PC GAMER REVIEW

In the past, I have said pretty much what has been taken from their text of the report. I think GPL is OUTSTANDING in every way ---- but they have gotten some priorities out of synch, and it is telling on them in BOTH the report and on the shelves at the local computer stores. Just the other day I overheard a sales representative tell a potential customer that he would be MUCH better buying another product in the racing sim area because GPL is so difficult and you don't have a fighting chance in hell of getting close to the leaders. This customer DID buy onother product ---------------- leaving yet another box of GPL on the shelves with the multitudes of others that are there, but empty of nearly all others If THAT doesn't tell PAPY something ------------------ then they don't understand PLAIN ENGLISH and understand the meaning of customer satisfaction. It is obvious that the sales reps are getting flack from the masses and advising AGAINST the consumers buying the sim if they want something fun. Here in this newsgroup -------------- we are a different breed, and enjoy the challenge, but for average "JOE" out there --------- I am afraid they have stepped on their own toes and perhaps lost potential customers in the future as well. BUT --------------------- let them run their business as they please, ------------ I see several other sim producers coming out with products that are graphically equal to GPL, and with time, will be producing sims the general public will buy rather than leave on the shelves. Doug

Despite what you may beleive, it's the average "Joe" (or "Jane") who make it possible to have the likes of GPL. Without their past collective buying power, GPL would have been nothing more than a pipe dream. Cheers! Marc

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> God save us from the 'average JOE', or 'JANE' or anyone else who's stupid > enough to spend $$ on software they haven't researched. If they buy everything > else that way, I'm surprised they have any money. > I guess soon we'll have another idiot 'rating' code on the boxes from now on, > for 'difficulty', like they have on plastic models. That way the dimwit > Nintendo crowd won't have their 'brains' strained unexpected. > If everyone could learn F1 driving in 4 hours, there wouldn't be much point in > doing it. As for 'graphically equal' who cares when the 'action' is > arcade-like?

-- Marc J. Nelson SimRacing Online - http://www.simracing.com/ * Switch confused.net with concentric.net to reply...Confused-yet? *

As a fan of Racing SIM's in general, I purchased GPL, and "play" it frequently. I did post a cut-and-paste consisting of a few paragraphs of the review by PC Gamer magazine, which by and large summarized GPL as a game/sim for the hard core racer/sim types, and not for the general *** freak who may enjoy racing games (amongst other types). I tend to agree with their assessment, and despite the numerous emotional responses to that post, I'll still rely on magazine reviews, as well as testimonials by folks on this forum to decide if I should purchase racing games. As I said, I enjoy GPL, as I do most all of Papyrus/Sierra's products, but I must say that compared to many other racing sims (including Papyrus' own ICR2 and NASCAR 2) GPL lacks a lot of options/features! I downloaded a utility recently to "tweak" the AI in GPL, which has made it much more enjoyable, as I'm "only" running a PII 266 with a 4 meg 3d card. But options such as driver AI, camera views (while driving) and a car and/or track editor would be welcomed, and IMO should be standard for ALL racing games that are developed these days. My other gripe about GPL besides the steep learning curve, is the system requirements to run it without having to turn off 3/4 of the graphics options. (Perhaps if I had a P II 450 and a 12 meg video card, I might feel differently?) That aside, it won't stop me from continuing to try to run competitively and have fun with this sim/game, and while I do have a few complaints, there are still many many features about it that make it one of the best sim's to come around in a long time!

God save us from the 'average JOE', or 'JANE' or anyone else who's stupid enough to spend $$ on software they haven't researched. If they buy everything else that way, I'm surprised they have any money. I guess soon we'll have another idiot 'rating' code on the boxes from now on, for 'difficulty', like they have on plastic models. That way the dimwit Nintendo crowd won't have their 'brains' strained unexpected. If everyone could learn F1 driving in 4 hours, there wouldn't be much point in doing it. As for 'graphically equal' who cares when the 'action' is arcade-like? MW

Well, Doug, we get into the old game/simulation thing again <g>. Papy does simulations. Their open wheel stuff probably doesn't sell too good because... it's a simulation of real life (i.e., difficult). I would imagine Papy is aware of this... as is Sierra. I, along with many others, thot the death-knell had sounded for serious car sims when Sierra bought Papy... thank goodness we were wrong, and thank Sierra for letting Papy produce what they surely knew would not be a great cash cow. However, there could be a method-to-the-madness as there is a budding market out there... a certain percentage of people will tire of the arcade games and look for something more challenging and/or realistic. Voila. Unless Microprose regenerates their GP series, Sierra/Papy has the racing sim market cornered (IMHO the jury is still out on Ubisoft). The same deal goes on in flight sims... MS has no doubt made a bundle on Flight Simulator over the years, but there is a hard-core group of online fliers that wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole <g>. In this vein, Microprose/Spectrum Holobyte has spent a _lot_ of bucks working on Falcon 4, which is also going to be too difficult for Joe Gamer. As with Sierra/Papy, they can afford to do this. Unfortunately MP/SH will get much more positive comments from a more sophisticated flight sim press on this release than Sierra/Papy has with the motorcade rags on GPL. C'est la vie. Sierra/Papy, r.a.s. appreciates the effort It is indeed a question of priorities... a sim, or a game. Methinks the developers are aware of the consequences. I applaud those that go the sim route, and try to patronize their products, as well as recommend them to those who are interested in a challenge <g>. Rgds, Mark R.

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> In the past, I have said pretty much what has been taken from their >text of the report. > I think GPL is OUTSTANDING in every way ---- but they have gotten >some priorities out of synch, and it is telling on them in BOTH the >report and on the shelves at the local computer stores. > Just the other day I overheard a sales representative tell a >potential customer that he would be MUCH better buying another product >in the racing sim area because GPL is so difficult and you don't have >a fighting chance in hell of getting close to the leaders. > This customer DID buy onother product ---------------- leaving yet >another box of GPL on the shelves with the multitudes of others that >are there, but empty of nearly all others > If THAT doesn't tell PAPY something ------------------ then they >don't understand PLAIN ENGLISH and understand the meaning of customer >satisfaction. It is obvious that the sales reps are getting flack >from the masses and advising AGAINST the consumers buying the sim if >they want something fun. > Here in this newsgroup -------------- we are a different breed, and >enjoy the challenge, but for average "JOE" out there --------- I am >afraid they have stepped on their own toes and perhaps lost potential >customers in the future as well. > BUT --------------------- let them run their business as they >please, ------------ I see several other sim producers coming out with >products that are graphically equal to GPL, and with time, will be >producing sims the general public will buy rather than leave on the >shelves. > Doug

That's a bit harsh. Haven't you bought anything on company reputation alone? I have with 2 companies. SSI(long ago) and Papyrus. These are companies that it's very easy to buy something 'sight unseen' from. It just so happens that GPL is a *lot* more difficult than their last offering.... Eldred

You had better be damned happy those fools are out there. Without them, our software prices would be higher. They ensure that companies continue to spew out products, both good and bad. Let them buy junk that they haven't researched. It doesn't hurt us (aside from the fact that developers will continue to publish crap), and it makes the publishers happy. Mike