SouthPeak Games has announced details of its first product for 2008, a new twist on the racing genre in the form of Iridium Runners. Developed by Italian game studio Playstos Entertainment, Iridium Runners places gamers into a futuristic world where they are literally running for their lives.

Set in the year 2050, the Iridium Championship is a series of athletic on-foot races sponsored by futuristic mega corporations, where pure speed isn’t necessarily the only route to winning on the game’s wildly inventive tracks. Combinations of collectable power-ups and weapons add to the frenetic pace, opening up a wide range of options for securing victory over the other contestants.

Iridium Runners will feature several game modes, from full championship to single race, with the highlight being split-screen multiplayer. Split into traditional free-for-all racing and a tactically rich team mode, Iridium Runners’ multiplayer allows for CPU players to fill space where human adversaries aren’t available. The team mode features two teams with two players each, with each team having to balance racing for the finish line with hampering the efforts of their opponents by making good use of all the available collectables. Rendered in a delightful cartoony style, Iridium Runners’ unique visuals underline the freshness of the overall concept, which promises to re-invigorate the PlayStation 2’s racing catalogue when released at a mid-range price point in February 2008.

Melanie Mroz, Executive Vice President, SouthPeak Games comments "Iridium Runners is another example of the fun, distinctive and unique titles that we look to publish. The PlayStation 2 market is still thriving and Iridium Runners will represent great value for money, thanks in no small part to the team at Playstos ."

Luca Da Rios, CEO and Executive Producer, Playstos Entertainment adds: "It’s fantastic to be working with the team at SouthPeak Games on Iridium Runners. Their dedication and enthusiasm matches ours and together, I’m confident that we’ll see Iridium Runners become a success in the wide range of territories that SouthPeak reaches."

Iridium Runners will be released for PlayStation 2 in February 2008.