Eidos and Climax Crash 'n' Burn

Far from literally, of course. Top UK publisher signs top UK studio to work on smashing game that might be, er, top.

Eidos has announced a development deal with Climax's Brighton studio to make Crash 'n' Burn, an arcade driving game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox which will be released in Autumn 2004.

Crash 'n' Burn is a racing game where the focus is on aggressive and dangerous driving. The game features online support for 16 players and will be Eidos' first online console game.

Details are thin on the ground, but we do have this artwork, and fresh stuff from the quote boat.

Dave Rose, European development director of Eidos says: "Based on their renowned expertise and previous successes, Climax was the ideal choice for this project. Climax has a proven track record in developing quality driving games and a great understanding of what makes a compelling online console experience."

Tony Beckwith, managing director of Climax says: "We've been able to use the technology and expertise gained from driving games like the MotoGP series to allow us to focus strongly on gameplay, and we think the results are going to resonate with gamers. The driving genre has become very predictable and conservative over recent years and creating a new brand has given us the opportunity to understand what made us love vehicle-based games in the first place."

Crash 'n' Burn will be showcased on the Eidos stand at this year's E3.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com