rec.autos.simulators

by **Beeler** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

After hearing absolutly no news from Hasbro or Microprose about GP3 at the E3
expo I fired off this little e-mail to Hasbro. Low and behold a reply!!! By the
way
this is not BS!!!! Check it out:

Subj: RE: Talk%20to%20Us
Date: 5/20/99 12:17:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time

Thanks for your inquiry!

Grand Prix III is tentatively slated for release in late October 99. When
released, it will be available directly from Hasbro Interactive in our
Online Store at www.hasbrointeractive.com or by calling 1-800-400-1352. It
will also be available at major software and games retailers.

Thanks for your interest in Hasbro Interactive!

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Friday, May 14, 1999 5:34 PM

Subject: Talk%20to%20Us

Hello,

Come on guys (& gals), give us Formula 1 Sim guys a break. Will there
or will there not be a followup to Microprose's awesome Grand Prix 2? Why
all
the cloak & dagger stuff? Is there or isn't there? You guys could really
stop
a lot of speculation whether or not this Sim even exists. Microprose says
no,
yet their German wing says yes definitely in the fall of '99. So I plead
please, please please, please at least acknowledge if there is even a GP3 in

the works. After all what could it possibly hurt? Any reply?

Thanks for your time,
Bob Beeler

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by **Toni Lassi** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

This is the same PR statement I've read elsewhere; it doesn't mean the
game couldn't be cancelled.

by **Keith Quinto** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

Cancel GP3!
I doubt it, they'll make a fortune on Gp3.

>>Thanks for your inquiry!

>>Grand Prix III is tentatively slated for release in late October 99. When
>>released, it will be available directly from Hasbro Interactive in our
>>Online Store at www.hasbrointeractive.com or by calling 1-800-400-1352.
It
>>will also be available at major software and games retailers.

>>Thanks for your interest in Hasbro Interactive!

>This is the same PR statement I've read elsewhere; it doesn't mean the
>game couldn't be cancelled.

by **Tony Wys** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

Unfortunately, they won't Keith. The only racing titles that make fortunes
for publishers are ones like Need for Speed 3 with the arcade play. Despite
what some of us think, there just isn't that big of a market for a great
sim. That's why a lot of companies are having problems getting games out on
time or even at all. They just don't have the large budgets to work with :-/
This is in no way implying that GP3 is cancelled of course. <cough>My
"inside sources" say it is looking great :)</cough>

--
Tony Wyss, Editor-in-Chief
Gamers Alliance Sports
www.ga-sports.com
-------------------------------
Network Developer
Gamers Alliance, Inc.
www.gagames.com
-------------------------------
"I'm not an athlete, I'm a baseball player" - John Kruk

by **Phillip McNell** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

The GPx series may be different Tony. These have always had an easy
mode. With inovative helps and detuing facilities for the AI. In fact
the GPx series in its most docile and driver friendly mode is a lot
easier to drive than many arcade sims - while still being more
realistic and exciting. Pehaps this is the problem with GPL and some
others - they just havent catered for a wide enough skill spectrum of
the target market's sim racers.

Cheers

Phillip McNelley

On Sat, 22 May 1999 10:36:01 GMT, "Tony Wyss"

>Unfortunately, they won't Keith. The only racing titles that make fortunes
>for publishers are ones like Need for Speed 3 with the arcade play. Despite
>what some of us think, there just isn't that big of a market for a great
>sim. That's why a lot of companies are having problems getting games out on
>time or even at all. They just don't have the large budgets to work with :-/
>This is in no way implying that GP3 is cancelled of course. <cough>My
>"inside sources" say it is looking great :)</cough>

>--
>Tony Wyss, Editor-in-Chief
>Gamers Alliance Sports
>www.ga-sports.com
>-------------------------------
>Network Developer
>Gamers Alliance, Inc.
>www.gagames.com
>-------------------------------
>"I'm not an athlete, I'm a baseball player" - John Kruk

by **John Walla** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

On Sat, 22 May 1999 10:36:01 GMT, "Tony Wyss"

>Unfortunately, they won't Keith. The only racing titles that make fortunes
>for publishers are ones like Need for Speed 3 with the arcade play. Despite
>what some of us think, there just isn't that big of a market for a great
>sim.

Respectfully disagree there - GP2 was a very nice blend of arcade game
and sim, and AFAI recall was the biggest selling and fastest selling
CD game ever released at the time.

If they provide a similar blend with arcade aspects, nifty graphics,
an F1 license and the Crammond name I reckon they'll make a packet.
They may even be left with enough to buy a bag of chips after giving
Bernie his Bernies.

It is... :-)

Cheers!
John

by **Ronald Stoe** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

> Unfortunately, they won't Keith. The only racing titles that make fortunes
> for publishers are ones like Need for Speed 3 with the arcade play. Despite
> what some of us think, there just isn't that big of a market for a great
> sim. That's why a lot of companies are having problems getting games out on
> time or even at all. They just don't have the large budgets to work with :-/
> This is in no way implying that GP3 is cancelled of course. <cough>My
> "inside sources" say it is looking great :)</cough>

Well, GP2 HAD a good arcade mode, and was quite a big success in Europe.
So I'm pretty sure, it will be repeated with GP3.

l8er
ronny

--
How to get rid of censorship in German game releases
<http://www.gamesmania.com/german/maniac/freedom/freedom.htm>

|\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather,
ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep.
|,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car,
'---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

by **Adam** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

GP2 had a very good Arcade mode for those types of drivers......not to
mention the superb sim mode.

by **ymenar** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

> > Unfortunately, they won't Keith. The only racing titles that make
fortunes
> > for publishers are ones like Need for Speed 3 with the arcade play.
> Despite
> > what some of us think, there just isn't that big of a market for a great
> > sim. That's why a lot of companies are having problems getting games out
> on
> > time or even at all. They just don't have the large budgets to work with
> :-/
> > This is in no way implying that GP3 is cancelled of course. <cough>My
> > "inside sources" say it is looking great :)</cough>

Tony I have to disagree here also ;-)

Grand Prix 2 by Microprose sold millions of copies, and it's probably out of
America one of the most popular game ever made. Im looking at the current
sales charts up here in Qubec, and Grand Prix 2 is in the month of April
1999 the MOST SOLD game, and is first since half a year now. It's in the
top5 since it's release. It's a constant seller. Even F1RS and MGPRS2
don't sell as good as it, and Ubisoft having their HQ here in Montreal (F1RS
is in the top5, still)

Good points about it is that it can run on any PC, so the mass market has
access to it. People who will have 486 or slow Pentiums can run it. You
know.. it's those people who make the difference between a hit and a
world-wide success. It may have not appealed to US people, but everywhere
else where Formula 1 is popular, it is.

Do not underestimate the power of the Non-Americans Tony ;-P

If GP3 is everything plus more than Gp2, it can but only be an World-wide
success, because of the incredible depth of options and arcade settings you
have with Geoff Crammond games.

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard/Nas-Frank>
-- NROS Nascar sanctioned Guide http://www.nros.com/
-- SimRacing Online http://www.simracing.com/
-- Official mentally retarded guy of r.a.s.
-- 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 **Roy Madd** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

>Grand Prix 2 by Microprose sold millions of copies, and it's probably out of
>America one of the most popular game ever made. Im looking at the current
>sales charts up here in Qubec, and Grand Prix 2 is in the month of April
>1999 the MOST SOLD game, and is first since half a year now. It's in the
>top5 since it's release. It's a constant seller. Even F1RS and MGPRS2
>don't sell as good as it, and Ubisoft having their HQ here in Montreal (F1RS
>is in the top5, still)

Without wanting to appear stupid, is this the 'racing sim' category or
everything category. I really can't believe that there are people out
there who haven't bought gp2. Maybe it is the recent budget release that
is being scooped up?

Cheers
Roy

--
http://www.gp3.org The Grand Prix 3 site!
Latest news & rumours on gp3
http://www.linksheaven.com Formula 1 at its best

by **Dan Clarke/Operation Spor** » Sun, 23 May 1999 04:00:00

Another thing is don't underestimate the power of Hasbro
Interactive. They know the power of a $19 or $29 game.
Look at the PC Data charts...I mean how many out there
really play Frogger?

I guess it's quality vs. quantity, as always...
--
Dan Clarke
Managing Editor
Operation Sports
http://www.operationsports.com

by **holysmok..** » Mon, 24 May 1999 04:00:00

Good point. F1 isn't popular in the States, but it sure is almost
everywhere else!

Now if we just don't need no "s***king" 2000MHz CPU to run it...<g>.

Matt

-Teehole

Quote: "Many games create the ultimate technological experience, but falter
when it comes to creating a compelling story to keep gamers interested".<<

Author:Tim Royal,Computer Games Strategy Plus.

by **Byron Forbe** » Mon, 24 May 1999 04:00:00

> Grand Prix 2 by Microprose sold millions of copies, and it's probably out of
> America one of the most popular game ever made. Im looking at the current
> sales charts up here in Qubec, and Grand Prix 2 is in the month of April
> 1999 the MOST SOLD game, and is first since half a year now. It's in the
> top5 since it's release. It's a constant seller. Even F1RS and MGPRS2
> don't sell as good as it, and Ubisoft having their HQ here in Montreal (F1RS
> is in the top5, still)

I expect something like this in the case of GPL too. Many will be
uninterested at first, as even I was, in this era of racing. But word of
mouth about the quality of GPL will spread, and sales will continue for
quite some time I'd guess. No big initial impact, but a constant, steady
flow of sales. Especially if Papy box it with all the drivers for all 3D
Graphics cards.

by **ilmor** » Mon, 24 May 1999 04:00:00

Gp2 sold over a million copies. And yes in game land that is a *LOT*.

ilmore

by **Meij** » Tue, 25 May 1999 04:00:00

Not entirely true. The truly "genius" part of F1GP and GP2 was that
anyone could play it and it offered both sim players and arcade racers
the chance to enjoy the product. I haven't seen an F1 sim since that
works like this and as such it's easy to see why GPL et al have failed to
do the units that the publishers had expected initially.

There is a huge market for a sim that is easy to get into that allows the
user to progress up to a realistic sim racer level without having to
spend dozens of hours simply learning to control the car.

Don't get me wrong, GPL and the others are great sims but their lack of
learning curve (or very steep curve as you may see it) reduces the level
of enjoyment for a lot of people and renders it as one for the propeller
heads like us, not for the masses.

IMO if MPS-Hasbro extend the family of GP products as they did with GP2
then it will more than likely be the biggest sim-seller since, well, GP2.

M

rec.autos.simulators

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!

Actual Reply From Hasbro Regarding GP3!!!!