Motorsport Games Board Resigns - All of Them

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Wish they’d just get on with it and die. They’re not even efficient at that.
 
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With all the big releases coming out over the next few months, 2023 is looking like a good year for video games. Seeing MSG’s downfall would be the cherry on top.
 
While I never like to see companies go under since there's lots of decent people that rely on even the crappiest companies to get by, I really would not shed a tear if/when MSG went under.

They really did squander the opportunity they had considering it seemed like there was lots of optimism and support from the community at the beginning.
 
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Memes aside, I don’t think the EA racing studios have enough development capacity to handle more franchises than what they’re doing right now.

F1, Rally and NFS teams are all pretty busy.
 
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Memes aside, I don’t think the EA racing studios have enough development capacity to handle more franchises than what they’re doing right now.

F1, Rally and NFS teams are all pretty busy.
Which makes me sad, a Codemasters made BTCC game is just begging to exist.
 
Which makes me sad, a Codemasters made BTCC game is just begging to exist.
I spend an hour or so looking at youtube footage of the old toca games on PS1 the other night.

If they made something anywhere near as good as those these days it would be amazing.

I think the problem is that it is no longer the super touring era, there are barely no manufacturers in the BTCC anymore, Airwaves BMW or Gingsters Ford just doesn't have the same appeal as the golden era of manufacturers on the grid to promote a BTCC game.
 
It’s also no longer the era where a dozen people can whip out a AAA racing game in a year. A TOCA game to modern standards is basically a 4-5 year development for the first title and 2 years for every subsequent release (so basically GRID and GRID Legends in terms of workload).

Also, the commercial challenge of releasing such a niche title is exponentially riskier these days too, Forza, GT and iRacing, chew up and spit out smaller titles all the time because they’re the big dogs.

Touring cars are best served these days by being an addition to an already existing series rather than being their own entire game.
 
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Guess they could be back to the old days were BTCC or DTM and others was/were just part of the Race Driver game(s). But I guess licensing costs are too high for something like this nowadays. On the other hand this might be the only chance for TOCA having their series represented in any game on the leading plattforms apart from a mobile game if EA even wanted them. Could be to irrelevant in actual state for a global audience who forgot BTCC 20 years ago. Never really understand why they didn't made it into Race06/07 and so on-series during the S2000 cars-era apart from that Vauxhall DLC. But we're still talking about TOCA and maybe that is the reason they just overestimating their value and couldn't pull a deal off in the last 20 years+. How would I have loved racing an Integra around Knockhill, Donington or Oulton Park in this race-game series with Plato/Neal fighting in front of me!
 
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It’s also no longer the era where a dozen people can whip out a AAA racing game in a year. A TOCA game to modern standards is basically a 4-5 year development for the first title and 2 years for every subsequent release (so basically GRID and GRID Legends in terms of workload).

Also, the commercial challenge of releasing such a niche title is exponentially riskier these days too, Forza, GT and iRacing, chew up and spit out smaller titles all the time because they’re the big dogs.

Touring cars are best served these days by being an addition to an already existing series rather than being their own entire game.
I agree - then I remember that we live in a world where there are numerous dedicated MXGP, World Superbikes games and obviously ACC so fairly niche ‘official’ games still do exist and in some cases do really well. What existing games that licence the series really need to do is licence a few of the circuits as well as the cars. Forza has Formula E but virtually no tracks that remotely resemble a FE circuit, and it’ll be the same with the BTCC. Personally I think Formula E and the WEC are the two championships that are absolutely crying out for a dedicated game.
 
I agree - then I remember that we live in a world where there are numerous dedicated MXGP, World Superbikes games and obviously ACC so fairly niche ‘official’ games still do exist and in some cases do really well. What existing games that licence the series really need to do is licence a few of the circuits as well as the cars. Forza has Formula E but virtually no tracks that remotely resemble a FE circuit, and it’ll be the same with the BTCC. Personally I think Formula E and the WEC are the two championships that are absolutely crying out for a dedicated game.
WEC in development:
 
That may not even see the light of day if and when MSG goes under.
Is it really "MSG", or is it just the folks at RF2 (Who they own lets not forget) working on it? I've always doubted this game wasn't just handed off to the same devs who already provided software for the Virtual Le Mans event.
 
It’s also no longer the era where a dozen people can whip out a AAA racing game in a year. A TOCA game to modern standards is basically a 4-5 year development for the first title and 2 years for every subsequent release (so basically GRID and GRID Legends in terms of workload).

Also, the commercial challenge of releasing such a niche title is exponentially riskier these days too, Forza, GT and iRacing, chew up and spit out smaller titles all the time because they’re the big dogs.

Touring cars are best served these days by being an addition to an already existing series rather than being their own entire game.
Yeah it's pointless releasing a game with just BTCC cars in it. There wouldn't be enough buyers. However having said that, I feel as though the big developers should create more relationships with the established racing leagues - given that they're willing to co-operate.
 
Memes aside, I don’t think the EA racing studios have enough development capacity to handle more franchises than what they’re doing right now.

F1, Rally and NFS teams are all pretty busy.
Tell me there's still a GRID team, or some of those teams create it. If buying more licences surely EA could expand, and take on the rF2 devs? Can't help but think they're a natural partner for NASCAR at the very least.

A lot of people over on the RD article comments seem to be overly focused on only a sim developer taking these licences on, surely Nintendo could to do something more fun than sell a handful of copies to diehards - Super Mario IndyCar, Mario KartKraft why not? I'd personally love to see HotWheels and Milestone do a clean sweep and buy them all, with regular releases of all of the models to buy when I'm shopping. Take Two must be thinking about it if they were ready to buy Codemasters, Microsoft must be considering it too with all their recent AI wealth to create separate Motorsport spin-offs or DLC, before GT do...
 
Milestone I have mixed feelings about. I really appreciate that they’re there, creating games that I want to play, because very few others do what they do. On the other hand they’re one of the worst offenders for barely updated yearly releases and all their games lack a certain degree of X-factor.
 
Tell me there's still a GRID team, or some of those teams create it. If buying more licences surely EA could expand, and take on the rF2 devs? Can't help but think they're a natural partner for NASCAR at the very least.

A lot of people over on the RD article comments seem to be overly focused on only a sim developer taking these licences on, surely Nintendo could to do something more fun than sell a handful of copies to diehards - Super Mario IndyCar, Mario KartKraft why not? I'd personally love to see HotWheels and Milestone do a clean sweep and buy them all, with regular releases of all of the models to buy when I'm shopping. Take Two must be thinking about it if they were ready to buy Codemasters, Microsoft must be considering it too with all their recent AI wealth to create separate Motorsport spin-offs or DLC, before GT do...
Historically, Nintendo has never seemed at all keen on motorsport stuff so I don't see that changing even if its just to slap a Mario title on it.
 
Tell me there's still a GRID team, or some of those teams create it.
Most of the GRID staff are/were the Southam studio, which is also where the Rally team is based. Quite a few of them have worked on both series.

I know a bunch went to work on NFS after GRID Legends DLC wrapped up.

A lot of people over on the RD article comments seem to be overly focused on only a sim developer taking these licences on, surely Nintendo could to do something more fun than sell a handful of copies to diehards - Super Mario IndyCar, Mario KartKraft why not? I'd personally love to see HotWheels and Milestone do a clean sweep and buy them all, with regular releases of all of the models to buy when I'm shopping. Take Two must be thinking about it if they were ready to buy Codemasters, Microsoft must be considering it too with all their recent AI wealth to create separate Motorsport spin-offs or DLC, before GT do...
I think NASCAR will find somebody that will make them a full game, maybe KT Racing will give it a go.

BTCC, I see their cars being added to Forza Motorsport, maybe Straight4 could grab the cars too if GTR Revival is appealing enough.
 
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Yeah be good to see KT get involved with some other licences after TDU if it's a success (and/or any more V-Rally), provided they come back to improve Generations with any updates to their graphics engine for water reflections, and sort my wheel/console frame rate issue so I finally buy it. Although I could be strictly EA for rally by then, depending how much punishment I can take.

I'm just thinking less sim devs with more funds for now, would Ubisoft make a FM clone after cloning Horizon? Could a ball make NASCAR more fun from Rocket League? Would TrackMania make something more realistic and free for all?

That's why I was thinking EA and GRID, it just seems a logical step to have licensed disciplines in a main game, then if they require a full title for themselves do that too, or do that first, maybe taking a cross between it's story modes and what F1 offers, and any management game too. I'd have thought IndyCar could be pretty similar to F1.

On the sim front I'm sure I read Kunos say they wanted their own engine for AC2 rather than stick with Unreal so they could let other devs use it - these titles could be ideal for that.

Although to try something from iRacing as a console user I liked what I've played of World of Outlaws so far, maybe it'll be them for some.

I'd hope BTCC could get it's own title. Do the leagues themselves never consider making and owning the games themselves by outsourcing to devs and just consider it a marketing expense? I'd have though NASCAR could fund that, with others maybe doing it to turn a profit too. Always strikes me as strange when I go to a 'shop' in a game I can buy DLC but not official merch, or in some racing games; car parts/actual cars - get some cogs turning at sponsors like Kwik-Fit/Arnold Clark/RAC.
 
I know I've probably sounded like I've been cheering for their failure but really, I'm not. Just not surprised. Maybe they'll still pull out of the tailspin, save it, and release some great games.

But I doubt it.
 
I know I've probably sounded like I've been cheering for their failure but really, I'm not. Just not surprised. Maybe they'll still pull out of the tailspin, save it, and release some great games.

But I doubt it.

Realistically speaking, Le Mans Ultimate will be the one and only game released with a MSG label and that's only because Studio 357 has already done enough work on it for completion (and are likely the only thing that'll survive). Anything else is dead, including the indycar game.
 
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