Better known today as the developer of Skyrim and Fallout, Bethesda once had a well-respected racing game franchise and were deep into development of a licensed Skip Barber Racing title that never released.
Shortly after the release of Grand Prix Legends the sim racing community looked forward to another title that promised to offer a similar insight into historic racing. Trans-Am Racing ’68-’72 ultimately never released, a victim of a publishers shady dealings, but as a part of my research I uncovered a VHS of a never-released trailer for the game. Watch the trailer and read about what sim racing missed out on.
Papyrus today announced that we’ll see Grand Prix Legends physics in their next NASCAR Racing franchise title due Christmas, 1998. NASCAR Racing 3 will include the 1998 cars and tracks.
Press release:
NASCAR Racing 3 Scheduled For Christmas 98
Watertown, MA, October 28, 1997 — Papyrus Design Group, a division of Sierra On-Line, Inc., announces its NASCAR Racing 3 is due to ship to stores in time for Christmas 1998.
NASCAR Racing 3’s features include:
Entirely New “Third-Generation” Physics Model
Internet Multiplayer experience
Additional customization options
1998 season teams, drivers, and tracks
Enhanced Artificial Intelligence.NASCAR Racing 2 is currently the #6-selling game in the nation, according to PC Data. NASCAR Racing 2 features NASCAR drivers, teams and sponsors, and allows competition in a full championship season on sixteen sanctioned NASCAR tracks. The game’s physics model renders a high degree of realism, duplicating actual car behavior and responding to track and weather conditions. Racers also enjoy realistic detail in the car setups and are able to race head-to-head via modem or over the Internet.
The NASCAR Grand National Series Expansion Pack ships this week. The Expansion Pack adds 30 new drivers, teams and cars and 10 tracks from the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division to the NASCAR Racing 2 experience, as well as two fantasy tracks.
NASCAR Racing 2 for MS-DOS is available at computer stores everywhere or by calling Sierra direct at (800) 757-7707. Estimated retail price is $49.95. Other NASCAR racing products in the Papyrus family are NASCAR Racing, NASCAR Racing for Mac and NASCAR Racing for the Playstation.
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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 IndyCar Racing lines. Upcoming titles include SODA Off-Road Racing and Grand Prix Legends. Winners of 4 Software Publishers Association CODIE awards, Papyrus has a ten-year reputation for superior use of physics and realism in their products. 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.
Incorporated in 1948, NASCAR is the most competitive form of motorsports in the world. Close, side-by-side competition in the foundation for NASCAR-style racing as it strives to continue to make stock car racing in the United States highly competitive, affordable, and entertaining at approximately 2,000 events in 12 racing divisions at more than 100 tracks throughout the United States each year.
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