Marco Massarutto on AC Console Update

[Paul Jeffrey]

Assetto Corsa players have experienced considerable difficulties following the bold move to console back in August. With many complaints about issues and bugs within the game, Kunos Simulazioni have been hard at work on the sim, looking to address some of the more serious issues reported by users.

With development already well underway, Stefano Casillo of Kunos took to Twitter to confirm the fixes are progressing nicely. Tweeting via his @KunosStefano account, the Assetto Corsa developer noted: "Good progress on the tearning/performance on both consoles, good stuff and now off to Italy for 4 days holiday. ciao"

Adding further details a couple of days later, Marco Massarutto posted the following on Facebook about the work being undertaken at the studio:

"A short preview on [some of] the things you will find in next update for Assetto Corsa on PS4 and XB1. Tearing issues have been solved, and the graphics is much more smooth in any situation. The smoothness also gives a better perception of visuals, and allows to feel a better car handling. Definetely a great step ahead, that will allow you to enjoy AC much more. The new build will feature 2 additional difficult levels, very easy and alien, and btw, all the AI levels have been balanced, that means that also the existing AI levels have been improved.

Controllers: the issues with Thrustmaster T80, T100 and TH shifters have been fixed; gamepad speed sensitivity and steering gamma now work much better (we can't wait to receive your feedback), and a "reset to default" command has been added (where default means recommended). When you launch the game, now it recognizes and consider as default the device you use when you press X/A to start it (as it was designed, and it didn't work due to a bug of the very last minute..). This is the JUST the FIRST pass of improvements for the controller section, but not the LAST. We are already working to include new configurations and options for all the controllers and, BTW, thank you for your kind suggestions. Visual steering wheel rotation: as you might know, Assetto Corsa performs a full rotation of the steering wheel, depending by the car you choose, that actually helps to understand if you are steering too much, since the visual rotation matches the physical one. Said that, we recognize that gamepad users are not used to this kind of approach, and actually it can be weird by an aesthetical point of view. We added the option to lock the visual steering wheel, that will be setted by default at 360 degrees, and it works from 240 to 1080 degrees, so it can please any kind of user. Most important, we allow you to make your favorite choice.

As said before, this is just a quick update of SOME OF the things you will find in the next build. As you might know (but much probably not), the workflow needed to update a game on console is hugely different than on Steam with the PC version: is much more complex, slow and less dynamic. Also, it's something that - as developers - we are experimenting on console for the first time, since Assetto Corsa is our first porting, and believe me, Assetto Corsa is a very complex software. This is not meant to be a justification, but just a simple fact. Therefore I thank you in advance for your patience and passion, but you can be sure that Assetto Corsa 1.0 on PS4/XB1 is just the start. And, btw, the Japanese Pack DLC, the Black Cat County and Maserati Levante will be available very soon! Hopefully the new build will be available during this month: fingers crossed!

Thank you very much for the awesome way you are supporting us."
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It will no doubt come as very positive news to console fans that a substantial update is in the works, hopefully solving many of the more glaring, and game breaking, issues fans are experiencing. Massarutto has also confirmed the update will include a new Easy and Alien AI mode, sitting alongside further balancing of the in game AI... another issue many players have been rather vocal about since the Assetto Corsa console launch.

Its is indeed encouraging to see Kunos reacting to community reaction of the console release of Assetto Corsa, and one hopes the development team can help bring a more satisfactory gaming experience to Xbox One and PS4 players in the very near future.

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The RaceDepartment Assetto Corsa sub forum is the place to go for news, discussions and mods in Assetto Corsa. With PC and console release already behind the studio, head on over to discuss the game and join in the fun with our superb Assetto Corsa Racing Club events and Leagues.

Do you own AC on console? How are you finding the experience? Looking forward to the update? Do you think AC can eventually become more popular than the current console racing giants? Let us know in the comments section below!

Photo Credit: daveds3

 

[RC45]

Idk what you know about managing the development of a software, but I know that you're not thinking straight about this subject. If they are aiming to bring ps4, xbox one, and pc on the same code, wouldn't it be easier to bring ps4 and xb1 to the same code as the PC instead of dumbing down the game, and then make same code for all three platforms? Please explain yourself better and what you're insinuating will happen.

Sure - what I mean is you will migrate the code towards the most profitable common code base.

I will leave history to determine which platform will be their most profitable, but my guess is the one with the largest user base, and for now, I believe that consoles offer a larger captive audience than the PC does.

I am not a PC snob, I have consoles and PC's - its just that it took a while to settle on a PC driving platform and I selfishly want to keep it un-consoled

I use the consoles for "playing" and the PC for more serious customized hot lapping.

But anyway, this is just my opinion and the OP did ask for opinions and discussion, so thats what I offered

*edit* Full disclosure, I have AC on both XBone and PS4, just trying to decide which version to keep adding DLC to - the decision will be based on which 'feels' best with the wheel setups I have.

 

[Epistolarius]

You mean like the way they would never just abandon all the goodwill in netKarPro, which has remained available for sale and fully supported... oh wait...

I have no idea what you're talking about, "abandon all goodwill"? netKar, netKar Pro were alltogether supported for over ten years and now it's free to use if you so desire. What more would you want? A free pass for all the software they put out after that?

 

[RC45]

I have no idea what you're talking about, "abandon all goodwill"? netKar, netKar Pro were alltogether supported for over ten years and now it's free to use if you so desire. What more would you want? A free pass for all the software they put out after that?

I never said anything about free software. I simply stated the truth. All the previous goodwill built up with regard to netKarPro is now worthless to me as a previous owner of that software. They abandoned the product in favor of a new more profitable one.

I am merely pointing out their (Kunos) track record of following the money. There is nothing wrong with this (as I have previously noted) it is the wise business choice to make. And if in the end the wisest business choice is to follow the console code base then that is the decision I would hope that management would make - after all, the financial fiduciary responsibility of management is to the company's bottom-line first and to the customers second

I am merely making observations and offering opinions, as the OP asked for

In line with actual topic, I hope they do make the console version more playable, right now AC on the consoles is like trying to play on an older PC.

Can't wait to try the updates.

 

[Blimey]

right now AC on the consoles is like trying to play on an older PC.
Can't wait to try the updates.

or playing the free to play version of AC.

 

[Ischemica]

Why act like their software is complex...every game has a complex software, way more complex even.

 

[Radu Oros]

They abandoned the product in favor of a new more profitable one.

I am merely pointing out their (Kunos) track record of following the money. There is nothing wrong with this (as I have previously noted) it is the wise business choice to make. And if in the end the wisest business choice is to follow the console code base then that is the decision I would hope that management would make - after all, the financial fiduciary responsibility of management is to the company's bottom-line first and to the customers second

But they didn't leave that product just for money. They left it to try to create a more modern and hopefully a better sim racing game product. They wanted to come to Steam, to use directx11, to work with real tracks and cars.
If they only wanted to follow the money they wouldn't create another sim racing title.

"They abandoned the product in favor of a new more profitable one."

They didn't know in 2011/12 what AC would become. They were thinking about a free game with few cars and tracks. Nothing too far from netkar pro. But they saw they were capable of greater things and later saw the community corresponded to Assetto Corsa.
Your mistake in analyzing this is that you jump from when netkar pro development started phasing out to Assetto Corsa 2016. So this way is easy to skip everything that happened and think they just wanted more money. When what happened is that their work, decisions, people, and management resulted in a company with more resources and bigger player base.

 

[RC45]

<snip> When what happened is that their work, decisions, people, and management resulted in a company with more resources and bigger player base.

IOW they followed the money and the result was a stronger financially more healthy company.
See my comment on financial fiduciary responsibility.

Kunos is a business not a charity and they are doing the appropriate things a BUSINESS should do.
Thank you for agreeing with me in the end

Now lest hope they fix the console versions so they don't lose money

 

[Radu Oros]

IOW they followed the money and the result was a stronger financially more healthy company.
See my comment on financial fiduciary responsibility.

Kunos is a business not a charity and they are doing the appropriate things a BUSINESS should do.
Thank you for agreeing with me in the end

Now lest hope they fix the console versions so they don't lose money

I'm not agreeing with you because you still see "money" as it over everything. So your insinuation is that they will make AC a cheap simulation because from consoles is where most money comes from, so in your thinking they will convey to that console thought of easy games where the player always wins.
Like Aris said before, they don't know how to make arcade games (in defense of arcade games, plenty of them are tough games).
Your reasoning is that they will abandon simulation because of money. Like Stefano said before, that's non-sense.

 

[JeffL]

Unless a company advertises that they are going to release a buggy, unfinished product with multiple issues, then consumers can complain all they want because that's not what they thought they were getting when they purchased it.

 

[Blimey]

View attachment 151689

sorry, i'm not from the downer area.

 

[Radu Oros]

Unless a company advertises that they are going to release a buggy, unfinished product with multiple issues, then consumers can complain all they want because that's not what they thought they were getting when they purchased it.

They aren't complaining about that here. That was already complained of and devs got it and are working on it, as per this news and others before.
So what is it that people are complaining of now and in this thread?

 

[Stereo]

Rut Roh....... this "playability fix" sounds like PR speak for dumbing down the console version .... here is hoping this doesn't turn into an "I told you so" for us PC folks

You put it in quotes but they never said anything like that in the original... so who are you quoting?


The additional AI levels are just bringing it closer to the PC version - on PC you have 80%-100% AI, on console they had 88%-100%, so "very easy" extends it to probably 80% ai, "alien" just a new name for 100% ai.

 

[RC45]

You put it in quotes but they never said anything like that in the original... so who are you quoting?


The additional AI levels are just bringing it closer to the PC version - on PC you have 80%-100% AI, on console they had 88%-100%, so "very easy" extends it to probably 80% ai, "alien" just a new name for 100% ai.

I was not quoting anyone - I was paraphrasing. Wow - so much is lost on the Interwebs - folks seem to every word typed as literal without any context applied.

Another reason why I don't FriendFace, Farcebook or Twatter.

 

[Radu Oros]

I was not quoting anyone - I was paraphrasing. Wow - so much is lost on the Interwebs - folks seem to every word typed as literal without any context applied.

Another reason why I don't FriendFace, Farcebook or Twatter.

You have to be careful with paraphrasing because can be easy to drift away from the original message and then make up interpretations on what wasn't there. Because that's what happened there and Stereo pointed out well. If you want to be really clear, quote something from the original text, and attempt some conclusions or insinuations from there.

 

[JeffL]

Hoping not to come off as an ass but It's not the interweb it's writing and in proper writing, quotes , have a specific purpose.

 

[Stereo]

I couldn't even find what you were paraphrasing, I know quotes don't have to be literally word for word. Although frankly it'd be helpful if when you're building these towers of speculation you started with a foundation that's an actual quote, so people can see it.

 

[ronniej]

Are there any Xbox or PS4 players even answering this thread? Just curious, I keep seeing the same people on here (me incl.) and I would really like to know how the console crowd are liking or disliking this fantastic sim, (not the comments from the inexperienced review sites, but the actual fans of sim racing) and the support Kunos has dedicated to it. Which to be honest, is part of the reason the PC players support them as much as they do in the first place.

 

[FishPapp]

Are there any Xbox or PS4 players even answering this thread? Just curious, I keep seeing the same people on here (me incl.) and I would really like to know how the console crowd are liking or disliking this fantastic sim, (not the comments from the inexperienced review sites, but the actual fans of sim racing) and the support Kunos has dedicated to it. Which to be honest, is part of the reason the PC players support them as much as they do in the first place.

There are quite a few posts over on the official site with complaints around frame rate issues and tearing but there are others who see it more like this:

"So when I finally fired up AC - a sim on a console! - and started to get used to throwing those BMWs around in career mode, I was completely blown away. Maybe it's my imagination, but this feels much more like driving a real car then iRacing ever did. Yes, that obviously has a ton of content and a fantastic infrastructure, but in terms of sheer driving feel, AC felt much, much better. I'm staggered! Because it feels like real driving, I was winning races and podiums against the easy AI in no time.

Not everything is perfect, sure. I do see the occasional screen tear, and the content is light. It does feel like the heavier, production cars feel more realistic than the brief bout I had in an open wheeler, but maybe I just need more time. And I get people's need for lobbies, but I'm OK with the AI for now.

Just wanted to share my positive reflections on the game to add a little balance to the negative ones out there. Not to dismiss people's genuine concerns with it, but I do think that taken on its own merits, AC is a fantastic, yet limited sim. Which is pretty much a first on console. Well done - and thanks!"

So far, a mixed response but the above has 17 likes and many of the negative responses and comments relate to issues covered by the up coming patch.

 

[MSKbeans]

All this talk of dumbing down, if a newbie coming into the game is struggling why not make an easier version, hopefully they will learn quicker how to win then move to next level or 2. Racing lines. Late braking under control. Catching slides, we all learnt somewhere. But, we all or most got hooked on game from a past era were AI was beaten in the first turn and the fun was lapping up to 2nd

 

[Peter Hooper]

Are there any Xbox or PS4 players even answering this thread? Just curious, I keep seeing the same people on here (me incl.) and I would really like to know how the console crowd are liking or disliking this fantastic sim, (not the comments from the inexperienced review sites, but the actual fans of sim racing) and the support Kunos has dedicated to it. Which to be honest, is part of the reason the PC players support them as much as they do in the first place.

Coming from an Xbox user I absolutely love AC, fantastic effort from the devs and despite the lack of certain things that I expected would be included as standard its so good that I am more than happy to support them as they strive to bring us more and more improvements over the months and years. I'll be playing it in its current form for as long as it takes to bring the next improvements to console. There are many console users like me who have the patience to wait and don't expect everything perfect from the get-go. AC has been a work in progress for pc users since it started so why should it be any different for us on console. We benefit from the ground work put in on pc so I am just grateful for that and realise that it's a great time for virtual racers to own a console.