RFactor 2 Dev Bought by Motorsport Games!

[Scaff]

So Motorsport Games have continued their spending spree, adding Studio 397, the team behind RFactor 2 to the list of developers and licenses they now hold. I wanted to talk about my thoughts behind this, and what acquisitions like this could mean for Sim Racing, as this makes me very nervous when you add in the takeover of CM by EA.

Too many titles and licences ending up in a small number of companies pockets.

 

[r_outsider]

So Motorsport Games have continued their spending spree, adding Studio 397, the team behind RFactor 2 to the list of developers and licenses they now hold. I wanted to talk about my thoughts behind this, and what acquisitions like this could mean for Sim Racing, as this makes me very nervous when you add in the takeover of CM by EA.

Too many titles and licences ending up in a small number of companies pockets.

It's very worrisome, and the number of exclusives is likely to go through the roof. I believe for many companies, it's less about owning exclusive rights to have the only game on the market with that content, and more about the ability to sell rights to it for an arm and a leg. Either way, bad news for us.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

From a purely player perspective, as long as the games are good, there is no problem. But when a small number of companies start monopolizing a lot of franchises, there is temptation for devs to start being complacent, especially with yearly sports games as they can be quite repetitive. So I dunno, maybe the first few games will be ok, and we'll only see the real damage a few years down the line. Unlike EA/CM, I don't have any experience with the NASCAR games to guess how good or bad this is. As long as other games can still sub licence the cars/tracks (just not the whole series), I think it's still fine.

I just hope Kunos/Reiza can still hold out as independent as they're my main sims

 

[Scaff]

From a purely player perspective, as long as the games are good, there is no problem. But when a small number of companies start monopolizing a lot of franchises, there is temptation for devs to start being complacent, especially with yearly sports games as they can be quite repetitive. So I dunno, maybe the first few games will be ok, and we'll only see the real damage a few years down the line. Unlike EA/CM, I don't have any experience with the NASCAR games to guess how good or bad this is. As long as other games can still sub licence the cars/tracks (just not the whole series), I think it's still fine.

In all honesty, the NASCAR Heat titles are quite a way from being great titles, they have a captive market and they know it.

I just hope Kunos/Reiza can still hold out as independent as they're my main sims

Indeed.

 

[AudiMan2011]

If this means that MSG's BTCC game due next year uses the rF2 physics engine then that might alleviate some of my concerns.

 

[Scaff]

If this means that MSG's BTCC game due next year uses the rF2 physics engine then that might alleviate some of my concerns.

MSG has already said the BTCC title will not be a full-fat sim, but if its got RF2's underpinnings then it could still be good. The question is how well will the ISI engine port over for console versions, as I don't recall it ever being used for a console title.

 

[Novalee]

In the video interview the head of Motorsports games said that the rfactor2 team was brought in to do the physics of all their games , which is why im excited for Nascar series going forward.

i see it as a great thing to have happened is my opinion.

This link gives the highlights of the interview.
https://traxion.gg/what-does-the-motorsport-games-acquisition-of-rfactor-2-mean-for-racing-games/

 

[Tired Tyres]

From a purely player perspective, as long as the games are good, there is no problem. But when a small number of companies start monopolizing a lot of franchises, there is temptation for devs to start being complacent, especially with yearly sports games as they can be quite repetitive. So I dunno, maybe the first few games will be ok, and we'll only see the real damage a few years down the line. Unlike EA/CM, I don't have any experience with the NASCAR games to guess how good or bad this is. As long as other games can still sub licence the cars/tracks (just not the whole series), I think it's still fine.

I just hope Kunos/Reiza can still hold out as independent as they're my main sims

Kunos are not independent.

With all these licences held by small numbers of publisher's will, inevitably, lead to a Madden/FIFA annual "new" game with only the tiniest of changes over the previous year.....

 

[PolarClaw]

Just think about how long Porsche was not part of many sims because EA has hold a exclusive license.

 

[MroczMR]

In the video interview the head of Motorsports games said that the rfactor2 team was brought in to do the physics of all their games , which is why im excited for Nascar series going forward.

i see it as a great thing to have happened is my opinion.

This link gives the highlights of the interview.
https://traxion.gg/what-does-the-motorsport-games-acquisition-of-rfactor-2-mean-for-racing-games/

Yeah I am also very positive about it. Lets be honest with or without rfactor 2 team Motorsport games acquired WEC and BTCC licenses. The difference with rfactor team is that there is higher possibility that physics in both new MSG games will be decent.

Kunos are not independent.

if I remember correctly. Kunos belongs to 505 Games.

 

[Scaff]

Yeah I am also very positive about it. Lets be honest with or without rfactor 2 team Motorsport games acquired WEC and BTCC licenses. The difference with rfactor team is that there is higher possibility that physics in both new MSG games will be decent.

I wish I was that positive, I'm concerned because as a business (the entire group) they seem far more interested in monopoly and 'nickel and diming' the crap out of everything they can. Want all the NASCAR liveries? That's a load of paid-for DLC, want to read anything worthwhile on Autosport.com or Motorsport.com? You're going to need to subscribe for that. They have expanded rapidly via acquisition and monetisation of everything they buy, and when they can buy it they attempt to poach the staff and hound the new competitor out of the marketplace. On this last point, I'm aware of a number of sites they have either done this to or are attempting to do this too, it's not a practice that raises quality, quite the opposite.

I seriously hope to be proven wrong, and let's see what the first products look like, but I am 100% sceptical. However, if I'm right then you have the LeMans, NASCAR and BTCC licences tied up until circa 2029!

 

[Novalee]

704 did charge for car skins but after the third provided a decent enough paintbooth to just make your own versions .

So far they have not charged for tracks or cars .

Monster games was the developer for 704 Nascar Games and they are now gone making arcade dirt games.
The next Nascar Game will be a 704 Game so we dont have anything to gauge it from at this point .


For me the fact that both Sony and microsoft have exclusive games for their consoles is more of a sore spot with me more than game publishers having exclusive rights to a property .

 

[LeGeNd-1]

Kunos are not independent.

Yeah I'm aware 505 owns Kunos. What I'm getting at is, in terms of their development, they still operate as if they're independent.

Yeah I am also very positive about it. Lets be honest with or without rfactor 2 team Motorsport games acquired WEC and BTCC licenses. The difference with rfactor team is that there is higher possibility that physics in both new MSG games will be decent.

If someone doesn't know what they're doing, they could easily make the game drive badly as well. Remember the Grand Tour game is using rFactor 1 physics...

 

[Novalee]

I bought rfactor 2 the other day and their version of nascar on there is miles better than every nascar game to come out on a console in my opinion .

So if they have added that type of physics in the next Nascar game to come out , i am hyped to see what its like .