DiRT 3, with Hirvonen and Block

A new name is getting ready to enter next month into the range of motorsport games offered for all those with a passion for cars and racing: DiRT 3. And since a game of this size deserves a proper and glamorous launch, two of the drivers of the moment, Ken Block and Mikko Hirvonen, participated, in style, in London, at what might be considered a preview of the game itself.

Having been chosen by the developers of the game, Codemasters, as one of the key technical consultants and at the same time being one of the star racers in the game, Block made his big entrance driving the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, which he drove in the 2010 world championship. Hirvonen, on the other side, appeared on board the Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car.

DiRT 3 has been designed as one of the most complete rally games ever made, with some 60 percent of its career mode covering rally mode. Ford has a strong presence in the game, with no less than 10 rally cars featured. In all, DiRT 3 brings together 50 iconic rally cars from five decades of the sport.

As an honor brought to Block, Codemasters build into the game a “gymkhana” mode, which will allow gamers to replicate the driver's drifts. However, some of the features of the new name are still being kept a secret by Codemasters.

The game developer plans the global launch of the new title on May 25, for all major gaming platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. More details are likely to follow.