This is an official WRC rally game, coming by the end of the year probably. I hope it's indeed a serious simulation, and not in arcade style like Codemasters has been doing...
dev blog, with the first teaser: http://blog.milestone.it/tag/wrc/
WRC 2010 site: http://www.wrcthegame.com/
This game got me thinking: When will GOG add Richard Burns Rally and rFactor to the site? I guess these two would be an incentive for a lot of people, to come to this site... and rFactor 2 is coming in 2010/2011, too.

Thank you! I had no idea about this new game. I hope they do create a good proper WRC game without having to deal with other cars on the track or lasers.

This should be something very interesting. Being able to actually run all real rallies and stages from the WRC. But I do hope for an arcadish gameplay. Or at least an option to play like this. I tend to suck when it comes to simulations.

I'm glad you like it, they didn't advertised it much really. :)
Sorry but I disagree with you in that sentence. In the past there was a lot of flight simulators, racing, strategy games... and look at the market today: all is now mainstream and in a easier difficulty, so people looking for games as a challenge don't find the games who suit them.
Gran Turismo 5 will have official WRC too, but for that you need to own a PS3. This game I can play on PC, and if you want arcade games for the PC you should look for the Codemasters games, like Grid and DiRT 2.
At least they're making F1 2010, which I hope it's good and not only in a arcadish way. I respect Codies games, but like you said it would be great if all games nowadays had these two options, true simulation and arcade.

Is this one going to be closer to the arcadey fun of DiRT, or the brutal, unforgiving, but ultimately rewarding hardcore realism of Richard Burns Rally?

If I take into consideration the developer I would say 60-40 to the more serious game, but who knows!

I think the game can ideally bring both as an option. I know they rarely do both together well, but who knows, this could be the first.
You guessed right, I like to race around more than being challenged when it comes to racing games. I actually own Colin McRae 2005, Dirt and Dirt 2 and Grid. I tend to play these games at casual/normal (2 or 3 of 5) difficulty, that is, the default one.
Using Grid as an example: towards the end, Grid becomes a chore to beat even on that difficulty so I find it hard to come back and finish the last few events. So it goes from easy to challenging to hard as hell during it's campaign. Hardly an ideal balance to me.
Dirt 2, on the other hand, is easy all the way, with an very occasional challenge (from Dave Mirra on certain types of events). Given the size of the campaign, it becomes boring along the way, but it's my fault for not scaling the difficulty up.
Colin 2005 on the other hand, was a game that had a perfect arcade balance to me. Was fun and though generally easy, you could expect to be challenged (but never frustraded) on a regular basis. And I didn't have to scale the difficulty from the default one.
If WRC can pull something like that to me, I'll be very pleased.

Like trusteft said, we don't know... I'd love a RBR-like game.
The dev is called Milestone, they have been doing a series of superbike racing games, the latest is SBK-X. I never played them so I don't know their approach.
Yep, would be nice, but they rarely do both right.
With your experience on Colin2005, then DiRT1, then Grid, then DiRT2 you noticed how the balance was replaced by just making the game easier and casual... that's not an improvement, right? ;)

I think the biggest change with the change of name to Dirty was the cutting of the throat of any resemblance to a WRC game, like, you know, every other CMR game before it.
You need to have long races, without other cars present, and basically fighting to finish the long stage as soon as possible. Every race should have several stages and for the love of everything, there is no single race apart from Paris Dakart (sp?) that goes from one continent or even country, to the other, again and again and again.
Also, I hope it will not have any smartass mofo talking all the fraking time in the menus or in the race. If I want to your a joke or your opinion unknown AI voice, I will ask for it. The only voice in the game should be of my co-driver giving me directions for what is ahead.

Agreed.

Release date is October 8, 2010. ;)
Read the blog for details: http://blog.milestone.it/tag/wrc/

A proper rally game? I haven't seen one of those in a while.
The problem with all racing and sports games on GOG is licensing. I'd imagine Richard Burns fairs no better on that front.

Yeah, sadly, just like Toca 3 here IIRC.
Anyway, having RBR and rFactor available digitally on GOG would be WIN, as a store. Work on it, GOG. ;)