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Racing Games Enter A New Chapter With EA's Codemasters Deal

NEWS STORY
17/12/2020

While many racing fans would love the opportunity to drive an F1 car, it is an unfortunate truth that only a select few ever get to experience the thrills of top-level motorsport.

However, for serious enthusiasts, gaming offers the next best thing. A host of titles have emerged through the years to give fans a taste of racing action and a major new announcement in recent days may mean more exciting experiences could be on the way.

Big deal

In the middle of December, Electronic Arts confirmed in a statement that it has agreed on a deal which will see it acquire the UK games developer and publisher Codemasters.

Expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, the agreement will mean that EA can bring together the expertise behind Codemasters' franchises including Formula One and DiRT with its own famous brands such as Need for Speed and Real Racing. EA added that it believed it could boost Codemasters' performance through its expertise related to live services, game analytics and technology. It also stated that the deal would enable the creation of a "market-leading portfolio" of racing games for players across the world.

Andrew Wilson, the CEO of Electronic Arts, added that the pair would be able to create a "new era of racing entertainment" at a time when both the gaming industry and the racing category are on the rise.

Enduring relationship

The acquisition certainly marks a fascinating new chapter in the relationship between racing and gaming. Their connection goes back decades, with TheNewsWheel detailing how Gran Trak 10 was released by Atari back in 1974. Numerous titles have emerged since, with racing even having an impact in other parts of the gaming world, including the domain of online casino experiences. For example, NetBet casino features slot games based on a range of themes, including the motorsport industry. Some of the notable titles based on the area include 24 Hour Grand Prix and Boost Racers. The lasting impact that the racing genre has had on gaming lives on and fulfils a niche that many of the audience desire.

Of course, Codemasters' F1 series has been a big name in racing games for some time and it enjoyed a particularly strong 2020. As Gamesindustry.biz outlines, the latest edition F1 2020 gave the franchise its biggest opening week for three years. The title reached number one in the UK physical charts in July, with boxed sales up by 22 per cent when compared to the previous year.

Such figures suggest that there is plenty of life left in the series, so it will be intriguing to see whether EA can build on that continued interest across the coming years.

Fascinating future awaits

Electronic Arts' planned acquisition of Codemasters could prove to be a major moment for the racing genre within the video games industry.
The move highlights how massive the racing game genre has become in recent years, with it giving many fans a chance to experience the thrills and excitement associated with motorsport. A fascinating future awaits, and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact the deal ultimately has on the racing games scene soon.

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