Dirt Showdown Focuses on Style, Dirt 4 Will Return to Rally Simulation

Codemasters just announced the peculiar Dirt Showdown game, which focuses on intense racing, demolition derbies and Gymkhana stunt events, but this doesn’t meant that the developer is walking away from pure rally experiences, as its next installment will once again follow that traditional recipe.

The Dirt series delighted fans with some of the most realistic rallying experiences in the genre, adding glorious visuals effects as well as all sorts of new things, like the Gymkhana competitions in the most recent Dirt 3.

According to Codemasters’ associate producer, Iain Smith, Dirt 3 spawned some rather interesting data for the studio, which made it re-evaluate the series.

"At the end of each project we try to digest as much as possible about the players' experiences,” Smith told CVG. “Through our game data analysis, as well as reading the game's critical reception, we found that Dirt 3 had been offering two experiences: the pure rally and gymkhana."

As such, the studio decided that it’s time for the Dirt series to spawn a spinoff, in the form of Dirt Showdown, which delivers just adrenaline-filled experiences for those that want more style and less simulation.

"We've focused on what those core experiences were - one a 'hardcore', motorsports experience and one for thrill-seekers. We boiled down some of that thrill-seeking formula into what makes Dirt Showdown. However, this doesn't mean the more authentic rally content is disappearing from the Dirt series... that will return in a future game for sure."

But this doesn’t mean the studio is done with pure-bred rally experiences, as the possible Dirt 4 will return to simulator-type gameplay.

"Dirt Showdown is offering a new and more focused experience within the series and Dirt 4, or whatever we call it, will bring that same focus to some of the more traditional elements of the series," he continued. "The fact that we're already discussing a Dirt 4 title should demonstrate that we absolutely want to meet and exceed the expectations of Dirt players.”

Dirt Showdown is out in May, 2012, for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.