Furmula 1 gets greedy, Sony ditches license (kotaku.com)

[8th lutz]

http://kotaku.com/388371/formula-1-gets-gr...ditches-license

 

Sony have been putting out the official Formula 1 racing games for years now. But if rumours at TG Daily are to be believed, they've turned down an offer to renew the partnership, after a disagreement with the sport's governing body over costs. According to TG Daily, Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone asked Sony for a "hefty increase" to the estimated $75 million deal they agreed to for the 2003-2007 seasons. Sony won't pay, and have walked away from the deal, leaving EA, Ubisoft and Codemasters to fight it out. Can't really blame Sony for this: F1 games have always had a dedicated, hardcore following, but the games have never translated into the kind of sales Sony would expect from a sport so popular across many parts of the world.

 

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I have a difficult time seeing a game company wanting the license based on the price Formula 1 is asking. There is a problem with a games with Formula one. It is puzzling since Formula one is very popular worldwide and is very popular in Europe. The only thing I can think of is the quality of the game and marketing. I didn't recall the Formula games being marketed well in the United States. I am guessing it is true rest of the world also.

 

The only game company I can think of wanting the license is EA. I don't know if EA is will though. EA's sales with the Nascar license was poor. I have a difficult time seeing EA wanting the Formula one license as a result. EA wants to increase their profits in sales and Forumla isn't the answer. Gamers don't want EA to have the license anyone. People have noticed a drop in quality in some of their sports games.

 

Max Mosley or Bernie Ecclestone price for the license is insane a first place. I doubt the asking price went down.

[Atariboy]

Codemasters bought the license. Don't think their arcade inspired take on the sport is going to be any more appealing than EA's and Sony's efforts were. They've never shown what it takes to do any straight simulation, but rather a balance between realism and arcade, Which works for rally racing and TOCA style games, but isn't what fans want in a F1 title, especially on the PC. And I also hope this doesn't lead to Dirt 2, which is tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release with the team concluding their work on Grid currently, being canned and the team being switched over to producing a Formula One title.

 

It hardly matters, none of these companies have the skill it takes to do a proper F1 sim. And there's nothing stoping companies doing what Ubisoft did with Monaco Grand Prix and produce a F1 sim without any licensed material (And they did a surprisingly good job at it back in the late 90s as far as console F1 games go).

 

Just make fictional paintschemes, cars inspired by the real deal but not duplicates of the real vehicles, change driver names, and use country names for the circuits rather than pay the tracks to license a name. And allow the team names and driver names to be edited by the player to place the correct names in at home.

Edited May 10, 2008 by Atariboy

[Seob]

i think the last real f1 simulator came from microprose in the 90's with grand prix 3. An other great f1 simulator for the pc is grand prix legends, where you race with 60's f1 cars.

[+HammR25]

Sounds like F-1 isn't greedy, just not stupid enough to take less money from Sony when they could get more from Codemasters. Codemasters does a good job with their console racing games so this should be pretty good as well. Hardly anyone even cares about PC racing games anymore. That's why there are no PC NASCAR games anymore. If you can't sell a PC NASCAR game in the US then you can't sell anything.

[mimo]

wonder if you will just follow a Ferrari or two for 76 laps *yawn* F1 is just boring now, the only fun is the politics/espionage off the track.

Guess Max Mosley needs to mint some cash for when he gets fired

[+HammR25]

wonder if you will just follow a Ferrari or two for 76 laps *yawn* F1 is just boring now, the only fun is the politics/espionage off the track.

Guess Max Mosley needs to mint some cash for when he gets fired

 

lol, actually if there is online racing the only car you'll see anyone drive is the ferrari.