“'Dirt 2' delivers jaw-dropping car racing graphics - Morning Sun” plus 1 more

'Dirt 2' delivers jaw-dropping car racing graphics - Morning Sun

Posted: 20 Sep 2009 04:53 AM PDT

By RON HARRIS
Associated Press Writer

(AP Photo/Codemasters) In this video game image released by Codemasters, a scene from "Dirt 2," is shown.

The latest driving title, "Dirt 2," represents a changing of the guard for the genre. The torch is being passed from driving legends like rally race legend Colin McRae to a new breed of ESPN "X Game" types.

On this title, with its jaw-dropping graphics and solid race physics, it works like a charm. The big names are young upstarts like Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra, who are no strangers to speed. So it's a good fit.

The races are fast and off-road, or at least off intended roads. I played the Xbox 360 version ($60). "Dirt 2" is also available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.

In one of my first races, I went for the "Baja" series and climbed behind the wheel of a Dodge Power Wagon. Puddles of water hid behind patches of tall grass, and it took a few retries to remember them and avoid spinning out of control.

Eventually I bested a field that included Mirra in the two-lap race, which earned me $66,000 for my career, some new dashboard items and auto accessories. One nice touch: The bobblehead skull I won has wacky eyes that roll around when I banked hard into turns.

Where "Dirt 2" leaves the competition behind is in the graphics department. Eye-popping detail and 3-D menus make every twist and turn enjoyable. From the maps and fast-food trash strewn around my touring RV to the loose gravel kicked up on a crusty Croatian outback during a race, I've rarely seen better attention to detail in a racing game.

The car handling is exceptional throughout all the difficulty modes. There was a great feel I got for the virtual roads, and the learning curve was challenging, but fair.

Races are planned from inside the RV, and the globe-trotting took me from Baja to London to Croatia to Tokyo in the early competitions.

Hats off to the folks at Codemasters Studios for perfecting two very important features in "Dirt 2" — instant restarts and thoroughly enjoyable replays. The restarts are addictive, and they allowed me to improve without watching boring cut scenes while waiting for the green light.

Race replays are a feature I usually ignore, but here the fast-forward is slick and I could pause and stop on a dime to gaze at the turn I missed, and why. I could also toggle the viewing angles on the replay to put myself on the side of the road or in the driver's seat.

Other race types include "Gate Crasher," in which I drove a Subaru Impreza STI Group N and bashed through as many yellow barriers as possible in the allotted time. Each barrier bashed earned me a few more seconds on the countdown clock and a better score.

There are also races called "Throwdowns," one-on-one affairs against featured drivers. I took on Jayde Taylor in Morocco in a throwdown.

I lost to her a dozen times in a row, but she still rewarded me by becoming my friend, which hopefully means she'll give me some driving tips later on.

"Dirt 2" is the best driving title I've played in years. Buckle up, it's a raucous ride.

Game is rated "T'' for Teen and contains some suggestive themes.

Four out of four stars.

On the Net:

http://www.dirt2game.com

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Datebook (Sept. 21) - Corvallis Gazette-Times

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:06 AM PDT

Sept. 22: "Sales, Sales, Sales" is set for noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Business Enterprise Center, 1965 Airport Ave. Cost: $25. Register with Cori Deatherage at 758-4009 or thebec@thebec.com.

Sept. 22: Marjorie Miller, a retired career counselor, will conduct the workshop on interviewing skills at 7 p.m. at the Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E. Miller will address topics including what employers are looking for; how best to express what you have to offer when meeting with an employer; and how to discuss your strengths and weaknesses. Miller will also provide pointers for answering interview questions. For more information, call the library at 917-7582.

Thursday: Downtown Corvallis Association After Hours, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Corvallis Tourism, 553 N.W. Harrison Blvd. Cost of the business networking event is free for Downtown Corvallis Association members, or $5 for non-members. Information: Joan Wessell, 754-6624.

Friday: Project management seminar and general meeting, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Corvallis Depot, 700 S.W. Washington Ave., presented by the Corvallis Branch of the Willamette Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute. The topic will be "Project Management for the Accidental Project Manager," presented by Gary Chin. Cost: $10 for PMI members, or $15 for non-members; both prices include lunch. Registration: www.pmiwic.org/RegionOne/PMIWV/calendar.htm.

Sept. 28: Linn-Benton Community College's Lebanon Center is offering business development classes this fall. The classes are provided by various organizations in the area, and will enhance business planning and needs. "Business Power Tools" is designed to give participants skills for thriving in tough times. This three-week series will give you specific, practical tools and skills you can use every day to meet your customers' needs. "Going into Business" is a three-hour class that will give you basic information needed to begin planning a successful business. "Marketing in Turbulent Times" will help participants recognize their market base, customer, competition and more. "Intro to Quickbooks" includes sales, payables, reconciliations, statements, chart of accounts, setup, backup and archiving information. Classes start Sept. 28. For more information, visit the LBCC online schedule at www.linnbenton.edu, or call the LBCC Lebanon Center at 541-259-5801.

Sept. 29: The Small Business Development Center at Linn-Benton Community College will offer Construction Contractors Board education from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 29 and continuing Oct. 6, 13, 20 and 27 on the LBCC Albany campus, College Center Building Room CC-203. This course is required for CCB licensing under ORS 701.280. Registration with payment and photo identification must be completed in advance at Room WH-120 in Willamette Hall on the Albany campus. Participants are required to attend all five state-approved sessions. The cost of $315 includes the 8th Edition of the Oregon Contractors Reference manual. Call 917-4923 to reserve space.

Sept. 29: Oregon Leave Laws, an educational seminar for businesses, will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Central Willamette Community Credit Union Headquarters, Albany. This seminar will be presented by Jennifer Germundson, technical assistance for employers manager from the Bureau of Labor and Industries. The seminar will cover Oregon Leave Laws and Federal Leave Laws. Topics will include eligibility requirements, what constitutes a qualifying event, medical certification, tracking leave, interplay of OFLA and FMLA, and injured worker laws. Also covered are topics such as pregnancy disability leave, parental leave, sick child leave, service member leave, reinstatement and 2009 updates. Cost is $79 per person, or $69 per Albany, Corvallis or Lebanon Chamber of Commerce member. Registration: Greg Ivers, 541-967-2171, Ext. 264, or greg.e.ivers@state.or.us.

Oct. 1: Veterinary technology program orientations will take place at Linn-Benton Community College for those interested in training to become a veterinary assistants. Orientation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Siletz Room, CC-213, second floor, College Center, LBCC, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany. No preregistration required. Attendance at the orientation is mandatory in order to take the program. Orientation will be offered again on Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon in room CC-212 of the College Center. The 16-week LBCC Veterinary Technology Program starts Jan. 19, and runs through May 14. Skill areas covered include an introduction to hospital management, business procedures and job preparation skills. The program will also cover basic education and experience in commonly used medical and surgical techniques, and an understanding of common disease states. Cost of the program is $3,500. The program is eligible for financial aid. Check the LBCC web site for program prerequisites at www.linnbenton

.edu/go/forms. For more information, call the LBCC Business, Healthcare and Workforce Division at 917-4923.

Oct. 2: The Business and Employer Services Department and the Small Business Development Center at Linn-Benton Community College offer a pesticide applicator course designed to prepare senior agriculture workers to take the State of Oregon Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator exam. The 10-hour course will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 2, and 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Siletz Room, CC-213, second floor, Calapooia Center Building, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W. in Albany. Employees who have studied hard but failed the applicator license exam are encouraged to attend, as are those who need in-depth training in pesticide application and safety, or extra coaching in math and calibration skills needed for licensing. Cost for the course is $80 and includes all materials. Upon completion of the course, participants will receive an award of completion. The ODA pesticide applicators exam is optional and should be arranged with the State of Oregon Department of Agriculture. For more information or to reserve space, call 917-4923. Space is limited.

Oct. 3: Forklift safety training will be offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room IC-106, Linn-Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany. The course, offered through LBCC Business and Employer Services, will provide four hours of classroom training and four hours of practice on the forklift. Training includes forklift safety, handling and moving loads, principles of lifting, stacking and unstacking loads, and driving with a load. LBCC provides a variety of services to help employers meet OR-OSHA requirements and standards for equipment-specific and site-specific training and for those wanting to train forklift operators. Cost of the course is $149, which includes all materials. For more information or to register, call Business and Employer Services at 917-4923.

Oct. 5: Insurance pre-licensing classes for insurance professionals will be offered through LBCC Business and Employer Services and PacWest Insurance School. The 40-hour class is for those interested in selling auto, home, boat, motorcycle, RV and commercial lines of insurance. The class meets Oregon education requirement to take the state insurance-licensing exams. The class will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Oct. 5 through 9 from 8 a.m. in the LBCC College Center building, Albany campus, Room CC-203. For information, contact PacWest Insurance School at 541-971-9566.

Oct. 13: The Small Business Development Center at Linn-Benton Community College offers a year-long Small Business Management Program for business owners who have been in business for a year or more. "Your Business Plan" is set for 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 13, 20 and 27 and Nov. 3 and 10 in Room BC-105 of the Benton Center, 757 N.W. Polk Ave., Corvallis. Participants will learn more about developing a business plan that includes goals and objectives, competitive analysis, building cash flow forecasts, and more. The five-week class for winter term, "Understanding Financial Statements," will begin Feb. 9. Attendees will discover how to create a budget, learn to organize recordkeeping, find out about break-even sales point, and know their business costs and gross profit margins. "Your Marketing Plan" will begin April 20. Participants will learn to create a sales brochure and a web site for their business. This year-long program also includes one-on-one business advising once a month with the instructor, Marty Schulz. Cost of the year-long program is $495. Call 917-4929 to reserve space.

Oct. 15: Linn-Benton Community College Small Business Development Center's second-year business management program for business owners, "Building Your Business," will meet once a month beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15. The class will include one-on-one business advising with instructor Marty Schulz. Cost for the second-year program is $495. Participants will focus on employee issues, technology, setting up QuickBooks, and more. Call 917-4929 to reserve space, or 757-8944, Ext. 5145 for more information.

Oct. 29: Health pre-licensing classes will be held for those interested in selling individual and group medical, disability, long-term care, Medicare products, critical illness and supplemental insurance. The class will meet on the Albany campus, College Center, Siletz Room, Room CC-213. The course meets Oregon education requirement to take the state insurance licensing exams. For information, call PacWest Insurance School at 541-971-9566.