F1 Racing Simulation

F1 Racing Simulation
Box Art
Developer(s)Ubi Studios
Publisher(s)Ubi Soft
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Sport, sim racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

F1 Racing Simulation is a racing simulation game, developed for Microsoft Windows by Ubi Soft in 1997.[2] The game is based on the 1996 Formula One World Championship, and is the first of the Racing Simulation games made by Ubisoft, being the predecessor to Racing Simulation 2, which was released in 1998.

Development

The game was showcased at E3 1997.[3]

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews, two points shy of universal acclaim, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4] Computer Games Strategy Plus gave it universal acclaim, over a month before the game was released Stateside.[6] GameSpot wrote that F1 Racing Simulation is an extremely well made simulation racing game.[11] Next Generation noted that the game only had the license for 1996 season, drivers and tracks in comparison to Formula 1 Championship Edition, but praised the graphics and gameplay elements.[12]

The game was a finalist for Computer Gaming World's 1998 "Best Driving" award, and for GameSpot's 1998 "Driving Game of the Year" award, both of which ultimately went to Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit.[15][16] PC Gamer US likewise nominated the game as the best racing game of 1998, although it lost to Motocross Madness.[17] The game was also nominated for Best Racing Game at the 1998 CNET Gamecenter Awards, which went to Grand Prix Legends.[18]

The game received a "Gold" award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) in August 1998,[19] for sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[20] The game was a commercial failure in the U.S., with sales of 12,570 units by April 1999. Discussing this performance, Ubisoft's Tammy Schachter argued that "the install base of 3D cards was not in place for mass-market sales" when the game launched. She also cited the relative unpopularity of the Formula 1 sport in the U.S.[21]

See also

  • F1 Pole Position 64, a game for the Nintendo 64 by Ubisoft, also based on the 1996 Formula One season

References

  1. ^ Gentry, Perry (March 13, 1998). "What's in Stores This Week". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "F1 Racing Release Info". NFS Sports.
  3. ^ Lee, Helen (May 28, 1997). "Ubi Soft Announces Atlanta Lineup". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on February 21, 1999. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "F1 Racing Simulation for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Mahood, Andy (April 9, 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Bauman, Steve (February 13, 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 21, 2003. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  7. ^ Goble, Gord (July 1998). "Number 1 in F1 (F1 Racing Simulation Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 168. Ziff Davis. pp. 164–65. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  8. ^ Edge staff (Christmas 1997). "F1 Racing Simulation" (PDF). Edge. No. 53. Future Publishing. p. 110. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Bergren, Paul (May 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation". Game Informer. No. 61. FuncoLand.
  10. ^ Anderson, Tom (March 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on February 22, 2004. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Kaiafas, Tasos (May 14, 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation Review [date mislabeled as "March 1, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "F1 Racing Simulation". Next Generation. No. 39. Imagine Media. March 1998. pp. 113, 117. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  13. ^ McDonald, T. Liam (May 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation". PC Gamer. Vol. 5, no. 5. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 12, 2000. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  14. ^ Presley, Paul (January 1998). "F1 Racing Simulation". PC Zone. No. 59. Dennis Publishing. pp. 98–99. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  15. ^ GameSpot staff (1999). "The Best & Worst of 1998 (Driving Game of the Year - Nominees)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 1, 2000. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  16. ^ CGW staff (April 1999). "Computer Gaming World's 1999 Premier Awards (Best Driving)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 177. Ziff Davis. p. 100. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  17. ^ PC Gamer staff (March 1999). "The Fifth Annual PC Gamer Awards". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 3. Future US. pp. 64, 67, 70–73, 76–78, 84, 86–87.
  18. ^ Gamecenter staff (January 29, 1999). "The CNET Gamecenter.com Awards for 1998! (Racing Nominees)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  19. ^ "Uhr TCM Hannover – ein glänzender Event auf der CebitHome". Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (in German). August 26, 1998. Archived from the original on July 13, 2000.
  20. ^ Horn, Andre (January 14, 2004). "VUD-Gold-Awards 2003". GamePro Germany (in German). Archived from the original on July 18, 2018.
  21. ^ Saltzman, Marc (June 4, 1999). "The Top 10 Games That No One Bought (Page 5)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on June 11, 2000. Retrieved November 17, 2021.