SONY PLAYSTATION / SHOOT MY TRUCK

The original Twisted Metal title - which plunged players into an automotive battle royale - launched back in 1995, making it officially the longest running PlayStation-exclusive franchise. It has also seen a disappointing amount of cancelled releases in the last few years - something which has not only tested the faith of original fans, but also failed to ingratiate the franchise to newer, younger generations.

However, the new game (which refreshingly drops any clichéd, colon-ridden titles) is promising to set things right and launches, perhaps ironically, on Valentine's Day. Tasked with re-establishing the iconic status of Twisted Metal, was Sony Computer Entertainment America's agency, Deutsch LA and production supremos, Stink Digital... and we're pleased to say that what they proceeded to dream up is perhaps the most literal interpretation possible of the core TM experience.

The campaign began with a viral call to arms hosted on a dedicated website, shootmytruck.com, as well as on the PlayStation YouTube channel. It stars game director and self-confessed 'alleged psychopath' David Jaffe, who explains how he's 'here to tell you about the epic return of gaming's most sick, depraved franchise. It's Twisted fucking Metal on the PlayStation 3'.

With more excessively potty-mouthed prose, he proceeds to explain the simple, brutal mechanic of the campaign, which centres on a real M249-SAW machine gun mounted on a control desk in the middle of the desert. The gun is aimed at a perfect replica of the hot-rodded ice cream van belonging to game character and talisman, Sweet Tooth (whose head also happens to be a flaming skull, natch). However, the weapon is hooked up to a remote, online interface which means that anyone around the world with an internet connection is capable of taking control and letting rip into the van or a selection of other unlikely targets...

Gamers were able to register - either via Facebook or Twitter - for the chance to fire the gun for 30 seconds each over the course of two days. For a grand finale, three lucky, trigger-happy participants will be given an extended 90 seconds to finish off Sweet Tooth's ride, eventually blowing it to smithereens in front of a global audience tuning in via a live video feed.

shootmytruck.com