well, rubbish)
It seems that I buy GP2 or GPL - hmm, what variety.
Having had a look around, I'm beginning to think that this particular
*** area suffers from two annoying faults:
1- The marketing is awful - there is a real lack of reliable information.
For example,
The "official" FIA tag appears to move about as often as a new PC video board
is released (i.e. every two weeks). I recently heard that Electronic Arts had
won FIA
approval, but Eidos seem to be using the 1998 data for a game its about to
release.
Does it change every year? What is going on? I notice Eidos seem to have
absolutely
nothin on there web site about this despite sim racing news stating its due
for
release next week.
Wouldn't it be
better assess one developer and allow them theFIA licence for several years,
building
up some kind of brand ownership that would allow the buying public to have
some continuity? This would allow the developers to actually develop better
understanding and contacts within the sport as well as allowing the game
buyer
a support path and some continuity to upgrade. I know GP 2 does this - but
the simulator developers are missing an opportunity to develop simulators in
the
long term - they all appear to want to be the best for one week, make a
killing
and get out. This maybe why the FIA licence moves about so frequently.
This means that you cannot ensure that the FIA licence comes
with a Quality simulation (Formula 1 97 for example). Which is terrible.
Surely the FIA should represent a quality product to reflect the standard of
the series? Maybe Bernie Ecclestone just takes the cash.
Driver endor***ts seem to follow
a similar trend. (With the possible exception of Jacques Villeneuve's
unoffical
endor***t of GP2.) I hear the Johnny Herbert game is a bit of a no-no.
2. The second fault is a total lack of originallity. They all seem to be
"race around these 16 tracks, win the championship, goodbye".
They only seem to differ in the graphics and sound support
and extent to which you can customise the car. Excuse me,
but, how about a bit of additional interest? For example, Toca 2
allows your to enter support races, Colin McRae has a Rally school.
At the very least, it might be interesting if the Grand Prix simulators
actually allowed you to drive into the pits yourself or see movement
in the crowd - maybe show other views of the track on the trackside
monitors whilst you pass them. Do any of the more recent f1 simulators
ask you to line up behind a safety car during a race? Run the formation
lap? Perform testing off season? Work on introducing new features
to the car? Damage your car if you run over debris from a shunt?
Please tell me - the marketing blurb doesn't.
I don't know, the whole thing seems to lack innovation to me - of
course I would not wish to buy an "arcade" f1 game - but the
developers of F1 games have the imagination of a cold wet haddock
- or maybe its just that F1 itself needs a bit of a warm up.
Yes, Yes, I know GPL is great, but thats the one innovation in a pretty
grotty industry. It appears that its GP2 or GPL - I doubt any other industry
could survive if it only produced two innovations in two years.
Bit annoyed about this - It seems that the Formula 1 tag is being devalued
in the games industry as far as can tell.