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.
RSC contains a database of 153 developers, 467 software titles, 374 cars, 42 bikes, 242 tracks and more...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.
RSC Podcast Episode 7 – Management Simulations, F1 Managers, Always Used To Be Better?Join Jon Denton, Tim Wheatley, Simon Croft and guest(s) as they discuss sim racing and racing games past, present and future.
RSC contains a database of news items. Our #OnThisDay page shows current day and current week of years past...
RSC contains a database of videos back to the 1980s catalogued as intros, laps, trailers, unboxings and more...
RSC contains a database of emulated software you can play in your browser...
Motorsport Games today previewed the next few major updates for NASCAR 21. This is some decent communication that I hope will continue. Here are the main details:
Timing:
– v1.4.0.0 and DLC 3 coming January.
– v1.4.5.0 coming February.
– v1.5.0.0 coming April.
What’s coming January:
– “various fixes and quality of life improvements”
– Stages.
– Private parties (6 players required).
– Corner cutting penalties.
What’s coming February:
– “various fixes and quality of life improvements”
– Next Gen Test mode featuring Gen-7 Cup car and Daytona.
– Camera shake toggle to turn off shake effects (if you want to).
What’s coming April:
– “various fixes and quality of life improvements”
– Current gen console update (cross compatible with previous gen consoles).
They also mentioned that a future update will include the ability to share your custom scheme online, but did not put a date on it. I encourage you to read more detail on their page if you need it.
Announced with the acquisition of rFactor 2 and Studio 397, this title is expected to use the rFactor 2 physics as a base on all platforms.
