It was announced today that Codemasters has secured exclusive video game rights to Formula One. In a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Limited, Codemasters will now begin development on a new generation of games for multi-million copy selling franchise. They now say their target is to make the game a top seller across all platforms.
This announcement puts an end to speculation that EA Sports had secured exclusive rights, after it was rumoured that Lewis Hamilton had signed a £5 million deal to be the face of their new Formula One games. It will be a huge relief to fans of the gaming series, who had expressed their disappointment at past attempts from EA Sports.
Codemasters Studios are world renowned for games such as the series of self titled games from the late Colin McRae, including their latest offering, DiRT. They will lead the design and development of official FIA Formula One World Championship games for home console, handheld and PC gaming formats.
"Formula One is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the Formula One audience and connecting them globally,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters.
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“As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with Formula One is the jewel in Codemasters’ racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. Formula One has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host Formula One Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack.”
“Codemasters’ success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge,” said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters. “The combination of Formula One’s new momentum of expansion and Codemasters’ contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen.”
The worldwide deal announced today means that Codemasters now have exclusive rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, Formula One teams, cars, and driver likenesses.
The new series of Formula One games will be using the evolution of the award-winning EGO Game Technology Engine, Codemasters’ highly versatile cross-platform middleware technology. Its advanced graphics and physics technology brings an unmatched cinematic quality and realism to interactive entertainment.
Codemasters expects the first game based on the FIA Formula One World Championship to launch in 2009.
So, what do YOU, the Formula One fans, think of this deal? Would you have liked to see Sony have another go at producing this series of games, or do you believe that the games have reached their pinnacle by being signed to Codemasters?
Funnily enough, you can answer these questions by using that handy little comments box below. Cool eh?
Quotes retrieved from Formula1.com: © 1999-2008 Formula One Administration Ltd
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3 months ago
Great article!...I used to play the EA sports games and I'm really looking forward to this new F1 game...I wouldn't mind Sony trying to make another one, or even EA...to be perfectly honest, I just want more F1 games in the market.
3 months ago
EA/ISI's F1 sims were the best around at the time. Codemasters has yet to make a good, realistic sim. They continue to churn out slot-car, mickey mouse, arcade crap, and I imagine they will do so with the F1 rights as well.
from 3 months ago
The FOA are only going to give the micense to the best around. EA made F1 games at the time when the license was up for grabs, and anyone, if they had the resources, could make one. If it's as good as Colin McRae DiRT then this will be phenomenal.
3 months ago
I honestly hope it's nothing like F1 in ToCA 3. The physics for those seemed like total crap to me. Just my opinion. Everytime I play that game I just get mad. But hopefully they make it the best F1 game ever....
from 3 months ago
Toca 3 is crap, but they have moved on since then. I believe we can expect a quality game from them.
3 months ago
I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I think most hardcore F1 fans would prefer a sim than an arcade game. Dirt was nice to look at, but the handling was very poor.
3 months ago
In addition, the FOA are going to give the liscense to whoever has the most money. EA's F1 Challenge for the PC was the greatest modern F1 game ever made.
Also, i'm not sure about your take on fan opinion, everyone from race sim central to neogaf is pretty distressed over this news.
from 3 months ago
I've seen the new engine that will be used, and DiRt looks horrible compared to some of the work that has been done. The handling on DiRT was pretty good, but it varied on the sytem you played on. it shall be interesting to see what console the game sells on best, because i love games like pgr because to trigger controls. Of course, everyone would be used to the playstation controls, which were too easy in my view.
Thanks for your views Dan, much appreciated.
3 months ago
I have to agree with posts that I have already read that I am concerned that we will end up with another middle of the road arcade based physics game. Codemasters would do well to produce the PC version of EA's F1 Challenge 99-02. Still the best F1 game to date for a realistic take on the sport. It would have been great if Turn 10 had gotten the rights. Forza Motorsport 2 is amazing and proof that a sim based game can sell to the masses. Fingers crossed for better realism than DiRT and GRID. Both owned and both dissapointing to a sim fan.
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