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Blur crossing finish line in 2010
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Sep 21st 2009 at 9:35AM } 
Blur won't be making its scheduled November release, as Activision has officially pulled the arcade racer from the track, pushing it toward a 2010 launch. According to Activision CEO Mike Griffith, the move is being made to "fully optimize the vision [Bizarre] set out to create for Blur including a distinctive and groundbreaking multiplayer mode that will appeal to a broad audience." The vision for Blur!
Activision still has plenty on its plate this holiday season with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and DJ Hero. Then again, with the early part of 2010 as packed as it is with pushed releases, who knows what delays are still lurking.
Gallery: Blur
PAX 2009: Blur gets Twitter support
by Kevin Kelly { Sep 4th 2009 at 1:00PM }
Bizarre Creation's arcade-style racer, Blur, has received a nitrous-level boost of social networking. Initially, the social component of the game was limited to mock text messages and emails sent from AI racers in the game, who you build love/hate relationships with over the course of your races against each other. Additionally, Blur features faux social networking sites like "Inner Tube" (a Bizarre version of YouTube). Today, real Twitter support has been confirmed for the game, although current details can be summed up in less than 140 characters.
Here we go: Twitter apparently working in both 360 and PS3 versions of Blur. Update example: "I just won 1st place at Hackney!" etc.
So, will we be tweeting from our existing accounts? Is the Xbox 360 version's integration independent of the Xbox Live partnership? Can we see tweeted replies in-game? Can we post Twitpics of our victories? Will the Fail Whale be drivable? We want answers -- and we shall get them!
Here we go: Twitter apparently working in both 360 and PS3 versions of Blur. Update example: "I just won 1st place at Hackney!" etc.
So, will we be tweeting from our existing accounts? Is the Xbox 360 version's integration independent of the Xbox Live partnership? Can we see tweeted replies in-game? Can we post Twitpics of our victories? Will the Fail Whale be drivable? We want answers -- and we shall get them!
Bizarre stands to make $40m if Blur is a hit
by David Hinkle { Jul 20th 2009 at 10:45AM }
This is the kind of runaway success Activision is looking for in Blur, as Bizarre could make $40 million should the game meet projected sales by 2012/13. While we don't know what the target sales are, Blur will have close to three years to reach the goal set by Activision when it releases later this year, so we'd say something around the four million mark is definitely not out of the question.
Bizarre: Racing games not meeting sales expectations
by James Ransom-Wiley { Jun 19th 2009 at 7:00PM }
It's difficult to argue against Ward, as he doesn't suggest anything concrete, but racing games have been competitive in the sales charts this generation (if that's recent enough). Console exclusives such as MotorStorm, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (a glorified demo!) and Forza 2 all rank among the top 10 bestselling games to date on their respective platforms, and Burnout Paradise has succeeded both at retail and digitally in its lengthy, multiplatform run. Sure, a niche racer like GRID is never going to gain mass appeal (nor is it intended to) and certain staple franchises, like Need For Speed, have dwindled in popularity and quality (hence the reboots), but the racing genre is right where it should be -- at least, in terms of our expectations.
Perhaps Ward and Bizarre just have greater expectations for their upcoming racer, Blur, which we called "a hyper-realistic Mario Kart." That puts Blur in good company, as Mario Kart Wii -- what Ward calls "the exception rather than the rule" -- has sold in excess of 15.4 million units by last count in May. But, really, there's nothing realistic about expecting those kinda numbers.
Hands-on: Blur
by Xav de Matos { Jun 10th 2009 at 8:30PM } 
After being behind the development wheel of realistic racing titles like PGR (well, realistic at least in look), Bizarre Creations has decided to do away with its half-and-half arcade style and create a different kind of racing experience. That experience is Blur, published by (new parent company) Activision.
As we sat down at the (ridiculously loud) Activision booth in the West Hall during E3 2009, we were greeted by an enthusiastic Bizarre employee who explained this was the game the developer always wanted to make. A fun, almost party-game style racer where players jump behind the wheel of powered-up, real-world vehicles. Yes, strangely, Blur features licensed cars -- with unreal abilities.
Gallery: Blur
Why Blur can damage its cars
by Justin McElroy { May 27th 2009 at 11:00PM }
Because a game like Blur doesn't have to have companies like Porsche and Ferrari, Bizarre is able to focus on the ones that will let Bizarre beat up its cars. Plus, according to Bizarre's Gareth Wilson, car-crunching games like GRID and DiRT helped to pave the way.
Just out of curiosity, how much does damage modeling matter to you?
Bizarre Creations' Blur to trade paint this fall
by Justin McElroy { May 19th 2009 at 11:25AM }
With little more than a non-working official site to go off, we still don't have a great sense of how the game will play. At this point, we know it features 20 "photo-realistic" cars battling it out with offensive and defensive power-ups in locales like L.A. and Barcelona. There's also apparently some kind of narrative that evolves as players compete online. ... Yeah, we can't make heads or tails of that either.
For a better take on the game, you -- like us -- are just going to have to wait for E3.
Bizarre Creations discusses Microsoft relationship, Activision acquisition
by David Hinkle { May 7th 2009 at 12:45PM }
Chudley described Microsoft's presence near the end as "corporate and cocky," attributing most of that to the shift in power between Microsoft and Sony this generation. He added that the company has always been too focused on the Forza games, seemingly neglecting to give the PGR franchise the marketing push and focus Bizarre Creations always felt it deserved.
Enter Activision, which showed a lot of interest, especially considering the lack of a proven racing franchise to call its own. Bizarre Creations hopes to produce such a hit with Blur, its first title following its acqusition by Activision. We expect to see more of the game -- including that franchise potential -- during this year's E3.
Return and burn: Fake 'PS2' systems retailers took for real
by Randy Nelson { Feb 5th 2009 at 10:00PM }
Click to enlarge the fine wood craftsmanship
They say there are some things you just can't make up. The accompanying photos, received today from an anonymous tipster who works at one of Sony's distribution centers, are definitely some of them.
What you see are "PS2 consoles" returned to retailers -- such as Best Buy and Walmart -- then subsequently sent to Sony for credit. We're not sure what's more silly: that someone would try to pass off a wooden replica PS2 for return, or that someone would actually take the time to make a wooden PS2 with such detail. The question of "Who would accept these for return?" must also be raised.
We'll take a moment to answer "Yes," "Yes" and "Maybe" to the following questions in advance: "Are those ladies dumbbells inside a PS2?," "Is that PS2 stuffed with towels?" and "Is that some sort of Chinese PS2 knockoff?" We hope that helps ease the pain.
What you see are "PS2 consoles" returned to retailers -- such as Best Buy and Walmart -- then subsequently sent to Sony for credit. We're not sure what's more silly: that someone would try to pass off a wooden replica PS2 for return, or that someone would actually take the time to make a wooden PS2 with such detail. The question of "Who would accept these for return?" must also be raised.
We'll take a moment to answer "Yes," "Yes" and "Maybe" to the following questions in advance: "Are those ladies dumbbells inside a PS2?," "Is that PS2 stuffed with towels?" and "Is that some sort of Chinese PS2 knockoff?" We hope that helps ease the pain.
Bizarre working on new Bond and racer projects
by Dustin Burg { Dec 4th 2008 at 10:30AM }
Industry rumors either turn out to be true or false and in the case of Bizarre Creations' future projects, every racing and Bond rumor you heard over the last year has turned out to be ... well, true.
As part of Activision's Massive upfront (the same one that announced Modern Warfare 2), we learn that Bizarre is hard at word on an original James Bond game as well as an original racer IP that's being described as a "Mario Kart meets Forza." As is the norm, release details and game specifics were not given.
All said, we're glad to see Bizarre hard at work on new projects, but would like to see some fresh Geometry in 2009. We're proud Geometry addicts.
Bizarre making Bond title for '09, new racing IP is 'Mario Kart meets Forza'
by Ross Miller { Dec 3rd 2008 at 4:44PM }
The executive also reportedly said the next Call of Duty Modern Warfare is due out Fall 2009. We're uncertain if that's confirmation of the next COD's setting or just a glib way of saying "Infinity Ward's COD series." We're reaching out to Activision for clarification on all these statements.
Geometry Wars sucks in 1 million players
by Dustin Burg { Nov 25th 2008 at 3:45PM }
If you have yet to try Bizarre Creations' classic Geometry Wars or their latest Geometry Wars 2 on the 360, then you're in the minority and should be ashamed. Ashamed not only because you're missing out on two great games, but because 1 million gamers have already experienced the visual love that GeoWars brings.
No joke, Bizarre just revealed that over 1 million players (how unique, we're not sure) have logged GeoWars scores since November 2005. It's an amazing accomplishment and something YOU should be a part of. Grab the XBLA good here and here.
Gaming to Go: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
by Matthew Madeiro { Sep 8th 2008 at 12:00PM }
Who knew Bizarre Creations had a hit on its hands when it created the original Geometry Wars so many moons ago? I certainly didn't, though that might be due in part to my complete lack of one of those other consoles. Since its original inception on Microsoft soil, the Geometry Wars series has seen a number of different incarnations, a particularly enjoyable one of which is available for everyone's favorite handheld.
Geometry Wars: Galaxies also saw a release on Nintendo's white waggle box, though the infinitely more portable version is what I'll be covering in this week's edition of Gaming to Go. Haven't experienced the geometrical madness yet? Come along and see why playing with shapes on a two-dimensional grid is far more entertaining than it sounds.
Gallery: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Geometry Wars song eases the pain
by Richard Mitchell { Aug 19th 2008 at 12:00PM }
Seriously, this song is awesome though, and not the new, watered-down version of awesome either. No, this is the original awesome in that it actually inspires awe. This is like Grand Canyon awesome. Watch out Johnathan Coulton.
[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Fanswag: Win Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 [update]
by Dustin Burg { Aug 15th 2008 at 5:00PM }
Today, thanks to the crew over at Bizarre Creations, we're bringing you a later than usual Fanswag giveaways where we're handing out three copies of Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. Yes, you can haz Geometry Wars 2! Today's giveaway is going to be quick (entry ends tonight at 11:00PM eastern) and simple (just comment below to enter), because it's Friday and we wanna give out the Geometry Wars 2 goods without all the hassle. To enter, simply:
- Bizarre did a mighty fine job at making Geometry Wars look so darn colorful and beautiful. It's like an intensely lucid acid trip, but without all the bad acid side-effects. So, to enter today's giveaway, simply comment on this post telling us what your favorite color is. Easy!
- Only one comment per person will be accepted. Posters of multiple comments will be disqualified. We'll accept entries until 11:00PM eastern time today, August 15th, 2008. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. This giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec).
- Later today, we'll pick three winners via a random drawing.
- Three winners will receive an Xbox Live redemption code to download Geometry Wars 2 worth $10.
- Complete giveaway rules can be found here
