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[Yoritomo]

It's definitely not a scam, but I want to make sure that you guys understand the culture of racing sims. For many of the 86 Gaffers who have joined pCARS, this is their first exposure to this niche market. And while pCARS looks and plays great, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about the financial success of this game.

I will happily tone down the cautionary posts, but I'm concerned for everybody who has paid $135+ to be part of this beta.




How do you envision those million copies are split? I'm actually curious.

Something like: 100k for PC, 400k for both PS3 and 360, 100k for WiiU?

What publisher wants to invest in three console ports (with potentially no shared hardware architecture between them) for 900k in additional sales?

The only way I see it happening is if the console versions are "Shift-ified" to appeal to a wider audience. Then perhaps you might get the dudebros on board for some quick races between COD binges, but otherwise, I doubt this game will sell many copies if the console versions are as sim-ey as the PC version.

Make the game "fun" with enough underpinnings of the big exclusive simlike console games and they should be fine.

Dunno about you buy I'm investing in this project to become a fun game that handles like a sim. I've purchased every major Simlike PC game for years now and yet still have to break out GTR2 or a heavily modified shift to have anything that's a "game" and not just a parameterized sim racing tool for organizing leagues. Seeing as how many of the guys behind this were behind GTR2 I'm hoping for something that goes in the same direction and offers a game with a very very refined simulation physics model.

 

[Yen]

I can imagine the WiiU version will sell a lot. The first "next gen" sim racer on a platform with next to no sim racers.

 

[mclaren777]

I can imagine the WiiU version will sell a lot. The first "next gen" sim racer on a platform with next to no sim racers.

Even if a WiiU version does come out, who is going to want to play it using circle pads (not real thumb sticks) and digital rear buttons (not analog triggers)? Tilt controls are highly likely, but again, this game isn't Mario Kart so I don't see that option appealing to very many people.

 

[Yen]

Even if a WiiU version does come out, who is going to want to play it using circle pads (not real thumb sticks) and digital rear buttons (not analog triggers)? Tilt controls are highly likely, but again, this game isn't Mario Kart so I don't see that option appealing to very many people.

I imagine very few people will care.

 

[Dilly]

If I invest €100 and only get back 50€, I still break even since I'm getting the game for free?

 

[markao]

@Dilly yes, game for free is part of your membership (full and above)


With a budget of less than 4 million you do not need to sell a million copies to break even, around 250 K will be enough.

It will all come down to, if SMS (+community) is capable to create a game around the "tech", if they manage to do that ( they did so with both Shifts), I think they will reach those necessary numbers

 

[Betta Lines]

I predict that the Wii U controller will have real thumbsticks at E3.

 

[Speech]

Might as well kick-off the new Time Trial Challenge. 1:36.498 so far.

 

[fresquito]

I think 100K for WiiU is pretty low, considering it will appear in the launch window. Many crappy games sell a lot during that period, just because people want to buy anything you throw at them. Besides, Nintendo fans have been waiting for a competitor to GT and Forza for years, they could take this game as their own GT or Forza, just because it looks fantastic. I expect more than 100k longtime sales. And, just as I said, with one million we will be winning money, not just breaking even.

 

[kn1ves24]

So I signed up as a team member for the project. I'm yellow13 on the forums there.

Looking forward to checking out the builds and providing feedback if I can. I am in no way great at sim racers, but I enjoy playing them and this one seems pretty cool.

 

[Big Takeover]

1:36.399

http://youtu.be/E08bu23-aK8

Donington is brilliant. I always love doing laps there.

 

[Polyphony]

Is there such a market for these kind of games on Nintendo consoles? I was always under the impression that people bought Nintendo consoles for Mario Kart, Excite Truck, F-Zero and other games in the same vein. I wonder if the Wii U will even have proper wheel support.

 

[Big Takeover]

Is there such a market for these kind of games on Nintendo consoles? I was always under the impression that people bought Nintendo consoles for Mario Kart, Excite Truck, F-Zero and other games in the same vein. I wonder if the Wii U will even have proper wheel support.

The Wii U will be the most powerful console on the market for a least a year. I think Nintendo could pick up some early adopters that aren't necessarily Nintendo fanatics because of that. Provided it's got a usable controller, I think pCARS could be appealing to that crowd. It's going to look good too, and that always helps. It could end up being a good showcase for multiplayer too if Nintendo decides they're finally ready to take it seriously.

 

[fresquito]

Is there such a market for these kind of games on Nintendo consoles? I was always under the impression that people bought Nintendo consoles for Mario Kart, Excite Truck, F-Zero and other games in the same vein. I wonder if the Wii U will even have proper wheel support.

My theory is that market is build upon products, not brands. Would you say Nintendo is a good Market for FPS'? See Goldeneye. Do you think Nintendo is a good market for fighting games? See Street Fighter II. Do you think Nintendo is a good market for horror games? See RE4. If the game is good, people will gravitate towards that game, no matter the platform. Of course, with multiplatform releases that's different, but the factor here is that launch window titles usually sell a lot, so I see pCARS benefitting a lot just because it will probably look better than most everything on that console.

 

[Dilly]

1.36.567

I hate the handling of the Ariel, ugh.

 

[Orgun]

1:36.399

http://youtu.be/E08bu23-aK8

Donington is brilliant. I always love doing laps there.

...I don't think i've ever raced on Donnington. Layout looks completely unfamiliar.

 

[Orgun]

Completed a few laps of Donnington in the Formula A to get used to it before the TT. Fun track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z46z7c_FGC4

 

[mclaren777]

...I don't think i've ever raced on Donnington. Layout looks completely unfamiliar.

That's both a crime against humanity and a perfect example of SMS making great choices for its track selection.

 

[disap.ed]

That's both a crime against humanity and a perfect example of SMS making great choices for its track selection.

We will see, Österreichring is still missing for example

 

[Big Takeover]

1.36.567

I hate the handling of the Ariel, ugh.

It's such an odd duck. Off throttle oversteer, high speed understeer, it's so hard to be smooth. It's dying for a setup. My first few laps were an embarrassment. I think I spun at just about every corner.

Completed a few laps of Donnington in the Formula A to get used to it before the TT. Fun track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z46z7c_FGC4

Nice. It's a really fun track to find all those little speed secrets.

We will see, Österreichring is still missing for example

That's got to be at the top of the list for me. I really want to see it make it in.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I want Monaco, especially after seeing what they did with the coastal roads. That + Formula A = Heaven.

Albert Park, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and São Paulo would also be amazing. Then I have all of my favourite F1 tracks in the game!

I'm sure there are other great ones I know from GT/Forza etc that aren't in the game yet but I don't know any of their names.

Edit: Looking at Forza 4's track list there's not actually that many tracks. CARS is nearly matching it. Good stuff. My issue with GT/Forza has always been (amongst other things) I got bored of doing the same tracks over and over, so the more the better.

 

[Megasoum]

I want Monaco, especially after seeing what they did with the coastal roads. That + Formula A = Heaven.

Albert Park, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and São Paulo would also be amazing. Then I have all of my favourite F1 tracks in the game!

I'm sure there are other great ones I know from GT/Forza etc that aren't in the game yet but I don't know any of their names.

Edit: Looking at Forza 4's track list there's not actually that many tracks. CARS is nearly matching it. Good stuff. My issue with GT/Forza has always been (amongst other things) I got bored of doing the same tracks over and over, so the more the better.

I would actually prefer to have Riviera from Shift 2 than Monaco... It's a fake version of the track that is actually better lol. You get the layout that looks a lot like the F1 track but you also get extra layouts like the "France" layout for example that has some crazy speedy sections.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrJk081dcEk

 

[Dilly]

I want Oulton Park.

I hated the Riviera track from Shift 2, hated it a lot. Also, dem floaty cars in that gameplay clip, forgot how bad it was.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

Wow the head motion in the cockpit is horrible in that game! The big flashing arrows don't do it any favours either

I don't like the look of it. Not bad, but not what I want. I want pure Monaco!

 

[Megasoum]

Also, dem floaty cars in that gameplay clip, forgot how bad it was.

Yeah I noticed the same thing while watching the video. I played a TON of Shift 2 but never with the default physics. The game was actually quite fun with a good physics mod and a good steering.

 

[op_ivy]

Wow the head motion in the cockpit is horrible in that game!

you are wrong, its awesome

and thats shift's helmet cam. the cockpit cam is more like a traditional cockpit view.

EDIT for clarification

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I never said it wasn't awesome, it's just not the track I want!

I could see that helmet view giving me motion sickness.. and I don't get motion sickness.

 

[Dilly]

I hope they implement that helmet view again in pCARS, just not as extreme as in Shift 2.

 

[Orgun]

I hope they implement that helmet view again in pCARS, just not as extreme as in Shift 2.

Yeah looks cool. I did see a CARS vid where the head was moving but forgot to check how they did it.

 

[mclaren777]

São Paulo would also be amazing.

This is the track I'm crossing my fingers for. It's the one I voted for every time in the polls and I really hope SMS decides to include it.

I want Oulton Park.

Apparently you and I just need to be patient.

 

[mclaren777]

I hope they implement that helmet view again in pCARS, just not as extreme as in Shift 2.

rFactor 2 has shown me how important it is to have believable visor effects (sun glare, road grime, etc) so I hope SMS does something similar with pCARS' helmet cam.

Youtube

 

[Arucardo]

Oh snap, it's time to start thinking about how I can get my wheel setup over to my proper gaming pc. Just tried the latest build with everything maxed (4xAA tho) and 30 AI on the grid and fps only dropped below 60 when I had almost all of the cars on screen at once, basically 99% of the time getting well over 60 fps. Don't need V-sync either on a 120hz monitor so minor dips below 60 are a non issue.

Probably need to buy a wheelstand to make bringing the wheel over here or to the living room easier.

I quickly tried it with a 360 gamepad and it's surprisingly playable with it .

 

[Orgun]

rFactor 2 has shown me how important it is to have believable visor effects (sun glare, road grime, etc) so I hope SMS does something similar with pCARS' helmet cam.

Youtube

I liked that in rFactor1 you had the pull-offs for your helmet.

 

[Übermatik]

Anyone want to post some awesome up to date screenshots? I want to get hyped for the Wii U version! Contrary to some people's opinions, I think motion controls would be sweet, especially with responsive rumble feedback. Analog controls as default will still be okay, though.

 

[paperspace]

dat McLaren-livery

 

[mclaren777]

Anyone want to post some awesome up to date screenshots? I want to get hyped for the Wii U version!

The WiiU version will probably look like this...

 

[Übermatik]

Mmm jaggies, but that's still good enough for me. Really looking forward to this game when it hits later this year.

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

NeoGAF pCARS Time Trial Challenge - Week #3 - Ariel Atom Mugen @ Derby GT (Build 184)

BigTakeover - 1:36.399
markao - 1:36.468 (video)
Speech - 1:36.498
Dilly - 1:36.567

Our F1 2011 league race is over now, so I'll start doing some laps!

 

[mclaren777]

Really looking forward to this game when it hits later this year.

I'll be surprised if the WiiU version comes out before the other console versions, which means you won't be playing it this year. And even if it did release in 2012 for the WiiU, it would be a lesser version of the game because some of the content won't be ready in time.

 

[sneaky77]

yeah I don't think the official release for this game will be before next april/march

 

[fresquito]

Mmm jaggies, but that's still good enough for me. Really looking forward to this game when it hits later this year.

The game is planned for early 2013. That's why I've been talking about launch window all the time.

 

[Megasoum]

I'm having a ton of fun working on the Formula A challenge at Suzuka but I really hate the fact that the toughest part of the track is at the very end...I keep wasting two laps because I got out in the last chicane.

 

[fresquito]

I've been giving a first go to the Donnington TT. Didn't know the track, nor the car (which I love/hate at the moment). I'm at around 1:40, with plenty of room to improve. I find this combo a bit odd, because the circuit is not your usual circuit where the driving line is so clear that there's no other way you could go around it... and the Mugen is a drifting bitch...

Still, quite an intersting contest. That said, seeing the first batch of times setting almost WR is a bit disheartening x-D

 

[drugstore_cowboy]

rFactor 2 has shown me how important it is to have believable visor effects (sun glare, road grime, etc) so I hope SMS does something similar with pCARS' helmet cam.

Youtube

That looks fantastic. How is it going to work at aspect ratios wider than 16:9 and multi monitor setups?

 

[paskowitz]

Just thought people should know:

Community test for ClubSport Wheel: Round 2

We finally get the ball rolling and start ROUND 2 of the community test of our new ClubSport Wheel Base and the Formula and BMW GT2 rims.

Sean Cebron, or better known as Sonac of f-wheel.com, will take over the handling for all these tests and will notify the appointed community test managers today.

Here you find a list of all CTMs and the communities they are handling. As soon as Sean receives the link of the forum where to put your application to be selected in the polls will also be listed here.

CTM:
Forum:
Link:

We have selected plenty of forums so you should see a lot of unbiased and independent reviews coming up for the CSW. The wheels for the testers are already produced and on the way to our warehouses so testing can start very soon.

 

[Arucardo]

Man, the wheel oscillation with both the G25 drivers and the Fanatec drivers drives me nuts, hope they get it sorted out soon.

 

[drugstore_cowboy]

I've only felt it in GT5, what other games are you having problems with?

 

[Arucardo]

I've only felt it in GT5, what other games are you having problems with?

No other games do this, wheel starts to oscillate on straight roads. I did the centering spring "fix" but it didn't really help it. There's others complaining about it on the wmd forums too, looks like something on the game's end.

 

[Darkdeus]

No other games do this, wheel starts to oscillate on straight roads. I did the centering spring "fix" but it didn't really help it. There's others complaining about it on the wmd forums too, looks like something on the game's end.

Yea they had fixed it for a quite a while but now with this new FFB it is back worse than ever. I think the new ffb has more potential in the long run because it's coming straight from the steering column like in netkar and rf2 and they have removed all the canned ffb effects. I think they just need to work out some of the bugs and continue to refine it. The devs are well aware of the oscillation problem though and I have no doubts that it will be fixed.

For now try messing around with the "FFB Grip Multi" and "FFB Tyre Force Multi" within the F1>Vehicles>FFB Adjust menu. For example if you have it at .9 and .3 try changing it to .09 and .03.

 

[Arucardo]

Yea they had fixed it for a quite a while but now with this new FFB it is back worse than ever. I think the new ffb has more potential in the long run because it's coming straight from the steering column like in netkar and rf2 and they have removed all the canned ffb effects. I think they just need to work out some of the bugs and continue to refine it. The devs are well aware of the oscillation problem though and I have no doubts that it will be fixed.

For now try messing around with the "FFB Grip Multi" and "FFB Tyre Force Multi" within the F1>Vehicles>FFB Adjust menu. For example if you have it at .9 and .3 try changing it to .09 and .03.

I'll def. look in to that, thanks!