Automobilista 2 March 2023 Development Update

Today at 10:30

It's even in the video thumbnail

 

Agree 10000% and it woulda been amazing to see some of those underepresented touring cars appear (like some classic V8 supercars and maybe some JGTC)

 

Looks cool but I fear their bold decicson will end up working only in Le Mans, and I dont think it will do well even there against Toyota, Ferrari and maybe Cadillac.

Back to the game I would love more endurance content, specially classic prototypes, I would be even fine with a generic Ford Gt, Ferrari 330, Porsche 917 if they are too expensive to license. Heck a Chaparral would be awsome as well.
Of the more moderns proto would love seeing some Toyotas and Audis, but again licencing those specially Toyota seems to be expensive.

And I think even more important than the cars is the gameplay aspect, they need to nail down the AI strategies, drivers swaps, yellow flags and above all create that miracle that is some sort of mid race save/checkpoint to make all of us endurance fans be able to recreate a real time 3+ hours endurance race in real time, without losing our jobs or wife.

 

Given that you can already switch to an AI driver and the issues around the live track in the replay mode it's probably more likely that we'll get driver swaps than a mid race save...

Although both would obviously be necessary to allow all to enjoy the endurance content to it's fullest...

I do agree about the Peugeot being made for Le Mans and with it being the 100th race any French team involved has one aim this year and that's Le Mans... If they can get on top of their reliability issues they could really bring the fight to Toyota there... But I wouldn't be surprised to see many revisions to the car after their current theories have been tested at Le Mans...

 

I've seen some of the pCars mods showing up, would importing them to Automobilista 2 cause licensing issues? How do mods made for rFactor 2 with the "Official names/titles" by private parties work? I'm asking because I don't know, sure would love to see the 917's and Ferrari 512's old LeMans etc. Is the only way that will happen is if someone privately does it?

 

So this is how I understand this working, might be correct, proably isn't but I think I'm on the right track....

A video game company CANNOT SELL a generic car based on or inspired by a real car (F-US 2022)

A video game company CAN GIVE a generic car away AS LONG AS you avoid any and all identifiable brands, sponsors, or trademaked designs. (So they cannot add a V12 powered, cigerette sponsored, crimsion red and white car that looks and sounds like a Ferrari. But they can add one that's blue and sponsored by Reiza Engineering) It does not claim to be a Ferrari, it does not wear the offical Ferrari livery, it does not carry the Ferrari team's sponsors, therefore it's not a Ferrari. It just looks a bit like one.

A video game company CAN also build a fictional car based upon a real series' rule package. There is nothing (That I know of) stopping Reiza from making a selection of fictional but realistically plausible Hypercar/GTP class cars. (Simular to how Gran Turismo handles Group 1, 3 and 4. Real race cars mixed with fake yet realistic designs to pad out the grid.)

A modding team has a little more flexability in this regard. As if they don't make money off the mod directly, there is no damages against the plantiff, and therefore realistically best a brand or series can do is tell them to stop. Techically in some places it's still illegal, but in others, it's not. (Most of the big AC modders that charge money for their products are based out of eastern european countries for this reason.)

Most of the time, (and considering the mod is of a good quality) The brands/series/whatever in question won't purse action against a modding team as it's effectively free advertising and they likely won't get their money back out of the effort. However, If a video game company got caught doing the same thing, they are much more likely to be sued. They are making a profit off the sales of the video game, and by adding a representation of the brand's car to their game they are connecting the profits of one to the other.

Does that make sense?

 

partly right.
not making money with copied things does not avoid you from being sued by copyright law.
It depends all on the industry if they want to do it or not.
Maybe the effort is too high or motorsports industry think its peanuts and/or grant it with the wink of an eye. But there must be only one greedy lawyer who thinks he can earn money by sueing some mod makers, livery makers or similar and "game over".

 

I doubt that car companies are stupid enough to stop modders from giving them free advertising. But who knows - people have done a lot stupider stuff than that.

 

Free advertising minus the lost opportunity to sell that thing themselves usually equals a negative number when it is calculated by a license holder.

 

You never lose the opportunity to sell stuff yourself as a license holder. It just has to be better than an eventual mod.

Mods are part of the game since there is simracing on PC.

Patrick Giranthon, a team member of Reiza, uploaded a huge trackpack for AMS 1 at RD himself.

 

Videogames so not sell you super or hypercars. Just look at the typical owner of a Porsche 911 and try to imagine that guy in front of a gaming console. When have you last seen advertising for luxury cars abroad large volume manufacturers like Audi and Porsche or BMW?

The marketing strategie of Brands like Ferrari, Lambo, Maserati, Rolls, Bently etc. is that: "We don't need advertising in mass media."

 

That is true, but that's also why there has to be a seperation from Mod Makers and Game Devs. Kunos can't be touched for the mods made on AC, but the mod teams could 100% get taken down if a lawyer thought they could get some cash from the deal.

About the only time being a starving artist is a good thing...

 

I disagree. The exposure sells the brand.
While you're right that the 15 year old console player isn't going to buy a hypercar themselves, they will contribute to creating an aura around the brand so that the venture capitalist or PGA tour golfer will want one.

 

I give you a picture where that marketing funds go: I was involved in the catering/security for such events a lot in my student years. Sometimes (or in my case once) you even got the chance to drive a Ferrari from the exhibition hall to the trailer.

 

It all depends on the attitude of the company...

Ferrari once took down a browser based management game because they used the term "Ferrari"...

 

Actually they do earn money in other ways, i heard that Ferrari makes more money out of licensed products than with car sales

 

Same with Porsche actually, but Porsche is strong in consulting and actual engineering work for other manufacturers (a lot for Audi) Porsche is and was also one of the main permanent consulting companies for VW.

 

don't forget, its not the car model only. There are professional studios that design liveries for IRL cars and there are really many logos on race cars that are attached to it. Using that for private may be no problem, but using it while streaming or in big events can be a big problem.

 

Nonsense, they do plenty of marketing but most of it is about brand building as opposed to sales. Their advertising is more often then not direct marketing to their clients on subscription lists or PR activities then television or radio ads as the ROI for TV for these expensive cars is low.

Video game licensing plays into the brand building objectives of these brands.