DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road

[Bad_Boy]

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200610/N06.1003.1502.05105.htm

Game runs on codemaster's "neon" engine.

DIRT is being built with Codemasters’ new NEON next generation engine. This engine will provide the basis for the physics based environments, damage system, and a new wind system. Wind will be a new factor affecting not only vehicle performance, but track particles, flags, and foliage. Since wind will be randomly generated for each track, it should be interesting to see how this will affect handling and race times.
...
Cars will crumple and be able to wrap around objects, so going off the road and into a tree will severely debilitate your ride. Scraping up against a canyon wall will scratch your vehicle’s body down to the metal or carbon fiber. All of the environmental track elements, from the potholes, manholes, and bumps are all physics based. Even the trees will be modeled down to their leaves, with soft shadows and specular shading. If everything comes together as promised, DIRT could be the most beautiful rally title ever created.

Sony is actually working with codemasters to better the engine for the PS3 hardware (no worries though, the game/engine will appear on 360 as well).

Explains Chesire: “We looked at the middleware solutions we could use - we had no axe to grind, frankly, and just wanted to find the technology we could have ready for th next-gen so we weren’t left catching up in ten years’ time. We looked around at the Renderwares and the Unreals, but nothing really fulfilled our requirements – specifically for the PS3, anyway.â€

So what do you do when your ideal platform is PS3? The answer is to speak to Sony. And together, Codemasters and Sony have come up with another answer: Neon.

A new next-gen engine built from scratch over the past year and a half, it’s been a significant investment – and is a new tool with an unique and
interesting backstory. “Sony knew early on that it was going to be hard to get the very best out of the PS3 early on, so the Japan office commissioned a team in Europe to start devising new technology and tools,†says Cheshire.

^Taken from PSINext (thx to yoshaw).

 

[AlNom]

3rd shot:

Cool that they're doing something to specialize the engine to the platform.

 

[Nesh]

Thats extremely impressive. Puts Forza2 and GT:HD to shame IMO

 

[scooby_dooby]

Agreed, the lighting is amazing

 

[pakotlar]

Thats extremely impressive. Puts Forza2 and GT:HD to shame IMO

agreed

I'm waiting to see if they can pull off the same visual fidelity on X360, but I'm more and more starting to lean to the PS3. Even though I hate Sony's corporate policy, I want the best.

edit: I don't mean to start a flamewar. Let's stick to "this looks amazing."

 

[bRoNx]

I don't mean to start a flamewar. Let's stick to "this looks amazing."

If you pull the pin, the grenade will blow!

Anyways, this game looks amazing indeed! The whole environment looks natural and soft edged, doesn't have that solid edged, clean typical graphics look. Can't wait to see it in motion/higher res pix!

 

[nintenho]

Better not be doctored. Really want a rally game though.

 

[mckmas8808]

Looks great. I want to see this in motion bad. October 19th maybe?

 

[Acert93]

Skeptical, but looks great. I really like Toca 3 in general (little floaty and cars, while different, don't have as much divergence in feel as I would hope). Outside of the horrible copy protection on the PC version (punish the honest consumer?! ugh!) I have enjoyed the game--stable, lots of cars and tracks, solid engine, and nice damage model.

I am keeping my eyes out on this one... if the game doesn't look like the screens... grrr!

 

[rounin]

Looks great. I want to see this in motion bad. October 19th maybe?

I highly doubt something this goodlooking exists in playable form yet.

 

[winterbird@nerdshack.com]

it does look good, but I can see it having the same CRAP single pivot point physics that should have been put to rest with Colin 2.

I hold high hopes though

 

[mckmas8808]

I highly doubt something this goodlooking exists in playable form yet.

They said it's very close to playable now.

 

[pakotlar]

Agreed, the lighting is amazing

Agreed, this is by far the most impressive thing about the game. The trees look sweet too.

 

[Tap In]

looks freaking sweet

 

[Ben-Nice]

Looks like what Motorstorm was supposed to look like. I won't believe it until I see it in motion. Very impressive.

 

[mckmas8808]

20% of this engine was made by Sony devs. I wonder if Sony will take what they learned from help building the Neon engine and use it for some of their games?

I hope so.

 

[Diesel2]

I think the lighting looks weak to be honest. Apart from the 3rd shot, but even then, that Subi must have some seriously tinted windows.

The game overall looks good though, but I won't judge it until I see some videos (as with all next gen games).

 

[StefanS]

Better not be doctored. Really want a rally game though.

Exactly. Until I see some "real" game-play feed I remain sceptical of everything...

But the screens look really nice, especially the third (look at the wild wheat).

 

[MrWibble]

20% of this engine was made by Sony devs. I wonder if Sony will take what they learned from help building the Neon engine and use it for some of their games?

I hope so.

Actually (I think I'm ok talking about this, as Sony have actually spoken in public on the topic) Sony's contribution was part of their SDK called PSSG, which is a graphics engine. Neon seems to use or be based on that in some way and be more of a complete game engine (and is probably more cross-platform, because Sony tend not to directly support 360!). I'm also pretty sure Codemasters didn't really get any early or exclusive help, it's been around for a while (though it's probably improved with big developers using it I guess).

I'm doubtful that Sony's own titles would use this technology, because Sony's internal studios have their own engine.

 

[mckmas8808]

Actually (I think I'm ok talking about this, as Sony have actually spoken in public on the topic) Sony's contribution was part of their SDK called PSSG, which is a graphics engine. Neon seems to use or be based on that in some way and be more of a complete game engine (and is probably more cross-platform, because Sony tend not to directly support 360!). I'm also pretty sure Codemasters didn't really get any early or exclusive help, it's been around for a while (though it's probably improved with big developers using it I guess).

I'm doubtful that Sony's own titles would use this technology, because Sony's internal studios have their own engine.

So what exactly is/was PSSG? And yes it is a multiplatform engine.