rec.autos.simulators

I hope the initial panic is unwarranted, but I can't help but have the
same sentiments about the new agreement between EA Sports and NASCAR.
If you haven't heard about this and want the official details, check
out the following URL:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

I find it hard to believe that this means Papyrus is out of the
picture, because there is no way NASCAR could legally allow EA Sports
exclusive rights for interactive NASCAR games when Papyrus already has
the rights for producing the Busch Grand National package and NASCAR
Manager this winter.

HOWEVER, I would not be surprised if EA Sports outbid Papyrus for the
license.  EA is a much larger company than Papyrus and Sierra On-Line
combined.  You only need to look at its television advertising to know
that EA has much more money to spend.  And maybe EA conveniently
bought out Papyrus' interest in NASCAR, including the planned add-ons.

If anyone can get a statement from Papryus, please do.  It would be a
bitter tragedy if EA Sports became the exclusive game maker for
NASCAR.  EA's products are garbage when compared to Papyrus,
especially in realism.  Just read the NASCAR 98 description in the
press release to find our the sickening details.

I find it ironic, though, that Jeff Gordon offered the following
quote:

"A lot of the guys on the circuit are big video game players. We are a
highly-competitive bunch of guys on and off the track, and we will all
use this game to see who really is the best at NASCAR video game
racing."

"THIS game."  What game is he talking about?  NASCAR Racing from
PAPYRUS, not anything produced by EA Sports.

Kirn Cromur

If you will read Jeff Gordon's chat transcript from NASCAR.COM
yesterday, you will find the following quote:

"JEFF GORDON at 11:14am ET
...In the next year or two I'll be coming out with my own game for Sony
and Sega."

Folks, all that EA's press release does is tell you that the racing
games market is expanding.  EA's NASCAR license is not exclusive,
although the press release makes it look that way.  What this basically
means is that the racing sim market will become extremely competitive in
the next couple of years with EA, Sierra, Psygnosis, etc. getting into
the act.  That means that with competition, the overall quality of these
sims will improve.  As racing sim fans, how can you lose?
--

Papyrus Design Group, Inc.
The views expressed are mine alone and
do not represent Papyrus in any official capacity.

Well can you say vhs and beta. Since vhs outsold beta, companies
stopped making beta products. This means video fans lost.  They got
what the masses wanted, not the best thing out there.

I'm pretty sure console titles outsell PC titles by a significant
margin.  The question is will Papy lose interest in the SIM market
if they see they can make more in the console arcade market?

mykey

Now, with regards to the SIM market vs. the GAME market -- the
industry caters to the biggest demand.  If you (the consumers) tell us
to s***simulations in favor of video games, then that's the
direction the industry will go.  As long as you continue to demand
racing simulations, the demand will be met.

And with regards to Papyrus, I think it's highly unlikely that a
company whose sole product paradigm is PC racing simulations will
"lose interest" in our main source of business.  I can't rule out the
possibility that someday we might return to the console platforms, but
really our expertise lies in the PC market.
--

Papyrus Design Group, Inc.
The views expressed in this message are mine entirely
and do not represent Papyrus or Sierra in any official capacity.

<snip>
: Now, with regards to the SIM market vs. the GAME market -- the
: industry caters to the biggest demand.  If you (the consumers) tell us
: to s***simulations in favor of video games, then that's the
: direction the industry will go.  As long as you continue to demand
: racing simulations, the demand will be met.

Okay Tony, I DEMAND racing simulations!!!!!  Well, I guess that takes
care of that problem. <g>

: And with regards to Papyrus, I think it's highly unlikely that a
: company whose sole product paradigm is PC racing simulations will
: "lose interest" in our main source of business.  I can't rule out the
: possibility that someday we might return to the console platforms, but
: really our expertise lies in the PC market.

I do understand that from time to time Papyrus may work on non-racing
projects.  However, that does not mean that their true reason for
existence is not to produce Racing Simulations (notice "proper" noun --
implies that Papyrus produces real simulations).

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Bzzt. Thanks for playing though. Johnny, tell Kim about our nice
consolation prizes.

ERTS: Last fiscal year sales: $624,800,000
CU:(parent of Sierra and Papyrus)  Last FY sales: $2,347,700,000

SIER no longer exists as an independent company, thus I don't have
last FY sales for Sierra on my datafeed, but I do know that in the
year of acquisition, Sierra and Papyus sales totalled more than
Electronic Arts.

You only need to look that far to know who spends more on TV
advertising. Sierra historically has spent their marketing dollars
elsewhere.
Not ***y likely.

Here, we don't disagree... :-)

It's a celebrity endor***t plain and simple. Does anyone who watches
the recent Pepsi commerical really believe that Shaq, Jeff Gordon, and
few other sports figures that I can't name routinely just kick it in
some kids room, and when the mom comes to complain, that Gordon drives
them all over to Shaq's house?

Papyrus games are used by members and drivers of several Cup teams.
I'm sure that when the EA game comes out, that some Cup people will
play it. Just like they went to see Days of Thunder when it came out.
We'll just have to wait and see whether EA's game will be any more
realistic than Days of Thunder was. I'm not holding my breath...

---Jim