Eidos, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, announces it has signed a development deal with Climax. Climax’s Brighton studio is developing Crash ‘n’ Burn, an arcade driving game for the video game consoles, which will be released in the Fall of 2004.

Crash ‘n’ Burn is a racing game where the focus is on aggressive and dangerous driving. The game features online support for 16 players and will be Eidos’ first online console game. Crash ‘n’ Burn will be showcased on the Eidos stand at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which takes place in Los Angeles from May 12-14.

Dave Rose, European development director of Eidos says: "Based on their renowned expertise and previous successes, Climax was the ideal choice for this project. Climax has a proven track record in eveloping quality driving games and a great understanding of what makes a compelling online console experience."

Tony Beckwith, managing director of Climax says: "We’ve been able to use the technology and expertise gained from driving games like the MotoGP series to allow us to focus strongly on gameplay, and we think the results are going to resonate with gamers. The driving genre has become very predictable and conservative over recent years and creating a new brand has given us the opportunity to understand what made us love vehicle-based games in the first place."