Joystiq

Report: Codemasters to secure new investor amid financial woes

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST

According to a recent report from the Times Online, UK-based publisher Codemasters is "close to securing" a new investor and will announce the mysterious source "shortly." The news is said to be paired with an upcoming balance sheet restructuring -- a necessity, we imagine, after less than huge releases last year like Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Fuel, and Damnation.

The report also indicates that current investors Balderton Capital and Goldman Sachs will "inject new funds" into the publisher, seemingly holding steadfast in their efforts to build up Codemasters as a major publisher in the global market. The two investment firms have already sunk £100 million ($163.3 million) into the company, so, um, well, maybe they know something we don't? We sure hope that's the case -- we certainly wouldn't want any of our golf buddies at Goldman Sachs to lose their bonuses.

Report: Codemasters to secure new investor amid financial woes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuel demo available to download today

David Hinkle — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:45:00 EST

Codemasters' ambitious open-world racer Fuel gets a demo today, available on Xbox Live, PSN, and the PC (via the Fuel site). According to Videogamer, the demo will feature the Ocean Rush career event, a traditional race featuring seven different drivers, and Blitz, a time-based event featuring checkpoints.

Even more surprising is the demo's inclusion of some sweet multiplayer action for console owners. On the Xbox 360 and PS3, gamers will be able to race online for two weeks, with the demo allowing up to 16 players into a limited portion of the Tsunami Reef area in Free Ride mode. Or, if you're feeling like you need a bit more competition in your life, know that up to six racers can compete in the Ocean Rush career event race.

You can bet we'll be downloading the demo, mostly to see how far the game has come along since our play session earlier this year. What about you?

Fuel demo available to download today originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VG247: Console versions of Fuel delayed a week

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:45:00 EST

According to VG247, Codemasters has confirmed that its upcoming open-world racer, Fuel, has been delayed a week -- putting the game out on June 5 in the UK -- for the Xbox 360 and PS3, while the PC version is set to release soon after. It should be noted that VG247 is a UK website, so it's unclear if this delay also applies to North America. For what it's worth, GameStop lists the title for June 2, while Amazon maintains it will release on May 26. Our request for comment from Codemasters has gone unanswered as of press time, but we'll be sure to update this post when we have new information.

Still, even if the title is delayed, it's only a week outside of the originally intended May release window. Surely we can keep our post-apocalyptic racing urge in check until then.

VG247: Console versions of Fuel delayed a week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 May 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuel sets Guinness record as biggest console game ever

Jason Dobson — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:30:00 EST

Codemasters' Fuel is big, and while some may argue that size doesn't matter, they're probably just jealous of the open-world racer's immense girth. In fact, the upcoming off-road racing game was recently crowned by Guinness World Records for having the largest playable environment in a console game ever with 5,560 square miles of accessible in-game terrain.

To help us wrap our heads around how big that is, the Codies say that's larger than Hong Kong, Singapore, St Lucia and the Isle of Man put together. Let's just hope developer Asobo (pictured) remembers to fill all that space with enough to do, else it's going to be a very long and boring ride. Are we there yet?

Gallery: FUEL

Fuel sets Guinness record as biggest console game ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trophies: FUEL

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:54:00 EST

	1 Platinum 2 Gold 9 Silver 34 Bronze	Difficulty: Moderate Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 30 hours DLC Trophies? No
	View Trophy List	Read More About the Game

Gallery: FUEL

Continue reading Trophies: FUEL

Trophies: FUEL originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 May 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fill 'er up with new Fuel trailer and screens

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:00:00 EST

We've got a handful of new screens and a trailer for Codemasters' upcoming post-apocalyptic, open-world racer, FUEL. Based on the screens and trailer, we can expect two things for the future of planet Earth. One, the grim, barren landscape will make for some bitchin' races (no gasoline shortages in this future, folks). Two, something will make everything really blurry around the edges. Our money is on excessive radiation. Oh, and let's not forget giant, floating arrows. Those are there, too.

Gallery: FUEL

Fill 'er up with new Fuel trailer and screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 May 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuel: post-apocalyptic 'GPS' navigation included

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:15:00 EST

After the coming apocalypse, when the world devolves into an open-world racecourse, we'd be seemingly lost without the Garmins and TomToms of the bygone era. Fear not, though, for it seems a result of the globe-altering warming featured in Codemaster's Fuel is the appearance of giant, airborne ... pointers -- conveniently "pointing" out the path to the finish line. (All that's left, you see, is the finish line.) We suppose then, these guiding arrows are a fair trade for the vicious tornadoes and blinding sandstorms that also -- naturally -- plague this fascinating vision of the future.

Fuel: post-apocalyptic 'GPS' navigation included originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq hands-on: FUEL

Randy Nelson — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:40:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

click to enlarge

As the newest racing franchise from Codemasters, FUEL has a lot to live up to. Namely the pedigree of the publisher's two other racers this generation, the stellar DiRT and GRID. Its premise is grandiose: allow players to race on order of 5,000 square miles of open world in a variety of vehicles, rancing from dune buggies and roadsters to dirt bikes and monster trucks. It's obvious from playing the game that its developer, Asobo Studio, has the big picture covered; everything else is all over the map.

Gallery: FUEL

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: FUEL

Joystiq hands-on: FUEL originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codemasters drops release windows for Dirt 2, Overlord II, Fuel, others

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST

Codemasters is avoiding the holiday rush by releasing several of its titles this year during the sleepy summer months (and for this, we thank them). The Overlord sequel, FUEL, and a little game that caught our eye, Jumpgate Evolution, all drop during low-pressure sales months. Codies will release DiRT 2 much closer to the holiday insanity:

DiRT 2 - September (X360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS, PSP)
FUEL - May (X360, PS3, PC)
Overlord II - June (X360, PS3, PC)
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising - Summer (X360, "PlayStation system," PC)
Jumpgate Evolution - June (PC)

The original DiRT was a gem for race fans and FUEL looks interesting, but whether Overlord II receives the polish the first one was lacking is the real question (and hope). Check out the Overlord II trailer after the break.

Continue reading Codemasters drops release windows for Dirt 2, Overlord II, Fuel, others

Codemasters drops release windows for Dirt 2, Overlord II, Fuel, others originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fuel turbos to retail May 2009 (plus: first in-game trailer)

Dustin Burg — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:56:00 EST

Codemasters has just revealed that Fuel -- an open-world, off-road racer that claims to make Burnout Paradise seem like a postage stamp in scale -- will begin cruising the countryside sometime this May.

To promote this momentous announcement, a freshly greased Fuel trailer has made its way online, showcasing some in-game footage. If the trailer's first thirty seconds are anything to go (anywhere) by, then Fuel's open world element just might be enough to differentiate it among the competition and demand our attention.

Fuel turbos to retail May 2009 (plus: first in-game trailer) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Producer: Paradise City a 'postage stamp' compared to Fuel's size

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Driving

Four-letter racing game news now, with developer Asobo talking up the tech it's concocted for its open-world racer, Fuel. The in-game map, a blend of satellite information and procedurally generated data which stretches across 5,000 virtual square miles, would reportedly be a couch potato's worst nightmare if assembled via traditional means. "In the context of that map, which is one small corner of it, when the guys showed us this technology, if you were to build it in a traditional manner it would fill about four Blu-rays," Fuel producer David Brickley tells VideoGamer.com. "A gargantuan amount of data, just enormous."

That last word is what we'd normally use to describe, say, Burnout's Paradise City, but Brickley seems to imply that we need a change of perspective: "I did a little Power Point internally to do it and it zoomed them [Fuel and Paradise City] in to each other. It's like a little postage stamp because I think it does like four kilometres or something." Well, Criterion, it seems come 2009, you'll be licked in terms of sheer size. But will there be a restart option?

Producer: Paradise City a 'postage stamp' compared to Fuel's size originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Codies pumps Fuel for French revolution in racing

Jason Dobson — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Driving

Replacing political and social unrest with "go-anywhere" driving, Codemasters has partnered with French dev Asobo Studios to publish the company's open world-style racer, Fuel, for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC sometime next year. Asobo's track record isn't likely to relieve you of your socks anytime soon, however. The studio's recent efforts include video game adaptations of Ratatouille, Wall-E and The Mummy, so we're not expecting another GRiD or DiRT just yet.

On top of dynamic weather and dozens of drivable vehicles, Codies boasts that Fuel will feature the "largest environment ever created" in a racing game, and that the game's absurd 5,000 square miles of weather-ravaged terrain will "revolutionize" the genre. There is that old saying about size not mattering as much as how you use it, though clearly this is not the approach being used here.

Codies pumps Fuel for French revolution in racing originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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