rec.autos.simulators

GEOFF CRAMMOND'S GRAND PRIX 4 ROARS OUT OF THE PITS & ONTO XBOX

Infogrames moves into pole position as it announces that the undisputed king
of PC F1 racing games is to make its console debut

London, January 2001 - Enter a universe borne of perfection, technology,
competition, blistering speed and of course glamour - and witness the
unveiling of a new chapter in Formula 1 ***. Leading interactive games
publisher, Infogrames, has today announced that it is bringing one of the
largest and most critically acclaimed brands in *** to Next Gen consoles
for the first time, specifically the Microsoft XBox. Geoff Crammond's Grand
Prix 4 is the latest instalment in a hugely successful PC racing series,
having sold over 2 million units worldwide. The new edition will launch on
both PC and XBox in June 2002, bringing the sheer exhilaration of real F1
racing to a massive global audience.

From the inception of the first Grand Prix title in 1992, the Grand Prix
series has garnered unparalleled critical acclaim, with PC Gamer hailing
Grand Prix 3 as a "masterpiece". Inheren throughout the entire series is the
staggering attention to detail, phenomenal car physics, and utterly
realistic artificial intelligence. The XBox and PC titles will of course
carry the official FIA 2001 World Championship licence, featuring all the
official drivers, teams and tracks from the 2001 season. Working in
conjunction with Infogrames' Chipping Sodbury internal development studio,
Geoff Crammond has reached *** guru status through his hands-on design
approach and ability to take programming to the level of art form.

"We believe this game raises and re-defines our own benchmark", commented
Crammond. "This is not just a game about racing, this is literally the
closest you will get to F1 racing without actually being there."

"Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 4" for PC and XBox boasts an all new physics
and graphics engine, allowing for greater accuracy and immersion than ever
before. A whole host of new additions are promised, including multi-player
options, GPS positioning information and a motion-captured pit crew, all
combinin to offer the player the most intense F1 racing experience
available.

Infogrames' Marketing Manager for Sport & Racing titles announced, "To PC
gamers, Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 4 games represent the epitome of F1
video-***. By bringing Grand Prix to XBox as well as PC, we are offering
console gamers the first ever opportunity to get their hands on the next
evolution of a legend."

--

Mvh
Sven

Ah... so all those utilities will have to be re-written yet again.  :)

Can anyone shed any light on how "GPS positioning information" is
helpful?

they didn't use any GPS devices when creating GPL ?

Rather for getting object placement, run-off areas and service roads
correct. As GPS has a resolution of about 0.15m under ideal circumstances, I
think the second part of your answer is closer to the truth.

Of course they did... and a time machine. ;-)

Jan.
=---
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you boy!" -Foghorn Leghorn.

David G Fisher

CART Precision Racing used GPS and -erm- some of the tracks are pure
fantasy.

--
Olav K. Malmin
remove .spam when replying

They probably are... IMO though as accurate as possible tracks are a
requirement for a modern F1 sim, not a feature. No question F!RC is the
current benchmark in this area.

0.15m (6 inches) resolution is quite coarse, however, for a sport where one
speaks of "inch perfect" driving, which leads me to believe while GPS is
certainly very usefull for recreating the venue, its principle value with
reference to the track is one of adding to the information already recorded
in a detailed trackmap (position of bumps, dips, repairs, etc...).

Jan.
=---
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you boy!" -Foghorn Leghorn.

Revvin

i would guess though, that using some kind of interpolation,
triangulation maths, you could probably get inch or centimetre perfect
co-ordinates.  of course that's probably my own speculation, having no
real-world knowledge of gps devices :)

Regards all,
istoff

That was me... it used to be over 10m for civilian applications IIRC. Not
sure as I've only over used military GPS, where portable means "can be moved
without the use of a forklift", BTW. ;-)

These methods are already used to obtain the numbers it reads out.

That said, averaging multiple measurements or averaging multiple devices
could result in more reliable numbers. One might also argue the errors
introduced would even out over the course of a track, i.e. for every corner
that gets a little wider another will get a little tighter. I just brought
up the resolution because the original poster, in jest, claimed an accuracy
of 0.1mm.

Jan.
=---
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you boy!" -Foghorn Leghorn.

--

Ian P
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