Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Handling the dreams of digital F1 2016 drivers
As driving games get more realistic, we talk to the makers of the F1 games about keeping it fun.
As you scream round the asphalt of famous circuits like Silverstone or the Circuit de Monaco inF1 2016, it's easy to forget what goes on behind the scenes to make the latest PlayStation or Xbox iteration of F1 a reality. Codemasters has been making driving games since 1986, and has been in charge of the phenomenally popular F1 licence since 2009.
Sport has always been a tricky area for game developers, though. Do too much and you risk alienating players, do too little and you're accused of being lazy and putting out a new game where only the names have changed. But Lee Mather, principle game designer on F1 2016 certainly appears focused, and has a plan for this new game.
"Our main focus was to introduce a deep and rich Career Mode, which would have the player coming back to the game over and over again. We also wanted to replicate the really cool and unique aspects of F1 to really immerse players into the sport," Mather tells Red Bull Games. "The Career Mode forms the spine of the game and is by far and away the most immersive and in-depth career we've ever created."
The rain in F1 2016
© Codemasters
F1 careers can be legendary, but we don't need to be reminded that they can also be cut tragically short. It appears that the game version will let players stay the distance, though.
"The career can span for up to ten years. You pick your avatar and race number before selecting which team you want to start with," Mather sys. "The higher ranked team you select, the higher their expectations. It's then up to you to perform against those expectations and the better you do the more upgrades you'll be able to introduce to the car by working with your R&D Engineer."
F1 is the most glamorous motorsport in the world and we wanted to capture that
"You may also decide that you want to move up through the teams over the years so your agent can negotiate on your behalf and come to you with offers. The more you play, and the more sessions you complete, the more you're able to drive your team and car forward in search of the world championship."
One of the things that all driving games share these days is that they look visually arresting. Gone are the days of blocky pixels, and it's almost a given that every new racer will blow minds with its looks. But Mather is keen to reinforce something that is arguably more important – the fun. "It has to be fun! Having the safety car in the game is fantastic and it's something the fans were calling for. However, no one wants to spend many laps sitting behind it when they think they should be racing. The same is true in real life."
Back in F1 2010, the menu interface was in the paddock (the area for staging, with the mechanics), and it was a cool idea, but perhaps the lack of power in the machines meant it took you out of the game a bit. With the 2016 edition, Codemasters is going back to this idea and trying to deliver on a whole new level.
The extra power of the consoles allowed us to do justice to the hospitality areas and you will now see familiar faces from the world of Formula One in that area
"F1 is the most glamorous motorsport in the world and we wanted to capture that," Mather says. "The extra power of the consoles allowed us to do justice to the hospitality areas and you'll now see familiar faces from the world of Formula One in that area. It all helps add to the immersion of the career mode, and looks really cool."
Something that F1 shares with all other sports game is that the season requires the dev-team to be aware of changes and keep its game up to date.
Mathers remained tight lipped on the subject, aside from telling us that, "We have sports updates planned, which will update the cars and aspects such as tyre allocations for the future races. We have put a lot of emphasis into multiplayer this year also, and increased the number of players from 16 to 22 so that you can now have a full grid of human players. We've also introduced Multiplayer Championship, which allows up to 22 players to compete against each other over the course of a season. The new mode allows players to race as team-mates or to battle it out as different teams, as well as offering great possibilities for league play."
Red Bull lead the pack
© Codemasters
Despite being a veteran developer of 30 years (BMX Simulator in 1986 being the studio's first game), F1 2016 is actually only Codemasters' fourth game on the PS4 and Xbox One, and its second stab at an F1 game on these platforms. Expectatations are still high, in other words.
"F1 2015 was our first outing on the PS4 and Xbox One and we learnt an awful lot. For a start we had to get the game engine working on those platforms, which is no small task. It's fair to say we're far more comfortable with the technology now and I think that shows in this year's game."
With DiRT Rally garnering rave reviews and revitalising the dormant brand name, the question on our lips is whether or not Mathers feels that success has changed Codemasters' business model, or even influenced F1 2016. "One of the main lessons we learnt from DiRT Rally was about the interaction with the community. We invited members of the community into the studio from a very early stage and have been getting their feedback throughout the development process. Their feedback has been invaluable and the game has really benefitted."
Time will tell if F1 2016 can live up to the legacy of the developer and the grandeur and glamour of the sport it portrays, so until we get to play it, we're back to holding a dinner plate and twisting it while making silly sounds, because some dreams never fade.
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