Always wanted to drive Day & Night at Le Mans?...check this out!

[Flat12-Aircool]

Sorry, I know this really belongs in Vitual Racers forum (and will probably end up there), but I just had to bring this new video to the attention of the Sportscar forum guys...

http://www.eurogamer.net/tv_video.php?playlist_id=8521

I've known this game was going to include Le Mans for a while now, but finally they're showing some footage and it looks like the best depiction yet in a game! They've got the folks down at Creation to help them with development side of things, so it hopefully it should be quite realistic.

It's even going to have Day & Night transitions that can be set to a ratio of 1 min = 1 hour etc.

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

Sorry, I know this really belongs in Vitual Racers forum (and will probably end up there), but I just had to bring this new video to the attention of the Sportscar forum guys...

http://www.eurogamer.net/tv_video.php?playlist_id=8521

I've known this game was going to include Le Mans for a while now, but finally they're showing some footage and it looks like the best depiction yet in a game! They've got the folks down at Creation to help them with development side of things, so it hopefully it should be quite realistic.

It's even going to have Day & Night transitions that can be set to a ratio of 1 min = 1 hour etc.

Looks the part, great to see Le Mans there, but why on earth have the ACO given the license to Codemasters? I've just looked into this, they say the title will be "somewhere between arcade and realism" and that, whilst pit radios and the gaining of a team mate are included, there aren't actually any pit stops involved!?

I find that very hard to believe, but I'm pretty positive that any fan who wishes to see a long-overdue pukka LM-sim is going to be massively disappointed...

[wheadon]

that looks crap

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Looks the part, great to see Le Mans there, but why on earth have the ACO given the license to Codemasters? I've just looked into this, they say the title will be "somewhere between arcade and realism" and that, whilst pit radios and the gaining of a team mate are included, there aren't actually any pit stops involved!?

I find that very hard to believe, but I'm pretty positive that any fan who wishes to see a long-overdue pukka LM-sim is going to be massively disappointed...

Yes they're quite frank that Le Mans is not the main concentration of the game buts its a big pulling point.

Somewhere between Arcade and Realism I can live with, as I enjoyed the Race Driver 3 game and with a Steering wheel it's ultimately more playable "as a game" than say, GTR2 is.

No doubt they'll be options to increase the realism like there is in Race Driver, but at the end of the day this is going to be a "Game" not a "Simulation", which for this particular title I'm happy to live with.

Having said all that I'm still waiting for the day that a Software company takes in my opinion, the "Open goal" choice of producing a dedicated Le Mans game. I really don't know why for example the Le Mans 24hr & Le Mans Series haven't been licensed by a Game producer yet...

[Rockmunky]

Meh, jonboy1066 is off to the Forum day, so he'll probably post the verdict on the game.

But with drifing included, i don't hold much hope for it..

[dj choc ice]

the courage LC70 mugen

mind you it would really help if they sorted the sounds out, last time i checked a creation CA06H judd didnt have a ford V8 and neither did an aston martin DBR9.

if you want a pukka lemans game, youre best bet is still buying rfactor and getting the endurance series mod by enduracers when it comes out, that is going to be epic

[johntt]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

Having said all that I'm still waiting for the day that a Software company takes in my opinion, the "Open goal" choice of producing a dedicated Le Mans game. I really don't know why for example the Le Mans 24hr & Le Mans Series haven't been licensed by a Game producer yet...

It would be great for the marketing of the ALMS and LMS to have a decent console sim. I was hoping to see championships like that in Race driver, but they've gone down the arcade route.

[JAG]

The Le Mans track is also going to be in GT5, that will be a more sim like experience

RACE isn't held up as a sim, it's a halfway house, but with Le Mans, the WTCC and F3 inluded, they'll hopefully be a little more realistic, leaving the drifting side to be more arcadey.

Frankly I've had enough of rfactor, after all this time there still isn't a proper Le Mans prototype mod, I've also been dissapointed with the quality/realism of many mods and tracks. I've recently played F1 1988, it is fun, but something feels odd about the cars, while the fact the producers cut downforce levels by 25% from the beta to the final release higlights the realism margins we are dealing with.

Playing GT5P, it soon becomes apparent that only the very best 5%-10% of rfactor mods are more realistic, while the general presentation is 5 years ahead of anything in PC sim racing.

Some people will never accpet a console sim (RACE isn't one!), I embrace them, they're the ones pushing the technology and racing scene forward, plus more than a handful actually play them, so there's intense competition, whether it's online races or timetrials.

[olly83]

I guess it's unlikely that we'll see any "pukka" LM racing sims on consoles as it's probably too much of a niche form of motorsport for the developers to spend lots of money on. (i hope i get proved wrong!) Of course I'd love to see a game based on the LMS/ALMS but it looks like, as far as consoles are concerned Grid and GT5 are as good as we'll get which is a shame. (Anyone know if GT5 will include day/night transitions?)

Rfactor may be lacking in many areas but what it does have is lots of passionate motorsport fans developing mods which cater for many more aspects and eras of racing than you'll ever see on consoles. I'll happily ignore it's shortcomings when I'm thundering down the mulasnne in pitch darkness with only my headlights to light the road ahead once the Endurance series mod comes out.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by olly83

I'll happily ignore it's shortcomings when I'm thundering down the mulasnne in pitch darkness with only my headlights to light the road ahead once the Endurance series mod comes out.

Yes, but will that actually happen before I'm too old to drive it........

[olly83]

Yeah, that progress bar still has a long way to go. The Prototype C mod looks a little nearer to completion though...

[Flat12-Aircool]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Yes, but will that actually happen before I'm too old to drive it........

I agree...

But just on the point about Le Mans being a niche form of Motorsport. That may or may not be the case but I'd say that IMO it isn't any less high profile than the FIA GT championship, and that has had 2 games made about it.

Infact I can't understand why SimBim have not taken the opportunity to build on their existing GTR2 game engine, and turn it into a Le Mans series game. After all it already includes virtually half the cars and tracks!

Ever since GT4 came out on the PS2, knowledge about Le Mans amongst gamers has been growing. I would say that most people who have played GT4 would pick one of the Le Mans cars as their favourite, so the awareness amongst millions of players is already out there. Game publishers should not be scared of producing a game with a LMP1 prototype on the front cover and consumers "not knowing" what it's about.

[JAG]

GTR2 etc are very niche games, even amongst PC gamers.

Le Mans being involved with Gran Turismo, and now RACE, is far more beneficial recognition wise.

Cars like the Mazda 787B are now 'cult' cars, simply because it was a star in GT4.

If I can drive at Le Mans, Nordschlief and the various regular circuits, with a variety of Le Mans cars, I'm happy.

What I found with GT5P is the competition is more important than the actual cars. So many players compete the top 100 can covered by 1 second in circuit timetrials, it's a great challenge.

[nickyf1]

the cars looked like they were sliding about alot, in an arcadey way.

[R4z3rw33n]

Looks like more pre-rendered Codemasters rubbish.

I wouldn't have such a problem with Codemasters' games if they labelled them as what they are, 'games'. However the marketing department at Codemasters still believes (after all these years) that scribbling "Simulation" onto the front cover of the box, will somehow fool anybody with half a clue into thinking it is even close to driving the real machines.

FFS Codemasters, stop buying worthwhile licenses (i.e. V8SC, DTM, LMS) and churning out the same arcade rubbish.
The enduracers ALMS/LMS mod for Rfactor is going to eat this *game* for breakfast and spit it out, 10 times over.


/Rant.

[nickyf1]

well, codies do say that 'it is not a simulation', so not a valid point there, also, they are not pre renders, If you've ever played DIRT, you would beleive me.

Not everything has to be simulation, its fun to have a really nice playable 'game' once in a while.

[Aysedasi]

True, but not with Le Mans. Infogrammes tried that and failed miserably.....

[nickyf1]

Well, I shall see when/if the demo comes out. and if it will have Le Mans in it.

[Aysedasi]

Yep, we'll let you give us the all-important review!

[Rockmunky]

Race Driver GRID demo will be out on May 5th. I think.

[nickyf1]

yep, and it will be a multiplayer demo too I gather from somebody who went to the GRID forum day.

According to the GRID community site, the demo will include:

American Muscle Cars
Euro Touring Cars (BMW vs Chevy Lacetti)
Drifting.

Looking foward to racing you guys

[JAG]

The demo will be make or break for me.

Colin McRae Rally was undoubtedly arcade like, but the earlier games were fun, the last DIRT version was awfull.

If Race Driver is similar to TOCA 1/2 it will be a great game.

[Rockmunky]

Wait.. apparently it'll be out week commencing May 5th.

But yeah, i think it will be for many. I'll give it a go, but i'd rather fire up ToCA 2 on the Ps1.

[mattt]

the game itself is out on the 30th may



http://www.game.co.uk/PC/Racing/~r33...e-Driver-GRID/

for a video of it

[nickyf1]

argh, was looking foward to playing it today after getting back from a holiday...