Check out this new gameplay video from F1 2010 by Codemasters.  The new video reveals what “race day” will be like in game at tracks like Suzuka, Melborne, and Eau Rouge at Spa.  The best part is the game is officially available for pre-order now!

Every now and then I get extra special goodies in my inbox.  Today it it was in the form of new DiRT3 screen shots from Codemasters!  From the trailerwe already know there will be tons of new terrains and weather conditions but, these screen shots give a hint to the variety of cars that will be available (over 50 rally cars) and they also confirm the presence of a Gymkhana mode ala Ken Block!  So far there is no official release date but we know it will be sometime in 2011.  Hopefully sooner than later!  In the meantime all we can do is drool over these beautiful screen shots…

In this edition of Codemasters’ F1 2010 development diary we finally get to see part of the F1 2010 game that I didn’t get to show you at E3! Included in F1 2010 will be a mode called “Live The Life” that puts you in the shoes of an up and coming Formula One driver. You interact with your teammates, the fans, the press, even your agent!

Press Release:

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - August 2, 2010 - Revealing how players will become immersed in the world’s most glamorous sport, the final F1 2010  developer diary, released today by Codemasters©, showcases how the team’s mantra of “be the driver, live the life” has been transformed into an innovative career mode that takes players closer to the sport than ever before.  The video is now available to view at www.formula1-game.com and www.facebook.com/formula1game.

As any F1 fan knows, there is more to being a FORMULA ONE driver than being the fastest person on the track.  Everything in F1 2010 is experienced from the driver’s perspective, from the paddock to the post-race press conference and the team garage. Players will become immersed in the building excitement and drama of a race weekend as they interact with rival drivers, team members, fans and the press, which all affect the way the gamer’s career plays out.  Drivers can use the media to spur on the team, criticize a lack of car development, or even pressure rivals in the hopes that they fold during the Championship run-in.

To deliver the authentic feel of a GRAND PRIX^TM event, F1 2010 recreates the hustle and bustle of the garage and paddock, complete with motion-captured pit crew, race engineers and pit girls.  As a race weekend unfolds, the amount of attention the player receives intensifies according to his or her performance on the circuit.  Expectations vary from team to team, and the driver is always under scrutiny from teammates and the media as in real life.

In the video, former FORMULA ONE driver Anthony Davidson, Technical Consultant on F1 2010, explains the unique pressures that FORMULA ONE drivers must perform under, which includes team goals and intense rivalries that develop on the circuit, as reflected in the game. “The expectations for the driver playing the game are the same as in real life,” said Davidson.  ”At the end of the day, players’ teammates are the only direct competition they will have through the whole season.  There’s a strange balance of having to work together but also this desperate competition. Where it gets a little bit personal is events like qualifying and the race where every driver is just out there to beat the others, no matter what.”

FORMULA ONE fans can view the new developer diary at www.formula1-game.com and http://www.facebook.com/formula1game.  F1 2010 is coming this September for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC Games For Windows®.

For most of the X Games 16 rally events I was either down in the dirt shooting pictures or up in the press box live tweeting until my fingers bled so I missed the treat that television viewers got: A trailer for DiRT3 featuring Ken Block’s MWRT 2011 Ford Fiesta rally car!.  In case you didn’t know the development team behind DiRT3 (Codemasters) is the same group bringing us the up coming F1 2010 later this year.  So right after we finish up our first season in F1 2010 we’ll get to start up our 2011 rally season with DiRT3! Awesome!

The Evolution-X is another awesome racing sim seat from Playseat America.  My favorite thing about this model is that you can get it in alcantara but its over $200 less than my favorite WRC licensed Playseat.  So you still get good quality, and alcantara but with a smaller hit on the ol’ wallet!  It is a total win-win!

Check it out!  There is a Takuma Sato Playseat!  How fresh is this?!  I still think I like the WRC Edition Playseat better but this comes in a very close second.  The white and red color scheme really makes it look stylish too.  This is definitely the seat to get if you don’t want to worry about the alcantara on the WRC seat.

A brand new and tasty DLC known as the “World Class Car Pack” is now available for Forza Motorsport 3 on Xbox live.  In this new pack you get 10 cars that are all currently getting world recognition for their awesome-ness.  A few highlights on the list for me are the McLaren MP4-12C, Mercedes C63 AMG, and the 2011 Mazda2 (I get to build the 2Evil!).  As I mentioned earlier you can get the World Class Car Pack RIGHT now on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points.  If you’re short on points right now you can download the 2010 Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart for free!

World Class Car Pack List:

•2011 McLaren MP4-12C
•2010 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
•2010 Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG
•2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
•2010 Fiat Punto Evo SPORT
•2010 Kia Forte Koup
•2011 Citroen DS3
•2011 Mazda 2
•2010 Acura TSX
•2010 Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart

Check out the newest development diary from the brains at Codemasters. In this edition they take us through the process of creating authentic representations of all the F1 tracks and each car on the grid for the upcoming F1 2010 racing game. Awesome!!

Take a look at how Codemasters is incorporating weather not only into the look of their new F1 2010 game but also making it a part of the strategy as well.  It is awesome to see how many details and nuances are being placed in this game to enrich the experience.  I can’t wait for this game!!

With all of the E3 buzz that Gran Turismo 5 generated with the finally announced release date of 11/2/2010, and the further buzz of Turn 10 Studios creating a Forza 3 one off game with Microsoft Kinect utilization, there was another huge racing game that totally flew under the radar.  Not only that but I totally learned of it by chance myself.  Allow me to tell you the story…

It was the first day of E3 2010 and the LA Convention Center was saturated with thousands of international journalists and enterprising video game enthusiasts who found their own way into this strictly industry-only event.  As soon as I got in I made a bee-line for the Microsoft booth to find any reps from Turn 10 Studios so I can dig up any new developments if any for Forza 3.

As I walked past the various game kiosks within the Microsoft area I was stopped in my tracks by someone playing what appeared to be an open-wheel racing game.  Upon closer inspection I realized the race car that the player was piloting was none other than a McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25 with Jenson Button’s helmet just within view!  A glance up at the corner of the flat screen confirmed it; I was looking at a genuine F1 game for the Xbox 360!

I immediately interrupted the gentleman playing the game and asked the who, what, when, where, and left out the why because that was the least of my concerns.  It turns out that Codemasters, the creators of Dirt, Dirt 2, and Grid turned their attention towards bringing F1 racing back to the hardcore consoles (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) as well as the PC and it would be called F1 2010.  After chatting with the man at the kiosk for a few minutes and spending a few more minutes playing the game myself I set up an appointment with the game’s developers to get even more information.

Fast forward a day and a half later and I am in a room with the two leaders of the F1 2010 development team:  Senior Producer Paul Jeal and Chief Game Designer Stephen Hood.  It was at this point that the both of the gentlemen began to blow my mind as they explained what they created.  I will attempt to break down the presentation to you so that you can see why I am so excited about what I saw.

What is it?  As I mentioned before, Codemasters is the team behind the massively popular rally games “DiRT” and “DiRT 2″.  They also created “GRiD” and a long line of racing games before those three.  Paul and Stephan decided that the best game-plan (no pun intended) for tackling an F1 game would be to use the same “game engine” (Google it) used for DiRT 2.  With a solid platform to build on the two focused all of their creative energies to creating something technically, visually, and even emotionally accurate to true Formula 1 racing.

What should you expect?  When you finally get your hands on a copy of F1 2010 I think it will be safe to say we can expect a robust experience.  Paul, Stephan and their entire team spent time with virtually every team on the F1 grid including drivers, team principals, and engineers to make sure they fit every detail, subtlety and nuance into their creation.  Every team on the grid this year will be in F1 2010 including all the new teams such as Mercedes GP, Lotus, HRT, and Virgin.  Each race car for each team is also modeled exactly to aerodynamic spec so you will not see the same tub and wings on every car with a simple livery switch.  If you drive Jenson Button’s MP4-25 you will see the extra air scoop on the front nose and etc.

You can also expect to follow at least most of the major FIA rules when driving and that includes pit stop procedures.  You will have to make sure you get on the speed limiter when you enter the pit lane and you will have to hit your marks or else you’ll run over the jack man.  Also per 2010 rules the pit crew wont re-fuel your car but you will have to look after your tires and make sure that during a dry race you do at least one stint on the option tires.  Also, if you get a little too aggressive on track you better believe you will get a black flag from the stewards.  Oh, one more thing… The rules will still apply when you are racing online.  This means that unlike GT5 or Forza 3 when some jackass decides he wants to win the race by running you off the road you’ll have more recourse than just trying to catch up and spin him out.  The computer will put the hammer down and make sure you get justice.

Now if you scroll down you’ll get to see the part of the presentation that they let me film (more on that later) and hear about most of the features from Paul and Stephan themselves.

 What I couldn’t show you:  When the presentation started I got to see one of the best parts of the game.  As cool as it was, this part was not totally approved by Codemasters yet so I was unable to film or take pictures of it.  However, no one said that I could not tell you about it!  The biggest difference between F1 2010 and F1 games in the past is that in addition to the racing Codemasters wants you to “experience” what it is like to be a Formula 1 driver.  When you are in career mode you start off in a first person perspective view inside your trailer.   Your PR agent is sitting at a table across from you and you’re free to explore your trailer and even go outside to talk to your teammate.  You will even notice photographers and fans waiting behind the ropes in front of your paddock.   That environment will dynamically change depending on how you do over the course of a season or which team you are driving for.  If you are driving for Toro Rosso there may not be as many fans waiting for an autograph.  But, if you happen to drive for McLaren-Mercedes you’ll see a flood of screaming fans and ravenous paparazzi just waiting to get a piece of you.  This part of the game is so deep that I couldn’t possibly explain it all here but trust me when I say it will really make you feel like you have made it to the top rung of world-class racing.

When will it come out? This was the last but most important question I asked the guys from Codemasters.  Based on what they told me, F1 2010 will hit stores in the US by September of this year.  We will try to give you all the latest updates on the development of this game until it hits shelves this fall!