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"The racing genre needs new hardware"

mclaren777

mclaren777

Member
I just read this article and I'm not sure if I agree with Gareth's claims. Racing games that come out near the end of a console cycle can be equally good (Colin McRae Rally 2005 & Forza Motorsport 4) or bad (MotorStorm: Apocalypse & Gran Turismo 4). And if you really like a series at the beginning of a cycle, there's no guarantee that it will improve as time goes on (eg, the Dirt franchise imploding on itself with Showdown).

GAF poll: Does the progression of a console cycle yield better or worse racing games?

Gareth Wilson said:
We need a new console. Racing games always do well when a new console comes out, and you do a new physics engine and improved graphics. Towards the end of a console cycle it's always quite hard to push racing games, I think If you've got Dirt 1, do you need Dirt 3? If you've got PGR3 do you need PGR4? I'm not so sure. It really relies on technology, the racing genre. Maybe more than other genres.
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Source
 
It most probably help to make technically better racing games but it really doesn't mean a better racing game, a more fun racing game.

I think the simulation genre needs a little rethinking sometimes. I would like a game that is ultra-realistic in matter of racing consequences, even if this means the thing get totally frustrating from a non-enthusiast point of view. I would even like them to toss out ANYTHING that prevents that simulation to happen --- yes, even brands. Just make the cars looks like the real thing and behave like the real thing but make some cosmetical changes to sidestep legal issues and voila!
Also, it would be nice to manage a team and hire drivers, train them, and that they could also die car accidents.

Racing devs aren't daring.
 
Towards the end of a console cycle it's always quite hard to push racing games, I think If you've got Dirt 1, do you need Dirt 3? If you've got PGR3 do you need PGR4? I'm not so sure. It really relies on technology, the racing genre. Maybe more than other genres.
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Anyone else taking this as "There's so little differentiation between semi-realistic racing games that we rely purely on graphics increases to keep people interested"?
 
Once we get F-Zero at 1080p, 60 fps, the videogame industry can pack up and go home. So can the rest of human progress. We will have already reached the pinnacle of our purpose in the universe.
 
Shitting on GT5 has become so common and boring we are now retroactively shitting on 4?

sad times.
 
i just want some more amazing arcade racers. there are amazing sim racers on both pc and console, but the arcade genre needs some love again.
 
If anything, the racing genre is the one that's the least constrained by hardware. Beyond making it prettier, there's not really much benefit to running Gran Turismo 6 or whatever on the PS4. It's all just gameplay stuff that changes.
 
New hardware has the potential to improve games but using current gen tech is not a scapegoat for shitty games. Dirt Showdown would be just as bad on new hardware.
 
Why are people defending GT4? It was the first one in the series that made me question the series. So boring.
 
"If you've got Dirt 1, do you need Dirt 3?"

holy shit, has he played dirt 1? recently? i love it for the fact that its by far the most rally orientated title in the series, but the handling improved by leaps and bounds in 2 and even a bit more with 3.

also, shitty stance. the same could (incorrectly) be said about all genres, why single out racers? in reality, they see just as much improvement as any other genre with successive titles in the same console generation.
 
Dibbz said:
You've got that the wrong way round. Racing sims are very demanding.
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Rubbish, graphics makes them demanding and graphics are certainly not needed for a good racing games. Some of the best racing games aren't exactly graphical monsters. It's about feel, immersion and in many cases modability. Racing games are the textbook example of gameplay over graphics.

We've reached a point where they want to have a realistic look but it's all for nothing when the actual driving falls flat.
 
Jackpot said:
Anyone else taking this as "There's so little differentiation between semi-realistic racing games that we rely purely on graphics increases to keep people interested"?
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Close, I think I read it more like:

-We focus on semi-realistic/realistic driving games
-As such, no loops, no flying, it's like driving a real car in a real place, but you're at home
-As such, focus is on the physics, handling, graphics, the things you see and hear and feel and see
-Semi-realism/realism as our selling point requires us to hit the hardware ceiling faster than other games, as a rule
-Follow-up games within the same hardware generation are thus harder to sell on semi-realism/realism alone because we've already come so close to the hardware ceiling outside of some minor efficiencies/new tricks learned
-We are unable (for whatever reason) under the bounds of our focus on semi-realism/realism to think of new and compelling game-play mechanics that don't take away from the realism on any front
-Thus we need new hardware in order to improve the semi-realism/realism of our games and make them compelling again
 
GT4 is great, but MotorStorm: Apocalypse is the best arcade racer this gen. Bar none. Fantastic game. mclaren777 in shit taste shocker.

I'm moving towards PC racing these days so I don't really have an opinion on console tech. Generally better tech = better games in every genre. Racing sims really rely on great graphics, for a start.
 
Burnout Paradise on the PS3 is somehow worst than Burnout 3 on the PS2. The racing genre needs to go back one gen.
 
bullshit - we need good games and @blur dev - we need goos engaging singleplayer campaigns. and this doesnt have anything to do with new hardware. right now, the genre is stalled because devs dont use their imagination. where are the open world racers? why isnt there something like ridge racer type 4?

there isnt even a good rally game out there. let alone a good motorbike racing game...
 
I'm all for shitting on GT5, but GT4? No.

I don't buy the reasoning that we need new hardware for racing games. It's nice, sure, but I think the racing devs are losing track of what made racing games fun. Perhaps it's fatigue on my end, but most of the racing games released in the past two years have bored the shit out of me, but I can still go back to PGR, Burnout, Rallisport 2, Grid, etc and still have a blast.
 
Sethos said:
Rubbish, graphics makes them demanding and graphics are certainly not needed for a good racing games. Some of the best racing games aren't exactly graphical monsters. It's about feel, immersion and in many cases modability.
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Ya Wipeout,Blur,and split/second were the best racing games I've played this generation

games like Forza or Gran Turismo are demanding

edit:@TucoBenedictoPacifico
also wipeout should really be on PC
 
cacildo said:
Burnout Paradise on the PS3 is somehow worst than Burnout 3 on the PS2. The racing genre needs to go back one gen.
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No, it isn't. It's on par. I believe you're thinking of "Burnout 4: Revenge" which was the worst Burnout ever.
 
Motorstorm Apocalypse and GT4 bad? Never cared that much for GT, but they are all good games from what i've tried. Motorstorm Apocalypse is also the best Motorstorm in my opinion. I'm still not tired of that game online (i actually played it about a week ago).
 
I thought the thread was talking about new wheels or something.

Because I think the racing genre needs a goddamn wheel that is affordable and compatible across all platforms. I own the G27 and the fact that it doesnt't work on the 360 is the only goddamn reason I didn't buy Forza 4.
 
TheSeks said:
No, it isn't. It's on par. I believe you're thinking of "Burnout 4: Revenge" which was the worst Burnout ever.
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as someone who absolutely loves paradise, i'd still put it under 3, which i find to be the best in the series. revenge is definitely nowhere near as good, though.
 
Sethos said:
Rubbish, graphics makes them demanding and graphics are certainly not needed for a good racing games. Some of the best racing games aren't exactly graphical monsters. It's about feel, immersion and in many cases modability.
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What? Are you aware of what kind of systems are created in order to replicate realistic driving in most sims?
 
It's a shame that Rallisport Challenge 2 isn't BC compatible with the 360...

Apparently the first one is though.
 
Dibbz said:
What? Are you aware of what kind of systems are created in order to replicate realistic driving in most sims?
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Yes but what the fuck does that have to do with mainstream gaming? Then you could use that argument with any simulation game, some that are probably even more demanding than racing.

Racing games suffer from far less graphical backlash than most genres, however it also suffers from a far greater backlash when small variables in gameplay aren't in order.
 
Dragon said:
This post was too unfocused. It also only mentions one thing bad about GT4 and a lot of vague speech.
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He forgot to mention the driving. GT4 is infamous for its physics, cars were way too stable and didn't oversteer.

Sethos said:
Yes but what the fuck does that have to do with mainstream gaming? Then you could use that argument with any simulation game, some that are probably even more demanding than racing.
Click to expand...

Racing sims are mainstream, GT3 was one of the best selling games on the PS2 and went under the slogan "The Real Driving Simulator".
 
plc268 said:
It's a shame that Rallisport Challenge 2 isn't BC compatible with the 360...

Apparently the first one is though.
Click to expand...

yeah, no kidding. i actually hooked up my old xbox a few months back to play rsc2 and the damn thing wouldnt boot. :(
 
well, it does seem like racing games in general sell a whole lot better at the start of a generation than later on... but is the given reason really valid? i dunno...
 
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