Microprose to do a 500cc GP SIM!!

MicroProse Acquires the PC Game Rights for the FIM World Motorcycle Championship GP 500 License MicroProse, Inc., a worldwide interactive entertainment company, today announced that it has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement with Dorna Promocion del. Deporte, S.A., for the PC game rights to the FIM Road Racing World Championship GP 500(TM) motorcycle circuit. The GP 500 is the world's largest and most recognized formula motorcycle racing circuit and is establishing its position as one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world. "Adding the GP 500 game license will give us a foundation to develop and design the most authentic motorcycle racing computer game available," said Derek McLeish, senior vice president of business development, MicroProse, Inc. "GP 500 is an important brand to have in an increasingly global software industry where great game play must be combined with real life statistics and actual sporting events." The GP 500 racing circuit includes 15 international races, reaches an average of 530 million* spectators per Grand Prix and is televised in more than 200 countries. The riders race on behalf of one of 19 teams including the Marlboro Team Kanemato featuring race-winning rider, Max Biaggi, and team Repsol Honda which includes the current world champion GP 500 rider, Mike Doohan. A fast growing spectator sport which features the ultimate high-performance 500cc motorcycles, the riders speed and navigate through courses at speeds in excess of 190 mph. MicroProse is developing a GP 500 motorcycle racing game, and has scheduled a Fall 1999 release date for the project

> MicroProse Acquires the PC Game Rights for the FIM World Motorcycle > Championship GP 500 License Great news!..However, since they're no longer running the event here in the states, it looses a bit of its e***ment. I doubt Wayne or Kenny could afford the out_of_pocket for another run at Laguna. =( Cheers! Marc -- Marc J. Nelson The Sim Project - http://www.simproject.com * No animals were harmed in the making of this e-mail *

But they don't run F1 there either and I believe GP2 and F1RS sold pretty well.

At long last! It has always made me wonder why no one has done this yet.

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> MicroProse Acquires the PC Game Rights for the FIM World Motorcycle > Championship GP 500 License > MicroProse, Inc., a worldwide interactive entertainment company, today > announced that it has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement > with Dorna Promocion del. Deporte, S.A., for the PC game rights to the > FIM Road Racing World Championship GP 500(TM) motorcycle circuit. The > GP 500 is the world's largest and most recognized formula motorcycle > racing circuit and is establishing its position as one of the greatest > sporting spectacles in the world. > "Adding the GP 500 game license will give us a foundation to develop > and design the most authentic motorcycle racing computer game > available," said Derek McLeish, senior vice president of business > development, MicroProse, Inc. "GP 500 is an important brand to have in > an increasingly global software industry where great game play must be > combined with real life statistics and actual sporting events." > The GP 500 racing circuit includes 15 international races, reaches an > average of 530 million* spectators per Grand Prix and is televised in > more than 200 countries. The riders race on behalf of one of 19 teams > including the Marlboro Team Kanemato featuring race-winning rider, Max > Biaggi, and team Repsol Honda which includes the current world > champion GP 500 rider, Mike Doohan. A fast growing spectator sport > which features the ultimate high-performance 500cc motorcycles, the > riders speed and navigate through courses at speeds in excess of 190 > mph. > MicroProse is developing a GP 500 motorcycle racing game, and has > scheduled a Fall 1999 release date for the project

> But they don't run F1 there either and I believe GP2 and F1RS sold > pretty well. So why don't they run F1 in the states anymore? Paul

There you go, then!!! "GP3" :o) > MicroProse Acquires the PC Game Rights for the FIM World Motorcycle > Championship GP 500 License -- Regards, Bruce. ---------- The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

Are you serious, Marc? There is no US 500cc GP anymore?? > Great news!..However, since they're no longer running the event here > in the states, it looses a bit of its e***ment. I doubt Wayne or > Kenny could afford the out_of_pocket for another run at Laguna. =( -- Regards, Bruce. ---------- The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

Because with motorcycle *SIMULATIONS* it has been extremely difficult to get the "feel" and action of the bike just right. Perhaps these people will. > At long last! It has always made me wonder why no one has done this yet. -- Regards, Bruce. ---------- The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

Mr. Ecclestone cannot get anyone to pay the HUGE, VAST, GIGANTIC, HORRENDOUS amount of money that he wants. > > But they don't run F1 there either and I believe GP2 and F1RS sold > > pretty well. > So why don't they run F1 in the states anymore? > Paul -- Regards, Bruce. ---------- The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

And anyway what control do you use. It would have to use at least 4 axes - handlebars left/right, bike tilt l/r, throttle, brake.... Paul

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> Because with motorcycle *SIMULATIONS* it has been extremely difficult to > get the "feel" and action of the bike just right. > Perhaps these people will. > > At long last! It has always made me wonder why no one has done this yet. > -- > Regards, > Bruce. > ---------- > The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- > http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

Anyone ever played "RVF750"? It had a behind-the-bike view and looked arcadey, but I think it had a tremendous feel nonetheless... Something along these lines with better graphics and stuff would satisfy me personally. JoH Please remove *anti-spam* from the email when replying. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= When everything else failed, we can still become im- mortal by making an enormous blunder.... John Kenneth Galbraith =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Yes, I suppose weight transfer and body roll are major factors here. Still, I don't see why it should be so difficult. And it should also suit joystic/pedal combos down to the ground. I suppose you also need to program gyroscopic effects in for leaning the bike back and forth but I don't see why this should be any harder than a car sim. Just plug in the physics and presto! So what's the scoop on "getting the feel right"?

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> Because with motorcycle *SIMULATIONS* it has been extremely difficult to > get the "feel" and action of the bike just right. > Perhaps these people will. > > At long last! It has always made me wonder why no one has done this yet. > -- > Regards, > Bruce. > ---------- > The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- > http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

No Paul, it doesn't need to use any "tilt" function.....that would be automatic and occurs as the bike is steered. This is the one area where previous attempts have not been up to par....they have not reproduced the correct physics. This is what I meant by the "feel" of the bike. > And anyway what control do you use. It would have to use at least 4 axes - > handlebars left/right, bike tilt l/r, throttle, brake.... > Paul -- Regards, Bruce. ---------- The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

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> Yes, I suppose weight transfer and body roll are major factors here. Still, I don't see > why it should be so difficult. And it should also suit joystic/pedal combos down to the > ground. I suppose you also need to program gyroscopic effects in for leaning the bike back > and forth but I don't see why this should be any harder than a car sim. Just plug in the > physics and presto! So what's the scoop on "getting the feel right"? > > Because with motorcycle *SIMULATIONS* it has been extremely difficult to > > get the "feel" and action of the bike just right. > > Perhaps these people will. > > > At long last! It has always made me wonder why no one has done this yet. > > -- > > Regards, > > Bruce. > > ---------- > > The GP Legends Historic Motor Racing Club is located at:- > > http://www.netspeed.com.au/brucek/legends/

I agree on the feel issue, on a motorcycle, you are much more a participant than in a car (that is after all why I enjoy riding to driving). There are so subtle things you can/have to do to ride a bike well at speed well. Weight shifts (fore/aft), weighting of the footpegs, *** off, all are things that would be hard to simulate. A bike is not the least bit forgiving when you go over the limit (you usually break something) and there is not much of a visual or audio warning when you approach the limit, it is almost all feellings you get from the handlebars and from your butt. How are they going to simulate that? Force feedback could be used to great effect for the front. You could simulate things like head shake/wobble, harder steering at speed (because of gyroscopic forces) as well as the actual feel and feedback you get. For the butt, perhaps they can make a force feedback seatcusion ;^). Of course for any REAL simulation they would have to use counter-steering (i.e. turning handlebars in the opposite direction you want to turn). THis is after all how bikes really perform (at speeds above 5mph or so). It will be interesting to see what microprose produces, so far all the bike sims I have played have been arcadish (but getting better all the time). I would love to see a bike sim with the feel of ICR2 (The same thing I said two years ago!) Gary W. Mahan