By Adam Smith on September 9th, 2011 at 10:32 am.
Codemasters have already talked about their multiplayer focus for F1 2011. Cynics might think that’s because people were upset about the AI last time out so they’re hoping we’ll replace it all with real people. Imagine that. Your friends may be part of a nefarious plan to improve a game. This new video is all about the co-op championship mode, which will allow you and a friend to enjoy a bitter rivalry disguised as teamwork. Video below, as well as an earlier dev diary which does have some talk about AI.
I’m not sure why there needs to be a warning for ‘mild lyrics’. Mostly because I didn’t hear any lyrics at all. And I don’t think Ian Brown even says ‘bum’ in that song.
As for the game, the co-op mode is a wise addition. Gleaming rocket-cars can be very impersonal things but competition is so much better with a human edge. And this is a sport where teammates work together while looking out for number one so it won’t all be polite handshakes and mutual cork-popping. The strategic plotting and potential for power struggles in real F1 sometimes takes on the glorious aspect of a high-speed soap opera. Replicating that could be a lot of fun.
The release date of September 20th in the video is for North Americans. I believe it’s the 23rd for everyone else. It’ll be on Steam and in boxes, if those are your thing.
As for the AI drivers, take a look at the video below and see if it sets your mind at ease.
09/09/2011 at 10:41 Revs says:
But, do they have co-op championship in split-screen mode? Or i want to much?
09/09/2011 at 11:04 Magnetude says:
This.
Dirt 3 had splitscreen (pretty good as well) but not co-op. I assume this is the same engine, so hopefully I can enjoy a Hamilton/Button rivalry with my flatmate. God, this might be the first F1 game I ever buy if they stick that in.
09/09/2011 at 12:18 Schteen says:
Looked at their steam store page, and they do indeed mention split-screen.
09/09/2011 at 12:23 slingshot says:
Does anyone remember the multi-player turn-by-turn mode in GP4? It was the best multi-player experience I’ve ever had but no modern racers seem to have anything similar. :(
09/09/2011 at 13:06 Schteen says:
Forget GP4, I used to play the old Microprose title Formula One Grand Prix, and it also had a hot-seat mode. Good times (gone by)
09/09/2011 at 10:44 max pain says:
Remember good old times when the crew were just billboards?
09/09/2011 at 10:56 spcd says:
wow coop in a racegame? wow what a great feature. Can you really race with a friend on the same track? Gaming has come a long way.
(ironic)
09/09/2011 at 11:09 Revs says:
You know, in one of intreviews they told that they ‘harnessed’ power of consoles, and they were proud that now they can introduce so innovating thing like split-screen..yep
09/09/2011 at 11:15 Magnetude says:
It’s taken this long for developers to reverse engineer Mario Kart 64 and unlock the secrets that the team took to their grave when they and all their notes were lost in a tragic yacht explosion as they celebrated its release. 4 player splitscreen remains a mystery, though.
09/09/2011 at 11:30 FCA says:
Given that the Mario Kart team all had to piece their work together after the tragic demise of the Wacky Wheels developers in a bizarre hedgehog accident involving sharks and elephants in tiny cars, it took them long enough.
09/09/2011 at 12:06 mejobloggs says:
ahh whacky wheels. Good times
09/09/2011 at 13:20 Gaytard Fondue says:
Good times indeed.
09/09/2011 at 11:17 Chizu says:
I like how the second video talks about things that weren’t as good as they should have been in 2010 and how 2011 is so much better, and all it does is make me feel like a dick for purchasing 2010 8D
(which I liked)
09/09/2011 at 12:06 Rii says:
The devs were pretty up-front at the time of F1 2010′s release about it being the skeleton for F1 2011′s more fleshed-out experience.
09/09/2011 at 12:23 GraveyardJimmy says:
Shame that it was only after the first patch that they told everyone no more patches would come as they had dropped support to move to F1 2011.
I am a fan of F1 and think this looks good, but I cant help but worry that any issues will be relegated to a “fix” in the inevitable F1 2012. I guess this is the world of yearly sport releases.
Does anyone know of whether the safety car will make an appearance in this version?
09/09/2011 at 15:35 CptPlanet says:
Yep, safety car is in this one.
09/09/2011 at 11:24 Grape says:
Gods, how I fucking hate it when developers choose not to make a decent fucking AI for their games, instead simply forcing us to play multiplayer, giving them less work.
Adam Smith, it’s not about “involving your friends in order to improve the game”. It’s about shifting the burden of making the game decent over to the players themselves. It’s fucking laziness, it’s NOT cool, and it’s nothing – NOTHING – that should be defended.
09/09/2011 at 11:53 Monkey says:
The grapes of truth
09/09/2011 at 11:59 Theory says:
He’s just ronery.
09/09/2011 at 12:57 Metaphorazine says:
Any chance PC players will be able to play against console players?
09/09/2011 at 14:49 Big Murray says:
I like this very much. Kudos for actually making me want an F1 game for the first time since Geoff Crammond.
12/09/2011 at 12:30 adonf says:
Why would I want to beat my friend’s laptop?
13/09/2011 at 08:14 1q3er5 says:
why waste time developing AI – nothing beats human opponents instead they should focus on tire physics, destruction and other stuff like that. I know I know not everyone has the internet or stable internet blah blah but man AI is just a waste of resources if you ask me