F1: 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsWJqvNLMNQ

F1 2010™ is the first multi-format, high definition Formula One videogame from Codemasters®, the developer and publisher of award-winning racing games, under its exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One Administration Limited.

Complete with all the drivers, teams and circuits featuring in the current 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, F1 2010 will immerse players in the glamour and exhilaration of the world’s most exciting motorsport, from the paddock to the track.

Developed using Codemasters’ EGO™ Technology Platform, an evolution from the award winning EGO Engine, F1 2010 will deliver an unrivalled F1 experience, powered by cutting edge graphics, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

Features:

All the cars, all the stars - fully licensed, F1 2010 features all the drivers and teams contesting the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, including drivers’ world champions Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher.

Every circuit, beautifully realised - race wheel-to-wheel on all 19 of the 2010 tracks, each modelled with exceptional attention to detail and jaw-dropping visuals. The revitalised line-up features iconic circuits including Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Monaco and challenges players to race at the returning Canadian Grand Prix, take on Singapore’s dramatic night race in high definition for the first time and debut ahead of the drivers on the all-new Korean circuit.

Be the Driver, Live the Life - there is more to being a Formula One driver than being the fastest person on track and F1 2010 is the first game to allow players to experience the exclusive world of Formula One like never before. From the paddock to the garage, everything is viewed from the driver’s perspective, as players are immersed in the building excitement and drama of a race weekend. Players will interact with rival drivers, team members, fans, and of course, the press, which all affect the way the gamer’s career plays out. Use the media to spur the team on or to criticise the lack of car development and pressure rivals in the hope that they fold during the championship run-in…

The world’s greatest cars, the most exciting racing - building on the heritage of producing award-winning racing games for over a decade, Codemasters is uniquely placed to realise the spectacle and exhilaration of racing 320km/h-plus Formula one cars. F1 2010 embraces the broad range of Formula One fans, from casual gamer to hardcore simulation enthusiast, and delivers a range of difficulty levels and driving aids for players of all skill levels to experience the thrill of becoming a Formula One driver. Players can fully customise a huge range of vehicle variables to suit their style of driving and eke every last ounce of performance from their car, or leave the leg work to their race engineer and head straight out onto the track. F1 2010 will also support a comprehensive range of racing wheels for the ultimate racing experience.

Fully dynamic weather - affecting strategy, performance and delivering stunning visual effects, F1 2010 features the most advanced weather system in any racing game. Codemasters’ ‘Active Track’ technology means the grip in the wet or dry for each circuit’s track surface is modelled down to just 30cm. Individual tyre performance is accurately modelled depending on the amount of grip, rain or standing surface water there is at any given point. Players can adjust their driving style by searching out grip or take the line that allows water to cool their tyres or adjust their strategy by making a pit stop to change tyres.

Unprecedented authenticity - Codemasters has used its unprecedented access to the world of Formula One to connect the development team directly with Formula One teams and tyre manufacturers. Extensive consultancy has taken place with a range of F1 professionals, including race engineers, mechanics and drivers. This real world experience is combined with F1 data, including CAD and on-board telemetry, to deliver a race experience complete with authentic handling, accurate circuits and precisely modelled racing cars. To ensure fans get the ultimate racing experience, former F1 driver Anthony Davidson has been embedded into the Codemasters development team as Technical Consultant to advise on handling and performance.

Build a career - whether players wish to work their way up from the bottom, switching teams as they go, or build a dynasty with their chosen team, gamers can fully realise their aspirations in F1 2010’s extensive and challenging career mode. Players compete with their closest rival, their team mate, to become the priority driver and shape the future development of the car by performing well in races and funding performance upgrades. Battles out on the track will develop into rivalries with drivers from other teams, but keep it clean or the media will be waiting...

Experience the drama of the pit - Codemasters has worked closely with Formula One teams to motion capture a fully manned pit crew, delivering a gameplay experience which is vibrant and full of pressure. The full pit lane, featuring each team in their various stages of strategy, becomes home to tense and exciting moments of drama as the drivers and crew work to return their car to the race as fast as possible.

Full online multiplayer - F1 2010 will include extensive online multiplayer options allowing players to take on their friends and the rest of the world in a range of race modes.

EGO powered F1 - F1 2010 is being developed on the EGO Game Technology platform, evolved from the award winning EGO engine. Enabling Codemasters’ development talent to share tools and technology across Studios and Central Technology teams, the EGO Game Technology Platform empowers Codemasters’ game designers to realise their creative visions across multiple platforms featuring cutting edge graphics, powerful AI, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

Note: F1 2010 launches on September 24 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3wJ6PKFXxU

Really looking forward to this.

This is going to make me buy a wheel, isn't it?

EZ - it already (sort of) made me build myself a new computer.

I was thinking that too. A good gaming rig, a wheel... Crikey. Can't afford it.

Final, positive pre-release preview look from ign...
http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1116120p1.html

Edge posted their review...
http://www.next-gen.biz/features/formula-1-2010-review

Comparison shots between the PS3, 360, and PC version...

http://www.pcgames.de/F1-2010-PC-231463/News/F1-2010-Das-Rennspiel-im-Grafikvergleich-PC-vs-Xbox-360-und-Playstation-3-775025/galerie/1435629/?fullsize
http://www.pcgames.de/F1-2010-PC-231463/News/F1-2010-Das-Rennspiel-im-Grafikvergleich-PC-vs-Xbox-360-und-Playstation-3-775025/galerie/1435631/?fullsize
http://www.pcgames.de/F1-2010-PC-231463/News/F1-2010-Das-Rennspiel-im-Grafikvergleich-PC-vs-Xbox-360-und-Playstation-3-775025/galerie/1435628/?fullsize
http://www.pcgames.de/F1-2010-PC-231463/News/F1-2010-Das-Rennspiel-im-Grafikvergleich-PC-vs-Xbox-360-und-Playstation-3-775025/galerie/1435632/?fullsize
http://www.pcgames.de/F1-2010-PC-231463/News/F1-2010-Das-Rennspiel-im-Grafikvergleich-PC-vs-Xbox-360-und-Playstation-3-775025/galerie/1435630/?fullsize

pre-loaded this off steam last night - can't wait for Tuesday

So - is anybody playing this? Seems like it has loads of issues. I still really want it but I think I'll wait until Codies get some stuff fixed (like pits, and tires, and fuel loads, and slicks in wet weather, etc)

EZ - I've played about five hours of the PC version & haven't really ran into any of the bugs, but that's because of the way I've been playing (hardest difficulty & no assists & mostly just doing time trials). If you're an F1 fan, there's a lot to like about the game and a lot it gets pretty right. But there's no denying it got rushed out the door and definitely could have used another 6 months in the oven to work out the kinks (some rather major, especially for people trying to play the career mode). I know they have to contractually get F1 2011 out by this time next year, so I don't know how big of a team codies is going to be able to have trying to patch up these versions (across three systems too - it's a lot of work). Certainly the pit bug has to be fixed (but you can already sort of avoid it if you do longer races or pit a lap early or a lap late), but there's a lot of stuff, especially with the AI in career races that I have my doubts about (for instance, AI not making mandatory pits). There's just a really complicated rule set in F1 and it seems they weren't able to get it right the first time out the door (not surprisingly). The fact that they faked lap time in practice and qualifying is especially disappointing and highlighs some of the problems underlying the simulation.

But what they did get right - a solid feeling, the look, the tracks, the cars - it's an achievement. Even the racing is exhilarating and terrifying at times, especially in the rain, especially with a wheel. Time Trials, as far as I know, is also a bug free mode and quite fun, if you're the type of person who gets into trying to run better and better laps (also good practice for racing career if it ever gets patched up).

If you're only interested in winning races and playing the career mode, you might want to seriously wait for next year, as it's sadly broken and possibly unfixable, but at the same time, it's (pretty much) completely playable too - as long as you can overlook getting cheated out of the results (at times) - the racing is quite fun. So, overall mixed feeling, but I did only pay $35 US, so not too bothered either way - personally glad I bought it.

I think when the console version drops in price I'll pick it up as I just want to run these cars on those tracks. I'm fine with time trials, especially in a series like this (I couldn't do it in an oval though).

Thanks for the impressions Jeff.

Question for you chaps and chappettes: I'm going to pick up either this or Gran Turismo this week because I've been hankering for a racing/driving game. Any thoughts as to which one I should get? (I'll ask the same in the GT thread and see if that gets a different response).

Ez - I don't think it's really a fair competition. Gran Turismo offers so much more than F1. I never really got into this game like I thought I would - it is by no means garbage, but there's definitely a feeling they didn't quite get it together and F1 2011 should be more fully realized. One areas Codemaster's F1 beats Gran Turismo is the overall racing feeling. With this game (without assists) you really have to learn and nail the tracks and the AI can give you a good race. With Gran Turismo I feel like it's much harder to have a good race - it's more of a driving and car collecting grindathon game (because your car is either too weak or too powerful in 90% of the racing you do - there rarely is that balanced, tight racing - maybe except if you set it up just right in online). Graphically (at least on PC) F1 is also more consistent and better looking overall.

Those two factors aside, Gran Turismo (although also suffering a little from an incomplete feeling) offers so much more in terms of content, tracks, variety and basically an unending amount of stuff to do (and patches have improved it much from initial release and more patches are coming), including F1 cars, there is pretty much no good reason to buy F1 over Gran Turismo. On the other hand, if you're just looking for a casual racing game you don't want to have to put hundreds of hours into, some of this generations more focused releases, like Dirt 2, PGR 4 or Grid, may be better places to look.

EZ - Another thing to consider - do you have a PC and a wheel? If yes, iRacing offers absolutely the best, most competitive racing experience ever & makes all other racing games look like kid's games. Vey much worth the price of admission - though, almost like a real sport, you can only get out of it what you put in - i.e. not really for casual play at all.

Also to consider on PC - rFactor. While never as polished as a Gran Turismo, it offers at least ten times the content (I'm not joking). Just look through all the cars and tracks available here... http://www.rfactorcentral.com/

rFactor also has many complete F1 mods from different seasons, that offer better driving than Codemasters game. Graphically rFactor is dated, and a new version is due out this year, but it's still an amazing value, if you just want to play an endless amount of content.

Sadly, no wheel or Windows machine in the house, and there is no way either will happen. I have some friends who are huge iRacing guys and they've offered me wheels and help, but I don't see it happening unless I decide to only race and give up other games.

I do want something more than the Dirt/Grid family, and I've become a huge F1 fan over the past few years. The last Gran Turismo I played was 3, which I enjoyed but didn't obsess over. The whole unlocking things and cash grind collecting is not my cup of tea either. Really torn, which is why I'm asking about both games.

Thanks for your feedback Jeff. Sincerely appreciated.

The whole unlocking things and cash grind collecting is not my cup of tea either.

That's Gran Turismo. In fact, the F1 car in the game costs 20,000,000 credits - I've maybe earned a few million (most of which I've spent buying cars you need to compete in higher levels) after driving over 1,000 miles - so it's a hell of a grind).

If you are a F1 fan, you will probably enjoy the trappings and style of Codemasters game. Being able to race on all the tracks from 2010, plus against the real licensed drivers is pretty neat. I found the career mode (with some light RPG elements) not too exciting (I've still only done a couple of career races), but the time trial mode is excellent and you can also set up your own races with your own rules (from 10% race to a full race, time of day, weather, practice, 1-3 qualifying sessions etc) in the Grand Prix mode, including building your own short of full length season (with no RPG stuff to do) and racing for any team. I actually do want to play this more than I have / wish I had more time.

That grind...

Leaning toward F1.

Like this

Although why Hamilton is leading everything in my career i don't know, didn't he like win three races in 2010?

Still having to drive with the racing line switched on, think I'd be lost without it on most of these tracks.

I have to play with the tv in car view, that is the one that sits about a foot above the drivers helmet. At least I can see the track ahead.

Can anyone explain the physics behind why when I break my car does not steer, it's only when i release the brake that controls resumes to my steering. I always thought (from my Geoff Crammond f1 days) that hard breaking provided extra weight and control on the front wheels.

'brake' btw

computer cars seem indestructible, hardly ever spinning off or retiring.

traction control off makes this game a thing of torture

i've turned off the racing line, meaning i'm getting lapped more than once even before i finish a lap sometimes.

blue flags and penalties are ridiculous, especially on monaco. and why do i get the blame when some idiot slams into my behind.

what the fuck is the abomination that is Time Trials? So much as scratch the car, lap invalidated, so continue on make another tiny bump - next lap invalidated. just fuck off.

racing line back on, but it's very iffy and should be taken lightly. like when it tells me i'm okay now to accelerate and then suddenly there's another huge bend to slow down on.

commentator is naff too, seems to be behind a lot.