Original: Albeeno
iRacing.com exists to create the world's most authentic racing simulations, enable and organize real-time, online racing, and advance and expand motorsport. We invent and provide the tools and environment to enhance the skills of racers — novices to experts — around the world, deepening their understanding and enjoyment of the sport. We invite all with interest into the world of simracing.
iRacing.com was founded in September of 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Racing Games, Inc., developers of award-winning racing simulations including NASCAR Racing: 2003 Season and Grand Prix Legends. Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox, one of the most successful investment managers in the futures industry and an avid simracer. The iRacing.com team combines more than 100 years of real-world racing experience with more than 50 years of successful racing simulation development.
This isn't intended as a slam to you, iRacing, your company, John Henry, or anyone else. But here's a little info on iRacing.
iRacing bought the rights to the Sierra / Papyrus' NASCAR Racing series when
they lost the rights for "all things NASCAR" to EA Sports. iRacing owns the netcode and programming to that series of sims now - and has for
about two years (if memory serves me correctly).
iRacing made a bunch of enemies when they bought Sierra / Papyrus' programming / code and then tried to impose their will / wishes on anyone trying to improve / modify that code during the interim between EA Sports winning NASCAR's endorsement and rFactor - Stock Car Evolution being released. The community had nothing new to use and was trying to improve what they believed was theirs to modify - previously purchased software, apparently abandoned by the creators. iRacing informed the community that their rights to the software and netcode were (illegedly) retroactive to the creation of the first NASCAR Racing sim (because they were the new owners of that "property"), and ANY modifications to that code or programming that was released to the public - whether for profit or free - was a violation of their rights and vigorous legal action would follow. Their intent is/was to base a new sim on that programming platform/format and release it sometime in the near future. THAT was (again) two years ago and nothing (no new sim) has come of it yet.
So iRacing owns the old netcode and format, haven't released anything new based on that (yet), threatened legal action for those who try to modify the old programming/netcode for any reason/purpose, and the sim community had nothing new to race on - until recently (with the introduction of rFactor SCE). How "popular" do you think iRacing is with hardcore sim racers, and what do you think the liklihood is that their new product will be wildly popular/successful if/when they ever release it?