The GameShadow Blog

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising will be getting an update in October.

The opening Downloadable Content and patch will introduce necessary fixes and additional gameplay features for players.

Codemasters has said the release of further DLC will be an important part in keeping the game fresh with new levels and game modes.

Codemasters has revealed it will be bringing sequels to three of its major releases from this year.

2010 will see follow-ups to DIRT 2, Ashes Cricket 2009 and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.

All three titles enjoyed major sales success and flourished at a time when other publishers decided to push their titles into the first and second quarters of 2010.

Codemasters has announced that the PC edition of Colin McRae DIRT 2 will be released in December.

This is so the game can benefit from an extended development program and maximise the support of the new performance enhancing features that will be available in DirectX 11, with the introduction of Microsoft Windows 7.

The XBOX 360, PS3 and Wii editions will still launch in September.

The shooter genre is heading to the Wild West.

This year has already seen Damnation, the ‘shooter gone vertical’ from Codemasters, based on elements of American history.

Ubisoft’s Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, the follow up to the 2006 original Call of Juarez, will take players to the heart of the Wild West with the McCall brothers.

Red Dead Redemption, from the makers of GTA IV, will also offer another ticket to the gun-firing, cowboy hat-wearing lands.

A host of E3 material has been released with the main event kicking off next week.

Bethesda and Splash Damage fans will be intrigued by BRINK – a new title heading out at the start of 2010.

Electronic Arts has put out more footage of Need for Speed: Shift and The Saboteur, plus unlockable content is on show in The Sims 3 and Battlefield 1943 videos.

The new shooter from Codemasters, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising gets an outing too, showcasing the intense in-game footage.

More to follow throughout next week.

Asobo Studios and Codemasters have been presented with a Guinness World Records certificate that announces a record-breaking achievement for their racing title FUEL.

It officially states:

The largest playable area in a console game:
The largest playable environment in a console game is 5,560 square miles (14,400 km²), and is featured in FUEL (Codemasters, 2009).

A video has been released marking the achievement and offers more insight into the upcoming, record-breaking title.

It’s been a busy time for Codemasters this week, as the publisher has released a batch of promotional material for the core of its 2009 line up.

More details on the MMO title Jumpgate Evolution have confirmed a June launch, along with Overlord II, the follow up to the warped 2007 title.

Shooter fans will be excited by the look of Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising, with petrol heads getting their kicks from the open-world inspired FUEL.

Be prepared for more to come as Codemasters turns up the heat on these and more in 2009.

Last year Codemasters won the rights to create the next edition of Formula 1 computer games.

With the ToCA and Colin McRae racing series already on the company’s CV, Codemasters also acquired the staff at the now closed Sega Racing Studio.

With this in mind, the new Formula 1 team rules and specifications for the 2009 season have been announced recently, aiming to add more excitement to the racing.

Codemasters will hopefully be aiming to implement these new changes into the game, with high-speed results!

  In a high-speed development, Codemasters has said it will be taking over the recently closed SEGA Racing Studio with immediate effect.

This should lead the way for Codemasters to keep their top-notch racing titles coming, a collection that already includes the Colin McRae and Toca Race Driver series.

Tom’s Comment

To be honest, seeing the ends of Sega Rally, TOCA, or Colin McRae (sorry, no pun intended) wouldn’t be the end of the world for me, but watching a UK studio close down is never fun. I’m really chuffed Codies has stepped in here, and if it helps them to secure their position as one of the world’s leading racing publishers / developers, then I’m all for it.

Not really the first, but the first for a long bloody time.

OpFlash 2 is Codemasters’ internally developed sequel to Bohemia Interactive’s original opus. Bohemia went on to produce the unofficial follow up ArmA, with the rights to the license staying with Codies.

All the signs are worrying - it’s a publisher developed follow-up to an indie game, it’s had an almost zero profile for a number of years, and Codies has no experience in the genre.

There is however, one thing going for it - it’s taken so bloody long. Look at the situation Sierra found itself in with FEAR - it took the name, and trolled out a couple of cheap, subpar expansions, while Monolith went on to develop a full but unofficial sequel. Codies obviously don’t want to do that, and that’s a Good Sign.

Eyes peeled on this one.