The Ridge Racer franchise is about to get a jump start. Namco Bandai today announced Ridge Racer Unbounded, a new installment in the series for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC that will take the series "in [a] whole new direction," according to the publisher.

　　Namco Bandai's racer hasn't appeared on consoles since 2006's Ridge Racer 7 (pictured). With the stated goal of shaking up the entire racing genre, Unbounded will take the circuit-racing franchise onto city streets with a new emphasis on havoc and destruction. To help accomplish that objective, Namco Bandai has enlisted Bugbear Entertainment to develop the game.

　　Bugbear's previous work includes the FlatOut series of demolition derby racers for Empire Interactive, which featured minigames requiring the player to crash such that the car's driver would be ejected through the front windshield and into targets, such as a set of giant bowling pins. The studio also developed the PSP edition of Sega Rally Revo in 2007.

　　Unbounded will be the first installment in the Ridge Racer series to appear on the PC, and the first to hit consoles since the 2006 release of Ridge Racer 7, a PS3 launch title. However, the series hasn't been completely dormant in the meantime. It debuted on the iPhone in 2009 with Ridge Racer Accelerated, and Ridge Racer 3DS is expected to launch alongside Nintendo's newest handheld next month.

　　For more on Bugbear's racing acumen, check out GameSpot's reviews of Sega Rally Revo and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage.