CART signs multi-year license with Sony

The CART web page has announced new licensing deals to promote it merchandise and the series. The following is a copy from the announcement: One license that has been announced is a multi-year Video Games license with Sony to develop an exclusive CART racing game for the companys very successful PlayStation system. "Its a great tribute to CART when a company the stature of a Sony the No.1-selling game hardware manufacturer in the world - chooses to work directly with CART than through the usual third-party developers to create a game," said Hollander. "It indicates to us they really understand the tremendous potential CART offers as one of the only U.S.-based sports entities that has true worldwide consumer appeal." I guess this brings up a question: What does this mean for the future of ICR3? If CART has a deal with Sony, does this mean that Papyrus/Sierra will not/can not be allowed to continue the ICR series? This sounds like a deal familiar to the Sega/Daytona track contract to me. I for one hope that this is not the case and that Papyrus will still be able to develop and release a new version of ICR, based on the CART series, in the near future. Jim, if you read this, could you please give us some insight on this? Eric Giles Team Rahal in '97!

I read this also, and for those of us PC-platform racers, we have only two faint hopes here. 1) The term of the contract doesn't begin for another year or two, giving the Papyrus guys (or anyone else) the chance to release one more IndyCar (Indy car?) game in the interim. 2) The term "exclusive" was loosely tossed around in this release, perhaps referring to the console-platforms only. I have my doubts about both of these hopes. It sounds to me like the CART franchise has sold out to the highest bidder, and at the risk of opening myself to serious flaming, I can't say that I blame them. Wait, let me explain! As all fans of CART know, they are undergoing arguably the most difficult period ever. This announcement, for those curious, had little to do with the software portion of their business, and much more to do with the marketing of the CART franchise, which has been officially taken over by the same man who promoted the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The software simulation portion of CART's business is miniscule compared to everything else, but you will see "exclusive" deals made for every facet of their business from here on. Signing with Sony made sense, if only for the reason that the Playstation is superior technically to anything we have available in the PC market right now, in addition to being uniformly, widely distributed. I'm lucky, because I work in software development and I have access to very powerful computers, but many people in R.A.S. complain about ICR2, GP2 and N2 because of the limits of their hardware at home. In defense of Papyrus, much of their coding and de-bugging time is spent on making the sim run on the plethora of machines out there. Sony will have the luxury of focusing on features, not cross-platform issues. The outcome to our little dilemma (provided neither of my first two "wishes" comes to fruition) may well be one or several of the following: 1) Papyrus focuses instead on IRL. I know this is not an appealing outcome for many of us, but give it time. This may turn out to be a great racing series, and it may not. It may vanish altogether. At any rate, if you're a fan of open-wheel sim-racing, you may have this option for ovals, and GP2 for road and street racing. 2) Sony's game may actually kick ass. They will likely go the route of simplified issues such as physics models and setup options, or maybe they'll make a two-tiered structure where you can decide to use the very realistic physics model or the "arcade" version. Be sure of one thing, though. The game will DEFINITELY contain a non-sim racing mode to help the average kid enjoy the program. You don't have a Playstation? Neither do I, and so what. Brand-new, they don't cost much more than the 3-D Rendition cards, and total up your overall computer system cost and there's no comparison. Maybe we can go back to using computers for what they were intended, like Quicken and Word, and spend $300.00 on a new Playstation every 3 years! 3) This last outcome seems very farfetched, but who knows? Papyrus can create something called "OpenWheel" using all of the tracks they have already coded, just changing the names, and give us all generic cars, much like half of the roster we get with the game anyway. They can code the newer tracks like Rio and Miami and just give them different names, including utilities to rename the tracks if we choose. This way Papyrus can stay in the game by using technologies like force-feedback and 3-D acceleration, and not violate the Sony exclusive agreement. It is rather risky legally, however. Cheers, Pooch O-iiiii-O

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> > I guess this brings up a question: What does this mean for the future of > > ICR3? If CART has a deal with Sony, does this mean that Papyrus/Sierra > will > > not/can not be allowed to continue the ICR series? This sounds like a > deal > I believe up are right. It means that Papy may be forced to go with the IRL > (YUCK). It really sucks when capatalist licensing gets in the way of a good > game. All that licensing ***in the back of the NASCAR2 manual is enough > to ***a horse. What a freaking joke.

I, personally, think that Loudon, Phoenix, Disney, Texas, Charolotte, Colorado and Indy are a lot more interesting than most of the CART tracks. Homestead and the Milwaukee Mile are the only ones I really like in that series. However, I believe that making an IRL sim without Indianapolis would be completely pointless. Face it, that track is the series. Just my opinion Craig Jacobson

deal I believe up are right. It means that Papy may be forced to go with the IRL (YUCK). It really sucks when capatalist licensing gets in the way of a good game. All that licensing ***in the back of the NASCAR2 manual is enough to ***a horse. What a freaking joke.

I'm going to get down on me knees and cry if Papyrus/Sierra doesn't make an upgrade to ICR2, especially with network support. The only reason I'm playing N2 right now is because it has network support. I can only slip-slide around in these Nascar hogs for so long before I start yawning ( and driving a stock car at The Glen and Sears Point is a crime). -Marty Fay

> I, personally, think that Loudon, Phoenix, Disney, Texas, Charolotte, > Colorado and Indy are a lot more interesting than most of the CART > tracks. Homestead and the Milwaukee Mile are the only ones I really > like in that series. > However, I believe that making an IRL sim without Indianapolis would be > completely pointless. Face it, that track is the series. Well, for those of us that love Indycar because of the fantastic road racing, the thought of an IRL sim is not appealing at all. I feel (just personal opinion) that Indycar road racing is presently much more competitive (read: lots of passing) than even F1. The Indycar sims from Papyrus have simulated this beautifully. I hate to hear the bell tolling for Indycar sims... Cringe. Matt Lewis

> 1) The term of the contract doesn't begin for another year or two, > giving the Papyrus guys (or anyone else) the chance to release one > more IndyCar (Indy car?) game in the interim. Doesn't this assume Papyrus/Sierra WANTS to do another version of ICR? I haven't heard anything from them besides nascar-nascar-nascar. Their hands seem to be pretty full with setting up NRO. I'd love to get an ICR3, but I'm not holding my breath for it. Maybe, maybe not. After all, Sony/Psygnosis Formula One WILL be out this spring for PC's using 3D acceleration and with all respect to GP2, in several ways it will kick GP2's hiney. (I own the Playstation version as well as GP2). Formula One was a huge success. They have a lot of feedback from which to draw for the development of a CART-based sim. If they apply the feedback they got from Formula One, this sim may be stunning. I'll leave the rest, but I will say that after seeing the DirectDraw version of ICR2 and the hurried release of ICR2-Rendition, I don't get the sense Sierra/Papyrus is too keen to continue investing into ICR the same way they are doing with NASCAR. I had given up on getting a new Indy Car sim. So to me getting this news that Bizzarre Creations is going to do one for the Playstation is only good news. Randy

I couldn't agree more. I think you're agreeing with me here. The only difference between the GP and ICR situation, however, was the use of the word "exclusive" in the press release by CART. It is obvious that no one has an exclusive agreement with F1 as there are so many different releases out there by different companies. Let's hope so. I'm not quite as optimistic as you, but I'm nowhere near the doom-and-gloom of others is R.A.S. I don't think Papyrus would bother to release a five-track enhanced version of ICR unless they were planning on bringing the whole package forward. (Unless, of course, it was just a ploy to sell their own 3-D card. Hmmmmm.) Cheers, Pooch O-iiiii-O

I'm not quite as optimistic as you, but I'm nowhere near the Bingo. Its called OEM-hell. Even before the Sierra Screamer-3D came out Intergraph shipped ICR2-3D for its Reactor board. In my opinion this was done for 2 reasons: a) a pet project to get Papyrus developers up to speed on the Rendition support -- a guinea pig as it were. b) a possible royalty or flat fee from Intergraph and/or Rendition, who needed 'demo-ware' to bundle with their card As such, it really doesn't say ANYTHING to me about future plans for ICR2. If anything, it might just be table scraps. I'm just guessing that Papyrus used the knowledge they got from enhancing ICR2 in order to get Rendition support into N2 in a good timeframe. Randy

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> Bingo. Its called OEM-hell. Even before the Sierra Screamer-3D came > out Intergraph shipped ICR2-3D for its Reactor board. In my opinion > this was done for 2 reasons: > a) a pet project to get Papyrus developers up to speed on the Rendition > support -- a guinea pig as it were. > b) a possible royalty or flat fee from Intergraph and/or Rendition, who > needed 'demo-ware' to bundle with their card > As such, it really doesn't say ANYTHING to me about future plans for > ICR2. If anything, it might just be table scraps. I'm just guessing > that Papyrus used the knowledge they got from enhancing ICR2 in order to > get Rendition support into N2 in a good timeframe. > Randy

Guys: You need to reread your posts. Indycar2 3D is a really cool game. Accept it for that. You call it the table scraps of the Indycar3 we will later be denied?!? Sierra/Papyrus does not owe us as much as you seem to feel entitled to. Like it or not, Indycar 2 has received 3 major patches, and has developed into a very polished sims with only a few MINOR bugs left. They don't owe all Indycar2 owners a copy of Indycar2 3D. They have every right to sell this game however they choose. Indycar2 was well-supported. That is all we should ask! Second, I doubt that Indycar2 3D was the product of nefarious ulterior motives. This game, all by itself, is a polished, highly optimized program for the Rendition video cards. Just because they get added marketing by packaging this game with Rendition cards does not mean they plan to***you out of anything now or in the future. -- Matt Lewis

I agree, and I accept it. In fact, if there was never another release of an IndyCar sim, the one I have could keep me busy for years. I have no complaints. Again, I agree. "Denied?" I do not feel entitled to anything. If YOU reread our posts, you'll see we are simply speculating on the future of Papyrus' involvement in IndyCar sims based on the use of the word "exclusive" in CART's press release regarding the Sony Playstation. If you're curious, the announcement can be found at: [link lost in import] I didn't say it was nefarious, I merely suggested that it wouldn't make sense for Papyrus to invest a lot of time in creating a partially-enhanced ICR unless they planned to pursue it further. I then literally, in mid-post, realized that they did indeed have an incentive, the release of their own card. Randy, quite wisely, pointed out that there may be another incentive, getting some practice on their existing software engine in preparation for the NASCAR2 3-D capabilities. These are not indications of Papyrus trying to*** anyone, merely justifications (speculative, I admit) for why Papyrus would put any effort into a product for which they may no longer own the rights. I hope I cleared that up. My apologies, Randy, if I have misquoted or misrepresented you. Cheers, Pooch O-iiiii-O

I read the announcement...Buried within talk of this an that is, sure enough, the word "exclusive"...They must not know much about racing sims...they talk about the future Sony product as if it's the most realistic thing since Radio Shack scanners (you have to own one to understand)...When it will actually probably be a reversed-engineered Sega Daytona USA...The world of the console game is all about graphics, speed (sensation of, not frame rate), and "vroom, vroom" sounds...Little or no attention is paid to realism, be it graphical (look at Sega's "stock cars"), or physical (reeely realistic physics model in DUSA)...But, alas, Sony's got de dough, we're probably out of a good, realistic CART (the series formerly known as IndyCar) sim for a few years...CanAm anyone? Bill Jenkins http://www.wiu.edu/users/muwtj1 The Chevrolet Beretta Home Page

> I read the announcement...Buried within talk of this an that is, sure > enough, the word "exclusive"...They must not know much about racing sims...they > talk about the future Sony product as if it's the most realistic thing since > Radio Shack scanners (you have to own one to understand)...When it will > actually probably be a reversed-engineered Sega Daytona USA... Low blow, and not a fair one either. Have you played Formula One for the Playstation? Did you know that Papyrus ported NASCAR to the Playstation? (not that the frame rate was worth talking about). You sound like you're stereotyping a console in what is at least a gross exaggeration. "vroom, vroom" sounds...Little or no attention is paid to realism, be it graphical (look at Sega's "stock cars"), or physical (reeely realistic physics model in DUSA). I've heard wonderful things about the physics model in Sega Rally, but I don't know enough to evaluate that aspect. I *can* tell you that NASCAR is just as full featured on the Playstation as it is on the PC, and that the Formula One sim has an incredibly good physics model and 17 Formula One tracks that make GP2's look sick (as well as inaccurate). Believe it or not, the demographics for machines like the Playstation are going UP, not down, and as older, more mature gamers get involved with them, and they get more powerful, companies start putting more into the physics models and realism aspects than they used to. ..But, alas, Sony's got de dough, we're probably out of a good, I was actually pretty optimistic about this until I heard that Sony Interactive, and not Bizzarre Creations (the people who brought us F1/PSX) are doing the sim. Now I'm skeptical that perhaps your worst fears will be borne out....simply because a group like Bizzarre is very passionate about their racing sims and did an incredible job simulating Formula One, and I think they would bring a lot to the table. Sony should give THEM the job of doing the CART sim, and not giving it to a group whose enthusiasm for racing is dubious. Randy

Not at all. Randy