Ben and Stuart were having a discussion about the upcoming F1 2013 from Codemasters and whether or not they thought it was going to be a major improvement over 2012, or just a roster update.
Ben
So, F1 2013 is out the end of this week (4th October) and we’re both pretty excited about it. There’s a whole bunch of new features, which we’ll get to, but how long have you been playing the F1 games and what is it you like about them?
Stuart
My first F1 game was F1 2011, I had also played the 2011 F1 Championship Edition but I preferred 2011. The best thing about the F1 games is that they are simulators, as close a simulator you can probably get on consoles.
How long have you been playing the F1 games for? What was your first game?
Ben
I think the first F1 game I played was “Official Formula One Racing” by Eidos in 1999. It was at the time that I was first experiencing decent PC games whenever I visited my uncle’s house. Pretty sure we still had an IBM in the house at the time.
I played a couple of the EA ones in the early 2000s, but didn’t like them as they weren’t Sim enough. When Codemasters announced F1 2010 I was ecstatic as Codemasters had proved their worth in the racing genre with TOCA, Colin McRae and more recently at the time GRID. It’s exactly what you said, they are the closest you can get in terms of simulation. I only wish I could set up a rig to race with!
Stuart
Do these new iterations still compare to the games that first interested you? Both in terms of bringing new features as well as official content.
Ben
I think there was a big jump between 2010 and 2011. Possibly because 2010 was Codemasters first hit at it, but also because 2011 was the year that KERS and DRS were introduced to the sport and thus the game. Codemasters also added the Safety Car in that year, which was a very nice feature.
I didn’t feel that 2012 added an awful lot to the mix, other than the new circuit at Austin, Texas, but with 2013 they seem to have pushed the boat out again with an expanded young drivers test, and the thing everyone’s been talking about, Classic Mode.
Stuart
Yeah, I have to say that joining the F1 games at 2011 it felt like I was paying for just new official content in 2012, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the games. I think it’s more to do with career mode that the game has, I really enjoyed starting as a Rookie in a team and having to prove myself, knowing that I was going to have to do the full race laps and that any lapse in concentration meant that if I went off in a race, then the chances of me getting an improved seat in a better team diminished. The precise nature of F1 is caught perfectly by these games and being an avid fan of the motorsport it gives me another avenue to enjoy F1 through.
Ben
Once I started playing the Codemasters games, I really got back into F1 as a whole, as I kind of fell out of love with the sport for a while. But this is even more of a reason why 2013 excites me with its Classic mode, as it’s bringing back a load of cars and drivers that I used to watch when I was really passionate about the sport. The kind of passionate where you sit up all night to watch the Suzuka Grand Prix at like 3am!
*note that the time I did that the F1 coverage was still on ITV, and I fell asleep during the first commercial into the race
Stuart
I am looking forward to the introduction of the classics mode as well, as its covering both the 80’s and 90’s. This means you will be able to drive the cars from the Senna vs Prost era, which was arguably one of the most fiercely fought rivalries in F1 history. Not only that, but you will be able to drive the cars that defined the heroes of that time, the huge engines pushing the cars beyond their limits and the drivers fighting to control them, it will show new generations of race fans that F1 wasn’t always so safety cautious and that the drivers weren’t just racing to win, but also teasing death in each race.
Yeah, the best thing to happen to F1 in Britain was the reintroduction of the sport to be broadcast on the BBC, it is currently being done on Sky’s dedicated F1 channel, which does offer some unique pieces, but nothing beats listening to Eddie Jordan on race day, and getting the awesome Scottish tones of David Coulthard during the race.
Ben
Yeah, I watch it on Sky if it’s not available on BBC, but sometimes even prefer to catch the highlights on the BBC.
I should say that the 80’s content for the Classic Mode comes in the standard edition, but the 90s content, along with the classic tracks of Imola and Estoril, is only in the Classic Edition, of which there are only 10,000 limited copies in the UK.
What new feature in F1 2013 are looking forward to most, or is it all about the Classic Mode?
Stuart
As I have said I enjoy starting off as a Rookie in the F1 games, to prove that I can increase both the team and myself throughout the the season. So the feature I am most looking forward to is the expanded young drivers test, I want to see how they work it into the game, and still get the game to be as realistic as possible. I also can’t wait to see whether or not the game AI has been improved, or if that is just something companies stamp onto press releases for sequels of a games series
What about yourself? I know that you are intrigued by the Classic Mode, but is that all that is going to keep you playing?
Ben
I love career mode too, but I never get very far through it as I don’t have the time for long races, and I feel short races are not doing to game justice. For me the best new feature is the Mid-Session Saves. Now I don’t need to put aside two hours for one race weekend, I can do it in a few short gaming sessions instead. Genius.
There’s also a scenario mode which could be good for the shorter pick up and play sessions, and it will be interesting to see what Codemasters do with their RaceNet and F1 2013. They’ve already announced a RaceNet exclusive download car, the 1976 Ferrari 312 T2 (the car featured in the movie Rush).
Oh, and also, Murray Walker. Gotta love that!
Stuart
Aha, I didn’t realise Murray Walker was in it! I don’t know how I missed that, its good that he’ll be immortalised in another medium other than television/radio. I know it will get old quick if done too much, but I hope he says “Go, Go, Go!” at least once a season. I like how Codemasters are making the hardcore fans happy as well as introducing new ways for people to get interested in the game. I know that I thought it was a bit daunting to do a full race weekend at first.
Ben
They’ve also featured the “F1 Tune” (The Chain by Fleetwood Mac) in the TV adverts, so I’m hoping that’s in the game too, though the soundtracks in 2010 and 2011 were pretty good anyway.
Well I think it’s safe to say we’re both pretty excited about F1 2013, do you think Codemasters are still missing anything?
Stuart
I don’t know what the post race press conferences are going to be like(if they are even included), but I am hoping that they will include some of the brilliant retorts given by the drivers. Aside from that I can’t think of much more that Code Masters could have done, unless they introduced a team management system, that would be the icing on the cake.
Ben
Haha, it would be good to have a “give a Kimi response” option in press conferences!
A management system would be a cool idea. Codemasters were running a browser-based F1: Online for a while that had a whole team management system that was really cool, but ultimately the game didn’t get enough traffic and they shut it down.
I think we’re both in agreement that F1 2013 looks like it’s going to be fairly impressive, and not just a licensing update. The graphics that have been shown look really crisp, and with all the new game modes and features, we can’t wait to get our hands on it!