Motorized mayhem is headed to three of our favourite video game marketplaces today, with the release of Codemasters‘ DiRT Showdown demo. The trial will be available on Xbox LIVE, PSN and Steam throughout the day, and will allow racing fans to test out the game’s 8 Ball race mode, as well as its San Francisco track. However, gamers who send a challenge to their friends will also gain access to a multiplayer Rampage event, which just so happens to be an eight-player demolition derby.
When DiRT Showdown launches on May 29, it will make use of RaceNet, a service which will join all of Codemasters‘ racing games. Signing up for a free membership through this demo will give players $20,000 of in-game cash to use in the retail version. That should definitely help out.
DiRT® SHOWDOWN™ DEMO AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE TODAY
Players Invited to Join Free New Online Codemasters Racing Hub RaceNet as “Demo Derby” Gameplay Video Launches at www.dirtgame.com
Los Angeles, Calif. – May 1, 2012 – Featuring both a full-impact solo race and a devastating multiplayer demolition derby event, the DiRT® Showdown™ demo launches worldwide today and is available now from Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Network and Steam on PC.
To mark the launch of the demo, Codemasters has released a “Demo Derby” video showcasing the all-action motorized mayhem that players can experience today; the gameplay video is now playing at www.dirtgame.com.
In the demo, the single player “8 Ball” race, players take part in a chaotic, full-impact race in the shadow of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, using boost to sprint ahead of rivals and speeding through crossover points where drivers can dodge or takedown opponents. Once players have completed the race, they can challenge a friend online to unlock the “Rampage” multiplayer mode. In “Rampage”, eight drivers feed their appetite for destruction in an online demolition derby event, earning points for crashes, smashes and eliminations.
Gamers who download the DiRT Showdown demo are also invited to sign up for RaceNet*, the free new online extension for Codemasters Racing games, which enables players to track their Races, Rivals and Rewards. Launching in beta, players who register now will be able to join in community challenges and once the full game launches, track their progress in game and track challenges with their friends. Gamers who join RaceNet will also be rewarded with an exclusive “RaceNet” skin for use in the full game and will receive $20,000 of in-game currency for DiRT Showdown when it races into retail stores on May 29.
A special “Hoonigan” edition of DiRT Showdown is now available to pre-order exclusively from Walmart. Sporting unique packaging, the DiRT Showdown: Hoonigan Edition will include an in-game cash boost, an online XP multiplier plus Monster Energy skins for the Kohler D350, Duke Coupe and Ford Fiesta Gymkhana 3 and Hoonigan skins for the Holbrook Growler, Logan Vulture and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X JUN, redeemed via an online code.
DiRT Showdown will deliver a new world of competitive and combative racing as players race, crash and hoon their way to “Showdown” finals on a chaotic tour of motorized mayhem when it launches on May 29 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC. For all the latest updates straight from the studio, crash over to www.dirtgame.com, www.facebook.com/dirtgame or follow the team at www.twitter.com/dirtgame.
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NOTES:
About RaceNet:
*RaceNet will launch in BETA alongside the DiRT Showdown demo and will be a free new online extension for all Codemasters Racing games. Through RaceNet, players will be able to track their races, rewards and rivals. With a dedicated team and long-term vision, RaceNet will continually evolve to bring together Codemasters Racing games in one place. More details and features will be unveiled when DiRT Showdown launches. Discover RaceNet at www.racenet.codemasters.com
About DiRT Showdown:
DiRT Showdown will deliver a new world of competitive and combative racing as players race, crash and hoon their way to “Showdown” finals on a chaotic tour of motorized mayhem. From San Francisco to Miami and London to Tokyo, players will dominate their rivals and wow the crowds on their way to becoming a driving superstar.
Pyrotechnics, lasers and thousands of fans give each venue a vibrant sports entertainment atmosphere, with the player taking center stage. Over 50 different events across four championships will challenge gamers in a variety of conditions – sun, snow and rain – through the day and under the floodlights at night. DiRT Showdown will be Codemasters’ most connected game ever – split-screen multiplayer, eight-player online racing, on and off-line quick-fire party games and YouTube integration all come as standard. Players will also be able to issue “Showdown Challenges” to compete with friends whether they are online or not.