted.

May 27, 2011
Hitman: Absolution to be "more accessible"
Eurogamer


Hitman: Absolution will be aimed at a wider audience than earlier, less forgiving entries in the franchise, developer IO Interactive has revealed.


Speaking in an interview with DigitalTrends this week, director Tore Blystad explained that the steep learning curve of previous titles in the series had limited their reach.


"The Hitman games of the past have been very hardcore," insisted Blystad. "Even though the fantasy of the Hitman universe has a very universal appeal, the games have been so difficult to play, that it's been more of an acquired taste.


"The biggest challenge that we had with this game was to make it much broader in every sense, so that it was easier to play and more accessible, but still retain a very strong, hardcore side as well. We don't want to alienate any of our fans who have been extremely loyal for so many years."


Elsewhere in the interview, Blystad discussed how the game's innovative AI technology will make for a more immersive experience.


"If you attack an enemy from any angle, than we're able to have them fight back, or continue on in a normal state if you ignore them," he explained.


"There are similar things in games like GTA or these bigger sandbox games, but it's on a much less granular level because we have a very strong focus on the abilities of the characters.


"You get so close to the characters in this game. They all have names, and they have all some kind of part to play in the story, so that they act as believable as possible is the most important thing for us. It's the most central part of the game."


Officially announced earlier this month, Absolution is due out on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 some time next year.

May 27, 2011
Hulk Hogan's Main Event coming to Kinect
Eurogamer


Hulk Hogan's Main Event, a Kinect-controlled wrestling title, is coming exclusively to Xbox 360 this Autumn, publisher Majesco has announced.


Developed by Attack of the Movies studio Panic Button Games, you'll be attempting to mimic the moustachioed '90s icon's most famous poses and combos in your living room.


There'll be nine different venues to scrap it out in, plenty of objects to belt your opponent about the skull with and a full set of character customisation options.


"Listen up, people! You will feel the power of Hulkamania when you step into this game," promised Hogan.


"Whether you are taking the damage or selling the pain, this game will let you unleash your inner wrestler as you hype up the crowd while putting the hurt on anyone that stands in your way!"


"Partnering with the Hulkster for Hulk Hogan's Main Event is a dream come true," added Majesco CEO Jesse Sutton, "and we're looking forward to releasing a no holds barred motion-based experience that offers a full suite of over-the-top moves."


Best check your home insurance coverage before you get stuck into this one.

May 27, 2011
Ozzy DLC for Rock Band 3
Eurogamer


Black Sabbath survivor Ozzy Osbourne is the latest artist to get the Rock Band 3 DLC treatment, with an eight-song track pack due out on 31st May.


Timed to coincide with the re-release of his Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of A Madman albums, tracks on offer include Bark at the Moon and Mr Crowley. Here's the full tracklist:

  • "Bark at the Moon"
  • "Diary of a Madman"
  • "Flying High Again"
  • "I Don't Know"
  • "Mama, I'm Coming Home"
  • "Mr. Crowley"
  • "Over the Mountain"
  • "Steal Away (The Night)"


Standard DLC prices apply, with individual tracks going for £0.99/€1.49/200 Wii Points/160 Microsoft Points, or you can get the whole lot for £6.69/€9.99/1080 Microsoft Points/1350 Wii Points.


Bark at the Moon and Mama, I'm Coming Home are only available as part of the full track pack. Both those tracks and Mr Crowley also have Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions available for an additional £0.59/€0.79/100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points.

May 27, 2011
Square readies Heroes of Ruin for 3DS
Eurogamer


Heroes of Ruin is Square Enix's next 3DS exclusive, judging by a gun-jumping announcement from developer n-Space.


The Florida studio posted a piece of artwork for the game, the title of which Square trademarked earlier this year, on its Facebook page along with the line "Join the fun. More soon." However, it has since yanked the image, suggesting its publisher hadn't green-lit the big reveal.


There's no word on what exactly the game is, but judging by that artwork don't expect a match-three puzzler. More news at E3 seems like a safe bet.


Unfamiliar with n-Space? It's the same outfit responsible for 2005 Nintendo-published GameCube action-adventure Geist. In more recent years it has focussed on handheld versions of the Call of Duty games and the DS version of GoldenEye 007.

May 27, 2011
New Section 8: Prejudice DLC announced
Eurogamer


A new map pack is on its way to PC/Xbox Live Arcade shooter Section 8 Prejudice, developer TimeGate Studios has announced.


Due out 1st June priced at 320 Microsoft Points, the Overdrive DLC adds the Abaddon and Sky Dock maps.


The former is set in a power cell facility among the magma craters of Abaddon, whereas the latter is a military base and space port nestled in frozen tundra.


We've got screens of both maps below, courtesy of GameFront.


TimeGate's multiplayer-focussed FPS launched last month to considerable Eurogamer acclaim.


"It is, quite simply, the best multiplayer shooter since Battlefield: Bad Company 2," enthused Dan Whitehead in his 9/10 review. "As a budget digital download, it's ridiculously good value."

May 27, 2011
New Black Ops PC patch available now
Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer Teaser


A new title update has just hit Steam for the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops, developer Treyarch has announced.


The patch - fully detailed below - re-balances weapons, fixes exploits, smooths over a few bugs and makes preparations for the impending arrival of modding tools.


A post today on Treyarch community manager Josh Olin's Twitter feed confirmed that those modding tools are still on schedule to arrive before the end of the month.


Here's the full changelog for patch 1.09:

  • Added support for mods in preparation for the upcoming tools release.
  • Addressed various MP & Zombie exploits.
  • Improved memory utilization in MP.
  • Improved DLC filter in server browser – you can now hide any servers running content you do not own.
  • Corrected issue which sometimes required repurchase of emblems or clan tags on weapons.
  • Address some cases in which player could not receive Zombie invites.
  • Replaced RPG with Grim Reaper in Gun Game Wager Match.
  • Fine-tuned napalm and bombing-run damage indoors.
  • Prevented rare invulnerability issue.
  • Demolition bombs can no longer explode and be defused at the same time.
  • Spy plane now activates in One in the Chamber in all cases.
  • The "Sprint Kills" challenge for Steady Aim perk now rewards the player with the correct number of kills.
  • Addressed a rare issue where a hacked camera spike would not function properly if the hacker also had a camera spike that was destroyed.
  • Recording a clip with the speed mode for 2 cameras set to .1 will no longer increase in speed when switching perspectives back and forth.
  • Improvements to Zipline functionality when viewed in Theater mode.
  • Settings from custom games are all cleared and no longer carry over from one custom match to another.
  • Nova gas will now affect players that are standing over their tactical insertion.
  • Hardcore players who kill another teammate in Second Chance now lose the proper amount of points.
  • Calling in a Chopper Gunner immediately after getting shot down in a Gunship will no longer end the Chopper Gunner run prematurely.
May 27, 2011
Modern Warfare 3 Spec Ops detailed
Eurogamer


Modern Warfare 3's Spec Ops co-op mode is getting special attention for the upcoming sequel, co-developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer have announced.


As well as a new progressive ranking system, online matchmaking system and leaderboards, there's also a new Survival Mode which plays out on the game's multiplayer maps, rather than on the single player stages as in MW2.


"All that stuff really fleshes out Spec Ops and adds in a lot that we know our fans are going to love, some of the most addictive aspects of Multiplayer," Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling told USA Today.


It sounds like a standard survival mode, with you having to fend off unlimited waves of enemies. On the "Dome" map described, they graduate from attack dogs, to suicide bomber dogs, to kamikaze soldiers, to juggernauts as the round progresses.


The developers hope the refinements will make Spec Ops the perfect way for hesitant users to graduate from single player to the game's full multiplayer modes.


"There's such hard-core players out there in the online community and you hear all the stories about the eight-year-olds, 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds swearing and ruining the experience," said Sledgehammer's Michael Condrey.


"With Spec Ops, you can really get in there and hone your skills in a more confined environment. I think it's a little more of an easy entry. I don't have as much time as I did when I was 20 to be honing my twitch skills, but this certainly gives me a venue to experiment."


Announced earlier this month, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is due for release on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 8th November. There's no word on Wii, DS, 3DS, PSP or NGP versions yet.

Video:

May 27, 2011
Game of the Week: DiRT 3
Eurogamer


Who cares what's out now? E3 is almost upon us! Time to lose ourselves in a frenzy of silly speculation and lust for distant prospects. A real game you can hold in your hands and play seems disappointingly tawdry and prosaic by comparison.


I don't really feel that way, of course, and neither should you - as much as a games writer shouldn't tell you this, playing games is more fun than reading or talking about them (most of the time). But usually the industry obliges our collective obsession with big announcements and impossible promises by barely releasing anything near the immense media impact crater created by the greatest games show on Earth.


Not this year. The volume's down a little, but not the profile: next week we get Hunted: The Demon's Forge; E3 week itself sees the release of inFamous 2, Red Faction: Armageddon and (outside North America) Duke Nukem Forever; the week after has Child of Eden, Dungeon Siege III, Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Alice: Madness Returns.


That lot includes some of the most interesting games of 2011, and possibly even one or two of the best. Here's hoping they can find a few players who don't already have 2012's stars in their eyes.


If you're all about the here and now, there are two excellent prospects this week. The turn-based tension of Frozen Synapse proves once again - as I wrote about Revenge of the Titans a few weeks ago - that tiny indies are succeeding where some of the biggest publishers and best developers have failed over the last decade or two: they're making genuinely innovative strategy games.


"Frozen Synapse is an excellent and inventive multiplayer game, but it is, truly, also an excellent and inventive single-player game - one that provides its own distinct challenges and rewards even as it effectively tutors you to be a multiplayer champ," wrote Alec in our Frozen Synapse review.


"Frozen Synapse takes the old, the stuffy and the traditionally glacial and it makes it brand new, instant and brutal. It's such an achievement."


Our pick of the week's triumph is more iterative in character, though.

DiRT 3


No matter how much you love a great game series, it can't stand still. It has to evolve and it has to try to find new players - but when the purist Colin McRae Rally transformed into the noisy, globalised and typographically suspect DiRT, many were dismayed.

Video: DiRT 3's first 15 minutes.


If a franchise is in safe hands, though, there comes a beautiful moment where a balance can be found between what was great before and what is relevant and exciting now - when new and old audiences can be brought together to realise that they've been celebrating the same thing all along.


DiRT 3 is one of those moments.


"DiRT 3's real achievement and its real charm don't come from its litany of ways to churn mud, gravel and tarmac," wrote Martin in our DiRT 3 review. "There's a proud sense of heritage, both for Codemasters' rich past with the Colin McRae series and for the sport itself, that sits seamlessly alongside a spirit of innovation that the studio has quietly made its own in recent years... Codemasters has succeeded in curating another superlative festival of driving."


It could well be the best racing game this generation to come form one of the great racing studios. So when, in a week or so's time, you find yourself pining unbearably for F1 2011 or Forza 4... just remember what's already sat on the shelf.

...