rec.autos.simulators

Here is the some official info on the game that I found at:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Official info starts here
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Formula One
                             Press Technical Information

LICENCE:

* We have signed the rights for the PlayStation to do the official
1996 Formula One licence - Licensed by FOCA to Fuji Television. This
means we will be representing all 13 teams taken from the 1995 season,
with the 35 drivers that raced during the year. All 17 circuits will
be available to race.

ACCURACY:

* We are working with a leading Formula One team to assist with the
game dynamics, ensuring the game is accurate as well as playable.

* Tracks have been precisely modelled from the official surveyors
track maps, which give us accurate dimensions and heights for the
circuits. Tracks (ranging from 3.3 to 7km in length) have 60,000 to
90,000 polygons and 256 colour backdrops.

* All surrounding scenery - buildings, hoardings, grandstands, trees -
have all been accurately added from carefully studying site
photographs and over 100 hours of live video footage.

* All 26 cars are uniquely modelled from team diagrams, photographs
and video footage - all official logos and sponsors (except for
tobacco sponsors) are included in both car and circuit models

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:

* All drivers in the game follow an intellegent, realistic race
strategy, and are constantly monitoring the situation around their
cars. They are competitive but fair - back markers will pull aside to
let the faster cars through.

* The drivers each have unique personality factors, modelled on the
drivers themselves. They are therefore not infallible, and can
misjudge a situation like the rest of us!

RACE MODES:

* For the Arcade racer, this option allows you to get in the car and
race - no need to worry about set-ups or technicalities. Choose to
race against the other cars, head-to-head, or against the clock.
Handling will be responsive, intuitive and fun!

* Grand Prix mode for the advanced driver, with realistic car
handling, is based on telemetry data taken from Formula One cars.
Options include race strategy, tyre and refuelling stops, car set-up
options, etc.

* On either mode, choose to practice, quick race or go for the whole
championship. Select whether you want collision damage, qualifying,
statistically accurate, dynamic weather conditions...

SOUND:

* Commentary for the UK version is being provided by the voice of UK
F1 - Murray Walker. Voice-Overs are also being recorded in German,
French, Spanish and Italian. Over 20 pages of script, are linked to
avoid repetition, covering every happening in a variety of ways.

*  The rock soundtrack includes licensed titles from Joe Satriani and
Steve Vai, as well as 12 specially produced tracks from Overdrive.

* In-car sound effects are taken from a DAT recorder physically
strapped to a drivers body. External track-side and pit lane sounds
are also included. Dynamic calculated Doppler effects for TV cameras,
overtaking and in car to give the game a very realistic feel.

* Music and sound effects in a choice of mono, stereo, Dolby Surround
or 'Q-Sound' - an effect which simulates surround sound through a 2
speaker stereo system

IN-GAME FEATURES:

* Record the race, your best laps or practice sessions and use the
replay mode to view the whole thing (including all other cars) from
one of the camera modes.

* Select to view (or race!) from in-cockpit, behind the car,
helicopter view, overhead, beside the car, the official TV camera
positions (pan and zoom) or the frightening nose-camera!

* Two-player link option - or 1 player and TV coverage mode! (More
details to be announced about further multi-player options should they
come to fruition)

* Controllers - Standard, NeGcom and new Mad Catz analogue steering
wheel and pedals combo. Memory card support - for best times, season
details, car set-up and replays

* Game runs at 30 frames per second

BIZARRE CREATIONS:

* Bizarre Creations is headed by Psygnosis' long standing developer,
Martyn Chudley. Martyn has been developing software for Psygnosis for
several years, producing titles such as The Killing Game Show,
Fatal Rewind and Wiz 'n' Liz, as well as assisting with many other
projects both in and out of house. However, Formula One is undoubtedly
their most ambitions project to date.

RELEASE INFORMATION:

Publisher:  Sony Psygnosis
Developer:  Bizarre Creations
Release Date:  July - Europe. USA - Date TBC
Formats:   PlayStation (initially)
Languages:  English, French, German, Spanish and Italian
Release:  World-wide (initially excluding Japan)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Official info ends here

Notice the release date is in July.  If what I hear is corrected and
GP2 is now to be released in Sept, Psygnosis may just beat Microprose
to the punch.  Ofcourse that is on the Playstation (initially!) so a
PC CD-ROM version would likely come a little later.

For some screen shot is of the new game checkout:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

96 may just turn out to be a great year for F1 sims. ; )

Later,
Nathan

|> >Has anyone heard of the Psygnosis game called "Formula One"?  I just
|> >ran accross some info on it on the web.  It supposibly has the
|> >official FOCA license, all 13 teams, all 17 circuits, and all 35
|> >drivers from the 95 season.  Judging by the photos, the game looks
|> >like it may be an strong competitor for Geoff Crammond's GP2.  
[snip]

|>
|> But they also say it will be for the PlayStation!
|> If I'm not mistaken, this is not MS-DOS right?

At least, a Pentium 133 with a 20" monitor cost much more than a
PlayStation plus a 40" projection TV. My money goes to Sony. Not
Microprose. Who is going to put up with the wait of GP2 when the
competitor is catching up and offering more for a lot less?

Listening Microprose?

--
Isaac Wong      (613) 763-6127 | Protel Compiler Development


http://chat.carleton.ca/~iwong | Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

But they also say it will be for the PlayStation!
If I'm not mistaken, this is not MS-DOS right?

:>


:> >Has anyone heard of the Psygnosis game called "Formula One"?  I just
:> >ran accross some info on it on the web.  It supposibly has the
:> >official FOCA license, all 13 teams, all 17 circuits, and all 35
:> >drivers from the 95 season.  Judging by the photos, the game looks
:> >like it may be an strong competitor for Geoff Crammond's GP2.
:> >
:> >Here is the some official info on the game that I found at:
:> >
:> >http://www.vidgames.com/ps/press/formulaone.html
:> >
:> >Official info starts here
:>
:>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
:> -----------------------------------------
:> >
:>
:> But they also say it will be for the PlayStation!
:> If I'm not mistaken, this is not MS-DOS right?Yeah, this game to be initially released for the Sony Playstation. Sounds
:like a great game, too bad I don't have a Playstation.

At least a PSX is cheaper than the P166 + 16Mb RAM we may need for
GP2!

Ken

Later,
Nathan

--
Stephen Ferguson

Joe

--
Stephen Ferguson

Joe

I hope they'll do a fine job, incl. car setup, FIA rules, car-handling
(I do not know why some people claim to have excellent car control
with a digital joystick, Sega's Rally game for instance on the Saturn.

WE WANT SIMS, WE WANT SIMS. Arcade racing games are for children.

Then don't spend the money and don't buy the game, buy a PlayStation
instead.

Of course it is. The PC is a general purpose computing device, which
does lots of things moderately well. The console is a specialized
piece of kit which is very good at playing games and ***at everything
else. What else do you expect?
--

But still, by far the best game I've played on any machine, by most
criteria, is F1GP. I've played it non-stop since it came out all those
years ago.

The graphics may look dated now (they weren't then, remember); it didn't
at the time require a particularly hi-spec machine (the number of
lectures we missed in our house playing on my 386...); and it
outperforms any racer (the excellent Mario Kart included) in terms of
playablility by a long shot.

Others clearly feel the same: look at all the third party add on utils,
and the interest in Dave Gymer's GP racing series.

Even if you have to turn off all the detail to play it, the game will
play wonderfully, surely?

--
MarkN