Very few of us have actually driven them, right?

The tracks look exactly like their real world equivalents, albeit as having been viewed through an HD in-car camera. The models are complete down to the manufacturer's logo on the center of the immensely complex steering wheels. The modeling of the cars is a work of art. On the “yes” side, the graphics are phenomenal when compared to the previous standard. In others, the race stewards have yet to provide a definitive answer. So, did Codemasters deliver? In some ways, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Vast increases in both graphical and processing horsepower should provide for a virtual racing world orders of magnitude more realistic than the last seen F1 effort. After nearly a decade without a true Formula One (I exclude mod packages available for the various SimBin programs since they don't model the racing rules) title, gamers are notably excited to see how the far more capable hardware platforms of the new century will support a brand new offering. In the intervening year, Codemasters has been able to bridge the divide in platform capability between the Wii and the rest of the gaming world to bring us F1: 2010 on the Xbox, PS3, and PC. There are things that the Wii does well, but racing games any more realistic than Mario Kart are not amongst them. Well, truth be told they had the contract in 2009 but were only able to bring out a Wii version. Codemasters, who have quite a storied history in racing games themselves, now has the right to develop F1 titles. In a sport (yes, I know that term is debated hotly, but I use the 'if I can't do it, it's a sport' definition) that changes as rapidly in rules, drivers and technology as Formula One, being stuck for years without a new version has been a cruel form of purgatory for the die hard F1 fan.Īll of that is history now, though, and there is a brighter future ahead. The merits of their PlayStation-only title aside, the result of the exclusive deal that they held has been a dearth of new titles in the F1 arena for the rest of the console and PC markets. Nothing is more depressing and irritating in any given market than a monopolist that refuses to utilize its exclusive control of a franchise to deliver a quality product, and this is exactly what Sony did with the F1 license. At long last, Sony has relinquished its choke hold on the Formula One auto racing license.

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