Codemasters Acquires Formula 1 License

The license long-held by Sony will now make its way across all platforms.
By Kris Pigna, 05/09/2008
Despite the fact that Formula One: Championship Edition was one of the early PlayStation 3 games Sony first unveiled, it seems the publisher's desire to keep hold of the license has (as has been rumored of late) faded. Codemasters today announced that it acquired the exclusive rights to the Formula 1 license, further solidifying its stance as the premier independent racing studio in the industry.

What this means for gamers, in the most immediate terms, is that Codemasters will be developing F1 games across multiple platforms, including handhelds and PC. The license gives Codemasters full use of all Grand Prix circuits, F1 teams, cars, and driver likenesses. The games will be made using Codemasters' EGO Engine, which you can see at work this year in its upcoming GRID (or see right now if you download the demo).

"Formula 1 is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China," said Rod Cousens, Codemasters CEO. "It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and videogaming creates will play a key role in further growing the Formula 1 audience and connecting them globally. As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with Formula 1 is the jewel in Codemasters' racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion."

While this development may not mean as much in North America, it'll be interesting to see what effect, if any, the F1 license going multiplatform will have in Europe, where the sport is far more popular.