Ea, porsche and all the racing sims/games

Automaniax?

That was the game based on Slightly Mad Sudios tech wasn't it? I seem to remember a Porsche cup module being created as a trainer for the real World Series with the possiblity of future retail? Then SMS got moody and we heard no more?

Can you tell us what happened or is it classified

 

Google is a handy tool these days.

http://www.virtualr.net/automaniax-porsche-online-controversy-new-details

I guess that may be the end of Porsche wanting to work with any other devs.

 

never signed any contract or NDA so here we go:

This game was first planned with an ISI game engine. But ISI didn´t want to sell the Rfactor2 engine, just offered the RFactor1 engine for a horrible price without any support. So the management of Automaniax contacted SMS, they agreed and made a demo of the Porsche GT3 Cup and the pcars game engine. But the Automaniax management decided not to pay for anything. So SMS quit doing anything for Automaniax. Meanwhile, we had some roadshows on Hockenheimring and Nurburgring while Formula 1 and DTM race in the Porsche hospitality with Rfactor 1 Porsche GT3 Cup Mod i developed. Live broadcast from an multiplayer online race against 2 real Porsche drivers who sat in the Porsche hospitality on 2 simulators...

But still no game engine to work with. After that, Automaniax contacted Kunos!!! if they could by their NetKarPro game engine. Kunos agreed, they also made a first alpha version of NetKarPro with my Porsche 3d Model from Rfactor 1 mod with promisses, that Automaniax would get the Assetto Corsa game engine when finished for their game.

So, guess what: The management of Automaniax decided again that it would be better not to pay and dissapeared with the money and without a trace...

The whole Automaniax thing was a money producing machine for one stupid guy, but destroyed hopes and wishes of a lot of people and game companys and car manufacturer...

This was just a short story, the whole story is almost unbeleaveable because the whole thing started 5 years ago...5 years with hopes and dreams...

 

Interesting, thanks

Maybe this made Porsche more wary of dealing with Different game developers?

We can't be bothered with all this, solution, give EA the licence and let them handle it!!!

 

Wow, what a story. I guess Automaniax can be classed as scammers?

 

Well that one person who held the cash, let's not tar everyone with the same brush

 

Never thought this topic would bring forth such interesting facts. Sorry to hear about that horrible experience @Fonsecker.

I'm sure that made Porsche even more reluctant to change the deal with EA and work with other devs, too bad for them and too bad for us consequently...

 

Hi Fonsecker, I am sorry to heard about all these happening to you. It must had been quite disappointing to see your work being toss around for nothing at the end.

I was really surprised to see a 911 GT3 on the early iteration of the pCARS engine which I thought SMS had licensed Porsche. Then, it was Automaniax who were making it and disappeared at the end. Still, thank god they didnt use that old pCARS engine as the current tire physics isnt even written yet and the old one was horrible.

 

Oh, i forgott to tell in the end, after Kunos trouble, we also had a Simbin/Raceroom game with a Porsche for a promotion on the Hockenheimring at the Porsche Sports Cup. Few months later, Automaniax was history...

 

woah, this treat got real!

I don't get why they did that, from whom did they get money, firms like kunos were contracted for the work so they should have received money for it.

Is that (still) their hp? http://www.automaniax.com/

 

Thanks man, finally someone who is not all wooptie do about sims selling actual exotic cars. I can't stress how unlikely I find it that a reasonable amount of people sitting on upwards of $70k are playing sims and one day decide to jump the gun because they liked they way a virtual model handled. I am sure it happens on occasion. But doubt it is enough to keep mentioning in licensing discussions as a pro because of exposure.

Also that was a very messed up story. Sad to see sharks like that getting their way.

 

maybe not direct sales, but value to the 'brand', which Ferrari understands that community has value that fans bring to their brand.

 

Yeah, I would have thought they'd be all for that. It's not advertising in the traditional sense but making the car desirable to all the people that can't afford it is going to give the few people who can afford it even more prestige. The vast majority of people that watch top gear can't afford the cars on it but the manufacturers are still tripping over themselves to get the cars on the show because it promotes the desirability of the car. A company like Porsche should be playing the long game, todays 15 year old playing a sim could be your millionaire client in 10-20 years time.

Even the Fiat 500 has now gotten my respect from being in Assetto Corsa.

 

Well, Porsche has history, which many garage manufacturers don't. In Asia, it has some mythical status, due to overblown reputation of German cars. Mercedes is luxury, BMW is passion, and Audi - okay? VW - affordable German. Opel - another German. Now, if one wants a sporting name? What did the Germans offer besides Porsche that is world renown?

Dragon Ball, a fantasy anime even featured Porsche as a car that match its space-faring civilisation and galaxy-destroying powerful martial artists, the official fan art drawn by the comic artist featured all the main characters packing inside realistically ink drawn Porsche 930 Cabriolet. I can't forget that. Not to mention that the most powerful villain in one of the longest-running Japanese comic (manga) Detective Conan drives Porsche 365A. And then, a petrolhead themed manga "Restore Garage 251" often featured customers worshiping Porsche 911s. The 911 Turbo reputation in Japan is legendary, every iteration of Nissan Skyline is always aimed at 911 Turbo as benchmark. Now this is Japan, the most car-cultured nation in Asia. In Indonesia, my uncle's first toy after his business became a success was 2000 Porsche Boxster (he purchased a newer one in 2013).

So, if you want to argue about why Porsche should care about their presence in games and computer enthusiast communities, I think you have to find more and stronger reason. Anyway, did anyone notice Porsche designed a Blackberry smartphone? It is ugly, stupid, and impractical as a phone, something you shouldn't really say "designed". It is just a marketing turd, Porsche-forced design cue on corporate smartphone, sticking too much to stupid tradition, just like their cars' front fascia... but even at USD 1,900 people still buy it anyway. So you are still saying "Porsche doesn't sell?"

Posers with money know Porsche more than probably Aston Martin, Lotus, and Pagani-aware people combined

 

Any car reviews I've seen have the Porsche 911 gt3 as one of the best drivers cars in the last few years.

 

I do not think Porsche understands there are a number of people in my demographic who do plays sims. Sure we may do a few to several track day events a year but we can not do that all the time, and if the pro's use sims to practice well why not us? I just convinced a Porsche owner friend who is fond of track day events to buy Assetto Corsa for this very reason (and of course I would never recommend a EA NFS game).

Would driving a Porsche in a sim motivate me to buy a Porsche probably not it takes a lot more considerations and factors than that, but exposure is always good and it could get someone like me considering one.

 

Since we're talking Porsche...



Work takes me to auto auctions. Usually some mundane classic in the lobby here, a pristine '57 Chevy or something else pretty, but not very interesting to me.
Last week was a real surprise to walk in and see this thing.

 

Yes it is. I never said they are a bad car, but like BMW and Audi, there seems to be a lack of good people driving them. My uncle for instance, is not a car guy, and he buy Porsche and BMW (645i). He cannot drive properly or know how to behave in traffic, yet he hooned his Porsche like it is the fastest car ever. But my other uncle, who is more modest and a true car guy, bought an Alfa Romeo 164, in manual, instead of typical Mercedes E-class, he owned a Saab once (I don't know which one), he bought Pajero instead of typical local rich guy SUV, Land Cruiser. He has a taste. So he bought souped up Mercedes estate for the wild side of him.

 

They were passionate enough to get Fanatec to make that Porsche gaming wheel, but you can't use it on a game that's worth a damn.

 

I know that is very difficult to get the Porsche's license, is it actually own by EA?
I wonder if one day this will change in some way..

And what about Rufs? there is the yellobird yes, but i think that this game needs some other models, newest one, the cup car, gt3, gt2, some street legal 911s or the 959.. carrera gt or 918 spyder..
According to wiki Porsche is the most succesful brand in motorsport with more than 28.000 victories, and i think that deserve be included in the most amazing racing sim ever in some way.