PSP World

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge Confirmed for PSP

Insider leaks have fueled speculation for some time that Sony was planning to release a version of its popular off-road racer on the PSP handheld. Today we received official confirmation from Sony that Motorstorm PSP is indeed in development. Somewhat surprisingly, this game will not be a scaled-down port of the PS3 titles, but rather will take place in an all new environment.

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge will transport the adrenaline-pumping action to a slightly colder location in this handheld spinoff. This time, the MotorStorm Festival will pack its bags and head to the frigid reaches of Alaska. The game is in development at BigBig studios, which PSP fans will recall is the studio responsible for the Pursuit Force games on PSP.

At first, racing cars on the ice did not sound like a very appealing prospect, but Sony has managed to change our minds with their inspiring press release. Listen to what the company said we can expect in the upcoming game:

"With temperatures plummeting, sudden avalanches, broken ice bridges, and three different racing altitudes, this is possibly the most inhospitable environment the MotorStormers have ever had to deal with. With grip at a premium, and in addition to the six existing classes from the original MotorStorm, two new vehicles have been introduced to combat the ice, the cold and the snow - the Snowcat and the Snow Machine. One has the power and size to blast through packed snow, whilst the other has the grip and pace to combat most of what the sub-zero conditions can throw at it."

The game also promises local and online multiplayer for up to eight players on the PSP, as well as global leaderboards.

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge is currently slated for an Autumn 2009 release date, just in time for winter.

You can really throw your weight around with the new Snow Machine vehicle in Motorstorm: Arctic Edge.

[Source: Press Release]