The Future of NASCAR Gaming

[JMD]

After Codemasters is done with their brilliant looking F1 2010 game, I think they should take a shot at a Nascar game.

[oldschoolthumper]

Quote: Originally Posted by pk500

Gran Turismo 5 was due to be released two years ago. I'll believe it when we see it. If you think it's going to be released this October, then I have oceanfront property in Saskatchewan to sell you. Plus BK is right: A 16-car NASCAR field? What a joke. Polyphony has promised a damage model for GT 5 -- hey, it's about time after 12 years of the series! -- but who knows if it will be any good, as GT always has favored eye candy over realism. The only legitimate, new NASCAR gaming alternative right now is iRacing. It's tested, tried, true and phenomenal. No console version of NASCAR is even in the same area code as iRacing. In fact, I fired up the old gold standard of NASCAR sims, NASCAR Racing 2003 Season by Papyrus for the PC, and it felt old and sub-standard compared to iRacing. The Papyrus team that made NR 2003 and Grand Prix Legends has morphed into the iRacing team, so the DNA from those great sims is in iRacing.

I agree with most of what you are saying here - but you make no mention of rfactor or any of it's nascar mods. Do you not think it contends with iracing? I am an old pappy nr2003 guy and have been searching ever since.

[pk500]

Quote: Originally Posted by JMD

After Codemasters is done with their brilliant looking F1 2010 game, I think they should take a shot at a Nascar game.

Again, it LOOKS brilliant. How do we know how it will drive? The Codies already said the game won't have laser-scanned tracks or feature a Safety Car, two strikes against it as a sim.

Plus the Codies have all but given up making sims. Just look at DIRT and GRID. They're nothing close to the sims they replaced, Colin McRae Rally and TOCA.

[pk500]

Quote: Originally Posted by oldschoolthumper

I agree with most of what you are saying here - but you make no mention of rfactor or any of it's nascar mods. Do you not think it contends with iracing? I am an old pappy nr2003 guy and have been searching ever since.

No, sir. I have driven the NSS and Stock Car Evolution mods for rFactor, and I don't think they even compare to NR2003.

ISI code rFactor primarily as a road-racing game. I don't think it's a very good oval game in terms of offline AI.

iRacing's NASCAR cars, whether it's SK modifieds, late models, Craftsman Truck, Nationwide or Cup COT's, are superior to anything on the market right now. Just realize there is no AI. You'll always race against humans, which I prefer anyways.

And iRacing's laser-scanned tracks make even NR 2003's tracks feel like Pole Position. You'll never realize just how bumpy the Daytona oval is in a COT until you try iRacing, man!

rFactor also requires a lot of fiddling and tweaking to install many mods and to configure the wheel for proper rotation, force feedback, etc.

iRacing might be the most plug-and-play PC sim I've driven, and I've driven quite a few. All you need to do is download the game, download your purchased car and track, plug in your wheel, calibrate it once and race. You can adjust force feedback and other parameters, but I find the default to be great. iRacing even supplies step-by-step instructions in its FAQ's on how to configure a Logitech wheel for the game, and the iRacing community always is willing to help in its forums.

[Eski33]

Hopefully a company that develops for the 360 can get the NASCAR license. Project Natal is a peripheral designed to immerse gamers into racing and feeling like you are driving a NASCAR would be awesome....

[pk500]

Quote: Originally Posted by Eski33

Hopefully a company that develops for the 360 can get the NASCAR license. Project Natal is a peripheral designed to immerse gamers into racing and feeling like you are driving a NASCAR would be awesome....

I beg to differ on the effectiveness of Natal with driving games.

A wheel and pedals already simulate the same motion as actually driving a car, with force feedback, which is essential for any immersive driving game. Natal removes tactile feedback. How will that improve the breed?

[Eski33]

Quote: Originally Posted by pk500

I beg to differ on the effectiveness of Natal with driving games. A wheel and pedals already simulate the same motion as actually driving a car, with force feedback, which is essential for any immersive driving game. Natal removes tactile feedback. How will that improve the breed?

Put a sub woofer under your couch...

[bkfount]

Quote: Originally Posted by Eski33

Hopefully a company that develops for the 360 can get the NASCAR license. Project Natal is a peripheral designed to immerse gamers into racing and feeling like you are driving a NASCAR would be awesome....

lol, it'll just be the same as playing mario kart wii with a plastic steering wheel controller.