If you ever played Papyrus’ seminal Grand Prix Legends then you’ve read his name. Rich began working as a tester on NASCAR Racing (1994) and was with Papyrus at the end. In this interview, published in 2022, we discuss his time at the legendary studio and the design of Grand Prix Legends, including initial feelings of hurt at not being asked to join iRacing.
ICR2 is a simulation of the 1995 IndyCar Series. It featured 15 tracks and a selection of chassis and engines.
Re-released as CART Racing.
Join Jon Denton, Tim Wheatley, Simon Croft and guest(s) as they discuss sim racing and racing games past, present and future.
Papyrus today announced that SODA Off-Road Racing is now available. The software includes Rendition hardware acceleration and has an amazing revolutionary new physics engine.
Press release:
PAPYRUS SHIPS SODA OFF-ROAD RACING
Watertown, MA, October 27, 1997 — Papyrus Design Group, a division of Sierra On-Line, Inc., announces that its first off-road driving program, SODA Off-Road Racing, ships to stores this week.
“We had a terrific time creating the most realistic off-road racing simulator,” said Steven Travers, producer of SODA Off-Road Racing, “and with three different driving environments, three different vehicle classes and the Track Designer tool, we have provided a long-term challenge with tons of gameplay.”
The product includes out-of-the-box Rendition support, an Internet World Wide Ranking System, advanced damage models, several multiplayer options, and twelve pre-constructed tracks for competition. In addition, SODA Off-Road Racing includes an easy-to-use track designer, the first of its kind for off-road driving products.
A demo of the product is available at http://www.sierra.com/motorsports. SODA Off-Road Racing, on CD-ROM for Windows 95, carries a suggested retail price of $49.95. The product can be purchased at computer stores everywhere or by calling Sierra direct at (800) 757-7707.
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Papyrus Design Group is a software development division of Sierra On-Line, Inc. Developers of the most compelling software-based racing experiences possible, Papyrus’ best-selling products include the NASCAR Racing and CART Racing lines. Upcoming titles include the NASCAR Grand National Series Expansion Pack and Grand Prix Legends. Winners of four Software Publishers Association CODIE awards, Papyrus has a ten-year reputation for superior use of physics and realism. Located in Watertown, Massachusetts, Papyrus employs 75 artists, engineers and marketing staff.
Sierra, located in Bellevue, WA, is one of the original developers and largest worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment and productivity software. In July 1996, Sierra was acquired by CUC International, Inc. (NYSE: CU), a technology-driven retail and membership services company that provides access to travel, shopping, auto, dining, home improvement, financial and other services to more than 70 million consumers worldwide. Sierra is part of CUC Software, an operating unit that consolidates the sales, manufacturing, finance, accounting and management of CUC International’s software divisions.
SODA is a simulation based on the Short Course Off-Road Drivers series, but did not contain any officially licensed cars or real-world tracks.