Are You Interested in Motorcycle Racing Games/Sims?

motogp_2022_motorcycle_sims.jpg

Are you interested in motorcycle racing games/sims (details in comments)?

  • Yes

    Votes: 355 58.9%

  • Maybe

    Votes: 102 16.9%

  • No

    Votes: 146 24.2%
  • Total voters
    603
Racing on 2 wheels can be so very exciting. The several international motorcycle racing series prove that season over season. Yet, motorcycle games haven't really taken the sim racing field. So, what do you think about motorcycle racing games?

Now, I admit, calling most motorcycle games out there "simulations" might be a bit of a stretch, as all of them lack a certain degree of realism. Therefore, in the following paragraphs, I will be calling them "games".

Be it MotoX or Superbike, There are Bikes For Everyone!​

In the dirt, on roads, in the air or on the ground. Bikes have a variability in racing that arguably exceeds car racing. One detail that the IRL racing series show time and time again, however, is the incredible amount of overtaking. And that just makes sense.

Bikes are much smaller than cars. If they race on the same tracks, overtakes are much easier to come by, because, on tracks where cars could go 3 wide, bikes could go at least 6 wide. In racing series like the Moto3 that happens regularly. But even the larger machines have a much easier time just diving inside of their competitors cleanly.

So, if real life can make those races so close and competitive, why hasn't it taken the digital world yet?

Digital Two-Wheel Racing is Lacklustre​

There might be a few problems coming together. In fact, I own a few motorcycle racing games, but none of them could reel me in for a longer time. There's the MotoGP games which are just nothing special. A few in-development steam games are fluttering around for motox. And there's SBK 22. Which I'd rather forget altogether.

But instead of me listing up every problem that comes to mind, I'll just put the question to you:

Are you interested in motorcycle games? ​

If you have problems with them, what are the problem? And what would you suggest to make them more enjoyable? Let us know in the comments down below!
About author
Julian Strasser
Julian Strasser
Motorsports and Maker-stuff enthusiast. Part time jack-of-all-trades. Owner of tracc.eu, a sim racing-related service provider and its racing community.

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Comments

N
I'd be interested in one, if it supported separate wheel and peds. ( I know that wheels and peds isn't realistic, but that's what I've got.)
 
nezeiges
Started with GP 500 by Micropose but i think the motorcycles are very dificult to control even with a gamepad so i gave up and transfered to car racing with N2003
 
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Sigwolf
THK84 said:

There once was a controller in development. Site seems to be down:

View attachment 635747

Or if you have some money to spare:



Just beat me to it :)
Click to expand...
Every time a motorcycle topic comes up someone links to LeanGP...
missing the fact that everything is listed as "out of stock", and the site hasn't been updated in approaching five years now.

Even if you have the money to spare, it would not appear you can spend it there. :roflmao:
 
Damage Inc
As games yeah, as sims nope. As previously mentioned you can't simulate controlling a bike easily. For years it was a no no, then the original Ride came out and I perservered with the joypad until it finally clicked and I could have fun. Havn't ridden a bike since 2004 (after 13 years of biking) so I can get a little fix. I would love an affordable handlebar system though for a smidge more realism..I miss twisting that throttle grip!
 
Andy_J
nezeiges said:
Started with GP 500 by Micropose but i think the motorcycles are very dificult to control even with a gamepad so i gave up and transfered to car racing with N2003
Click to expand...
Glad to see you are up with modern race sims now. :thumbsup:
 
S
stenovitz said:
Sadly, cannot remember the arcade hall MC titles, but especially two games delivered all what immersion takes speaking MC rigs, requiring quite some body force leaning on the bike body for a 9-13 yo, and almost more 'real sim' than 'arcade' like, since timing of negotiating corner apex was crucial.

And my MC experience from the game halls could even be used a few years later taking my MC driver license.
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OK just did a tad of a lookup. Quite sure one of the two arcade hall MC games with rig was this one:

Surely more suitable for kids. The other, however, on a bigger rig requiring quite some more body work to handle, but totle conpletely gone from memory. Might've been from SEGA as weel, but could be Atari or other vendor as well.
Delivering full game+MC rig in simple plastic, hence my thoughts by then were that the future would consist of cheap home MC rigs.

Nowadays it's possible with niche solutions but not exactly at entry level prizes, unfortunately...
 
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Pepper606
I'm more interested in bike games than cars. But the bike games have so far been rather lack lustre. Milestone seem to try their hardest to make rubbish games. Ride 4 had a good start in terms of physics. But the AI couldn't cope. Fix the AI? Nooooo! Nerf the only good bit of the game is easier!
Gp bikes is hands down the best. By miles!
Rims racing, TT1&2 were hype with no substance.

For any real progress and delivery we need new players (devs) who are determined to deliver AAA games. The current lot simply won't.
 
stickdeath1980
hell yeah i do own every Motogp game and isle of man game ( i used to race bikes here in NZ) but had a scary crash that just about killed me so stoped riding and playing more of these...... in my eyes Ride 4 is the GT of bike games
 
T
When we will get a proper bike simulator, that supports this kind of hardware and of course a device that doesn't require a real motorcycle to work, i might think about buying one.
 
G
F2020 said:
I would personally love one in VR with some kind of proper controller for the bike.
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Same idea. I would also like it if there's a great controller and VR support. But I voted no because there is no proper controller available and I don't have the space for it.

Also a great motorcycle setup would have a motor that moves go the side when going through corner's. Without that immersion is not really there I think. And if costs to much space so still a no when it's available.

But when I have the space I would go for it: VR + motorcycle rig with a full motorbike that moves sideways in corners, would be amazing!

But the VR experience must be like Automobilista 2, I wouldn't invest that much in a lesser title/experience.
 
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autobot9919
stenovitz said:
Yes I do the MC games Isle of Man TT and Race 4, but only on rare occasions, and solely with keyboard controller, often left the feeling of regret, longing after the good times, comes brushing up inside me.

MC games surely had my interest in the arcade console game halls with dedicated MC rigs during the 1980ies, when I had urge for more immersion factor than my C64 'Speed King' MC game was able to deliver, though excellent local version of the Arcade Joystick.
Sadly, cannot remember the arcade hall MC titles, but especially two games delivered all what immersion takes speaking MC rigs, requiring quite some body force leaning on the bike body for a 9-13 yo, and almost more 'real sim' than 'arcade' like, since timing of negotiating corner apex was crusial.

Which was far more sim-realated that any other of the four-wheel arcade games could deliver.
I.e. the extra crucial physical layer of immersion was already there.

I clearly remember my thoughts by then was that MC rigs would surely be for households in the future, just with better graphics.

And my MC experience from the game halls could even be used a few years later taking my MC driver license

But turned out not to be the trend, sadfully, instead MC simrig has become a real niche genre.

Today's Ride4 and IoM TT 'ridden' with keyboard controller is pretty darn far from those good physical immersions from arcade console game halls with thr physical MC sim rigs.

I remember racing a couple of MC games round the millenium, the one reflecting that time's Superbike World Championship and the other the 500cc championship.

Both millenium MC games worked out pretty well, even better than modern MC sim/game releases...
Click to expand...
Dude buy a controller, do you wear leathers indoors and like to be spanked if so carry on.
 
Stereo
Riding feels natural to me, sims just don't match it. It'd be like writing a realistic rock climbing simulator and then trying to do it on a gamepad. It can't come remotely close to what's it's like.

I think I'm gonna run counter to people and say that I don't want a seat that leans. I want the VR view to tilt, so 'down' stays consistent with what the driver experiences. Maybe have a small amount of side to side action so you can tell if the bike is going out from under you. But I don't want to be leaning through corners.
 
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THK84
Sigwolf said:
missing the fact that everything is listed as "out of stock"
Click to expand...

That has been the case for a lot of tech I've looked into at one point or another. Especially the last 2 years. Some of which I now currently poses. So what's you're point?

Even if it's dead, it's still interesting, just like the other one I posted with the site no longer being up.
 
pz666
The issue with motobike games is there's no cheap controller that has the standards of a low end Logitech wheel...

And as such nothing has come close to Manx TT Superbike from the old arcade days...
 

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What's needed for simracing in 2024?

  • More games, period

  • Better graphics/visuals

  • Advanced physics and handling

  • More cars and tracks

  • AI improvements

  • AI engineering

  • Cross-platform play

  • New game Modes

  • Other, post your idea

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