Codemasters will be exceedingly happy with the success of F1 2010. It’s gone down well critically, with reviews averaging out at around 85 percent.

And that’s converting into cold, hard sales: it entered the UK chart at number one. But more than that: it’s the first Formula 1 game to top the chart since Sony’s Formula One 2001; F1 2010 has sold more than ten times as many copies as that game; and it’s the best ever opening week for Codemasters.

In short: the Formula 1 license is turning out to be kind of a big deal for Codemasters.

No surprise, then, that a 2011 game is already in development, and Codemasters are working on signing up the license for 2012 – and presumably beyond. Given the reception of F1 2010, it’s hard to imagine them failing in that.

Which begs the question: do we want an annual F1 game?

EA’s first FIFA game was highly innovative, but innovation suffered as incremental updates sufficed to maintain sales. That was until Konami started to trouble EA with its Pro Evolution Soccer series, and EA got its act together again.

It’s hard to imagine an unlicensed single-seater racing game bothering a licensed Formula 1 product. So could Codemasters keep pushing the series forward? I hope so.

One way might be to switch formats – and preferably developers – for alternating instalments. Sumo Digital were responsible for F1 2009 on Wii and PSP; Codemasters developed F1 2010 in-house for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

The problem with that is that F1 2009 didn’t do as well: it entered the UK chart at number 11, for example. That will have been down partly to a less positive critical reception, but I think more to the choice of formats – F1 2010 was released for the ‘hardcore’ platforms, so there was more buzz before launch.

At least, that’s my theory. And I may well be wrong: Codemasters could be tempted by 3D without the need for glasses, in the form of Nintendo’s forthcoming 3DS handheld. And there are the new motion-sensing experiences: Kinect for Xbox 360, Move for PlayStation 3.

But from the sound of things, F1 2011 will very much build on F1 2010.

So if Codemasters tie up the license for the long term, we might have to rely on them to keep it fresh through creative integrity alone. Luckily, they do have a history of refreshing franchises: Colin McRae Rally morphed into DiRT; TOCA Touring Car Championship evolved, through TOCA Race Driver, to Race Driver: GRID.

Reasons to be cheerful, then, whether you were impressed by F1 2010 or not.