Codemasters have announced their latest racing game to join the ranks of GRID and DIRT: Asobo Studio’s FUEL. Set in an alternate present day world, decades of rising pollution and environmental abuse have lead to rocketed fuel prices (not so alternate after all) and tsunami wrecked, flooded, barren abandoned areas. A new group of racers compete over the wastelands, in a new extreme sport to win sought after, highly valuable fuel supplies. After four years in development, the game touts extremely vast free roaming environments meaning players truly can create their own routes and tactics to win the race. Players can look forward to performing “death defying stunts” through realistic environments complete with a dynamic weather system varying from rain and shine to tornadoes, blizzards and sandstorms. It’s due out in 2009, and while we don’t have any screenshots just yet you can expect more to be revealed at the Leipzig GC, kicking off tomorrow. Until then, check out the full press release below.
CODEMASTERS® SIGNS ASOBO STUDIOS’ FUELTM; REVEALS BIGGEST RACING ENVIRONMENT EVER.
From the publisher of Colin McRae: DiRT® and Race Driver: GRID® comes a revolution in multi-terrain racing with the biggest racing environment ever created.
Tuesday, 19th August 2008 – 10am UK – Set to revolutionise multi-terrain racing with the largest environment ever created in race gaming, Codemasters today announced signing the worldwide publishing rights to FUEL™ from Asobo Studios. Promising a truly next generation addition to the racing genre, FUEL is in development at Asobo Studios in Bordeaux, France, for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, Games For Windows® LIVE and due to release in 2009.
Born of Asobo Studios’ cutting-edge proprietary engine, the result of over four years in development, FUEL will present players with an astonishing no-boundaries playfield that’s over 5,000 square miles (14,000+ km²) in size. Creating the ultimate competitive go-anywhere racing experience, FUEL will have players competing across wildly different terrain and executing spectacular death-defying stunts as they race dozens of varied two and four-wheeled rides and explore this epic world on an unprecedented scale.
FUEL is set in an alternate present in which whole swathes of the globe have been ravaged by the effects of climate change brought on by decades of environmental abuse. Here oil prices have rocketed and yet a new breed of racing junkie takes to the wastelands, pitting their grungy home-tuned vehicles against each other in an all-new extreme sport as they compete to win fuel supplies. To triumph means travelling the wastelands to challenge the best; from the tsunami-wrecked pacific coast through the Nevada wastelands, including the Grand Canyon, up treacherous snow-capped mountains, thick forests, arid deserts, abandoned lakeside resorts and much more.
Bringing this vast, open ended landscape to life is a dynamic weather system with full day and night transitions, brilliant sunshine, torrential rain and everything in between, plus destructive tornados, sandstorms, thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and blizzards requiring mid-race strategy changes.
“FUEL raises the bar in terms of scale and exhilaration for racing games. We begin with the largest racing environment to appear in gaming – ever. With our accelerated effects of climate change and dynamic weather system we add an extra dimension that change races on-the-fly and constantly presents new challenges to players,” said Sebastian Wloch, Chief Executive Officer, Asobo Studios.
“Player choice lies at the heart of FUEL’s action-packed races and with a huge range of vehicles, packs of up to 16 vehicles speeding across diverse terrain and a no-boundaries, no-limits approach to racing, means players have never had so much freedom to conquer the wilderness and take the chequered flag.”
“The technology Asobo Studios has developed to build FUEL is ground-breaking. To create a game on this unprecedented scale to this level of graphical quality, complete with all the dynamic weather effects, is a great achievement,” said Barry Jafrato, Senior Vice President of Brand, Codemasters. “FUEL had to be a special title for Codemasters to include in our racing portfolio and we believe that from both a gameplay and a technical perspective, FUEL compliments our long standing tradition of driving excellence.”
Complete with the ability to go online to explore this massive world and compete in hundreds of multiplayer challenges, FUEL is coming in 2009 for the PLAYSTATION®3 system, Xbox 360 and Games For Windows. More on FUEL will be revealed from Games Convention Leipzig (20 – 24th August, 2008).
MMMnnnn interesting, just hope it looks and plays as good as it sounds.
Comment by E-ROLE — Aug 19, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
If they can have the fun factor of MotorStorm in there, it will do well.
Comment by Savage — Aug 19, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
“extremely vast free roaming environments”
AUGH!!!!!!
Comment by mobiletone — Aug 19, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
There is a video here, looks quite interesting.
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54244
Comment by Dom — Aug 19, 2008 @ 9:40 pm
I say the ROLE of this game is to create a SAVAGE experience with overTONEs of vastly open areas in the style of Motorstorm although to deliver on that promise “succesfully” sounds a bit SKETCHy.
Comment by JohnSketch — Aug 19, 2008 @ 9:42 pm
There is a HD version of the debut trailer can be watched here - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/38527.html
One thing that I have never seen delivered in any game is the promise of truly being able to go where ever you like. They just restrict what you can do through level design.
Looking at the HD version of the trailer they are essentially going for a Motorstorm with attacking weather. It is an interesting idea, but I’m not yet convinced it will be that compelling. News at 11.
Comment by Savage( PSN : CartBlanche ) — Aug 19, 2008 @ 11:13 pm
“One thing that I have never seen delivered in any game is the promise of truly being able to go where ever you like. They just restrict what you can do through level design.”
That is just not possible, it’s possible to give a game more freedom of movement and diverse non-linear ways/elements to the player, to make them feel that they aren’t at a restricted environment, but we’ll talking about a game here, is just not possible to create a substance for a game without some restrictions and limitations, so…there will always be some kind of linear areas to give the game a ‘mission’ to the player…that is one of the things that people at GSC GameWorld (Stalker Devs) tried of doing on their game, but they just failed about that…you can create more interactions, more destructible environments and all that, but linearism will always make a game differ from a movie, for example…of course that a game is interactive with the consumer in real-time and a movie is not, but will also be limitations in a game in the game design department, but things are becoming bigger and bigger all the time, but the linearism is always there, despite the bigger maps, which make us feel that are more opened to the player, but we’re always restricted in some manner !
About this FUEL Game announced by Codemasters, I feel this game seems to have elements comparing with a MotorStorm+RAGE+Stalker and it can be an interesting racing game to follow and buy…if all runs well on the development, we could have one of the best racers out there, in the upcoming future…
Comment by Vasco "Nk|1x" Bruno — Aug 20, 2008 @ 6:52 am
just watched the videos, ok, teh Codeies do MotorStorm.
might let them off the ‘free roaming’ thing then.
Comment by mobiletone — Aug 20, 2008 @ 7:16 am
Is the idea that you can possibly run out of fuel? That would possibly be enough to make the free roaming an interesting idea for me. If you had to weigh up how much fuel you would use driving to a race and how much it might cost you to win with what the payoff is that could give the game an interesting dynamic. If they don’t give you any genuine reason for “winning” fuel it could all end up being a little lame.
What would be really interesting is if they turned this into a mad max type of scenario where you’re driving extreme vehicles cobbled together from all sorts of bits and pieces. Somehow driving shiny Ferraris in this “world ravaged by climate change” just wouldn’t feel right…
Comment by James — Aug 20, 2008 @ 7:49 am
As much as I like “Race Driver: GRID” from Codemasters, and the environments in the video above look well-rendered by Asobo Studios (although the “grungy home-tuned” vehicles look like Tonka toys instead of real-life machines), I can’t help thinking that “Fuel” just looks like “DIRT 2″ (without the Colin McRae prefix).
If oil is so sparse in this “alternate future” shouldn’t be worry about what is going to power our games consoles rather than our barren-wasteland-plugging oversized buggies?
This aside, I’m still getting loads of play out of “Burnout Paradise”, so a release date some time in 2009 for “Fuel” is fine with me. I went online in Paradise City last night around 11:30pm & didn’t switch off my PS3 until 5:20am this morning before leaving for work.
Sleep? Lack of energy? Who’s the fuel now?
Time for a ‘Relentless’ cocktail me-thinks…
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 10:23 am
As much as I like “Race Driver: GRID” from Codemasters, and the environments in the video above look well-rendered by Asobo Studios (although the “grungy home-tuned” vehicles look like Tonka toys instead of real-life machines), I can’t help thinking that “Fuel” just looks like “DIRT 2″ (without the Colin McRae prefix).
If oil is so sparse in this “alternate future” shouldn’t be worry about what is going to power our games consoles rather than our barren-wasteland-plugging oversized buggies?
This aside, I’m still getting loads of play out of “Burnout Paradise”, so a release date some time in 2009 for “Fuel” is fine with me. I went online in Paradise City last night around 11:30pm & didn’t switch off my PS3 until 5:20am this morning before leaving for work.
Sleep? Lack of energy? Who’s the fuel now?
Time for a ‘Relentless’ c0ck-tail me-thinks…
(The Three Speech vulgar words moderation queue strikes again)
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 10:24 am
Where is africa!!!!!
Comment by terrortime — Aug 20, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
Head south from Gibraltar towards the water & keep going until you hit something solid.
“Afrika”, on the other hand, is out in Japan on 28 August 2008…
[ http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/afrika ]
It’s not being released in Europe.
But I like your thinking… “Fuel” + “Animals” = “Carmageddon (PS) III”.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
Fuel + Animals = Me hungry…find me a Hippo so that I may slay it and rekindle my warrior spirit!
Comment by JohnSketch — Aug 20, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
I sense a board game out for Christmas “Hungry Hungry JohnSketch” by Hasbro.
[ youtube.com/watch?v=65fhH_Uzfp8 ]
[ highwaygames.com/products/view.php?id=200 ]
Q: How do you know when you’ve passed an elephant?
A: You can’t get the toilet seat down!
[Bum Bum]
As Basil ‘Toilet’ Brush may say.
There was talk of “Afrika” using the PSEye (the old one, not the new one being discussed today in Leipzig), & possibly an add-on ‘board’ like the Wii Balance Board to detect movement when stalking around the animals (to take photos, of course), but I don’t think that ever came to anything.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Wipeout HD… Yawn…
Comment by Terry — Aug 20, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
What’s with codemasters obsession with racers recently? Are they running a 3 year dev cycle, a rally game, a street racer, than an apocalyptic….thing?
Comment by Jon — Aug 20, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Due to lack of any blog content here today…
Just announced at the Leipzig Games Convention:
160GB PS3 model launching on 31 October 2008 with EUR 70.00 worth of downloadable content pre-installed.
PSP-3000 model to launch in Europe on 15 October 2008 for EUR 199.
…Newer, slimmer, lighter, & with an “enhanced LCD screen” offering “crisper colours with more intensity when outside in the natural light”.
A built in microphone on-board too.
(See comment #2: [ http://threespeech.com/blog/2008/07/some-screenshots-of-gran-turismo-tv/ ]).
No confirmation of “PS” button as yet.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
Due to lack of any blog content here today…
Just announced at the Leipzig Games Convention:
160GB PS3 model launching on 31 October 2008 with EUR 70.00 worth of downloadable content pre-installed.
PSP-3000 model to launch in Europe on 15 October 2008 for EUR 199.
…Newer, slimmer, lighter, & with an “enhanced LCD screen” offering “crisper colours with more intensity when outside in the natural light”.
A built in microphone on-board too.
(See comment #2 in recent “Some Screenshots of Gran Turismo TV” blog entry).
No confirmation of “PS” button as yet.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
I’ve just posted two comments about the soon-to-be-released 160Gb PS3 & the new PSP-3000 unit.
Neither have appeared yet.
When they do turn up; apologies again for the duplication.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
News from the Leipzig Games Convention: New PS3; New PSP; PS3 keyboard; “VidZones”…
[ http://www.1upgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=606 ]
Comment by fanpages — Aug 20, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
so.. nothing interesting at the Leipzig Games Convention yet then.
*sigh*
a keyboard for the PSP would be damn useful though!
shame they can’t be bothered to make one.
more Singstar rubbish.
ANOTHER PS3 configuration
and unless the ‘EyePet’ looks like a LBP sack person
i’m not interested. also it can interact over the EyeToy camera, maybe old tech will be supported finally?
http://www.gc-blog.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/dscf0171.jpg
piccy of the new ps3 joypad keyboard.
downloadable film/video service a-la USA - Q4 2009
Heavy Rain trailer shown…
Comment by mobiletone — Aug 20, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
Should keep the motorstorm devs on their toes!
Comment by reakt — Aug 20, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
“WipeOut HD” split screen trailer…
[ http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/08/20/see-split-screen-in-action-in-new-wipeout-hd-trailer/ ]
Is it “fit” for purpose?
Hope Three Speech report on the Leipzig Games Convention today or this blog entry is going to get very full of unrelated comments.
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 5:54 am
“Originally reported as being a new feature to be made available via a PS3 Firmware Update that would support the transfer of PS2 “SingStar” disc based tracks to the PS3, it would seem that the PS3 versions (volumes) of “SingStar” will now (only) allow (by way of a free downloadable patch, and subsequent inclusion with any new PS3 volumes) the swapping of PS2 “SingStar” title discs within a PS3 gaming session. This means that any PS2-based tracks you already own (or have access to) can be played directly in the PS3 version (without having to exit the game to insert new discs). The tracks themselves will remain off the PS3 hard drive. Pity. But I suppose the decision was retracted due to issues with individuals gaining access to PS2 tracks that they may not actually have owned (such as renting a PS2 disc title, or borrowing one from a friend).
”
what was my biggest complain,
finally 1 got solved,
weird enough in the past is was always a licencing problem (which i shot down as BS)
now its only a firmware/software update..
next to the millions of other things..
29 october LBP (which was already known for weeks,but not on threespeech)
Comment by terrortime — Aug 21, 2008 @ 6:14 am
Thanks for quoting some of the text from the link I provided above, terrortime.
For some reason some of my comments in blog entries here end up back-logged without appearing for a few days or do not appear at all.
(Then others, hopefully, like this one, appear straight away)
Glad to hear the “SingStar” news was favourable for you.
In a few months all the moans about the lack of “WipEout HD” should be silenced too.
Three Speech can then retire…
BFN,
fp.
Comment by fanpages — Aug 21, 2008 @ 9:19 am
Will there be an awesome PSN update today?
Comment by Terry — Aug 21, 2008 @ 10:08 am
Three speech know Leipzig started yesterday, right? How come a European site that has links to Sony doesn’t report on this!?
Maybe they should pad the pages out with some more Top Trumps.
Comment by dirtyhabit — Aug 21, 2008 @ 10:18 am
sounds a bit like insane, hopefully it will have the fully destructable vehicles like that game did.
onto the plot though, in a world where there’s a massive fuel shortage i really dont think motor racing would be a big sport
Comment by hazmat73 — Aug 21, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
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