Video game development is rarely about one man, but if it was, then Terence Groening should certainly get a mention for his contributions to the genre as the man responsible for the physics of Sportscar GT, EA’s PC F1 and NASCAR games of the early 2000’s, rFactor, rFactor 2 and every title and rFpro simulator that spawned from ISI’s engine.
This interview with RSC details his early life and career, through to him joining iRacing in 2021.
Originally working in military simulator design, this Michigan-based studio developed Zone Raiders for Virgin Interactive before moving to Electronic Arts for publishing their second PC title, Sports Car GT, when Westwood Studios (their SCGT development partner) was acquired by the software giant.
Known primarily for their mod-friendly SCGT and rFactor racing platforms, ISI also developed Formula One and NASCAR titles on PC for Electronic Arts, but perhaps their lasting contribution to the genre was the licensing of the isiMotor engine that allowed studios such as 2Pez, Blimey! Games, KW Studios, Motorsport Games, Reiza Studios, SIMBIN Studios, Slightly Mad Studios, The Sim Factory, Tiburon and rFactor 2‘s ongoing developer Studio 397 to begin with or release on an evolution of their software.
Another fork of the isiMotor engine, rFpro, continues to be developed and is used by a wide array of automotive companies for both road and motorsport simulation.
Join Jon Denton, Tim Wheatley, Simon Croft and guest(s) as they discuss sim racing and racing games past, present and future.
ECC and 505 Games have posted a roadmap that details upcoming plans for the DRIFT21 drifting simulation beginning this month with a “summer trip” update that adds a caravan to our car in a series of new challenges and ends in 2024 with promises of new cars. They also noted that the DRIFT21 product will be renamed to DRIFTCE for parity with the console release.
AUGUST – Summer Trip Free Update
It’s vacation time! And you’ll need some extra storage room to drive your stuff to your summer retreat. Get your trailer, install your roof box and learn how to drift with it in a series of challenges.
OCTOBER – Steam Deck and Driving Wheels Free Update
This will be a technical update to fulfill the Steam community request to optimize the game for the Steam deck and include additional Driving Wheel support.
DECEMBER
An exciting new racing track with challenges.
EARLY 2024
Licensed cars with customizable parts.