The EA Thread/ EA buy the Lewis Hamilton license

[Pepsi0]

The EA Thread

This thread is now the EA Thread, mainly becuase almost all of the posts on here have been about EA, so now it's not only about the Lewis Hamilton license that EA have bought, it's about EA in general!

I have two other threads of games that are made by EA: Skate 2 The Official Thread, and Need for Speed Undercover. There is also an official thread for Need for Speed Shift. I think we should discuss all of EA's games in this thread without starting new threads for each one from now on, though.

Latest EA News

EA have bought the $5 million Lewis Hamilton license to develop a new Lewis Hamilton F1 game. No further information is known.

This was mentioned in the new issue of Gamesmaster magazine.

Skate 2 has been released. Thread: Skate 2 The Official Thread.

Need for Speed Shift has been announced, looks shockingly simular to Race Driver Grid. Thread: Need for Speed Shift.

 

[Dragonistic]

Oh dear... oh dear oh dear.

First movie license games now this? AND it's EA, I would set your hopes very low.

 

[TheRisingTide21]

I wonder what exactly they'll be able to do given that Codemasters has the official F1 license?

 

[boiltheocean]

Not EA seriously. This is going to be a flop before it's ever developed.

 

[myke6699]

My guess he won't appear in Codemasters' F1 games (to be replaced by someone who looks like him, only to be named Louis Hamilton or Lewis Hampton or perhaps Milton Lewis or HUEY LEWIS).

 

[Pepsi0]

My guess he won't appear in Codemasters' F1 games (to be replaced by someone who looks like him, only to be named Louis Hamilton or Lewis Hampton or perhaps Milton Lewis or HUEY LEWIS).

No, Codemasters has the license which allows them to have everything and everyone in Formula One in the game. But EA's license only allows them to have Lewis Hamilton.

 

[boiltheocean]

So basically this will involve a game in which Lewis Hamilton sits in a car, not a F1 car because codemasters has that licence and driving round a parking lot because codemasters has the licence for the circuits.

I can just imagine it now...

Woo look at me I'm Lewis Hamilton and I'm driving round a Parking Lot. WEEEEEEEE

 

[Ardius]

I wonder what exactly they'll be able to do given that Codemasters has the official F1 license?

My guess he won't appear in Codemasters' F1 games (to be replaced by someone who looks like him, only to be named Louis Hamilton or Lewis Hampton or perhaps Milton Lewis or HUEY LEWIS).

No, thats not how it works, see back in the SNES/Megadrive (Gensis for the yanks) days, we had plenty of "Ayrton Senna's Grand Prix", "Michael Andretti's Grand Prix", etc games, because of the existence of these games didn't mean that the drivers couldn't appear in F1 games (though I think with Senna it was actually a full license, but I think the FIA later changed this).

I'm pretty sure the FIA F1 license covers drivers names too, if it didn't then Codemasters have pretty much bought a useless license (because I can only guess they decided to make an F1 game to cash in on the current obsession with all things Hamilton).

Oh dear... oh dear oh dear.

First movie license games now this? AND it's EA, I would set your hopes very low.

Nah, these kind of games have been around for decades now, back 15 years ago some of them were half-decent, but then it was much easier to design decent racing games for the SNES back then.

I agree that EA + License generally means crap. Though, EA regularly = crap.

 

[Alex.]

probably junior formula and karting it is then

 

[Ardius]

probably junior formula and karting it is then

Not necessarily, it can use cars that look like formula 1 cars and similar team liveries, even similar names for other drivers/teams. They just can't use the name "Formula 1" anywhere and they can't use the other driver names without also going out of their way to ask everyone.
Thats not even getting to licensing real tracks, and how likely is EA to do that for an unofficial F1 game?

 

[Dragonistic]

Nah, these kind of games have been around for decades now, back 15 years ago some of them were half-decent, but then it was much easier to design decent racing games for the SNES back then.

I agree that EA + License generally means crap. Though, EA regularly = crap.

I was referring more to more recent gen consoles that have generally dropped the whole thing, even things like Colin McRae Rally have been around but that was generally based upon rallying rather then just on McRae

 

[Ardius]

I was referring more to more recent gen consoles that have generally dropped the whole thing, even things like Colin McRae Rally have been around but that was generally based upon rallying rather then just on McRae

Well, they'd be pretty stupid to focus just on McRae, what a boring game that would be "Go to Sainsbury's and buy Mrs. McRae's tea!", "Eat breakfast like McRae!"

 

[Dragonistic]

Well, they'd be pretty stupid to focus just on McRae, what a boring game that would be "Go to Sainsbury's and buy Mrs. McRae's tea!", "Eat breakfast like McRae!"

You know what I mean, you didn't even play as McRae, or drive most of his cars unless you chose to, they just plugged the name. Lewis Hamilton F1? Without the F1 license? Sounds errr... rubbish.

 

[jswilli1]

Hey since EA is doing the game we should see it on the shelves in oh lets say 6 months?

 

[boiltheocean]

Lewis Hamilton F1? Without the F1 license? Sounds errr... rubbish.

Rubbish like this:

I can just imagine it now...

Woo look at me I'm Lewis Hamilton and I'm driving round a Parking Lot. WEEEEEEEE

Or Worse?

 

[Ardius]

You know what I mean, you didn't even play as McRae, or drive most of his cars unless you chose to, they just plugged the name. Lewis Hamilton F1? Without the F1 license? Sounds errr... rubbish.

My point was that we don't know anything about this game yet, this also could be a named game and be a somewhat decent open-wheel racing game (or whatever).
Though the fact EA are making it quite obviously means this won't be anywhere near reality.

 

[Pepsi0]

Nobody knows what it's going to be like so don't critiscise the game so early.

 

[JamboGT]

Does anyone remember F1 97 on the PS, Villeneuve was licensed to some other company and if you used him when Murray was commentating about youhe would say things like "The Canadian!" or "Williams Number two!"

Quite entertaining but I don't think it will happen with Codies.

 

[Ardius]

Nobody knows what it's going to be like so don't critiscise the game so early.

Well, true but nowadays when a game is going to be made by EA, it almost always spells disaster before we even see a screenshot.
See, EA was setup by a guy who had the great idea of focusing less on quality games and more on a sheer quantity of games, unfortunately for EA, they've seemingly continued this man's business philosophy (This man is Trip Hawkins btw).
To be fair to old Trip though, its clearly a strategy that works business wise, pity I can't feel any appreciation for that due to the many things EA has done to achieve their "success".

Not to mention that 95% of license games end up crap. The few games that have worked are usually not made by people like EA (e.g. Richard Burns Rally, certain Star Wars games, Colin McRae Rally, etc). HOWEVER, EA did make some decent F1 games if I remember right? F1 99-2002 were not too shabby if I'm thinking right.

 

[Pepsi0]

Well, true but nowadays when a game is going to be made by EA, it almost always spells disaster before we even see a screenshot.
See, EA was setup by a guy who had the great idea of focusing less on quality games and more on a sheer quantity of games, unfortunately for EA, they've seemingly continued this man's business philosophy (This man is Trip Hawkins btw).
To be fair to old Trip though, its clearly a strategy that works business wise, pity I can't feel any appreciation for that due to the many things EA has done to achieve their "success".

Yeah EA's trick of the trade is quantity rather than quality, and to try and get as much cash as possible, obviously, even if they have to use the worst ways to get it.

 

[daan]

Does anyone remember F1 97 on the PS, Villeneuve was licensed to some other company and if you used him when Murray was commentating about youhe would say things like "The Canadian!" or "Williams Number two!"

There was another F1 game in which he was know as John Newhouse. (I think it was GP4.)

 

[ChadSpeed]

Hey since EA is doing the game we should see it on the shelves in oh lets say 6 months?

I called Gamestop and they already have it, but it under a different name..... NFS ProStreet can be upgraded to LH F1 with another $20 add-on. F1 on 22's with nitrous and turbos, oh yea.

Seriously I stopped playing EA games years ago when I saw how horrible they are online, haven't bought one since Tiger a few years back. EA looks like a turd machine for the foreseeable future.👎

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

I have no idea what kind of allowances and restrictions the two different licenses have, but I must say, the following quote made me spill coffee on my lap top!

So basically this will involve a game in which Lewis Hamilton sits in a car, not a F1 car because codemasters has that licence and driving round a parking lot because codemasters has the licence for the circuits.

I can just imagine it now...

Woo look at me I'm Lewis Hamilton and I'm driving round a Parking Lot. WEEEEEEEE

The image that created in my head was worth the accidental spillage.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Lewis Hamilton - The Game.

lvl 1 - Help Lewis' dad put up "For Sale" signs to raise funds for go-karting.
2 - Win Go Karting race.
3 - Rule the world Win Go karting Championship.
4 - Meet Ron Dennis.
5 - Win more races in more cars.
6 - Rule the world Read "How to seem like a real honest guy".
7 - Get into Formula 1.
8 - Win Formula 1 world championship.
9 - Rule The World Bed a PussyCat Doll.
10 - Rule The World

 

[JamboGT]

There was another F1 game in which he was know as John Newhouse. (I think it was GP4.)

Was that one of the F1 management games?

I remember seeing that as well.

Actually just had a wee google and it appears we are both correct!

It was Microprose's interpretation of the name I suppose literally it would be John Newtown but Newhouse was used instead.

 

[danjama]

I dont have anything against Hamilton, he just doesnt know better. I mean, would you have the time or inclination to play any EA games if you were him? I know i wouldn't.

The game will almost definitely suck though.

 

[JamboGT]

Actually from interviews he plays racing games quite a lot with his younger brother.

All things considered life as a famous driver can be very throttling with the paparazzi all around you sometimes it would be nice to stay away.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

I dont have anything against Hamilton, he just doesnt know better. I mean, would you have the time or inclination to play any EA games if you were him? I know i wouldn't.

The game will almost definitely suck though.

What's funny is during his rookie F1 season he was on *Gran Prix Preview, and when asked how it is he seems so at home on tracks he had never raced on before he attributed it to playing Formula One Championship Edition and racing against his brother online. There are quite a lot of professional race drivers who regularly play racing sim games of the same series they race in.

* The official F1 preview show that airs on Speed TV here in the states before each race.

 

[MagpieRacer]

There was another F1 game in which he was know as John Newhouse. (I think it was GP4.)

GP3, he was Villeneuve in GP4.

 

[myke6699]

I dont have anything against Hamilton, he just doesnt know better. I mean, would you have the time or inclination to play any EA games if you were him? I know i wouldn't.

The game will almost definitely suck though.

But it'll sell. Even with the bad reviews, EA sells more NFS: Undercover than Little Big Planet, Morror's Edge, Prince Of Persia in the week it was released. Hopefully EA would have Critereon develop the game: Burnout Lewis Hamilton: Edition Grand Prix. It's basically demolition derby but with super expensive and super delicate F1 cars.