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...
GT Interactive and EAI today announced Trans Am Racing, which is a hardcore historic simulation of Trans Am racing between 1968-1972.
Screenshots:
Full press release:
GT INTERACTIVE AND EAI TO CREATE TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN “TRANS-AM RACING” SIMULATION
GT Interactive Enters Into Global Licensing Agreement With The Sports Car Club Of AmericaAMES, IOWA/NEW YORK, NY–January 9, 1998–Capturing one of the greatest eras in automotive history, GT Interactive Software Corp. (NASDAQ:GTIS) and Engineering Animation, Inc. (EAI) (NASDAQ: EAII) will collaborate, along with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), in the creation of a state-of-the-art Trans-Am Racing simulation game. Under terms of the agreement with the SCCA, GT Interactive obtains worldwide rights across all entertainment software platforms for the Trans-Am Racing series seasons of 1968-1972. Using EAI’s unrivaled fusion of 3D imagery and visualization technology, Trans-Am Racing will feature some of the most realistic automobile physics and crashes ever created on a PC.
“The Trans-Am Racing series of the 60’s and 70’s were truly some of the most influential and classic series in auto racing history,” said Richard Burns, vice president of Domestic Publishing for GT Interactive. “By melding a timeless property like Trans-Am Racing, with the technology and expertise of EAI, we can bring to life all of the excitement, charisma, and nostalgia of the hot muscle cars that defined a legendary era for auto racing.”
Trans-Am — A High Technology Racer
“We’re very pleased that GT Interactive, a global leader and the fastest growing publisher in the interactive entertainment software industry, has selected EAI to develop their premier racing simulation game,” said Linda Lannon, senior director of interactive business development at EAI. “EAI will capture the true look and feel of Trans-Am Racing, as car motion and crashes are instantaneously rendered with our cutting-edge software, which actualizes force, movement, and automobile orientation — in real time — on the computer screen.”Scheduled for release on PC CD-ROM this fall, Trans-Am Racing will showcase EAI’s state-of-the-art 3D rendering and animation software which combines realistic engineering with unparalleled 3D imagery, used by manufacturers in such industries as aerospace, automotive and heavy equipment. EAI’s technology and expertise have also garnered them nearly a decade of experience in auto accident recreations for litigation purposes, a field where absolute realism is a prerequisite.
The Trans-Am Era Comes Alive Again
“As sanctioning body of the Trans-Am, we’re excited with this new partnership that will bring the history of North America’s longest-running road racing series to life,” said John Clagett, vice president of Communications for SCCA Pro Racing. “The early years of the Trans-Am featured the greatest cars and racers of the era in fender-to-fender, drama-filled competition. The Trans-Am Racing simulation game will rekindle interest in the roots of the Trans-Am and bring new fans to today’s NTB Trans-Am series-still the most exciting, action-packed, ground-pounding road racing anywhere.”By securing the exclusive worldwide rights to the sights and sounds that were the backbone of Trans-Am Racing from 1968-1972, GT Interactive plans to treat fans to the actual drivers, tracks, cars, and images that helped establish Trans-Am Racing as the era’s premier racing spectacle. Every road track in the game, most of which have never been seen before in a racing simulation, will be period correct to meticulous detail, along with each of the classic muscle cars and their attributes. Drivers can get behind the wheel of such classics as the ’68 Chevrolet Camaro, ’70 Boss Mustang FB, ’70 Pontiac Firebird, ’66 Dodge Dart and ’72 AMC Javelin.
Headquartered in New York, GT Interactive Software Corp. is a leading global publisher of entertainment and edutainment software under the GT Interactive, SingleTrac, Cavedog Entertainment and MacSoft brands for personal computers as well as video game systems from Sony and Nintendo. GT Interactive is also a leader in value-priced software under the WizardWorks, CompuWorks and Slash brands. Located on the World Wide Web at http://www.gtinteractive.com, GT Interactive is publicly traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol GTIS.
EAI is a leading producer of enterprise-wide product data visualization and collaboration software solutions for manufacturing corporations. EAI is also a leading developer of interactive products created for corporations and publishers to use in education, game development, litigation and corporate marketing. EAI’s corporate headquarters and technology center are located in Ames, Iowa, with offices worldwide. EAI is publicly traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol EAII and is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.eai.com.
Originally announced to be released on PC and limited consoles. Never released.
