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More at the above link

Instead of re-hashing old SEGA Rally content from year’s past, the powers-that-be thought it would be best to update the IP for the next generation of super hardware. SEGA is so dedicated to upgrading their off-road racing franchise, in fact, that they created a UK-based studio for the task (and future tasks based on OutRun and SEGA GT IP’s we hope). The result will be SEGA Rally Revo; a mud-slingin’, next-gen racer that’s due out this holiday season.

We were curious about how SEGA might approach an older arcade franchise running in the next-gen. Would the gameplay style be updated to better suit the hardware? Would SEGA Rally Revo be an ode to the old school? Most of our questions were answered at SEGA’s Gamer’s Day, which features a lengthy demo carried out by one of SEGA Racing Studios employees. The demo was running quite well on PS3 debug hardware, but as you all know the Xbox 360 should have no issues matching what Sony’s beast was pumping out.


A potentially great racing game can be reduced to “meh” if the cars don’t pass muster. We didn’t get the full rundown of cars that will make it into SEGA Rally Revo, but we do know that the lineup will include around thirty cars. It sounds like there will be four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive classes, a classic class (can you say Celica GT-Four?), and a class for some more off-the-wall entries that weren’t elaborated on.

We know for a fact that a newer version of the Subaru WRX STi Spec C Type RA WRC car is in SEGA Rally Revo, as it was used for the majority of the demo. We can also guarantee you that a newer Mitsubishi Evolution (big surprise), and that one or more French cars will be floating about in the 4WD class.

The STi’s car model for this demo of SEGA Rally Revo was absolutely stunning. Amazing, real-time reflections coupled with a metallic paint application (similar to Madden NFL 07 helmets) made the World Rally Blue hue pop of the wireframe with amazing realism. Close-ups using a worm’s eye cam revealed intricate detailing on the forged alloy wheels and tire tread that is actually modeled. There’s also a light damage model (we didn’t get to see it in action), and a massive system that incorporates environmental particle effects onto the vehicles too, thereby creating one of the most technologically advanced car rendering systems in the racing genre.

From IGN:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/787/787253p1.html

When the demo build was fired up (on a PS3), it was easy to see where the attention to detail had been placed. The first stage we were shown was a lush tropical setting with mountains and waterfalls in the distance. A shanty town marked the starting line, where a blue rally car sat. We were told that the design team has put in a specific paint shader to show off various hues and color gradients in the vehicle, as well as reflect the environment in the glossy exterior of the car. However, the finer details didn't stop there, as the attention to detail extended down to individual tire treads, and finer motion of brakes and brake calipers. Since the car was in pristine condition at the start, it had to get a little muddy. After taking it down the track from the harder packed earth into muddier terrain and water, we picked up on the caked on grime that layered the sides and front of the machine.

What's more, the track had been degraded realistically based on how the car had been driven, and would retain this level of deformation persistently throughout a race, forcing players and computerized opponents to adjust their strategies on lines to take through the various hazards. Part of this is due to a new degradable polygon mesh format that literally has a tire cutting into and shearing aspects of the track away as it passes. What's especially cool, as we were shown from a different camera angle, is that your car's tires and suspension will respond to this new track, riding higher and lower as it passes over and through grooves on the track. You can also hear the engine working much harder as it tries to propel the car through some of these thicker rutted mud sections.