As a hard core sim racer, I usually put a ton of emphasis on physics and the ultimate realism of the games I race. But I am also a gamer, and some of my all time favorite games have also been driving related but with less focus on the realism or racing, and more focus on the fun. This could mean games like Spy Hunter, which is no doubt a driving game, and you will use missles and oil slicks while driving for maximum entertainment. This could also be a game like Dirt 3, again very much a driving game, and in this case allowing for un realistic jumping and crashes in the name of being built around fun. Thinking back in time there was another game called Flatout Racing by Bugbear Entertainment that also fell right into that mix of entertainment driving games.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnDQ_tlA_zw[/youtube]
Bugbear has recently resurfaced with a new title and a different approach. They are following in the footsteps of Slightly Mad Studios and gone to user/investor way of funding the game. Instead of doing it on their own, they turned to Kickstarter and have already raised nearly 80 thousand dollars of their 350 thousand dollar goal. The game that they are creating and that the community will ultimately be funding is called “Next Car Game.” That is a pretty simple name for a gigantic driving game concept.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKqnAeDpQvk[/youtube]
From their description of the game it will be a game that combines the wrecking havoc of a Destruction Derby 2 and the door to door racing action of their previous title Flatout Racing. In their words it goes like this:
“Did you love the over-the-top, reckless racing action of the FlatOut series? Or the ferocious wrecking fests of the Destruction Derby games? We did too! What if you could somehow relive those glorious moments, mixed with some serious Street Rod inspired vehicle upgrading and spiced up with fierce online races where players can battle it out with their tricked out bangers? Now THAT would be something.”
I have to say that these kind of games are still some of my favorites. We have called them diversion games and compare them to playing a first person shooter, strategy or any other typical gamer type games. These are also the first driving games that I let my friends play when they come over. There really is nothing like playing a driving game that is so over the top and unbelievable that only Hollywood could imagine.
Much like the other Kickstarter or community funded projects, Next Car Game’s development path is subject to the opinion of its investors. Much of the game has been defined by the Bugbear team but they have left certain options to be left for later by that group.
So here we are in the year 2013 and it seems that the trend in the gaming business model is to make the community pay one way or another. You could call it a subscription based way of financing in some cases. In other cases it is selling a beta and then using that to fund the future development of the sim or game. Or in the case of Slightly Mad and now Bugbear, to allow the community to actual have ownership in the title. They are all definitely different approaches compared to the old days of buying a boxed and ready to go title off the shelf. Personally, I love all of the new models because they all allow for future expansion and updates to the title.
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They canceled the kickstarter this morning…this is from their kickstarter page…
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First of all, big thanks to all our backers. Although our Kickstarter campaign has attracted tremendous enthusiasm, during the last couple of weeks it’s become obvious that we are not going to meet our goal. Because of this we have decided concentrate on our efforts on the pre-order campaign.
We Finns are not used to giving up so easily, and we are hell-bent to keep on developing the game with our supporters, shaping it into something that no racing game fan can afford to pass. We have this thing called sisu in Finnish, meaning strength of will, and we’re counting on that each of you have a bit of sisu in you!
As a thank-you to our faithful fans, we have decided to release a PLAYABLE technology sneak peek, and it’s available RIGHT NOW to all our pre-order supporters. The sneak peek features a playground that we use internally to test various features various like car damage and environment destruction. The best thing about it is that you will get a chance to have fun and wreak havoc with an amazing 24 cars!
In the full game the action will take place on many locations, including a number of race tracks and derby arenas. We’re also going to improve the gameplay and technology on many fronts such as car damage and handling, and our Early Access customers will get a chance to experience these improvements first-hand during the Early Access phase!
We really hope that most of you want to continue supporting us and Next Car Game through our website. To make the game happen, we need your support more than ever.
Support us now and get access to play sneak peek right away! Join the team: http://WWW.NEXTCARGAME.COM“