The fourth and final of the developer diaries for F1 2011 has been released by Codemasters that showcases various new additions including safety cars, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), DRS (Drag Reduction System), and Pirelli tires. Since being partly oblivious to the various mechanics of F1 racing, I will believe the developers in their discussion of these significant improvements to the game series.
F1 2011 launches on September 20 in North America for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. The title is also currently in development for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.
NEW F1 2011™ DEVELOPER DIARY REVEALS SAFETY CAR AND SEASON UPDATES
Los Angeles – September 16, 2011 – Codemasters® has today released the fourth and final F1 2011 Developer Diary. The video features gameplay footage and reveals the all-new Safety Car in action alongside a range of season updates that make the game feel “completely different.” Featuring Senior Producer Paul Jeal and Chief Games Designer Stephen Hood, the new developer diary is now playing at www.facebook.com/formula1game.
“Safety car - a lot of people have been asking us for it. We’d always said we’d only do it when it was absolutely right, so now it’s available in single player and multiplayer,” said Stephen Hood, Chief Games Designer.
“It’s the wild card in the pack,” added Paul Jeal, Senior Producer. “Maybe you’re out in front, maybe you think you’re out the points, and then this key event comes in. Can you dive into the pits and get a lap advantage on everyone else? You have to keep the distance to the car in front of you and behind, you need to do the weaving sequences to keep your tires up to temperature”
All of the rule changes from the 2011 FIA FORMULA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ are included to give players the authentic FORMULA ONE™ experience. KERS – Kinetic Energy Recovery System – gives players an acceleration boost to launch out of corners. DRS – Drag Reduction System – adds acceleration for overtaking in specified zones around each circuit and the new Pirelli tires affect performance and handling of the cars on track, changing qualifying and racing strategy. “These three things alone make the game feel completely different,” added Stephen Hood.
F1 2011 will challenge players to “be the driver, live the life, go compete,” with wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements on and off track and vastly extended competitive and co-operative multiplayer components. Players will be able to race against 16 players online plus 8 AI cars to simulate a full 24 car grid, team up with a friend or enjoy multiplayer racing from the sofa in split-screen mode.
F1 2011 will feature all of the official teams, drivers and circuits from the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. The 2011 season also sees the debut of the 2011 FORMULA 1 AIRTEL GRAND PRIX OF INDIA at Delhi’s Buddh International Circuit and the return of the iconic Nürburgring to the calendar.
F1 2011 launches for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC Games For Windows® on Sept. 20, 2011. Handheld editions of F1 2011 are also in production for Nintendo 3DS™ and PlayStation® Vita, each designed to take advantage of the new platforms’ unique capabilities; specific release dates for the handheld editions are to be announced. To get all the news straight from the studio race over to www.facebook.com/formula1game or follow the team on twitter at www.twitter.com/formula1game.
ABOUT CODEMASTERS
Codemasters, the award winning games developer and publisher, has a 24-year heritage and annual revenues in excess of US$ 150 Million. The company’s dominant brands include DiRT, GRID, and Operation Flashpoint; the company retains the exclusive worldwide video game rights to FORMULA ONE. F1 2010, the first multi-format high-definition FORMULA ONE racing game released September 2010, is the fastest-selling FORMULA ONE game ever released. It entered the charts at number one in 6 countries across Europe and sold more than no2. Halo: Reach and no.3 Dead Rising 2 combined on its opening weekend in the UK to become Codemasters’ best-selling title ever. Codemasters operates three UK development studios – one at its Warwickshire HQ with further sites at Guildford and Birmingham. An additional art studio is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2009 Codemasters won the coveted Grand Prix Award at the 2009 Develop Industry Excellence Awards, an award bestowed on the company felt by Develop to have contributed the most to the games medium in recent times. Across the group, Codemasters employs over 450 people. In March 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL), a part of India’s Reliance ADA group, acquired a 50 per cent shareholding in the company, alongside existing investor, Balderton Capital, the leading European venture capital firm that first invested in Codemasters in 2005. For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com
