Codemasters Confirm PSP Support News

Codemasters today confirmed its support for the Sony PSP, with the announcement that both Colin McRae Rally 2005 and TOCA Race Driver would be arriving on the Sony handheld in spring 2005.

Both of the franchises have had a history of evolving throughout the various Playstation generations, with TOCA first appearing on the PSOne back in 1997 and followed by Colin McRae Rally a year later. Combined, two of the most successful motorsport franchises have shifted over 12 million copies worldwide.

A special edition of Colin McRae Rally 2005 is promised for the PSP, featuring over 30 rally licensed cars, a diverse range of events, cups and challenges to provide the most exhilarating experience for rally fans on the move.

Recognising the need for â??pick up and playâ? gameplay, Colin McRae Rally 2005 has been designed to allow players to either play for a quick five minute bout or hours upon end â?“ presumably until the PSP battery gives out. The game automatically saves your progress without having to deliberately wait for a save point, emphasising the â??pick up and playâ? aspects; whilst Wi-Fi multiplayer will also feature.

Colin McRae Rally 2005 is being developed for the PSP by Six By Nine, the talented team behind the PC editions of Colin McRae 3, 04 and 2005.

The PSP edition of TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator is currently in development at Sumo Digital, having recently finished work on the Xbox adaptation of Outrun 2.

Weâ??re promised that all features of the Xbox/PS2/PC version will make the transition intact, with real performance cars, real damage, real physics and real driver AI, utilising the latest version of the acclaimed TOCA engine created by Codemasters.

Amazingly the game will cram in all of the 15 different motorsports as featured in the home console versions, including GT Sports Car Racing, Street Racing, Rally, DTM, V8 Supercars, Global GT Lights, Rally Cross, Formula Ford, Open Wheel Grand Prix, Classic Car Racing, Super Truck Racing, Stockcar Oval Racing, Ice-Racing, Convertible Racing, and Performance Cars - along with over 30 different global championships and 52 circuits. Most significantly, even on PSP, the game will display up to 21 cars racing on track simultaneously and have WiFi-enabled LAN play for up to 8 players.

Weâ??ll have more information on these titles soon.