<title><![CDATA[The view from the hot seat]]></title>
<title2><![CDATA[<br>Colin McRae talks about Rally 2005]]></title2>
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<body><![CDATA[With his new game roaring into the shops this month, we spoke to Colin McRae about his involvement with the video game series that has dominated rallying gaming for more than five years. <b>How have you been involved in creating Colin McRae Rally 2005?</b>ΓÇ£I have mainly focused on how the cars handle in the game. I have been to Codemasters several times during the development and driven the game at every step, providing the team with feedback about how the cars behave. I have also ensured that the stages and surfaces are truly representative of each event.ΓÇ¥ <b>As a professional, what do you find the most realistic element in the game; the cars, the way they drive or the landscapes?</b>ΓÇ£To be honest, itΓÇÖs all incredibly realistic, the guys have done a great job. It's about as close as you can get to driving a real rally car without leaving your living room. ΓÇ£There is so much in the game ΓÇô especially with the extra speed ΓÇô and the level of detail is amazing: the individual damage models for each car (even scraping the paintwork), realistic collision reactions, breaking posts and stuff, the dazed visual effect when you crash. ItΓÇÖs great! And nobody has more experience of this aspect than I have...ΓÇ¥ <b>Compared with real life, which race and which car do you prefer in Colin McRae Rally 2005?</b>"I like the faster flowing stages of events such as Sweden or Finland, both in terms of the game and in reality, as these rallies are where true driving ability stands out. As far as the car is concerned, I donΓÇÖt really have a preference as long as it has plenty of power and can handle the massive ΓÇÿyumpsΓÇÖ that are a feature of Rally Finland.ΓÇ¥ <b>You picked up the nickname the Flying Scotsman for your high-speed driving; do you still drive fast?</b>ΓÇ£Sure I drive fast, itΓÇÖs what I enjoy and do for a living. Exploring the limits of whatever I am driving still gives me a buzz, but it has to be in a controlled competitive environment, not out on the public roads.ΓÇ¥]]></body>
