Formula 1 98

This article is about the 1998 videogame. For the motor racing season, see 1998 Formula One World Championship.

Formula 1 98 is a racing video game developed by Visual Science and published by Psygnosis exclusively for PlayStation. It is the sequel to the 1997 video game Formula 1 97 and was based on the 1998 Formula One World Championship.

Formula 1 98
Developer(s)	Visual Science
Publisher(s)	Psygnosis
Series	Formula One
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Release	EU: 30 October 1998[1] NA: 9 December 1998[2]
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Overview

Following the departure of Bizarre Creations, Psygnosis offered Reflections Interactive the chance to develop Formula 1 98, but they pulled out to make Driver. Visual Science were hired to make the game. The game was then rushed for release to coincide with the final race of the 1998 Formula One World Championship. As a result of this, the game ended up being poorly-received by various gaming publications. Despite this, the game was a best-seller in the UK.^[3]

Circuits

The game features 16 official Formula One circuits based on the 1998 Formula One World Championship plus 2 hidden tracks which can be accessed with cheat codes. One is based upon a Hippodrome, although it says "Coloseum" in the selection screen and the other one is a Stunttrack.

Teams and drivers

The game features all of the official teams and drivers that competed in the 1998 Formula One World Championship, although like with its predecessor, Formula 1 97, Jacques Villeneuve's name and image are not featured due to him copyrighting both. The game refers to him as 'Williams Driver 1'.

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	70%[4]

Review scores

Publication	Score
Computer and Video Games	[5]
Electronic Gaming Monthly	6.5/10[6]
GamePro	[7]
GameSpot	7.5/10[8]
IGN	7.3/10[9]

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.^[4] PlayStation Power gave it a review of 69%, noting that "Psygnosis have managed to cock up the one uncockupable licence on the PlayStation" and that it was far worse than both F1 '97 and the original F1 game on the PlayStation.^[10]

In February 1999, Formula 1 98 received a "Platinum" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),^[11] indicating sales of at least 200,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.^[12]

References

1. "Formula 1 98". Daily Mirror. October 23, 1998. p. 10. Retrieved November 30, 2023. Out 30th October
2. "Sony PlayStation Available Software sorted by Release Date @ www.vidgames.com". 2000-08-15. Archived from the original on 2000-08-15. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
3. "UK PlayStation sales chart". Official UK PlayStation Magazine. No. 40. Future plc. 25 December 1998.
4. "Formula 1 98 for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
5. Fulljames, Stephen (1998). "PlayStation Review: Formula One 98". Computer and Video Games. Future plc. Archived from the original on 29 May 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
6. EGM staff (January 1999). "Formula 1 98". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 114. Ziff Davis.
7. Air Hendrix (1999). "Formula 1 '98 Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 28 September 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
8. Smith, Josh (21 December 1998). "Formula 1 98 Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
9. Perry, Douglass C. (14 December 1998). "Formula 1 '98". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
10. "Formula 1 98". PlayStation Power. No. 33. December 1998. pp. 106–8.
11. "Erste Doppel-Platin Auszeichnungen durch den VUD". Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (in German). Paderborn. 18 February 1999. Archived from the original on 12 March 2000.
12. "VUD Sales Awards: November 2002". Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (in German). Paderborn. Archived from the original on 10 January 2003.

External links

• Formula 1 98 at MobyGames