Formula One Racing Games Exclusive To PS2

Thanks to GameSpot for posting a story indicating that Sony have exclusively licensed the Formula One racing license for the next 4 years. There's some additional information via the press release hosted at GameSpyDaily, including info on the Formula One 2003 title for Playstation 2, to be released in Europe next month - is this now the biggest worldwide sport to have an exclusive game license?

Comments

Re: F1 popularity in the US

[DrWho520]

Clearly, in the US, which is the biggest gaming market in the world, the most popular form of racing is either NASCAR or illegal street racing. Deffinatley not F1. Days of Thunder was much more popular than Driven. Of course that might have something to do with the acting...and the writing...and the plot.

I guess this F1 license just doesn't seem as much of a coup to me as, say, the NBA license. I mean, that's like ABC gloating over exclusive MLS rights...woo-hoo!

Re:An opinion on racing games.

[PainKilleR-CE]

As a hardcore gamer, I have always found that the best part of racing games is a feeling of liberation. Because of that, I feel that racing game developers in general should focus not on making games more realistic, but on making them less realistic, open-ended, and with wildness packed into every crack

It has nothing to do with being a hardcore gamer, and everything to do with the type of racing games you like. Some people like hardcore racing sims, tweaking every little thing on the car and having everything look and feel like they think it does in real life, or GT (which is different in that there's no crash damage). Other people like the more arcade-like games, or GTA.

That's why both types of games are available. Personally, I like GT3, but I think it has more to do with the ability to tweak the cars and get more cars than the driving part of it. OTOH, I also thoroughly enjoyed Mario Kart on the SNES, and like driving around in GTA3/VC doing whatever comes to mind. I won't touch 99% of the arcade racers, though.

there is a "bigger" license.

[jayoyayo]

is this now the biggest worldwide sport to have an exclusive game license?

No. Electronic Arts holds the exclusive FIFA license. Other companies can get a FIFAPro license which does not even come close to the all encompassing license that EA currently holds. I can't recall off-the-top how many teams are in a FIFAPro license but i know its merely a smattering.

Its a shame too, because Winning Eleven 6 by Konami is clearly the best futbol game on the market right now. Actually, I shouldn't say its a shame, because Konami thankfully put in the option to change player and team names which is quite a brilliant way to skirt around not having a full license.