14 DAY TRIAL // The Formula 1 Championship has just ended and, sadly, the newcomer Lewis Hamilton didn't win; but he was close enough to be considered a virtual champion for his die-hard fans. Hamilton has just signed a ?5 million deal with Electronic Arts, which means that we'll be seeing a new F1 racing sim, that will give us the chance to push the racer to the first place of the podium and change history.
According to The Sun, Hamilton will be featured in an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title; however, as far as I know, Sony Computer Entertainment owns the F1 license rights, so maybe EA has managed to snatch that "treasure" from them. While the last F1 title was good enough, we have high expectations from EA considering their experience with racing games. We could also speculate and assume that Hamilton will change his orientation towards NASCAR, just like Montoya, but this is very unlikely.
If EA managed to clinch a deal with Sony, buying the F1 licensing rights, it means that all the upcoming F1 titles will be branded with Need for Speed creator's logo. Will Hamilton only appear as the "cover boy" for a potential F1 2008 or as a playable racer? I, for one, would much rather go through the entire season as the vice-champ, instead of competing against him. In the meantime, we're dealing with some pretty serious prejudice coming from most gamers who have liked the latest F1 PS3 title.
Since Sony did such a swell job, will EA be able to deliver a similar performance? Being in a small company's shoes after purchasing its franchise is one thing, but replacing Sony as the developer of a racing sim is one tough test, no matter what developer we're talking about. Let's just keep up the wishful thinking and hope for a better season for Hamilton plus a rewarding gaming experience.