Codemasters Bring Formula 1 to Wii

Formula 1 returns to Nintendo with Codemasters confirming a Wii version in the works.

In an interview with the developer on the Official F1 website, CEO Rod Cousens discussed Wii development - with tilt control confirmed.

Q: The first game will be released next year. Talk us briefly through the development process that will be taking place over the coming months?

RC: It depends partly on format - portables are a lot easier as they don't have such a rich graphical experience - but on dedicated consoles and PCs the way we write stems from what we call an 'engine', which for us is Codemasters' EGO Engine. This is what drives DiRT� and GRID�, so its pedigree on next-generation systems such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is already proven. The Formula One games will have the benefit of this. It typically takes us two years to develop such a game, but a lot of the assets have already been created - we have a number of the tracks because they already exist in GRID�, and we have the basics of the car dynamics and handling.

Then there's the issue of which format when - clearly we'll be targeting formats where there's been no Formula One experience for a number of years, and the Nintendo Wii, the fastest-selling hardware console in the world today, where the plan is to use the controller like a steering wheel. We'll go through a parallel development process on that, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The artwork involved will be intense and a lot of that will be done overseas to make sure we're up to speed.

The game is due for release in 2009.