I’ve been waiting for this announcement. Glad to see Bizarre spreading their wings. Between this and Fuel, I’m going to be racing my ass off. Here’s the full release:

ACTIVISION AND BIZARRE CREATIONS
TO REVOLUTIONIZE RACING GENRE WITH BLURâ„¢

Activision’s Newest Brand Marries Intense Wheel-to-Wheel Racing Action with
Spectacular Power-Ups and Real-World Cars and Locations

Santa Monica, CA – May 19, 2009 – Activision Publishing (Nasdaq: ATVI) is set to
revolutionize the racing genre with the debut of Bizarre Creations’ newest project,
Blurâ„¢ — the ultimate wheel-to-wheel racing action experience.

The game drops players into heart-pumping, electrified racing action with 20 cars on
a track all targeting the finish line and battling each other as they trade paint
and collect intense power-ups, including the ability to blast other cars out of the
way with huge bursts of energy, boost their speed, and more.

While controlling photo realistic cars, gamers can use offensive and defensive
attacks as they battle for the lead and careen through real-world track locations
ranging from L.A. and San Francisco to the streets of Hackney, UK and the
treacherous roads of Barcelona, Spain.

“We did our homework and saw a huge opportunity to move beyond traditional racers
and create a game completely focused on making racing ‘fun’ again,” said Martyn
Chudley, Creative Director, Bizarre Creations. “Blur delivers a new style of racing
experience for all gamers, regardless of their experience, skill or genre
preferences. Everything the player does, both in their cars and with their cars, is
a dramatic adrenaline rush; it’s a real blast!”

“We know that racing can be fun for everyone, and we are excited to enter this genre
with a game that keeps players in the pack and combines fun with intense racing
battles,” said Maria Stipp, EVP and GM of Owned Properties, Activision Publishing.
“Bizarre Creations is one of the most creative studios in the industry with a rich
heritage of top-rated racing games and we are excited to partner with them on Blur,
which is set to break the mold of traditional racing games.”

Beyond the action-packed racing filled with fast curves, sneaky alternate routes,
hair-raising jumps and fully realized damage models that provide for spectacular
crashes, Blur’s narrative is presented through Bizarre’s innovative new
community-based interface, reaching far beyond the game itself. This unique
story-driving social network evolves dynamically as players compete in different
races, make new friends, rivals and fans, and connect with other racers both in-game
and in real life.

Looking beyond Blur’s single player story, gamers can engage in competitive and
team-based multiplayer races with up to 20 players online, or on a single console
via 4-player split-screen. Bizarre is especially excited to introduce Blur’s
original social gaming experience – Custom Groups, where anyone can create unique
multiplayer modes based on their favorite ways to play the game. These new modes
are immediately shared through Blur’s social network, expanding the game in ways
that are only limited by the gaming community’s creativity.

Blur is planned for release this fall for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment
system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and the PC, and
is currently rated “RP” (Rating Pending) by the ESRB.