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F1 2014: Attention F1 Gamers

It’s no great revelation that most F1 fans have fantasised about what it is like to complete a flying lap in a Formula 1 car. As most of us dreamers are unlikely to experience the breathless minute and a half of pure exhilaration we look for the next best thing – gaming.

Formula 1 games have come a long way since the early days of Geoff Crammond’s Formula One Grand Prix. From console to pc the genre has continued to progress over the decades to land with its current creators, Codemasters.

As present holders of the official F1 licence Codemasters has announced two new titles. F1 2014 will feature all the “seismic” changes to the sport while drawing on the developer’s experience in this specific category. Creators have revealed that F1 2014 will feature refined handling and a new driver evaluation system calculated according to your personal skill level. This announcement doesn’t exactly make us light up light a halogen lamp. To refine means to correct or modify something that already exists. It means that Codemasters thinks that their previous attempt at an F1 title was close to the mark; it wasn’t.

Simulation gaming is about realism and while we don’t expect a 100% likeness to the real deal we also don’t expect to win the Abu Dhabi grand prix in Kobayashi’s Caterham. For the true simulator snobs rFactor remains the Holy Grail. For the less obsessed gamer there are several arcade, read easy, racing sims to satisfy that twenty minute stretch of boredom while you wait for your Candy Crush lives to replenish. Fact is, there is a market for both and Codemasters are trying to create a happy medium to satisfy both ends of the scale.

Their attempts at F1 games haven’t been awful but they’ve been far from mind blowing.  The first title, F1 2010, was well received and praised for its attention to detail and intricate weather system. However, the high praise was based on the fact that fans had been starved of a new title for several years. Thus, objectivity was clouded by the giddy anticipation of finally getting your hands on a brand-spanking new F1 game. Enthusiasm started to wane a year later with the launch of F1 2011 and the knives started to appear. A tweak to the multiplayer function and a few new rules wasn’t enough to dupe gamers who struck the fatal blow by dubbing it a meagre replica of its predecessor.  In 2012 Codemasters had another go but interest and enthusiasm was lukewarm at best. The following year introduced a F1 Classics mode which allowed gamers to pound around Jerez, Brands Hatch or Imola in a classic Lotus, Williams or Ferrari. The throwback was a classy homage and was appreciated by the sport’s fans.

codemasters-logo-newIn an attempt to sell its 2014 title Codemasters is talking up the “exciting and refreshingly different experience” it will deliver. Of course gamers will give it a fair chance and conduct their own meticulous examination of its so-called refreshing makeover so we’ll reserve judgment too. The truth is that most are a whole lot more excited about the second announcement made by Codemasters.

The 2015 title, to be released early in the new season, will be a next-gen release. What is next-gen? First, it’s important to understand that with greater processing power comes great responsibility. Next-generation gaming means tighter, more defined graphics, and a level of realism which will increase the sense of immersion. It should require all game developers to swear on an Atari that they will utilise all of its mammoth potential and deliver a gaming experience beyond our wildest dreams.

Should F1 2015 be the answer to your gaming dreams and it continues to command your attention you’ll be happy to know that it will receive live digital updates as the season progresses.

Whether you’re an occasional gamer or the compulsively obsessed kind Codemasters wants you to buy their game. They’re trying to convince you by setting a lofty goal for them. By announcing a next-gen F1 title they now have a responsibility to deliver something special. If all they produce is a simple reproduction of previous titles they will dump the franchise into gaming oblivion. If they knock it out of the park then F1 gamers may just find themselves one step closer to that virtual F1 cockpit.

About Natalie Le Clue

Natalie Le Clue is an F1 aficionado of the most dedicated vein. And, true to form for any F1-enamoured junkie, she readily admits to crying the first time she saw a F1 car, calling it an ‘overwhelming moment’. Natalie has won the 2010 gSport Woman In Media award, the 2015 Woman In Media Print award, and has been named as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in South African Sport by the Department of Sport and Recreation. Natalie is currently serving as SAfm's F1 correspondent. Follow Natalie on Twitter @nlc27

One Response to “F1 2014: Attention F1 Gamers”

  1. dayav07 says:

    Brilliant article! Sums up the situation perfectly.

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