Codemasters secures rights to F1 game licence

09/05/2008

Codemasters, one of the longest running British computer game developers, founded by Richard and David Darling in 1985, this morning issued the following press release:

Codemasters, developer and publisher of award-winning racing video games, has secured the exclusive video game rights to Formula 1 it was announced today. In a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Limited, Codemasters will develop a new generation of the multi-million selling Formula 1 game franchise across multiple platforms.

Codemasters Studios, creators of genre-leading racing titles Colin McRae: DiRT™ and Race Driver: GRID™, will lead the design and development of official FIA Formula One World Championship games for home console, handheld and PC gaming formats.

"Formula 1 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 1 audience and connecting them globally," said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters. "As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with Formula 1 is the jewel in Codemasters' racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. Formula 1 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 1 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 1'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 provides Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, Formula 1 teams, cars, and driver likenesses.

The F1 games will be developed 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.

The EGO Engine is currently being deployed in the creation of Race Driver: GRID™, the latest in Codemasters Studio's international circuit-based racing series. Set to be a landmark release when it launches on May 30th, Race Driver: GRID was recently hailed as "The driving game of the summer" by BBC Top Gear magazine.

Codemasters expects the first game based on the Formula One World Championship to launch in 2009.



Source
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_new...es_art_id=34746

Niiice ^___^
Nothing will ever beat Toca 1 tho... the memories...

Not the biggest fan of F1 but i think CM can really turn it around. Their last few games have been sexy indded

ive been waiting for a balls out f1 racing game from Codemasters for awhile...TOCA 3's BMW F1 wasnt enough haha

Hmmm, this'll be interesting. Think goodness EA didn't get it. Codemasters makes some pretty good games so I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the F1 license.

Correct me if im wrong, but was it not EA that had it?

It's a long and complex story.

Originally a British company by the name of Psygnosis, who released the first licensed game that i know about back in 1996 for the PS1. It's a fun game. Anyways, they kept making it for the PS1, until they were bought out by Sony in 1999. Around this time, EA Sports came out with F1 games, and Microprose made games based on the 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2001 seasons. In 2002, Sony bought exclusive rights for the F1 franchise for $200 million (they only paid $75 million) for exclusive rights to 2006, which is why F1:CE on PS3 was essentially F1 06 rehashed. And now Codemasters have the rights. Hopefully they'll do a better job than Sony.

No-one could match Psygnosis. They made the PSX worth having (WipEout, G-Police, Destruction Derby, need I say more?)

This will be good, I always enjoyed games from them and F1 games are always awesome, time to time I play my F1 2002.

Thats right. I remember now man thanks

Depends, the whole spying thing has gottin me off F1. Not to mention the total **** up they made in Idianaopolis. They REALLY screwed up there. But i have faith in Codemasters. If the game is going to be anything like GRID is then its going to smoke out baby

Well yeah, just one more, say Rollcage.

Codemasters is a great company and will do wonders for F1. Now if they could just take IRL too.

Do you have F1CE? I got it last month after I played the demo and loved it.

TOCA 2 bonus cars and tracks = win.


What's the betting that Codies use the DiRT handling model? Handbrake turns at la source anyone?

Also, does anyone remember F1 Arcade?

This post has been edited by Livi70590: May 27 2008, 12:38 PM

Yeah, I'd love to hit the Indy 500 ^__^

OT: did anyone ever buy the Newman Haas game? Its ancient, Mark Blundel (Does F1 anaylsis) raced in it