Gamers will play as Detective John Tanner on a relentless manhunt for crime lord Charles Jericho through the hills of the City by the Bay. Thanks to a groundbreaking gameplay feature, players can now seamlessly "shift" between well over 100 licensed vehicles, keeping them constantly in the heart of the action. With its timeless setting, unique car handling and renewed playability, Driver San Francisco will revitalize the classic free-roaming, cinematic car chase experience for the current generation of gaming platforms.

Ubisoft announced a collaboration with DC Comics’ WildStorm Productions to develop a comic book based on the Driver universe. A special “Issue 0” preview edition of the Driver comic will be given away at Comic-Con International 2010 in San Diego this week July 22nd through July 25th at the Ubisoft (#4245) and DC Comics (#1915) booths.

The comic book features a cover drawn by renowned artist, Jock (The Losers, Judge Dredd, Batman). Jock will be at the Ubisoft and DC Comics booths signing free copies of the preview issue. The signing sessions will take place at the following times and locations:

• Thursday, July 22nd, 2–3pm, DC Comics booth (#1915)
• Friday, July 23rd, 11am–12 noon, Ubisoft booth (#4245)
• Friday, July 23rd, 4–5pm, DC Comics booth (#1915)
• Saturday, July 24th, 3–4pm, DC Comics booth (#1915)

Illustrated by Greg Scott (Gotham Central, Case Files: Sam and Twitch) and written by David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Sparta USA, Young Liars), the Driver comic is set after the cliffhanger ending of Driv3r and just prior to the events of the upcoming DRIVER San Francisco video game. Under the direction of Ubisoft Reflections, Driver: San Francisco marks the return of the quintessential action driving franchise and its first iteration on the current generation of gaming platforms. Players join wheelman John Tanner on a relentless manhunt for crime lord Charles Jericho throughout the iconic streets of the City by the Bay. The Driver comic adds depth to the game’s gritty, urban environment and delves deeper into Tanner’s past, setting the stage for his return for vengeance in DRIVER San Francisco.

“The Driver universe has always drawn heavy inspiration from Hollywood action movies,” said Martin Edmondson, creative director at Ubisoft Reflections. “When looking at how to present Tanner’s story leading into DRIVER San Francisco, doing a comic book was a perfect fit; we could tell the story in a gritty, hard-edged fashion using cinematic visuals and emotional set pieces, yet in a palatable and mainstream medium.”

“Once we saw the advanced peek at this game, we knew David Lapham would be perfect to craft this story building up to Driver: San Francisco, and we were thrilled when Jock and Greg Scott were able to join the comic team,” said Hank Kanalz, VP and General Manager, WildStorm.

Key Features:

• The True Car Chase Experience: Rediscover the cinematic driving sensations of Driver: loose suspension, long drifts, sharp bends and high-speed pursuits in dense traffic. Drive over 120 licensed cars involved in some of the most intense chase sequences ever seen.
• A Relentless Manhunt: Uncover a thrilling storyline in which personal revenge fuels Tanner's relentless manhunt for Jericho. Follow Tanner's survival race across San Francisco and discover how this chase will bring him to a point of no return.
• Shift: As Tanner recovers from a terrible crash, he realizes he has acquired a new ability that enables him to instantly change vehicles and take control: Shift. Experience unprecedented intensity, diversity and freedom; shift into a faster car, deploy civilian vehicles to destroy your enemies and even take control of your opponents' car to force their demise.
• A Car Chase Playground: Drive on more than 200 kilometers of road network, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and along iconic locations throughout San Francisco. Shift from one car to the next and dip into the lives of different residents, a head-spinning array of characters, each with a unique perspective on a city under siege.
• Multiplayer Mayhem: Experience nine different, frantic and addictive on-line modes, where the Shift feature allows players to be anywhere at any time. Ram, tail and overtake your friends in offline split-screen or online modes.
• And More: Record your best stunts and chases with the Director replay mode to edit and share your movies. Test your driving skills with 20 challenging races and 80 "dares" spread all across the city. Listen to over 60 music tracks with songs from famous artists, not to mention the original memorable Driver theme.