UK developer Codemasters have set their sights on Japan, announcing a fully localised version of the recently released Race Driver: GRID heading to to Japanese shores this winter. While the game in it’s current form already boasts a series of Japanese events complete with a Japanese speaking announcer, Codemasters will be adding more country-specific content and translating all of the text for the release. On top of the localisation, copies of the Japanese version of the game will also ship with a full version of Colin McRae: DIRT. The release marks Codemasters debut as a publisher in the country.
“The recent success of key western titles in Japan is indicative of the current trend where Japanese gamers are not only more aware of popular western gaming brands but actively seeking them out”, continued Cousens. “With Race Driver: GRID set to be fully localised and arrive bundled with Colin McRae: DIRT, it is an opportune time for Codemasters to enjoy brand success in Japan”.
Two games for the price of one should certainly get the Japanese market’s attention. Best of luck, Codemasters!
Codemasters has revealed details about the multiplayer aspects of it’s latest entry in the TOCA series, Race Driver: GRID – just GRID in the states. The ambitious racing title will feature 12-player online races with full car damage, meaning that if I play the game I will spend all my time online trying to hurt your car. 32 online racing events will take place on 80 circuits across 15 international locations.
The game also boasts a new online ranking system that tracks your career and awards experience points based on achievements you reach. For those of us who love racing but suck at it, the game will also feature spectator mode, allowing us to watch jealously as more competent players master hairpin curves that we’d normally be eating.
Race Driver: GRID ships on May 30th for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in Europe and June 3rd stateside.
So I poked the console-wars snake last week and learned a big Fat Albert lesson about people’s feelings in the process. Gametrailers, with a longer history than me, not so much.
We’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about how they botched a comparison video of Race Driver: GRID. In an attempt to show cooler crash physics on the 360, they used PS3′s instead — easily identifiable by the controller map in the lower left corner. Doh!
Gametrailers took down the video after getting barbecued in the comment flamewar. But someone already YouTubed it and spliced in comments pointing out the negligence, or worse.
Anyway, here you go. Just shows that console comparison is absolutely the third rail discussion in our neck of the woods. And if you undertake it, everything has to be bulletproof, or you’ll get ripped for looking like a shill.
