Codemasters has a new dev diary up showing off the weather effects in F1 2010. These effects don't just look pretty, but have an enormous impact on the gameplay as well. The developers did a lot of research into how weather affects F1 racing and how the drivers react to and use weather to their advantage. The result is a highly realistic recreation in the game that is both visually and functionally accurate.
new F1 2010 DEVELOPER DIARY REVEALS DYNAMIC WEATHER SYSTEM and active track technology
See how the most authentic weather system in any racing title affects gameplay in the new
F1 2010 Developer Diary available now at www.formula1-game.com
Weather can have a dramatic affect on the outcome of a FORMULA ONE™ race, affecting both the level of control of the cars and race strategy. To deliver the most authentic FORMULA ONE experience possible, these effects are fully simulated in F1 2010, the official game of the 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™.
In the video, the wide ranging effects of weather and their impact in the game are revealed. FORMULA ONE test driver Anthony Davidson explains that although players have some information about the weather at their disposal, how they use that information is crucial: “The teams know by the radar where the weather is coming from and how long it’s going to last. Players will be aware of roughly what the weather is doing, and then they can make their call, just like they would in real life.”
“Players can be going along outside the points, and maybe they make a gamble. The clouds come in, the skies darken. Maybe they predict that the rain’s going to come now and change the tires early. Player choice is going to be critical at those stages,” added Senior Producer Paul Jeal.
In career mode, F1 2010’s weather system is fully dynamic, mirroring real life conditions that can change at any time, whether between sessions or during a session itself. The weather authentically reflects the conditions at each of the 19 GRAND PRIX™ locations, meaning rain is unlikely at Abu Dhabi but conditions can be unpredictable at Spa and Silverstone. Players can even set weather conditions and experience the dramatic effects they have on racing in GRAND PRIX, Time Trial and Multiplayer modes.
More than just a visual effect, the dynamic weather system in F1 2010 is an integral part of the game’s Active Track technology. This system means that the track is fully aware of how much grip, water, rubber, dust or marbles there is for every 11.8 square inches of track surface, allowing players to see and take advantage of realistic drying lines during wet races as cars displace water from the racing line in real time.
Players will have to adapt their race strategy on the fly to accommodate the changing conditions and will be able to gamble on a particular strategy that could lead to gaining or losing places. Being on the wrong tires at the wrong time could well ruin the chances of a positive race result.
To ensure that F1 2010 will deliver the most authentic recreation of weather conditions ever seen in a racing game, former FORMULA ONE driver Anthony Davidson has been embedded into the team to give a driver’s perspective on the affects that changing conditions have upon the car and race strategy.
FORMULA ONE fans can view the new developer diary at www.formula1-game.com, the home for all the latest screens, news and videos straight from the studio. F1 2010 is coming this September for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC Games For Windows®.
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ABOUT F1 2010
F1 2010 is the official game of the 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP and will include all of the official teams, drivers and circuits from this thrilling season. F1 2010 will challenge players to take on the best drivers on the planet in a range of game modes, from quick-fire races to full Grand Prix weekends and a career mode that can span either three, five or seven years.
In production at Codemasters Studios Birmingham, F1 2010 is being developed on the EGO™ Game Technology Platform, an evolution of the engine that powered the critically acclaimed, million-plus selling DiRT 2 and GRID™. The award-winning, under-the hood tech has been tuned to recreate the unique aerodynamics and handling of 200MPH+ FORMULA ONE cars for players to feel the thrill of competing at the pinnacle of motorsport.
