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...
In a press release today, Sega announced that Sega Rally 2 is on sale. The sequel includes a number of upgrades from the original, but is without the promised network multiplayer that was mentioned when first announced.
Press release:
SEGA RALLY 2 REVS-UP FOR SEGA DREAMCAST
Arcade Classic Gets Boost With 11 New Cars and 12 New TracksSAN FRANCISCO (November 30, 1999) – Start your Sega Dreamcast™ and take it into overdrive! “Sega Rally 2™,” a new off-road arcade racing game, is now available for the 128-bit, Internet ready Sega Dreamcast videogame system. This high-speed, in-the-dirt thrill ride gives gamers all the intense action, realistic 3D graphics and loads of customizable cars and tracks they know from the arcade legend, with some added surprises. “Sega Rally 2” features exclusive new cars and tracks only for Sega Dreamcast. The game is available at retailers nationwide for $49.95.
In “Sega Rally 2,” gamers can choose from 19 different car types, 11 of which are exclusive to the Sega Dreamcast version including the Fiat 131 Abarth and Peugeot 206. Each car has different driving and control options ranging from automatic or manual transmission, to five gear ratio levels starting at acceleration and going up to high speed performance. From there, players can fine-tune car settings by adjusting the levels of handling from quick to loose and the front and rear suspension from hard to soft. Brake settings can be altered as well.
The Sega Dreamcast version also features 16 courses including desert, mountain and muddy tracks, 12 that were not found in the arcade version. The desert course challenges gamers to race off-road through dirt and large mounds of sand without rolling their cars. On all courses, gamers must do their best to make it through sudden jumps, hair-pin turns and puddles.
“Sega Rally 2” features random weather effects, which change with the seasons and affect gamers’ driving abilities. For example, the rain produces puddles on the tracks that continue to get bigger as the storm persists. These conditions affect drivers’ speed and maneuverability and can make them fishtail around the track. The 3D graphics and attention to detail in “Sega Rally 2” are incredible – players can sparks when cars hit the rails and particles of dust fly as they race through dirt. Gamers not afraid to tough out the rigors of the seasons for 10 years can try out the 10-Year Championship Mode. In this mode, players must race from year-to-year and complete the final course in order to progress. Upon achieving the first position in any year, players will have access to another car.
“Sega saw the opportunity to take their renowned arcade racer to another level on Sega Dreamcast,” said Greg Thomas, vice president of product development, Sega of America. “By adding realistic simulation properties such as changing weather, road conditions and car handling, gamers will get an added boost of true-to-life racing along with the hard-core arcade racing experience Sega is known for.”
Players can jump, power slide and dash through the game with four intense racing modes to choose from, including 10-Year Championship, Arcade and 2-Player Battle in which two players can compete via split screen. Time Attack mode allows players to race without competition and compete against themselves in a re-creation of players’ last race. The Visual Memory Unit (VMU) allows players to view their records from each mode via the LCD screen on their controller.
As announced on November 11, 1999, this version of “Sega Rally 2” will ship without a network component. “Sega Rally 2” is available at retailers nationwide and at www.sega.com.
About Sega Dreamcast
Sega Dreamcast is available in the US at a suggested retail price of $199, with a built in 56K modem, allowing for full Internet functionality. The system had 18 titles available at launch that will grow to 40 titles by the end of the year. Third-party titles currently in the works will bring the total Sega Dreamcast game library count to more than 100 in the year 2000.Along with its low price point, Sega Dreamcast has achieved other industry firsts. Its advanced 128-bit architecture makes it the first console with evolutionary capabilities, allowing it to grow and change to match advances in technology and the needs and desires of the consumer. Sega Dreamcast is also the most powerful video game console ever created. It is 15 times more powerful than a Sony PlayStation™, ten times more powerful than a Nintendo® 64 and has four times the graphics processing power of the fastest Pentium II processor.
In the first 24 hours of availability, Sega Dreamcast netted over $97 million at retail, more than tripling the past entertainment industry record set by Star Wars: The Phantom Menace at $28 million on its first day. In its initial four days, Sega sold a total of 372,000 Sega Dreamcast systems, easily surpassing the previous industry record holder, Nintendo 64, which took six days to hit 350,000 when it launched in 1996. Since it launched, Sega Dreamcast has sold more than 1 million units.
About Sega
Sega of America Dreamcast, Inc. is the arm of Tokyo, Japan-based Sega Enterprises, Ltd. responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Sega videogame systems and videogames in the Americas. Sega Enterprises, Ltd. is a nearly $2.5 billion company recognized as the industry leader in interactive digital entertainment media, and is the only company that offers interactive entertainment experiences both inside and outside the home. Sega of America Dreamcast, Inc.’s World Wide Web site is located at www.sega.com.
