Press Release: Codemasters and Formula One

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 9, 2008 - Codemasters®, developer and publisher of award-winning racing video games, has secured the exclusive video game rights to FORMULA 1. In a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Limited, Codemasters will develop a new generation of the multi-million selling FORMULA 1 game franchise across multiple platforms.

Codemasters Studios, creators of genre-leading racing titles DiRT™ and GRID™, will lead the design and development of official FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games for home console, handheld and PC gaming formats.

"FORMULA 1 is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China," said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters. "It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the FORMULA 1 audience and connecting them globally. As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with FORMULA 1 is the jewel in Codemasters' racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. FORMULA 1 has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host FORMULA 1 Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack."

"Codemasters' success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge," said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters. "The combination of FORMULA 1's new momentum of expansion and Codemasters' contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen."

The worldwide deal provides Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, FORMULA 1 teams, cars, and driver likenesses.

The FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games will be developed using the evolution of the award-winning EGO™ Game Technology Engine, Codemasters' highly versatile cross-platform middleware technology. Its advanced graphics and physics technology brings an unmatched cinematic quality and realism to interactive entertainment.

The EGO Engine is currently being deployed in the creation of GRID™, the latest in Codemasters Studio's international circuit-based racing series, set to be a landmark release when it launches on June 3.

Codemasters expects the first game based on the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP to launch in 2009.

Press Release - Race Driver : GRID Demo

Be the best Race Driver off the GRID in Europe and drive away with a new BMW 3-Series car– for real!

Race Driver: GRID™ single and multiplayer playable demo launches search for Time Trial champions to compete for the chance to win a new BMW 3- Series car.

Thursday, 8th May 2008– A brand new BMW 3-Series† car will be the ultimate champion's reward as Codemasters® today revealed an incredible pan-European fastest lap challenge to mark the launch of the Race Driver: GRID™ playable demo for home consoles.

The demo is now available to download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and is available later today from the PLAYSTATION®Network for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

For the game that's all about the race, the Race Driver: GRID™ playable demo delivers intense competition right from the off as gamers compete in single-player GRID World events, 12-player online races and then prove their worth in the white-knuckle Time Trial competition, which is home to the fastest lap challenge. Pitting all console players against each other, it's the Time Trial results that will see one race driver getting the keys to the BMW.

To participate, players submit their fastest final lap time online . Once authenticated, the lap time is then ranked against every other registered time on the online leaderboards. The challenge will end on Friday, 23rd May at midnight, and the top five ranked players will then go on to compete at the European live playoffs to be held on Race Driver: GRID's European launch day– Friday, 30th May– at the zavvi store, Oxford Street, London, where they will compete head-to-head to win the BMW 3-Series– for real. Further details and full terms and conditions are also available from the website.

In addition to the Time Trial challenge, the Race Driver: GRID demo enables players to complete in a trio of GRID World racing showdowns. Take to the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT-R on the streets of San Francisco in the eBay Motors Muscle Cup; in Japan, compete in a Nissan S15 Silvia in the Advan Drift Trophy at Yokohama Docks, while the sweeping curves and hairpins of the Jarama circuit in Spain plays host to the Euro Touring Cars championship featuring BMW 320si touring cars.

For players who want to compete online, the demo delivers 12-player online competitions at the European and U.S. locations.

With a BMW 3-Series car up for grabs, the competition is sure to be fierce from the start, so download the demo and then get revved up for the full aggressive wheel-to-wheel Race Driver: GRID experience, coming May 30th for Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; a Nintendo DS™ edition of the game is set to launch in June.

†Codemasters reserves the right to replace the stated prize with an alternative prize of equivalent value at its sole discretion.

ABOUT RACE DRIVER: GRID™

Race Driver: GRID is all about the race. Every moment from the adrenalin rush at the start lights to the elation at the chequered flag– the tension, pressure, noise, and action. Featuring only the most powerful race cars– current and classic, circuit and drift– players will compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships and then go beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, through to road events and urban street races.

In Europe, race prestige marques on the greatest official race circuits. Enter street competitions and race high-performance V8 muscle cars through iconic U.S. cities including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit. In the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, take drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. As the antithesis of the box-ticking, race game, Race Driver: GRID delivers races crammed with action and incident to create the most intense, the most aggressive and the most engrossing racing game for years. Whereas other titles may have lost sight that racing is the main event, in Race Driver: GRID everything builds up to creating an unparalleled race experience.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Rob Burman

UK PR Manager

01926 816051

rob.burman@codemasters.com

PRESS RESOURCE WEB SITE

Download game artwork, screens and essential Codemasters' press materials direct to your desktop from: http://www.codemasters.com/mediabank

ABOUT CODEMASTERS

Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience across multiple gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company's dominant brands include Colin McRae DiRT, Overlord, Clive Barker's Jericho, Race Driver GRID and Operation Flashpoint. Codemasters is headquartered in Warwickshire UK, with North American operations based in Universal City, Calif. The company also maintains operations in Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Malaysia. Codemasters receives over two million visitors to its web site every month, discover why at www.codemasters.com

ASK ABOUT GAMES

Codemasters supports askaboutgames.com www.askaboutgames.com - a UK initiative designed to help parents understand the age ratings system for computer and video games so that they can make more informed choices when choosing games for their children.

Codemasters is a registered trademark owned by The Codemasters Software Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. NINTENDO DS IS A TRADEMARK OF NINTENDO.

Simbin Launch Virtual World Touring Car Championship

SimBin Studios and Eurosport Events have signalled ‘green light’ to kick off the Virtual World Touring Car Championship! The online competition for a seat in the first Semi-Final at the FIA WTCC event in Valencia starts today. Register now and qualify for the event in Valencia, held on the 16th of May.



Throughout a season of seven months SimBin and Partners will organise a huge online competition, five Semi-Finals and one Grand Finale where anyone from anywhere around the globe can sign up and battle for the V-WTCC championship title of 2008.



V-WTCC event manager Bram Hengeveld commented: “The show is finally on and now we will find out who the true stars of virtual racing are and we will be able to see how they take on each other in an attempt to become the greatest of them all.”



Next to the famous BMW 320si, Chevrolet Lacetti and Seat Leon the competition features the 2007 Honda Accord Euro R, to be injected into the on-line version of “RACE 07- THE WTCC GAME” that powers V-WTCC. 



The road to glory lies ahead so go grab it at: www.v-wtcc.com

Jeff Gordan NASCAR 09 Cover Boy

EA Sports have announced Jeff Gordan will be the NASCAR legend that will appear on the cover of NASCAR 09.

"It's exciting being on the cover of NASCAR 09," says Gordon. "The game is as real as it gets and it's been great being involved with it on this level. I look forward to helping gamers in NASCAR 09."

EA Sports Press Release:

EA Announces Jeff Gordon as NASCAR 09 Cover Athlete

Four-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon Featured on Cover of EA SPORTS NASCAR 09

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Start your engines! Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced Jeff Gordon, legendary NASCAR® driver of car #24, will be featured as the cover athlete for EA SPORTS™ NASCAR 09. NASCAR 09 is scheduled to ship in North America on June 10 and will offer an authentic, exhilarating stock car driving experience for racing fans of all ages.

One of NASCAR's most celebrated and successful drivers for more than a decade, Gordon is ranked 6th all time in Cup Series wins with 81 and is a four time Sprint Cup Series champion. Gordon is a member and partial owner of Hendrick Motorsports.

"It's exciting being on the cover of NASCAR 09," says Gordon. "The game is as real as it gets and it's been great being involved with it on this level. I look forward to helping gamers in NASCAR 09."

Gordon's prestigious reputation aligns with the new NASCAR 09 career mode, "Sprint for the Cup." Gordon will bring the game to you as a guide and a mentor to help you build your reputation to become the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. With a completely rebuilt handling model, the game will be more accessible to newcomers while continuing to offer options that will challenge even the most experienced virtual driver. NASCAR 09 is an authentic NASCAR experience that will appeal to every type of NASCAR enthusiast.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, NASCAR 09 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 and PLAYSTATION 2 computer entertainment systems and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.

EA SPORTS is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL®, NBA LIVE, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

GT5 Prologue Bundled Announced and Dated for Europe

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have announced the Gran Turismo 5 Bundle and released date for Europe. The bundle and individual game will be available in stores from 28th March 2008 while the downloadable version will arrive on the Playstation Network on the 27th March 2008 both versions will be identical.

The game will retail for £25 ($40). The bundle package will retail for around £300 ($400)

SCEE Press Release:

Tuesday March 11, 2008 - Attention all driving fans!! One of the games industry's most legendary titles is about to make its PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) debut! That's right - the real driving simulator that's already sold almost 50 million units is back. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital are pleased to announce Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, a prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo™ 5 for PS3, will be available both on Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) on Wednesday 26 March for €39.99 (RRP), and as a download from PLAYSTATION®Network on Thursday 27 March. Launching on the same day as the standalone BD version, a PS3 bundle will be available including a PS3 40GB model, a SIXAXIS™ wireless controller and a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game, all for just €399 (RRP).

Gran Turismo on PlayStation® is one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last decade - renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology. Now, with the power of PS3 behind it, it's going to be unstoppable. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features 71 stunning cars - including vehicles by Lotus, Aston Martin, Subaru and, making another striking appearance, Ferrari - for you to race on six seriously realistic tracks: the Eiger Nordwand; the Daytona International Speedway; the London City Track; the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - all drivable in two layouts and all rendered in incredible High Definition graphics. There's also all-new driving physics for the most lifelike driving experience ever and new, improved, opponent artificial intelligence for the toughest race challenge yet.

But that's not all - for the first time in the history of Gran Turismo, you'll be able to race online. Thanks to PLAYSTATION Network, up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world's best racetracks - all you need to get racing is a broadband connection and a PS3. Once you're up and revving, Global Online Rankings will leave the world in no doubt as to just who is the best at Gran Turismo.

And then there's Gran Turismo™ TV - a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network and packed with some of the greatest content that motorsport has to offer.

And, when you're done watching live coverage, you can take a more sedate browse through the Gran Turismo museum, where you'll find virtual exhibits on the history of many of the world-class car marques that have starred in Gran Turismo.

Key Features:

• The first ever Gran Turismo title with online racing: drive online against up to 16 other Gran Turismo aces
• Race a total of 71 stunning, high-performance cars
• Race the Eiger Nordwand, the Daytona International Speedway, the London City Track , the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - and then race them in alternative layouts
• All-new physics engine means true next-generation vehicle handling
• All-new and improved opponent AI opponents for a nail-biting race experience
• Access to Gran Turismo TV : a world of great motoring TV programming online
• In-game museum featuring the history and heritage of the top car manufacturers
• My Garage - a personalised homepage feature with calendar, clock and map & weather of major race circuits worldwide
• Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tyres, suspension and more
• All in stunning High Definition at 1080p

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Additional Features for Europe:

• Drift Mode - The player's drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
• In Depth Car Tuning - Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle's performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing.
• Two-player Split Screen Racing - Allows players to race head-to-head offline.
• New Race Events - Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.

The complete Gran Turismo 5 launches in 2009. Until then, there's enough ultra-realistic, high-speed racing in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PS3 and it's out now! To find out more, visit www.granturismoworld.com.

Codies announce Race Driver: GRID

Codemasters have announced Race Driver: GRID the next game in their Race Driver series.

PRESS RELEASE:

Codemasters Studios to shift race gaming to a higher gear with Race Driver: GRID™.

Race Driver: GRID™ confirmed as official title for intense new racing experience coming mid 2008 from the creators of Colin McRae: DiRT™ and Race Driver™ series.

Codemasters® today announced Race Driver: GRID™ as the full and official title for the game introduced under the working title of Race Driver One. Race Driver: GRID is the new racing experience from Codemasters Studios, creators of Colin McRae: DiRT™ and the Race Driver™ series, and is set to deliver a step-change in the racing genre.

Coming mid 2008, Race Driver: GRID is set to capture every moment from the starting grid to the chequered flag and concentrate those moments into an intense and dramatic race experience. Race Driver: GRID is being developed for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®.

“Race Driver: GRID is all about the race.” said Gavin Raeburn, Executive Producer at Codemasters Studios. “The next iteration of our DiRT engine combined with a decade of experience in developing driving games enables us to put the player at the centre of the action like never before. Damage, packed grids, intelligent opposition and unprecedented race day atmosphere will combine to deliver an experience like no other.

Says Ralph Fulton, Chief Game Designer. “GRID focuses on everything that happens between the start grid and the chequered flag: the drama, the rivalries, the aggression and the crashes. This is not a game about collecting cars or spending all of your time in the front-end tuning suspension settings or designing liveries. We want to make racing exciting again.”

Race Driver: GRID will take players to beautifully realised and dramatic race locations over three continents to compete in an unprecedented variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars - new and classic, circuit and drift - players will compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships and then go beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, through to road events and urban street races.

In Europe, race gamers will compete on the greatest official tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani.

Iconic cities across the U.S. - including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit and each with their own atmosphere and events - play hosts to diverse street races. Here, high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive closely fought pack competitions.

In the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, take drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There is also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama.

Race Driver: GRID is coming mid 2008 for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows. To register for future driver briefings and get a place on the grid, be sure to visit www.codemasters.co.uk/grid.

Bizarre Creations Joins Activision

Bizarre Creations developers of Formula 1, Formula 1 '97, Metropolis Street Racer and Project Gotham 1, 2, 3 and 4 have joined Activision, more possibility of cross platform games.

Bizarre Creations have join Activision and teased about a new racing game being in development.

Bizarre Creations Press Release:

Hello from Bizarre Creations! You may remember us as one of the largest independent developers left in the UK, well-known for both the Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars series. We've just finished up on PGR4, and we're putting the final touches onto The Club as we speak. We've got a couple of announcements to make, so pull up a chair and listen closely...

It's not easy being independent. Signing new games is tough, and bringing new IPs to market as an indie (like we're doing with The Club) is one of the most challenging things our company has ever faced. As I'm sure you can imagine, the most dangerous time for any independent is the period in between projects (or more precisely in between publishers).

Our management team have been preparing for the future for some time now. We've finally found a solution which allows us to not only stay as secure and profitable as we already are as a company, but also to continue to create kickass games in exactly the same way as we're doing now.

The perfect solution for us is to join the ranks of Activision, alongside their other talented studios. It's a pretty incredible chance for Bizarre to improve ourselves and make the most of all the fantastic new opportunities this opens up. Also, given the excellent support Activision offer this can mean only one thing: better games.

This is fundamentally a different deal than some you've seen around the industry recently. Bizarre isn't a developer in financial trouble, and we're certainly not looking to be "saved" by a bigger corporation. We're a dev looking to take our games to the next level, and make the absolute best products we can possibly make. Likewise, Activision is not in the business of "buying out" struggling developers either.

As you can imagine then, Bizarre are very happy with this move. Here's the lowdown:

• Bizarre Creations continues to exist as is. We won't become Activision Liverpool or anything like that.
• We will have absolutely no redundancies.
• All of our teams continue to exist exactly how they are at the moment. Amax team (PGR4) and Shitstorm team (The Club) will move onto new games, whilst our Shared Technology team will use this opportunity to take our experience and tech to new levels and new formats.
• The Activision way of running things is "hands off". Bizarre continue to have creative control over what we do, we still run the studio how we see fit, and we still get to run our own web site and do all sorts of fun community things! :)

Let's talk games then... that's why we're all here after all. Well, we're no longer tied to just one platform for starters. Our future titles can be on whatever we please - we are a truly multiplatform studio now. Of course that doesn't mean that we'll be forced to make a port of every game to every console in existence... we simply have that option available to us.

Both of our two main game teams are about to start work on two new AAA titles for Activision. One will be a racing game, and the other a character game. Of course we'll make some more detailed announcements in the future, but be prepared for something big and exciting!

What about the now? Firstly, Geometry Wars will remain unaffected; we'll continue to expand and advance the series just as we were going to do before. The Club will still be released with SEGA, Geometry Wars Galaxies will still be released with Sierra, and PGR4 will continue to be supported after its launch in October. No massive changes here then...

So that's pretty much the idea behind it. Bizarre are happy because it means we're completely safe as a company, we all get to stay exactly the same, and we now have the opportunity to stretch our legs with some brand new game concepts. This is going to be fun...

Click here for the full press release, and all of the nitty gritty details...

Codemasters Statement regarding Colin McRae

Codemasters have released a statement regarding the death of Colin McRae. Colin McRae was the inspiration behind the Colin McRae franchise of games which is developed by Codemasters.

Codemasters Statement:

"Everyone at Codemasters, especially those who worked directly with Colin McRae, is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic events of this weekend.
The loss of Colin McRae is deeply distressing. That it involved his son and another so young makes it even more tragic. Our thoughts are with his family and those closest to him and we share in their pain.

For over ten years, Colin was part of the Codemasters family and it was a privilege to have a man recognised as a true legend on the team. He always took a keen interest in the game experience, wanting to make sure it was without equal in its portrayal of the sport.

His contribution was inspirational and brought his technical expertise and passion for rally driving to each and every McRae game. Through the popularity of those games, he brought a whole new audience to the sport itself.

Codemasters’ relationship with Colin began through Jim, David and Richard Darling and their condolences, along with ours, are passed to Colin’s family. We are heavy of heart at his passing but we are also brimming with pride at knowing him and to have played a small role in his life.

He will never be forgotten by all at Codemasters."

Codemasters statement on their website.