Codemasters set to sign Free Radical's Second Sight

British publisher Codemasters is on the verge of signing a publishing deal for Free Radical Design's eagerly awaited action title Second Sight, according to senior UK sources - and a Ã'£5 million marketing blitz is already planned for the game.

Speaking under conditions of strict anonymity, industry sources here in Britain told us that the deal will be announced at E3 next month, and that Codemasters is preparing a massive push for the title when it launches late this year.

Codemasters refused to be drawn on the issue today, a spokesman saying only that it will make "no comment on speculation," while Free Radical has also made no comment on the affair.

Little is known about Second Sight so far, aside from the fact that the title is an action thriller with a similar graphical style to Free Radical's TimeSplitters games and will appear on all three console platforms.

Codemasters has long been seeking a break-out action title to help it expand beyond the successful driving games which form the core of its line-up. It has had some success in the past with titles such as Project IGI and Operation Flashpoint, and apparently has high hopes for Second Sight being one of the stand-out products in this genre for autumn/winter 2004.

Confirmation of the deal is expected in the coming weeks.