The last showdown of this magnitude was seen last year, when the open world, superhero-protagonist games inFamous and Prototype released mere weeks from eachother.

This year, we have Split/Second: Velocity (yes, Velocity has officially been added to its name) and Blur releasing only a week from eachother (Split/Second releases first) on exactly the same platforms (PC, 360 and PS3). Both are racing games, that seek to reinvigorate the racing genre, where both developers feel, that there has become too little focus on having fun, rather than being a skilled racer.

Both games seek to bring fun back into the genre by adding new challenges to the formula, with Split/Second using giant setpieces to change the map and seek to crash your opponents in its main racing mode. Blur seeks to mix the traditional realistic racing with kart racing, by taking the realistic driving model, and adding power ups to the game. Both games will go beyond what I have described here of course, but this is their main gameplay modes.

Split/Second is developed by Black Rock Studios, the studio responsible for 2008s offroad ATV racer "Pure" and is published by Disney, and Blur is developed by acclaimed developer Bizarre, who have created Project Gotham Racing, amongst others, and is published by Activision Blizzard.

So, let's hear it people. Sales, critical acclaim, fun, what game will win?

EDIT:

Here is some footage of each game. First up, Blur:

Next up, Split/Second:

Personally, I think Blur will be the better game, though Split/Second will be great as well, and with Activision pushing Blur, I think it should sell better as well.

Blur, I don't know too much about either and I'm basing this off the developer.

i think its going to be Split Second, after seeing the gameplay of Blur it really looks like Need for Speed underground with Power ups.

Based on the gameplay above, split/second will be better

Alright, I added some gameplay videos to the OP.

Damn these games are going to be awesome!

the split second HUD is distracting, i hope you can have normal HUD because it makes it hard to focus on the car =s

@ Severance

Not that I know of.

Split/Second is going to be miles better.

Blur is going to be a 70 game and Split/Second about 80-85.

Both will have similar sales though. It won't be easy to make a decent profit out of these games.

I added a developer interview to Blur. And I'm still holding on to Blur being the better game!