NASCAR 2011: The Game

[JBHuskers]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/112/1122910p1.html

Having been seemingly dropped by EA Sports it seems the NASCAR licence is alive and well as reports suggest that Activision has picked it up.

Eutechnyx, developer of recent racing efforts Ferrari Challenge and Supercar Challenge, will be on development duties according to the same reports, with official art for NASCAR 2011 popping up on the UK developer's forums before disappearing.

vg247 has pieced together a convincing picture, citing the fact that Eutechnyx hired EA Sports Ed Martin back in March – a man who headed up the most recent NASCAR games – and of posts on EA Sports' forums pointing towards Activision as the publisher.

Activision has currently declined to comment on the story.

[JBHuskers]

Joystiq also reporting on the story:



http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/23/ru...r-nascar-game/

If EA's cancellation of its series of NASCAR games has left your need -- your need for speed -- unsatisfied, you'll want to wish on all your lucky stars that this particular rumor is legit. A since-closed thread on the forums of developer Eutechnyx purportedly includes a logo and concept art for NASCAR 2011. VG247 reports that UK sources have confirmed that the title is real and will be published by Activision.

Eutechnyx's Dave Thompson explained to a stock car enthusiast on Twitter that "an announcement is being made soon about our plans," so we shouldn't have to wait long to see if this story pans out. In any event, we're going to go watch Days of Thunder and Talladega Nights a few times so we can stock up on references -- if we end up writing about a NASCAR game over the next year, we're going to need something to say.

[CLW]

What an odd time we live in (no NASCAR and no NCAA Basketball titles). I know MANY make fun of NASCAR. I'm not a big fan. However, anyone with a brain should know it has a HUGE following and many of its fans LOVE playing NASCAR "sim" games. Even I could enjoy a good "sim" NASCAR game especially if it had a solid online league format where guys could essentially play out the entire season online with their friends.

[UGA14]

The last good "sim" NASCAR game to come out was in 2003 by Papyrus and Sierra. When EA bought the exclusive license they continued to turn out the worst racing games ever made and that's why the series died.

Much love to EA for ruining one of the best racing games ever made... I'm sure this won't be any better.

[cdj]

So what license does GT5 have with NASCAR? Is that just a one-time deal or are they planning on no exclusive deal with the sport?

The really weird part with EA and the NASCAR license is that in the year before losing/dropping the license, EA had plans to build a studio in North Carolina pretty much solely for the NASCAR franchise and better access to the sport. From what I've read, it sounds like the NASCAR devs at Tiburon were shifted to other games (including new IP EA SPORTS MMA) and then the franchise was gone.

[CLW]

The last good "sim" NASCAR game to come out was in 2003 by Papyrus and Sierra. When EA bought the exclusive license they continued to turn out the worst racing games ever made and that's why the series died.

Much love to EA for ruining one of the best racing games ever made... I'm sure this won't be any better.

Yeah I REALLY enjoyed the Papyrus NASCAR titles.

Gee EA ruins another sports title buy buying an exclusive license and then puts out a shitty product leaving the consumer no where to go.

[JBHuskers]

So what license does GT5 have with NASCAR? Is that just a one-time deal or are they planning on no exclusive deal with the sport?

The really weird part with EA and the NASCAR license is that in the year before losing/dropping the license, EA had plans to build a studio in North Carolina pretty much solely for the NASCAR franchise and better access to the sport. From what I've read, it sounds like the NASCAR devs at Tiburon were shifted to other games (including new IP EA SPORTS MMA) and then the franchise was gone.

I dunno if those details are out there yet on the NASCAR license for GT5.....

Yeah I know one of the main men on NASCAR is now one of the main men on Tiger.

[JeffHCross]

So what license does GT5 have with NASCAR? Is that just a one-time deal or are they planning on no exclusive deal with the sport?

I would imagine it's a one time deal, or at least a non-exclusive one. Realistically, a game that comes out once or twice per console generation isn't worth guarding against with an exclusive license. If nothing else, I would think GT5's deal with NASCAR may be an opening for whoever picks up the license, because if some GT5 fans decide they want more, the only place to get it would be a new game ... they wouldn't wait for GT6.

[UGA14]

NASCAR isn't exclusive. They have agreements with Polyphony Digital, iRacing, and Activision.

[JeffHCross]

NASCAR isn't exclusive. They have agreements with Polyphony Digital, iRacing, and Activision.

D'oh. Completely forget about iRacing.