WipEout HD is out today, but if you are subject to epileptic attacks, you might want think about it before you buy the game. If you remember, the game was delayed because it failed epilepsy tests. In fact, it failed so badly that the game had to be re-engineered. However, it looks like the game pulled through, but the final product still had to come with a very serious health warning.

 

There's a rumor floating around the European cyberspace which could spell happy days for game fans waiting to get a new Sony PlayStation 3. Website PlayFrance reports that there will be a new starter pack for the region and it'll be starring two killer titles.

The report says that hot video games Heavenly Sword from Ninja Theory and Formula One Championship Edition from SCE Studios Liverpool will be included in the bundle in place of launch hits Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm. The move does seem too good, but it also makes a lot of sense since the Heavenly Sword demo wowed crowds across the planet and F1 has always been big in the continent.

Both titles are exclusive to the Sony PS3 and have showcased the machine's long-trumpeted hardware chops in the previews shown to the public. Heavenly Sword is a good-looking action title of epic proportions while Formula One: Championship Edition is the only racing sim licensed by the world's most popular motorsport. We'll update you on this juicy rumor as soon as new word is forthcoming.

We've been enjoying our copy of the Formula One Championship Edition video game for a little over a month now and we were impressed with the realism. So what's new with this fast and realistic racer? We found a video over at GameTrailers featuring the developers at Sony Computer Entertainment Studios Liverpool.

They talked about the development of Formula One Championship Edition and "upgrading" it from the PS2 to the PS3. The graphics were a large factor in the immersive gameplay, like the reflections and driving at insane speeds in the rain. They also discussed the difficulty settings (love those training lines) to make the PS3 game appeal to basically everyone.

Check out the video and hear what the Formula One Championship Edition devs have to say about this awesome PlayStation 3 title.

Rev up your engines and get ready for some adrenaline rush! Sony Computer Entertainment's Studio Liverpool announced today the official launch of Formula One Championship Edition. This is really something because, if you're not aware, the game is actually the first F1 title released in America in more than five years.

SCEA Director for Online and Product Marketing Susan Nourai is quite pleased with the Sony Liverpool's efforts. She commented,

The development team at Studio Liverpool has crafted an experience that delivers on the uniquely technical aspects of Formula One driving such that it is accessible for the pick-up-and-play novice but also allows for a high level of customization that will even impress professional drivers.

We've already shown you a lot of videos before and discussed several details of the game. But probably a few of the remarkable ones include the SIXAXIS support, that allows players to steer their vehicles around the tightest turns through motion control. The online feature allows 11-person competition with the other 11 cars controlled by A.I.

SCE Studios Liverpool's F1 Championship Edition will be launched in London on March 1 this year. You can expect Super Aguri F1 driver Anthony Davidson to attend the launch. Davidson, who happens to be a gamer, will also be giving the game a spin. The event will be hosted by ITV's Martin Brundle and BBC Five Live’s pit lane presenter Holly Samos. It seems in addition to gamers, there will be serious coverage by the automotive and racing media people.

So if you live somewhere near London, and you're interested in the game and you want to rub elbows with all these racing and gaming bigwigs, then you'd probably want to know that Three Speech will be giving out five special invites to the event. But before you get all excited for that March 1 launch event, watch this teaser of the game first. Promise, it's good.

Download: [F1 Championship Edition Teaser]

The critically-acclaimed Formula One racing sim, Formula One Championship Edition for the PS3, exhibited a glaring example of the huge power the Playstation 3 houses inside. The racing sim dares to push the envelope past virtual visuals and sits right next to realism.

N'Gai Croal of Newsweek had a few questions for SCE Studio Liverpool's Game Director Graeme Ankers about the game and just how sexy it looks on the PS3.

From the interview, Ankers pointed out that the game was specifically built to put the title into a worthy next-generation level. So everything from damage modeling, high-definition rendering and life-like AI to the captivating simulation gameplay and every bit of detail was under scrutiny. If anything just didn't look real enough, they put it back to the drawing board until it comes out exceeding expectations or just right.

"One of the key challenges you face when developing a game for Playstation 3 is making sure everything in the game consistently hits the high benchmarks you've set yourself," Ankers explained.

The game allows the player to race against 21 other cars in a single track. A single car on the track uses as much memory as 22 cars would use for the PS2 version. Everything they had estimated came close enough that difficulties in realizing the next-generation level of detail for the game were minimal. And the weather effects... whew! Are they a sight to look at or what?

Ankers explained that the game models realistic rain. And it's not done on a looped way like other games have done before. The rain is simulated per droplet, meaning each drop can have a different impact effect, splash direction and splash area on the car, your helmet view and on moving parts like tires.

Cars veering off course or navigating turns will actually show how water sprays off the wheels from the wet track or from the rain. The game models each droplet by using the PS3's unique CELL architecture.

Even though the game doesn't delegate SPUs to specific tasks, each SPU is called on to do jobs in a priority basis. And because each SPU can process vertex shading tasks hand-in-hand with the RSX graphics engine, the game can render more than the usual vertex shading programs to deliver that superb "WOW!" effect.

Arguably one of the world's biggest motorsport is back with a vengeance. After a long absence, Formula One Championship Edition jumps ahead of the pack into American living rooms aboard its high-octane PlayStation 3 engine.

Just a couple of weeks before F1CE leaves the garage, we were able to get our hands on a video preview (courtesy of GameTrailers). Judging by the way it's shaping up, it's definitely not gonna lag behind the better racing sim games currently out for the next-gen market.

Following the grease trails of its predecessors, the preview showed what we've come to expect from the series: breakneck frame rates, an extensive roster of teams and licensed cars, a multiplayer online mode and full surround audio which should make your speakers shudder with the incessant engine noises.

Buckle up and we'll keep you posted on this hot prospect. This SCE Studios Liverpool-developed title, already available in Japan, will be coming to Europe and North America this March.

Gamers from different territories have distinct tastes. Japanese players are so big on RPGs while we, here in the States, somewhat prefer FPS titles in general. Given that though, there are still some things that can be considered universal. Take the case of racing title, Formula One Championship for example.

Just before 2006 closed, we reported that more than 8,000 copies of the game were sold in Japan just on the first day of its release alone. While the game won't be blazing its way around here and Europe until March, the anticipation for it is rather undeniable. Developer SCE Studios Liverpool, it seems, would like to solidify this claim as they continue to release media for the game.

For today, we'd like to share with you a video clip from the game. Its about racing, needless to say, but the skills of the one playing when this video was taken are somewhat remarkable. But then again, it could be just the pause button doing its magic. Well, why don't you see for yourself? Go ahead and download the video. Have fun!

Download: [F1 Championship: Blazing]