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.
Originally known as Papyrus Design, the legendary Massachusetts-based software studio developed highly-regarded simulation titles and published with Electronic Arts, Virgin Interactive and Sierra before their shutdown by Vivendi, owners of Sierra, in 2004.
Co-founded by arguably the father of the modern racing simulation, David Kaemmer, the studio created NASCAR and IndyCar titles that consistently pushed the genre forwards.
Their groundbreaking Grand Prix Legends game engine was used in three NASCAR titles between 2001-2003, evolving to become iRacing after Kaemmer re-acquired former Papyrus assets for his new company.
Join Jon Denton, Tim Wheatley, Simon Croft and guest(s) as they discuss sim racing and racing games past, present and future.
Uses the Sportscar GT physics and graphics engine, as well as menu system under license. Had this released two years earlier it would be a solid simulation for that era, but with NASCAR Racing 4 releasing the previous year it was basically out of date upon release. It has a plentiful supply of game-breaking bugs, and generally offers a poor experience.
The only positive aspect of the simulation is the track list, which includes a number of classic short ovals that in some cases no longer exist.
Most famous for their miniatures and board games, this American studio branched out into software development and produced a small number of driving experiences for both PC and console in the early 2000’s, including licensed products for the Hooters restaurant brand.
Their only sim, Hooters Pro Cup Racing, used the Sports Car GT engine by Image Space Incorporated.