The release of F1 23 is just over a month away, making it the 13th main title in the series of games since Codemasters obtained the Formula One license. Yearly releases have been the norm for quite a while now, and since 1990, every single F1 season has seen at least one game, quality varying – except for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Formula One games in the 2000s were a much different affair compared to today: Unlike in this modern era, the license to create official F1 titles was not exclusive, meaning fans were treated to – or sometimes disappointed by – multiple options that covered the same seasons. The 2001 season is a good example, as Microprose's Grand Prix 4, EA Sports' F1 2001 and later F1 Challenge 99-02 (or F1 Career Challenge on consoles), and Sony's Formula One 2001 all covered that year's World Championship.
While F1 Championship Edition turned heads with its impressive graphics and sense of speed, it was the final effort by Sony. Increased cost led to them not renewing the license, which ran until 2007. On May 8th, 2008, reports surfaced that the license would not be in Sony's hands anymore, with Codemasters stepping in. The creator of the Colin McRae Rally and Race Driver series published F1 2009, which was developed by Sumo Digital, exclusively for the Wii the following year.
Both of its preceding seasons went without a title, however. The late 2006, early 2007 release of F1 Championship Edition for an all-new system likely used considerable amounts of resources, and with the license running out in 2007, Sony and Studio Liverpool did not produce another game. In turn, with Codemasters only picking up the license in 2008, there likely was not enough time to create an official game for that year's championship.
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Formula One games in the 2000s were a much different affair compared to today: Unlike in this modern era, the license to create official F1 titles was not exclusive, meaning fans were treated to – or sometimes disappointed by – multiple options that covered the same seasons. The 2001 season is a good example, as Microprose's Grand Prix 4, EA Sports' F1 2001 and later F1 Challenge 99-02 (or F1 Career Challenge on consoles), and Sony's Formula One 2001 all covered that year's World Championship.
Sony goes Exclusive
This changed from 2003 onwards when Sony secured an exclusive license, meaning the yearly releases would be available on PlayStation only. Seasons 2003 to 2006 were reserved for PS console racers, with two PlayStation Portable titles for 2005 and 2006 sprinkled in. The final effort from Sony and Studio Liverpool was called Formula One Championship Edition, the first F1 game released for the PS3. The game hit the shelves on December 28th, 2006 in Japan, February 27th, 2007 in North America, and on March 23rd, 2007 in Europe, likely due to the different release dates of the console itself.While F1 Championship Edition turned heads with its impressive graphics and sense of speed, it was the final effort by Sony. Increased cost led to them not renewing the license, which ran until 2007. On May 8th, 2008, reports surfaced that the license would not be in Sony's hands anymore, with Codemasters stepping in. The creator of the Colin McRae Rally and Race Driver series published F1 2009, which was developed by Sumo Digital, exclusively for the Wii the following year.
Both of its preceding seasons went without a title, however. The late 2006, early 2007 release of F1 Championship Edition for an all-new system likely used considerable amounts of resources, and with the license running out in 2007, Sony and Studio Liverpool did not produce another game. In turn, with Codemasters only picking up the license in 2008, there likely was not enough time to create an official game for that year's championship.
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