Formula 1 2009 comes to Wii and PSP (2010 for PS3/360)

[dobyblue]

I don't know if the folks at Codemasters are as dumb as Bernie Ecclestone (that's rhetorical, no-one's as much of an idiot as Bernie) but the F1 games used to be exclusive to SCEA. F1 2006 was the last one, which hit PS3 exclusively...it was pretty awesome but obviously rushed.

So F1 (FIA a.k.a. Bernie) decides to give the new game from Studio Liverpool (Psygnosis) to Codemasters who today annoucned their big news:

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/4/9239.html

The 2009 game is coming to PSP and Wii. What? Are you kidding me? I'm sorry, but which idiot thinks Wii owners are rushing out to get the premiere F1 simulator game? Hot damned I've seen some dumb gaming decisions, but this takes the cake.

Not only is F1 still not in high definition, but now the game isn't either!

Twits.

Oh yeah, it's coming to PS3 for the 2010 season. I'll bet the broadcasts are still in SD 16:9 though. The premiere motorsport, in standard def.

[J6P]

This is lunacy.

And we still don't have F1 in HD in the states yet, either. STILL. Two-thousand-friggen-nine. I feel your frustration on that one as well.

[Shin-Ra]

We will not be able to provide F1 coverage in high definition this year. The BBC relies on Formula 1 Management (FOM) for the provision of all of its live pictures and as such the broadcasting of high definition pictures is dependent upon whether FOM uses HD cameras or not.

There's your explanation.

[J6P]

Interesting. I talked to the team at Studio Liverpool at E3 '06 ('05?) when they demonstrated hands-on for the first time, and was shocked to hear that even Europe and the UK weren't getting F1 in HD. I assumed things must have changed since then. For them, at least.

We don't even get to see it in 16:9 out here, only 4:3. As Doby states, this is the Driver's Championship. Formula One is the most technologically advanced and, in my opinion, the most telegenic sporting event in the world. I really wish they could get this sorted. Viewership would jump tremendously. I often get sucked into a couple of hours of NASCAR on the weekend just because it looks so beautiful -- and I hate NASCAR.

[dobyblue]

You get it in 16:9 if you watch Speed HD. I have to watch TSN HD in Canada to get the SD 16:9 feed and it's much more palatable than the SD feed.

But as I said, the reason why you don't get F1 in HD is because of Bernie Ecclestone. He doesn't think it's important yet. This is the same arseclown that thinks people in the UK shouldn't have to wake up at ungodly hours to watch F1 so he's telling Australia to outfit Albert Park with floodlighting and have a nightrace or they'll lose their race after 2010. What a tit. He's obviously oblivious to PVR's and the like. F1 is global, not European Bernie.

The Williams team along with Philips put together some 1080p footage of F1 recently and the comparison with what F1 could look like and what it does look like is pretty hilarious.

F1 HD (Philips/Williams demo)



Upscaled 576i broadcast (720pHD)



Sad to see what could be.

[J6P]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

You get it in 16:9 if you watch Speed HD. I have to watch TSN HD in Canada to get the SD 16:9 feed and it's much more palatable than the SD feed.

Aahhh, I see, that makes much more sense. My cable provider still doesn't offer Speed in HD, nor Comedy Central or a slew of other stations that I hear can be had in HD. But that's a whole other kettle of fish.

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Sad to see what could be.

Truer words were never spoken. Bernie needs to realize that people are seeking out HD content now, due to the novelty. Strike while the iron is hot and the market will come to him. Eesh...That top shot is killing me.

[partridge]

The weird thing is that the Odeon cinema chain in the UK showed the French and German GP's on the big screen in HD but it wasn't the tv coverage that they were showing. I didn't go and see it, wish I had now, but it raises the question; how were they showing those races in HD? I assumed that both France and Germany DID broadcast in HD?

Is Bernie an idiot? You might not like the decisions he makes but I'd be a happy idiot if I was in his shoes. No one stupid gets to where he is.

I'm really looking forward to the Codemasters F1 games, Sony seemed to lose interest in the series and did little to innovate the games. Codemasters have a proven record in race games and clearly want to do the sport justice by getting the PS3 and 360 versions good and ready rather than rushed. I'll pick up the PSP version this year though.

[goshikisen]

Originally Posted by partridge

Is Bernie an idiot? You might not like the decisions he makes but I'd be a happy idiot if I was in his shoes. No one stupid gets to where he is.

Bernie MADE good decisions in the past but of late his judgement has been more than questionable. Has he never seen an HD broadcast? Come on... F1 is supposed to represent leading edge technology. Major team sponsors like Panasonic and Philips must be frustrated with the situation.

[partridge]

Oh, I absolutely agree that F1 should be in HD; it would look beautiful, just commenting that Bernie is a shrewd business man, unpopular maybe but not an idiot.

[goshikisen]

Originally Posted by partridge

Oh, I absolutely agree that F1 should be in HD; it would look beautiful, just commenting that Bernie is a shrewd business man, unpopular maybe but not an idiot.

Hopefully this shrewd businessman doesn't take the British GP away from you as he took away the Canadian GP from us. Bernie, these days, is sure to do what's good for Bernie but not, necessarily, what's good for the sport.

[partridge]

I don't want to lose the British GP and I was sorry to see the Canadian go, it was a favourite circuit of mine.

The trouble is that there are countries out there that are happy to spend whatever it takes to build a top class circuit and venue. There's no government money being made available for Donnington, so it needs private cash and there ain't a lot of that around these days

The truth is there are plenty of countries that can host a GP so Bernie can pick and choose; Britain has no God given right to host one, sadly.

To be fair though, there does seem to be a lot of management infighting at Silverstone and Donnington which has nothing to do with Bernie.

[partridge]

I think we've gone off topic and should pick this up in "off topic"...

[goshikisen]

Originally Posted by partridge

The truth is there are plenty of countries that can host a GP so Bernie can pick and choose; Britain has no God given right to host one, sadly.

I believe that the history and tradition of F1 dictates that Britain does, in fact, have the God given right to host a GP... but that's my opinion of course. If the modern circuit argument was fully correct than Monaco would have been booted long ago (if not for attrition one of the biggest yawns on the F1 calendar). F1 was around years before Ecclestone got his hands on it and and hopefully it'll be around long after he's gone.

But you're right Partridge... this is probably for another thread in another forum.