rec.autos.simulators

by **John Tomlinso** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

In last months issue of PCG, I noticed that Dan Bennets replacement Andy
Mahood,is a past racer and avid sim-racer/pilot. This was a welcome change
from the "If it aint a plane, tank, or hellicopter, it aint making it into
my sim column" approach PCG has had to sim-racing in the past. I had been
eagerly awaiting this months issue and damned if I missed the on the shelf
date, but sure enuff, his first full column was packed in with the N2
physics to N3 as opposed to GPL physics.......FINALLY a column for our
genre. I noticed he credited r.a.s. , and apparantly peruses the NG, so a
long awaited THANK YOU to both him and PCG for FINALLY getting racing
involved in the sim column.

by **gavinEPR..** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

I presume you are talking about the US version of PC Gamer, as opposed
to the UK.
Damn if thats the case. We'll still have to put up with 'only arcade
type games are any good' people reviewing sims. [Not that arcade
drivinggames aren't good. :) ]

For example, there was a snippet about Spirit of Speed (the 1930's
'sim'). They said that it would be easier to drive than the 'too
difficult' GPL. They obviously don't appreciate that a 30's car should
be REALLYhard to drive (IMHO).

Oooohhh well. Looks like I'll have to find the US version, some shops
sell it over here anyway.

Cheers for the info.

Gavin

www.sharknose.freeserve.co.uk

PS - Hold on, will there be any stuff on the pcgamer.com site?

Please remove the EPROWJ before replying by email.

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by **Olav K. Malm** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

> >In last months issue of PCG, I noticed that Dan Bennets replacement
> Andy
> >Mahood,is a past racer and avid sim-racer/pilot. This was a welcome
> change
> >from the "If it aint a plane, tank, or hellicopter, it aint making it
> into
> >my sim column" approach PCG has had to sim-racing in the past. I had
> been
> >eagerly awaiting this months issue and damned if I missed the on the
> shelf
> >date, but sure enuff, his first full column was packed in with the
> N2
> >physics to N3 as opposed to GPL physics.......FINALLY a column
> for our
> >genre. I noticed he credited r.a.s. , and apparantly peruses the NG,
> so a
> >long awaited THANK YOU to both him and PCG for FINALLY getting
> racing
> >involved in the sim column.

Can you tell me what issue # that artice was in. They sell US PC Gamer
somplaces in town.

- Show quoted text -

PC Gamer UK did give GPL seriously good review. 93 % AFAIR. They also had GPL
on the cover of one of the issues last year. But I think the editor may not
be good enough to give the magazine one opinion about a game, and therefore
different writers may say bad things about a game that got very good reviews.

What issue did they have anything on Spirit of Speed ? Probably the I missed
with X-wing alliance on the cover :)

In the last issue i have (Outcast) they gave NFS4 81% and SCGT 80%, but what
the heck, it's just subjective opinions.

--
Olav K. Malmin
remove spam when replying

by **Martin Urs** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

On Thu, 12 Aug 1999 02:48:53 -0500, "John Tomlinson"

>In last months issue of PCG, I noticed that Dan Bennets replacement Andy
>Mahood,is a past racer and avid sim-racer/pilot. This was a welcome change
>from the "If it aint a plane, tank, or hellicopter, it aint making it into
>my sim column" approach PCG has had to sim-racing in the past. I had been
>eagerly awaiting this months issue and damned if I missed the on the shelf
>date, but sure enuff, his first full column was packed in with the N2
>physics to N3 as opposed to GPL physics.......FINALLY a column for our
>genre. I noticed he credited r.a.s. , and apparantly peruses the NG, so a
>long awaited THANK YOU to both him and PCG for FINALLY getting racing
>involved in the sim column.

From what he's written so far, it looks like he knows what
he's talking about (unlike Dan "I don't care for racing games" Bennett
or Tom "GPL's physics are over-modelled" McDonald. Hopefully we'll
see the end of references to '67 Lotus driver Grant Hill, the Laguna
Seca track in Canada, as well as the permanent road course in Toronto.

It'll be good to have an alternative to Gordon Goble in the
"big magazine simracer" category.

Martin
Nigel Mansell RIP!

"The driving model uses a combination of driver input
(steering, accelerating, and braking) and road conditions to determine
how they affect the suspension, tires, and powertrain of the car,
resulting in some seriously realistic handling."
-from PCGamer's informative Trans-Am Racing preview

by **Olav K. Malm** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

> >What issue did they have anything on Spirit of Speed ? Probably the I
> missed
> >with X-wing alliance on the cover :)

> Can't remember offhand what issue # it was. But its the VERY latest
> issue of PCGamer (UK). Its got Tiberian Sun on the cover.

Thanks, It probably hasn't come out in Norway yet then, we are usually about
one month late.

--
Olav K. Malmin
remove spam when replying

by **Mtank** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

Resisting the urge to quote all other posts in their entirety I did gulp at one
line in Mahood's column:

"...GPL proved to be a major commercial dissappoinment. From its release in
late 1998 through last May, only 36,000 copies of the game have been sold."

36,000!??!
Damn.
Can this be true?

No wonder GPL owners get treated worse than UFO abductees!
Happy Motoring,
Mtanker

by **Bill Jone** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

>Resisting the urge to quote all other posts in their entirety I did gulp at
one
>line in Mahood's column:

>"...GPL proved to be a major commercial dissappoinment. From its release
in
>late 1998 through last May, only 36,000 copies of the game have been sold."

>36,000!??!
>Damn.
>Can this be true?

>No wonder GPL owners get treated worse than UFO abductees!

What would be a good number? Are these sales numbers available publicly for
other games? For comparison, how many copies of Nascar Racing 2 and 99 have
been sold, or Sports Car GT, or Viper Racing? What about CPR?

--
Bill Jones e-mail addresses:

(860) 823-2473 WWW: http://pages.cthome.net/billj

by **ymenar** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

But that's 36,000 happy customers ;-)

Actually, thats what I really though the sales were. I was thinking near
40-50,000 product sold. There is many reasons for this, from the complexity
of GPL (games don't always have to be created for the mass market), the
weird marketing, and somehow just the point that racing simulators were
NEVER really as popular as other types of *** software in general.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- May the Downforce be with you...

"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realise
how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

by **Fredrik Th?rnel** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

> Actually, thats what I really though the sales were. I was thinking near
> 40-50,000 product sold. There is many reasons for this, from the complexity
> of GPL (games don't always have to be created for the mass market), the
> weird marketing, and somehow just the point that racing simulators were
> NEVER really as popular as other types of *** software in general.

I think the distribution must have been one of the worst for a serious product
ever. It's just now starting to show up in the shelves of many less dedicated
stores here, at a reduced price. It's release passed totally unnoticed. It's a
shame.

Cheers,
/ft (in Sweden, before you ask)

by **Jay** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

AMEN!!!

Kudos to PC Gamer... In fact I was planning on letting my subscription
lapse, but will re-new after all!

by **Mtank** » Fri, 13 Aug 1999 04:00:00

>What would be a good number?

Umm, 36,000 isn't a good number. Sierra Sports and Papy might feel all warm
and fuzzy about the great GPL physics but unless they have plans to move into
their cousin's spare bedroom they're gonna look for other ways to pay the rent.

NASCAR 2 sold 71,000 during GPL's 36,000 sales period. That's not total sales
to date for N2, just that period. That number is contained in the same column.
Buy the mag, read the piece, and be enlightened! With no source to
site(probably www.codemasters.com), I've heard Codemaster managed to sell Colin
McRae Rally for PC and Console to the tune of 1.5 million copies! How's that
for a good number? Good enough for a sequel...

Anyway the column was about why NASCAR3 isn't going to use the GPL engine.

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