Trans Am Racing speculation

Okay, so GT Interactive has canned EAI as the developer for the Trans Am Racing '68 - '72 sim. GT Interactive has the rights to the title, though, and they have stated that they plan to start with a new developer and do a clean-slate approach (I've heard that EAI's work on TAR looks more like a sim technology demonstator than a workable sim/game). So, what's GT Interactive going to do -- who are they going to use as a game developer, and how are they going to get something to market in a reasonable amount of time? Trans Am Racing was due out NOW, and GT Interactive now has a void in their product line-up in the racing sim category that could affect their profits -- and stock prices -- for the next couple of quarters. Here's what I'm seeing: Word has it that the folks at MGI (the people who brought us Viper Racing) may be working on something for an undisclosed game company. Could this be an 11th-hour deal with GT Interactive to use their Viper Racing-based sim expertise to develop a replacement for the now-dormant Trans Am Racing title? The Dodge Viper is a front-engine, rear-drive, high-performance GT car with great suspension; the 1968 - 72 Trans Am vehicles were front-engine, rear-drive, high-performance GT cars with horrible suspensions (by today's standards) and hard, bias-ply *** -- how much of a leap is that in the programming arena? Also, consider this: If you've checked out the Advanced Options Editor for SCGT, what do you make of the "'60s Sports Car" option? An oddity that's included for no good reason other than "because they could," or was this an "audition" of sorts by the "Friends of ISI" for another *** company? After playing around in SCGT with the "'60s Sports Car" option enabled, it struck me that the experience is probably what Trans Am Racing would feel like if it had been developed by the Image Space people in lieu of the SCGT title. Keep in mind that MGI and ISI are not subsidiaries of Sierra Sports or Electronic Arts -- they're INDEPENDENT game developers who work for these publishers to develop titles that they are contracted to develop. Now that Viper Racing and SCGT are on the market, it stands to reason that the MGI and ISI development teams are looking for their next project to keep putting food on their tables -- and GT Interactive is now looking for a developer for Trans Am Racing. Seems like there's plenty of room here for a match made in heaven, methinks. Just my $0.02. -- JB

I like your style, Bodin. VERY good sleuthing. ~daxe -----------== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News ==---------- http://www.newsfeeds.com The Largest Usenet Servers in the World! ------== Over 73,000 Newsgroups - Including Dedicated Binaries Servers ==-----

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> Okay, so GT Interactive has canned EAI as the developer for the Trans > Am Racing '68 - '72 sim. GT Interactive has the rights to the title, > though, and they have stated that they plan to start with a new > developer and do a clean-slate approach (I've heard that EAI's work on > TAR looks more like a sim technology demonstator than a workable > sim/game). So, what's GT Interactive going to do -- who are they > going to use as a game developer, and how are they going to get > something to market in a reasonable amount of time? Trans Am Racing > was due out NOW, and GT Interactive now has a void in their product > line-up in the racing sim category that could affect their profits -- > and stock prices -- for the next couple of quarters. > Here's what I'm seeing: > Word has it that the folks at MGI (the people who brought us Viper > Racing) may be working on something for an undisclosed game company. > Could this be an 11th-hour deal with GT Interactive to use their Viper > Racing-based sim expertise to develop a replacement for the > now-dormant Trans Am Racing title? The Dodge Viper is a front-engine, > rear-drive, high-performance GT car with great suspension; the 1968 - > 72 Trans Am vehicles were front-engine, rear-drive, high-performance > GT cars with horrible suspensions (by today's standards) and hard, > bias-ply *** -- how much of a leap is that in the programming > arena? > Also, consider this: If you've checked out the Advanced Options > Editor for SCGT, what do you make of the "'60s Sports Car" option? An > oddity that's included for no good reason other than "because they > could," or was this an "audition" of sorts by the "Friends of ISI" for > another *** company? After playing around in SCGT with the "'60s > Sports Car" option enabled, it struck me that the experience is > probably what Trans Am Racing would feel like if it had been developed > by the Image Space people in lieu of the SCGT title. > Keep in mind that MGI and ISI are not subsidiaries of Sierra Sports or > Electronic Arts -- they're INDEPENDENT game developers who work for > these publishers to develop titles that they are contracted to > develop. Now that Viper Racing and SCGT are on the market, it stands > to reason that the MGI and ISI development teams are looking for their > next project to keep putting food on their tables -- and GT > Interactive is now looking for a developer for Trans Am Racing. Seems > like there's plenty of room here for a match made in heaven, methinks.

Very good analysis John. It could be a possibility. I had a lot of fun with Viper racing. If MGI does indeed make a Trans-Am game, I pretty sure I would buy it. Very interesting points you make. Now, can you confirm some of the speculation (like you did with Indy racing Legends)? Philster

On Sun, 06 Jun 1999 09:19:59 -0400, Philster

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>> Okay, so GT Interactive has canned EAI as the developer for the Trans >> Am Racing '68 - '72 sim. GT Interactive has the rights to the title, >> though, and they have stated that they plan to start with a new >> developer and do a clean-slate approach (I've heard that EAI's work on >> TAR looks more like a sim technology demonstator than a workable >> sim/game). So, what's GT Interactive going to do -- who are they >> going to use as a game developer, and how are they going to get >> something to market in a reasonable amount of time? Trans Am Racing >> was due out NOW, and GT Interactive now has a void in their product >> line-up in the racing sim category that could affect their profits -- >> and stock prices -- for the next couple of quarters. >> Here's what I'm seeing: >> Word has it that the folks at MGI (the people who brought us Viper >> Racing) may be working on something for an undisclosed game company. >> Could this be an 11th-hour deal with GT Interactive to use their Viper >> Racing-based sim expertise to develop a replacement for the >> now-dormant Trans Am Racing title? The Dodge Viper is a front-engine, >> rear-drive, high-performance GT car with great suspension; the 1968 - >> 72 Trans Am vehicles were front-engine, rear-drive, high-performance >> GT cars with horrible suspensions (by today's standards) and hard, >> bias-ply *** -- how much of a leap is that in the programming >> arena? >> Also, consider this: If you've checked out the Advanced Options >> Editor for SCGT, what do you make of the "'60s Sports Car" option? An >> oddity that's included for no good reason other than "because they >> could," or was this an "audition" of sorts by the "Friends of ISI" for >> another *** company? After playing around in SCGT with the "'60s >> Sports Car" option enabled, it struck me that the experience is >> probably what Trans Am Racing would feel like if it had been developed >> by the Image Space people in lieu of the SCGT title. >> Keep in mind that MGI and ISI are not subsidiaries of Sierra Sports or >> Electronic Arts -- they're INDEPENDENT game developers who work for >> these publishers to develop titles that they are contracted to >> develop. Now that Viper Racing and SCGT are on the market, it stands >> to reason that the MGI and ISI development teams are looking for their >> next project to keep putting food on their tables -- and GT >> Interactive is now looking for a developer for Trans Am Racing. Seems >> like there's plenty of room here for a match made in heaven, methinks. >Very good analysis John. It could be a possibility. I had a lot of fun >with Viper racing. If MGI does indeed make a Trans-Am game, I pretty >sure I would buy it. Very interesting points you make. Now, can you >confirm some of the speculation (like you did with Indy racing Legends)? >Philster

Thanks Philster -- I'm working on it, and I'll keep you all posted on what I find out. It is intriguing, isn't it? -- JB

Speculation update: I have heard from a reliable source that MGI is NOT currently working on any projects with GT Interactive, so we can rule them out as potential developers for the Trans Am Racing replacement title. Anybody know what ISI is up to these days? -- JB

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>Okay, so GT Interactive has canned EAI as the developer for the Trans >Am Racing '68 - '72 sim. GT Interactive has the rights to the title, >though, and they have stated that they plan to start with a new >developer and do a clean-slate approach (I've heard that EAI's work on >TAR looks more like a sim technology demonstator than a workable >sim/game). So, what's GT Interactive going to do -- who are they >going to use as a game developer, and how are they going to get >something to market in a reasonable amount of time? Trans Am Racing >was due out NOW, and GT Interactive now has a void in their product >line-up in the racing sim category that could affect their profits -- >and stock prices -- for the next couple of quarters. >Here's what I'm seeing: >Word has it that the folks at MGI (the people who brought us Viper >Racing) may be working on something for an undisclosed game company. >Could this be an 11th-hour deal with GT Interactive to use their Viper >Racing-based sim expertise to develop a replacement for the >now-dormant Trans Am Racing title? The Dodge Viper is a front-engine, >rear-drive, high-performance GT car with great suspension; the 1968 - >72 Trans Am vehicles were front-engine, rear-drive, high-performance >GT cars with horrible suspensions (by today's standards) and hard, >bias-ply *** -- how much of a leap is that in the programming >arena? >Also, consider this: If you've checked out the Advanced Options >Editor for SCGT, what do you make of the "'60s Sports Car" option? An >oddity that's included for no good reason other than "because they >could," or was this an "audition" of sorts by the "Friends of ISI" for >another *** company? After playing around in SCGT with the "'60s >Sports Car" option enabled, it struck me that the experience is >probably what Trans Am Racing would feel like if it had been developed >by the Image Space people in lieu of the SCGT title. >Keep in mind that MGI and ISI are not subsidiaries of Sierra Sports or >Electronic Arts -- they're INDEPENDENT game developers who work for >these publishers to develop titles that they are contracted to >develop. Now that Viper Racing and SCGT are on the market, it stands >to reason that the MGI and ISI development teams are looking for their >next project to keep putting food on their tables -- and GT >Interactive is now looking for a developer for Trans Am Racing. Seems >like there's plenty of room here for a match made in heaven, methinks. >Just my $0.02. >-- JB