The first fruits of the newly forged relationship between the Midlands studio and the FIA won't be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC, with Formula 1 2009 being limited to releases on Wii and PSP.
"The scale of development that was required for the next-gen projects, especially with something like Formula 1, to do it on such a massive high-def scale requires a lot more development time than less powerful platforms like the PSP and Wii," admits brand manager Paul Walters on the choice made by Codemasters.
So Formula 1 2009 on Wii and PSP is looking like a serious prospect, but we can't help but be curious about next year's instalment that's to hit the more powerful platforms. Is what we've seen of Formula 1 2009 indicative of what to expect for 2010's game? "There is a longer term plan, but for now we just want to focus on this one," says Wakelam, although a single presentation slide outlines the direction that Formula 1 2010 is going to take. 'Be the Driver, Live the Life' is the slogan suggesting that the engaging career modes that have marked out Codemasters recent efforts such as GRID and DiRT will play a part in the game.
That game won't be out until the middle of 2010, but Formula 1 2009 looks like it's going to be more than just a stop-gap when it comes to Wii and PSP this Autumn.
