NeoGAF

markao · 03:51 PM

A new crowdsourcing project by Slightly Mad Studios for their next multi-platform (PC/SteamOS/XBox 1/PS4/WiiU) racing sim title called "Project CARS" (community assisted racing simulation) has started. For as little as 10€ (13.40$), you can by yourself a share of the game to help and develop/influence the outcome of the game. Right now the development happens on PC only (jr member you get a new build each month, team member each week, senior or higher even ofter) and the console version will be ported at a later stage (problems MS/Sony certification), to be able to run the game you will need at least:

Minimum PC Specs
CPU: 3.0GHz Dual-Core or 2.4GHz Quad-Core

GRAPHICS: Nvidia 9600 GT or ATI HD 4750

MEMORY: 2GB of RAM

Funding total [edit] as of 11-11-12 Project is fully funded, 3.75 Million € (no new accounts, or upgrading possible)

The WMD (world of massdeveloment) website is live and there you can find all Project CARS related info:

Project CARS now will (also) use Steamworks for testing purposes, how to here: Project CARS on Steam - FAQ

For all Gaffers that are participating in the crowdfunding project, fellow Gaffer Blizzard set out the following challenge for other members of NEOGAF. So if enough GAF people sign up to total 1000 Euros ($1366 USD or so), He will match that by upgrading his own account to the 1000 Euro level.

--------We reached that goal a while back and Blizzard upgraded his account, but McLaren is still keeping track of all Gaffers at pCARS, so give him a shout (or just mention it in this thread) if you want to get listed.---------

---== Official NeoGAF group (Believe) on WMD ==---

---== NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge ==---

Information

Key points:

Car/track licensing news:

----- VIDEOS -----

pCARS community videos/trailers

----- SCREENSHOTS -----

first official SMS screenshots:

User Pre-Alpha Build 073

User Pre-Alpha Build 081

User Pre-Alpha Build 101

User Pre-Alpha Build 111 (by Darkdeus)

User Pre-Alpha Build 124

User Pre-Alpha Build 169

User Pre-Alpha Build 192

User Pre-Alpha Build 229

User Pre-Alpha Build 272

User Pre-Alpha Build 327

User Pre-Alpha Build 375

User Pre-Alpha Build 435-505

sneaky77 · (10-11-2011, 07:00 PM)

That game looks insane, no way is running on my rig at home lol

Arucardo · 10:23 PM

Not sure yet if I'll invest 25 or 100 eur in C.A.R.S. , heh. I'll wait for a bit more impressions and progress before deciding.

sneaky77 · (10-11-2011, 10:27 PM)

video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8P7...layer_embedded

Dilly · (10-11-2011, 10:29 PM)

That looks awesome, definately buying the 25€ license.

Metalmurphy · (10-11-2011, 10:29 PM)

My PC just wept while watching that video.

1-D_FTW · (10-11-2011, 10:36 PM)

Originally Posted by sneaky77

video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8P7...layer_embedded

Very impressive stuff.

Kyaw · (10-11-2011, 10:45 PM)

My mind was blown at how good this game looks. o.o

I want to get that 25 euro license.
Can anyone tell me how advanced the physics are?

Joseph Merrick · (10-11-2011, 10:50 PM)

omg. awesome

I will test it now. just need to set up the wheel.

Big Takeover · (10-11-2011, 10:51 PM)

Looks great, PC whelp, need physics impressions - same as everyone else! Very promising though.

Stop It · (10-11-2011, 10:51 PM)

I'm going for the €25 package. To be honest I would have probably paid €50 for the next tier but €100 is a bit high, still though I hope the project goes well.

magawolaz · (10-11-2011, 10:52 PM)

Originally Posted by sneaky77

video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8P7...layer_embedded

O_O

Joseph Merrick · (10-11-2011, 10:59 PM)

Originally Posted by Stop It

I'm going for the €25 package. To be honest I would have probably paid €50 for the next tier but €100 is a bit high, still though I hope the project goes well.

yeah, same here. or even 60 or 70 euros tbh. which is the console game pricepoint here :))

Teknopathetic · 11:31 PM

Looks like I'm gonna have to finally replace my wheel setup real soon. Looks fantastic, i'll definitely buy a package.

Also, someone should make a thread about the announcement, broskis.

Foliorum Viridum · (10-11-2011, 11:42 PM)

That looks amazing. :|

Foliorum Viridum · (10-11-2011, 11:45 PM)

Has anyone donated yet? I'm like a click away but I want to hear some trusted opinions.

Edit: Oops, thought I was editing last post.

Teknopathetic · (10-12-2011, 12:03 AM)

Split bump for you guys.

Joseph Merrick · (10-12-2011, 12:05 AM)

Originally Posted by Foliorum Viridum

Has anyone donated yet? I'm like a click away but I want to hear some trusted opinions.

Edit: Oops, thought I was editing last post.

yeah, I'm on the 25 euro option. and I saw 'Stop It' on the forum :)

only done a quick 360 controller test through the first build so far. I've got a bit of a texture problem with this one. but holy shit this is promising as fuck

and I love that there's such a range of cars already available. two tracks

amar212 · (10-12-2011, 12:09 AM)

Okay, sold, what is the recommended configuration for this beauty?

Please be specific with components, I've been out of the PC hardware news for half of the decade, thanx in advance!

Foliorum Viridum · (10-12-2011, 12:11 AM)

Donated. Downloading.

Will post screens/impressions in a bit :)

eemijun · (10-12-2011, 12:26 AM)

Would definitely appreciate more detailed impressions for you guys.

Lactose_Intolerant · (10-12-2011, 12:29 AM)

Carbon Fiber texture hurts my eyes, but I'm sure that's how it looks in real life.

Foliorum Viridum · (10-12-2011, 12:42 AM)

First thing I did was crash straight into the pit wall, ahahaha.

bee · (10-12-2011, 12:45 AM)

25 euro package bought, looks great will see about the physics

nexen · (10-12-2011, 12:51 AM)

So ....does this mean that NFS Shift 3 is not going to happen?

Joseph Merrick · (10-12-2011, 12:52 AM)

Originally Posted by Foliorum Viridum

Will post screens/impressions in a bit :)

are we allowed to post screens? I did read most of the terms, because the model is interesting. but I can't remember that part. and booting that document back up is HARD. hehe

Originally Posted by nexen

So ....does this mean that NFS Shift 3 is not going to happen?

could still happen, I guess. but judging from the quality of this build. why would anyone want it to happen? forget shift, forget forza, forget paying for 100 car paint colours in granturismo. :-DD

Foliorum Viridum · (10-12-2011, 01:05 AM)

Phenom X4 955 @ 3.8ghz
Radeon 6950 2gb
8gb RAM

Pretty solid 60fps with nearly everything on max.

Looks rather nice:

As you can see, I had the assists on and it still ended badly, haha. I'm not really a sim guy but after playing so much F1 2010/11 something like this did appeal to me. I would say it's pretty hard, but then again I'm no expert, so I'll let others chime in on that aspect.

In the 20 or so mins I played I had a lot of fun. It seems like the game has a lot of potential and I can imagine it being even better with a few friends online. The two tracks are quite different and there's a nice variety of cars.

My Logitech GT is already set up perfectly for it. Was detected fine by the game and cars feel good using it.

Is it worth £20? If you look at what it featured now I'd say no, but it's a cool little project I think I'll enjoy following, so if you think you'll feel the same way then yes.

It's late here and I have university tomorrow, so I'll have to wait to play more unfortunately.

Blizzard · (10-12-2011, 01:08 AM)

Quick, press the DRINK button!

markao · 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by nexen

So ....does this mean that NFS Shift 3 is not going to happen?

EA was not in need for another Shift, at least not in the moment SMS was told, so I serious doubt we will see another one.

Regarding physics, Doug Arno and Eero P. are still working at SMS, so they are aiming for a full sim. If they will deliver, this time without EA demands, we will have to see, but it at least all sounds promising.

Joseph Merrick · 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by Foliorum Viridum

As you can see, I had the assists on and it still ended badly, haha. I'm not really a sim guy but after playing so much F1 2010/11 something like this did appeal to me. I would say it's pretty hard, but then again I'm no expert, so I'll let others chime in on that aspect.

just turn all the aids off. it's not something you can get used to by having the aids on. hehe. you will spin out a little and overshoot some corners on braking, but that's just a part of learning the track and whatnot getting familiar with the car. getting properly familiar with a car and being able to accelerate and brake well is extremely rewarding.

Originally Posted by markao

Regarding physics, Doug Arno and Eero P. are still working at SMS, so they are aiming for a full sim. If they will deliver, this time without EA demands, we will have to see, but it at least all sounds promising.

the physics look pretty good so far. I'm really interested in how far they are willing to drop down the tire sinkhole. doing stuff like rfactor2, with warming tires, tire memory with doing flatspots and damaging specific parts of a tire stuff like that. I bet most people will be pushing for yes this must be in there.

Syriel · (10-12-2011, 01:34 AM)

Disney lawyers are going to have a shit fit over the name.

Other that that, looks hot.

sp3000 · (10-12-2011, 01:37 AM)

Wow, these graphics look better than any of the Shift games.

Sometimes I wish Forza or GT would release on PC.

bee · (10-12-2011, 01:48 AM)

shocking performance in triple screen until i remembered its the shift 2 engine so needs the sli fix, i renamed the cars.exe to "AFR-FriendlyD3D.exe" and that enabled sli, switching sli to afr2 in nvidia inspector i think also works. get about 45fps now with everything maxed at 6050 x 1080

game looks sweet and loads almost instantly on my ssd. it's obviously a real pre alpha as things like the car changing in the background to see what you've picked on the select screen isn't even implemented yet. annoying graphics bug on the grass for me too

phsycis and input lag aren't exactly netkar or iracing standards though but this has a long way to go so its not really a problem for now

first ai pass and some new tracks will be in fridays build

Shawsie64 · (10-12-2011, 02:01 AM)

Just invested team member.. Man I love things like this, PC gaming 4lyfe!

DOBERMAN INC · (10-12-2011, 02:07 AM)

Invested as a Team Member, hopefully if this goes well I don't have to re-buy a 360 or PS3.

NullPointer · (10-12-2011, 02:15 AM)

If it has controller support I'm in. Loved Shift and Shift 2 but always though Slightly Mad was rushed and limited in what they could actually accomplish given full support.

Joseph Merrick · (10-12-2011, 02:43 AM)

Originally Posted by NullPointer

If it has controller support I'm in. Loved Shift and Shift 2 but always though Slightly Mad was rushed and limited in what they could actually accomplish given full support.

has support for a shitload of different controllers of course

Foliorum Viridum · (10-12-2011, 07:14 AM)

Originally Posted by Joseph Merrick

just turn all the aids off. it's not something you can get used to by having the aids on. hehe. you will spin out a little and overshoot some corners on braking, but that's just a part of learning the track and whatnot getting familiar with the car. getting properly familiar with a car and being able to accelerate and brake well is extremely rewarding.

Oh I will, but it was midnight and I just wanted a quick spin in the car without spinning in the pit lane again >_>

Joseph Merrick · (10-12-2011, 07:24 AM)

huahua

subversus · (10-12-2011, 08:16 AM)

I'm buying it when I'm back home. Looks sick. Crowdsourcing model is the way to go in our times.

Foliorum Viridum · (10-12-2011, 08:47 AM)

I just turned all assists off and put everything on hard. Big mistake.

Baby steps before running I think!

Joseph Merrick · (10-12-2011, 08:57 AM)

no no. keep going. just get used to it

xXJonoXx · (10-12-2011, 08:58 AM)

When I saw the title of the game, this is the first thing I thought of: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaAZKtoAFgc

Teknopathetic · (10-12-2011, 08:59 AM)

Baby steps in a racing sim isn't "use assists" but more like "drive slowly" then gradually increase speed as you get a better feel for what you and the car are capable of.

Stop It · (10-12-2011, 09:15 AM)

Originally Posted by Foliorum Viridum

I just turned all assists off and put everything on hard. Big mistake.

Baby steps before running I think!

Oh, I think I may be having fun with this tonight then.

I'll be going in with 0 assists, so I expect to find the limits (read the walls) of the cars pretty quickly!

fresquito · (10-12-2011, 02:01 PM)

I just became a Team Member. I'm downloading the latest build now.

What I didn't know and might be of some help to people is that you can upgrade your account at any time. You can buy a Junior pass and then pay 15 extra euros and become a Team Member.

1-D_FTW · (10-12-2011, 02:23 PM)

Originally Posted by Teknopathetic

Baby steps in a racing sim isn't "use assists" but more like "drive slowly" then gradually increase speed as you get a better feel for what you and the car are capable of.

I think this was my biggest mistake with the Codemaster F1 games (besides having my G27 settings like linearity at completely broken levels and prone to random 180 spinouts for no reason. I can't believe how impossible it is to spin with those settings fixed.) I'm used to having to feather things and be gentle and never really adjusted to F1 being a pure arcade game where spins are impossible if your settings aren't borked. Glad to hear this game is on the sim side (though I'd like to hear comparisons from people who played Shift, because I thought those physics were terrible). I've been driving too long to ever be really great at pure arcade games because they're completely unnatural in your ability to abuse the car.

Foliorum Viridum · (10-12-2011, 03:47 PM)

Originally Posted by Teknopathetic

Baby steps in a racing sim isn't "use assists" but more like "drive slowly" then gradually increase speed as you get a better feel for what you and the car are capable of.

I was going like 50mph and still span, haha.

I'll turn on a few assists and see how I do. That's how I learned to get to the point of having no assists in other driving games, so I'll try that first.

crimsonheadGCN · (10-12-2011, 03:49 PM)

Worth it if you don't have a wheel? I have a 360 controller and Logitech Rumble Pad.

I'm guessing no.

SmokyDave · (10-12-2011, 03:59 PM)

I need this. I can't really justify spending any more money on games this month but this looks sooooooo good...

Originally Posted by Foliorum Viridum

I was going like 50mph and still span, haha.

I'll turn on a few assists and see how I do. That's how I learned to get to the point of having no assists in other driving games, so I'll try that first.

Boo. Jump in at the deep end. You'll be better off for it in the long run.

Having said that, I always leave ABS on. Tee hee.