rec.autos.simulators

>   The xbox version of Heat doesn't have online play--hence no online
> yellows!  Here's what happened with the online yellows for PC:  when we
> agreed to do NASCAR Heat for Hasbro, we agreed that it would just have
> "pickup race" multiplayer with just incremental improvements to our
existing
> MP code; having the all-singing all-dancing MP (e.g, online yellows, 43
> players over 56K modem, etc) is a huge project (as we know because several
> of our number worked on "Hawaii"), and very ambitious for a _first_ NASCAR
> title.  Papyrus developed their online technology over many years while
> selling many different versions and upgrades of their NASCAR titles.  We
> were trying to break into a new market, and focused on the offline
> experience for our first title.
>   However, the other reason we didn't sink this kind of time and money
into
> MP was that Hasbro didn't have full online rights.  Without the ability to
> run matchmaking servers and rankings, multiplayer will be restricted to a
> small subset of advanced users, and of these, 99% will run in short pickup
> races, so doing a huge MP re-architecting didn't make any sense.
>   We made it clear on this newsgroup well before we shipped that we would
> only support 8-player multiplayer; we probably weren't explicit enough
that
> yellows would not be available online, but that was not intentional.  It
> also wasn't totally helpful to have Ed Martin posting--he worked for the
> publisher (Hasbro) not the developer, but we've had to take the flack for
> some of his perhaps over-"exuberant" posts...
>   I don't care anymore--believe what you want to believe.

> > If that was true, then why does the Xbox version of NASCAR Heat have
> > yellow flags?  All of a sudden a breakthrough on the licensing front?
> > Sad that a company would lie like that.

> > > >  My favortie LIE was how Heat couldn't have yellows online due to
> > licensing
> > > >issues and any future Papy products wouldn't either..............

> > > How the HELL could a yellow flag run afoul of licensing?!?  I don't
> > remember
> > > hearing that one...

> > > Eldred
> > > --
> > > Homepage - http://www.racesimcentral.net/~epickett
> > > A friend of mine is involved in a fund-raiser walk-a-thon for research
> > to cure
> > > *** cancer.  If you can, please go to my homepage and see how to
> > make a
> > > donation.  Thank you.

> > > Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

>  However, the other reason we didn't sink this kind of time and money into
>MP was that Hasbro didn't have full online rights.  

Pollatsek"

> >  However, the other reason we didn't sink this kind of time and money
into
> >MP was that Hasbro didn't have full online rights.

> What exactly does that mean?  You don't need an offical 'matchmaking
server'
> for online...
> Serious question, Dave.

> Eldred
> --
> Homepage - http://www.racesimcentral.net/~epickett
> Thanks to those of you who made a donation for *** cancer research.
The
> walkathon is over, but donations are still being accepted.  Details on my
> webpage.

> Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

>While it's true you don't need a matchmaking server, firing up the game and
>clicking "internet" or something and being able to find a server and go race
>is a lot different than finding some IP address somewhere and typing it in
>(we didn't expect something like IRF to crawl out of the woodworks, and to
>be honest, we were a little afraid to become too closely afiliated with it)
>and hoping the race hasn't started yet, etc, etc.

Pollatsek"

> >While it's true you don't need a matchmaking server, firing up the game
and
> >clicking "internet" or something and being able to find a server and go
race
> >is a lot different than finding some IP address somewhere and typing it
in
> >(we didn't expect something like IRF to crawl out of the woodworks, and
to
> >be honest, we were a little afraid to become too closely afiliated with
it)
> >and hoping the race hasn't started yet, etc, etc.

> Ok, so what does "Hasbro didn't have full online rights" mean?  NASCAR
said "In
> order to have MP, you need our permission.  Well, we're not gonna GIVE
it."?
> How can they say that you can't have multiplayer?  You have the rights to
the
> cars, tracks, drivers, and logos.  You just can't race against another
human.
> WTF?  I'd really be interesting in hearing the information from a
developer.
> It might help us understand the "No MP in F1 games" issue also.

> Eldred

> I was *hoping* that Dave P. would be able to give us a little 'de-classified'
> info.  I try to AVOID lawyers...<g>

Pollatsek"

> >While it's true you don't need a matchmaking server, firing up the game
and
> >clicking "internet" or something and being able to find a server and go
race
> >is a lot different than finding some IP address somewhere and typing it
in
> >(we didn't expect something like IRF to crawl out of the woodworks, and
to
> >be honest, we were a little afraid to become too closely afiliated with
it)
> >and hoping the race hasn't started yet, etc, etc.

> Ok, so what does "Hasbro didn't have full online rights" mean?  NASCAR
said "In
> order to have MP, you need our permission.  Well, we're not gonna GIVE
it."?
> How can they say that you can't have multiplayer?  You have the rights to
the
> cars, tracks, drivers, and logos.  You just can't race against another
human.
> WTF?  I'd really be interesting in hearing the information from a
developer.
> It might help us understand the "No MP in F1 games" issue also.

> Eldred
> --
> Homepage - http://www.racesimcentral.net/~epickett
> Thanks to those of you who made a donation for *** cancer research.
The
> walkathon is over, but donations are still being accepted.  Details on my
> webpage.

> Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.