WRC4 WRC 4 The Game

[Bram Hengeveld]

On the iOpener website there is a very interesting article about an upcoming World Rally Championship simulator:

World Rally Championship's next game: Racing live against rally heroes

The next generation WRC computer game will allow players to 'compete' in live rallies", states ISC chairman Neil Duncanson in the April version of SportBusiness International magazine. ISC, the global promoter of the World Rally Championship (WRC), mentions WRC's ultimate goal as building up an online gaming world championship alongside the real thing.
ISC and the computer gaming industry believe the next step in gaming is this 'live' competition between gamers and real drivers, made possible through iOpener's patented technology.
ISC CEO Simon Long says: "Now we are a global promoter, we want this to be multi-platform, multi-publisher, multi-territory."
For Long and Duncanson the new game is part of WRC's broader efforts to appeal new fans beyond the hardcore enthusiastics. FIA's chairman Max Mosley has said the virtual champion will be honoured at the WRC's annual end-of-season awards ceremony in Monaco.

Source: iOpener Media

Last April we already brought you the first news about iOpener Media's beta testers recruitment for their Real Time Racing project.

The news about this technology where virtual racers can compete against the real drivers on the track in real time is now spreading amoung the simracing communities.

iOpener is still looking for the worlds best simracers to join their beta test program that's about to start soon. If you are interested in joining then you can sign up on the RTR website

 

[Søren Holm Pedersen]

Yes, Warren!
The video is from the newspost by Eddie Mann. It's here:
[video]http://www.racedepartment.com/content/465-official-fia-wrc-2010-game-release.html[/video]

 

[Warren Dawes]

Ah!! Thanks, I have viewed this video. It looks interesting but still too early for me to comment much.
Graphics look very good, the plan for real tracks would be great if they are well made, and the concept to sim the real WRC is ideal.
However, I'm only interested in the PC version (if it gets included), I'm not at all interested in console gaming. I only see, in the video, that they were using a gamepad for driving, again, for me it has to be a Steering Wheel. Hopefully they include that, but often Console ports don't convert to PC wheels well. RBR was a console game too, and it works brilliantly on a PC with excellent FFB on a wheel, so you never know.
They say they want to keep it easy for the masses, that is the worrying bit. Rally driving, in real life, is very difficult, so a true Sim is expected to also be difficult. Dumbing it down may still produce a fun game for the masses, but for purists, like me, looking for true simulation and realism in the driving feel, it will take a lot to move me away from my beloved RBR.

I'll play a waiting game, and see what is delivered. Marketing hype doesn't rate with me, been there, been caught before. I really hope it is good though, certainly has potential.

 

[Mark Birney]

Full stages? He said they are 15-20km. They don't have that in RBR. Most stages are usually between 5 and 10km. To model 20 stages from 13 rounds at 15km each would be crazy (over 3900km). Unless they release them incrementally. They have to release in 2010, don't they?

 

[Bob Hutchins]

Looks a very interesting game but like most I fear it will be very arcadeeee so as to appeal to the masses. Still it might be fun for a while.

 

[Rick Bamford]

Full stages? He said they are 15-20km. They don't have that in RBR. Most stages are usually between 5 and 10km. To model 20 stages from 13 rounds at 15km each would be crazy (over 3900km). Unless they release them incrementally. They have to release in 2010, don't they?

No they don't have that in RBR, and it one of its failing points

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=40a&season=2010&rally_id=NZ&leg=1

Have a look at this, its day 1 from Rally New Zealand, 32km, 22km, 13km all used twice, then 2 stages at 10ish kms. I would love it if they did, but i can't see it happening.

 

[Christophe Berton]

No they don't have that in RBR, and it one of its failing points

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=40a&season=2010&rally_id=NZ&leg=1

Have a look at this, its day 1 from Rally New Zealand, 32km, 22km, 13km all used twice, then 2 stages at 10ish kms. I would love it if they did, but i can't see it happening.

We play virtual games, not in real life. If WRC the game needs to simulate everything like it is in the real world, it will cost a lot of time and money.
Makes stages of 15 km the game boring? Not for me. In other games (rfactor, evo, ..) we dont always race the full real length of races. The quality is important.

A maker of a video game cant make it just like in real life, it's always virtual

 

[Shannon Flynn]

any indication this game will be released in the US? From what I've seen, it looks like it's going to be a Europe only release.
Which makes me very, very sad and jealous

 

[Rick Bamford]

We play virtual games, not in real life. If WRC the game needs to simulate everything like it is in the real world, it will cost a lot of time and money.
Makes stages of 15 km the game boring? Not for me. In other games (rfactor, evo, ..) we dont always race the full real length of races. The quality is important.

A maker of a video game cant make it just like in real life, it's always virtual

Circut racing is boring no matter how long or short so they don't really count:wink: RBR already has the quality, we just need more of it.

 

[Rick Bamford]

Sorry if i'm getting a little heated about this, i don't want to start an argument. It just a subject I'm passionate about.

Rally games have always lacked that full realisim element when racing gets the works. Just because F1 and other forms of car events are easier to televise and produce into games they get the bigger following.

I am a rally driver for real and have ALWAYS beleived that it is the pinical of motor sport. I know its harder to produce but I know'that what I want. I'm starting to understand that I am alone on this.

 

[Craig Johnston]

I dont think your alone Rick, but circuit racing is much easier to reproduce.

Much easier to model 3-4km of tarmac for a circuit than 25 - 30km of loose, uneven, potholed, cambered gravel track

I hope this game really is the works, but like most of you guys im a little sceptical.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Black Bean Games today announced the final release date for WRC, the only official FIA World Rally Championship videogame. The game is being developed by Milestone and will be available in stores on the 8[SUP]th[/SUP] of October for PlayStation[SUP]®[/SUP]3, Xbox[SUP]®[/SUP]360 and PC.

For the first time in five years the official WRC videogame is back and will be available in formats for home consoles and PC with an exclusive package representing all the official licensed cars, drivers and co-drivers from the current WRC season and from all support classes: P-WRC, S-WRC, J-WRC.

Petrol-heads, motorsport enthusiasts and WRC fans alike will experience a unique game that delivers a realistic and accessible driving model. The game features 78 different rally stages and over 550km of varied road conditions from the 13 countries which host a round of the WRC. Also available for the first time is the new “Road to the WRC” career mode presenting the opportunity to compete for 50 different trophies. In addition many online multiplayer game modes combine to make the WRC game an epic motorsport adventure and the ultimate rally gaming experience.

More info: www.wrcthegame.com

 

[Pedro Lima]

Dirt 3? No thanks.

I will try this game but i think RBR is beter.

 

[Warren Dawes]

My dream is for it to be RBR but with all of the actual WRC Stages and countries.

Will I be disappointed, let's wait and see. I have my fingers crossed but not highly confident.

 

[Tomas Beha]

My first impression is that 'old' Richard Burns Rally look way better that this - hard to judge physics by a video, but that likewise.

 

[Ondrej Kapal]

I read that the actual WRC stages there will be far away from reals one not sure how I should feel

edit: for example Corona Rally Mexico will be trough Aztec ruins :/

 

[Dariusz Swiderski]

I hope i will have similar physics to RBR ( or better as more modern game should have, fingers X ) and some multiplayer options which will allowed to drive side by side with others in real time on tracks, not just against the clock.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

RBR was way too hardcore for the broader public so i'll doubt that it will have similar physics. Physics don't bring food on the table

I read a lot of complaints about how the game looks, but in all honesty I think it looks rather good. Let's hope it will be a little bit better even than DiRT2 and I am sold.

 

[Konrad Stanczak]

Dirt 3? No thanks.

I will try this game but i think RBR is beter.

How on earth can you tell how this game is if its not released yet?

 

[Senad Subasic]

From the videos, from the list of titles the company made before, from the fact that it has a, probably quite expensive, licence.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Weird arguments. Their motorcycle titles were excellent. Only let down where the Supercars V8.