Assetto corsa interview about ps4 and xbox!

If you say that pc development will slow down in general, that means console development will so too. Maybe it will slow down until they are caught up with the game version on consoles, but after that, the development of pc will transfer to console, and vice versa, the development that happens with console on mind will also transfer to pc. If their goal is to make a better sim racing game and game product as a whole, to succeed on console sales, that means those things will also be here on pc. And maybe some of those features will be here first on PC then transferred to consoles.

 

I think it's reasonable to be concerned.

If the console ports were to be developed by a second team then I'd be more convinced, apparently this isn't the case. I really enjoy what Kunos have delivered so far but there's no getting away from the fact AC is still short of the level of features console punters will expect, I'm not sure how the team are going to remedy this in the next 18 months. I'm very prepared to be surprised as we're inundated by cars, tracks, updated AI and polished new features over the next year but can a handful of guys deliver that?

 

Current development is more that sufficient.

 

also, its not the "same small team" team has grown.

 

From everything I understand, the console version will largely be a port from PC, so the pipeline would go:

1. develop for PC
2. port to console

There will be some interface code that needs to be written, but it is not as if to have to completely re-develop it for console. Some, perhaps a lot of it is likely just a compile for that architecture.

 

From the interview

In the middle of last year we created a team parallel with new elements that have direct experience in the field of console and that after the release of the release candidate on PC last fall, focused on porting at full capacity, while the rest of the group continued working sull'engine general.

 

having great physics is one thing but for console it needs a hell of a polishing too compete with pcars forza gt etc etc

 

OK, fair enough.

That's not what the dev's seem to have been suggesting from other sources though. Also I think that quote comes from a web translator not the original article.

 

Well PC and Console players are quite different and they want different things.
Judging from the poor results of devs/publishers that have several times the resources of Kunos in satisfying both, I, for once, think that there might be suffering for one (and maybe both) of the two kind of players ahead.
And as it often happens, when it will be the time for choices, the platform which generates more revenue might take the priority.
From the actual state of modern video-gaming I can't anticipate anything good coming from Console to PC gaming...

 

Show me this information please, where have the devs said that the PC team has been working on the Console version or that the PC team has been split to work on the Console version?

 

my take on the interview and other comments made by kunos,

the plan is to give console gamers a SIM, give them AC as it is and not change it to pander to the arcade racer crowd. there are enough of that type of game there already.
kunos believes there is a gap to be filled and they will try to fill it with AC. and as a previous console gamer, I had wished there was a more simlike driving game available. there wasn't so I built a gaming PC.

Kunos has enough passion and pride in what they've made not to change it or dumb it down for the kiddies. they like it as it is. and have worked too hard on it to compromise what it is.

and personaly, I think it will do quite well on the console, just cause it's awesome to drive. and with the improvements they say are coming it really is a no brainer.

just my opinion.

 

Is it? unusable pit menu, no pits in SP, a lot of unpolished features, and missing features. This will slow down even more when part of the small team will focus on consoles. I'm afraid that after next big update there won't be much new. Never was never nothing good from multi platform games, except for more money, but that is questionable, because AC doesn't have gimmicks that would get casual players. And what about apps. So is it worth the time and resources spent on fixing and porting? I hope Kunos calculated that great, because I wouldn't want to see my favorite sim die.

 

I've said it before, they've said it before. the team is growing. new guys brought in to take care of the porting. period.

 

Proof? They have said more members have been hired who are already familiar to porting to console...

 

Well, if they handle console develoment like the guys from Overkill do on Payday 2 (knowing it's the same editor), I'm extremely confident in the future and how they treat the PC version. If they play it like DICE on the other hand... But let's have some faith and just wait before judging.

If they are confident to port on consoles, then the game will dramatically improve in certain areas where it's lacking today. I highly doubt the game will go from a "state of the art" sim to a "simcade" game.

Good thing with the video annoucement is that a lot of content is already (or seem) ready and I never thought that, for example, the Countach would be showcased before a few months.

And if you read the last paragraph (http://www.evo.co.uk/reviews/16092/assetto-corsa-review-top-pc-sim-also-making-console-debut), it is stated : "New PC content is also promised at the E3 gaming conference later this month." I don't know if that's true but that's another good thing to me.

 

Last year I watched E3 live on stream because of GTA V pc rumors and the trailer moment was so surprising it made me cry of joy. And the Internet was celebrating so much after that, it was like Cinco de Mayo. So now I'm eager to look for AC's presentation and to what new surprises they might bring on.

 

Really? Another announcement? They should really think about delivering something rather than just announcing. The number of content/license announcements they make seems to be atleast 5 times the number of updates/content they deliver.

 

They may well announce functionality updates at the same time.

 

They sold 200.000 copies. Let's say average price 30€. Just 6 million revenue.

Lets assume they sold 30.000 dreampacks at 10€ = 300.000 revenue.

Then we take into account costs:
- licenses
- office costs (rent etc)
- fee for steam (?)
But most importantly, salary costs.

An average senior developper will earn 40-50.000 gross. junior guys maybe 25.000

I understand their team now is about 13 people. The salary costs in relation to their revenue already are huge! Especially as they don't have a constant income stream. Quite risky, and I understand theyre looking for more income at the console market.

Without that source of income, the team can never grow bigger than say 5-8 people and updates will remain slow.

Kunos growing can only be good for the pc crowd.

 

They also have commercial contracts, we know next to nothing about those. Retail isn't their only source of income.