iRacing Acquires Orontes Games

iRacing Acquires Orontes 01.jpg
iRacing has acquired racing game developer Orontes, creator of the DRAG Early Access title.

Steam Early Access title DRAG didn't break the internet when it was made available to the public last year, but the team behind it has done enough to gain the attention of the biggest name in online sim racing.

iRacing announced the acquisition of DRAG developer Orontes Games. Christian Folkers and Thorsten Folkers are the lead developers of the DRAG title, and iRacing saw "a team with tremendous potential to help."

For those who've yet to try DRAG, the name of the title is not a reference to racing opponents in a straight line. Rather, the title allows racers to charge a boost while in an opponent's slipstream, then surge ahead with extra power once the boost is ready.

DRAG is an off-road racing title featuring fictional cars on fictional tracks. Much of the focus of the Orontes team has been on the vehicle physics, which produce a complex suspension system and a soft body capable of taking realistic damage.

While iRacing and DRAG may seem an unlikely pairing on paper, no doubt the knowledge and application of physics in DRAG is what caught iRacing's attention, and could enhance car realism in iRacing in the future.

What are your thoughts on the acquisition? Have you tried DRAG or the free demo on Steam? Let us know in the comments below.
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

I am angry! I payed int to that game !!! I also have over $700 tide up in Iracing ! And I am pissed off with that ! as They do not let you play the game unless you keep paying a monthly fee !!!! I should be able to use the $700 worh of content that I bought to just play on my rig when I want to! As I don't like racing on line! SO I HOPE they do not go the same way as they did with I racing ! or I want my money back for the DRAG game! NOT HAPPY!!!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
Interesting, I wonder how the game physics snd graphics engines compliment eachother, or if it's be an iracing revamp in another mega update in a few seasons.
I enjoy iracing very much, never thought I would, and all improvements are always welcome, good for both teams
 
I am angry! I payed int to that game !!! I also have over $700 tide up in Iracing ! And I am pissed off with that ! as They do not let you play the game unless you keep paying a monthly fee !!!! I should be able to use the $700 worh of content that I bought to just play on my rig when I want to! As I don't like racing on line! SO I HOPE they do not go the same way as they did with I racing ! or I want my money back for the DRAG game! NOT HAPPY!!!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Why did you buy so much content if you don't like racing online? AI in iracing is relatively new so surely you didn't buy it all since then?
 
iRacing should go F2P like R3E
iRacing hosts a massive costly server farm that's hosts 100's of servers 24/7 for all the different organized classes of racing, practice servers, to time trials. Without monthly fees the service would not be attainable with it's current format. Perhaps they could make it F2P by eliminating the massive number of hosted series and reducing frequency of races and allowing user hosted servers without a full time steward reviewing incidents. The reason people pay for iRacing is huge variety of highly organized racing running 24/7.
 
iRacing... I don't like the subscription model. I wouldn't have time to stay online to race and then I prefer to buy something, knowing that it's mine, that I can drive it offline, rather then paying every month to play what I bought. I hope they will add another kind of payment model. If they don't, I guess it's not a big deal for me and for them as well.
 
I am angry! I payed int to that game !!! I also have over $700 tide up in Iracing ! And I am pissed off with that ! as They do not let you play the game unless you keep paying a monthly fee !!!! I should be able to use the $700 worh of content that I bought to just play on my rig when I want to! As I don't like racing on line! SO I HOPE they do not go the same way as they did with I racing ! or I want my money back for the DRAG game! NOT HAPPY!!!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
you knew EXACTLY what you were getting into, iRacing doesn't hide the pay model. People always talk freely about the payment. If you spent 700 bucks in content there's no way you didn't know you had to pay monthly.
 
Drag looks interesting, at least to my plebian self who sometimes gets burned off with sim-racing. I grew up with arcade racers, chase cameras and keyboard / controller, and I like to see arcades taking clues from sim-racing games, even if the elitists despise it. Hope this is good for that game, which by the way I have wishlisted for now.
 
iRacing hosts a massive costly server farm that's hosts 100's of servers 24/7 for all the different organized classes of racing, practice servers, to time trials. Without monthly fees the service would not be attainable with it's current format. Perhaps they could make it F2P by eliminating the massive number of hosted series and reducing frequency of races and allowing user hosted servers without a full time steward reviewing incidents. The reason people pay for iRacing is huge variety of highly organized racing running 24/7.
Yes. I still can’t figure out how people can’t get their head around iRacing is a service not a buy once game. It’s the same business model as Netflix. Iracing should create a one time fee, offline only consumption model though.
 
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Hey look, an iRacing article where the majority talk about cost.....yawn!

I'm quite interested in this development, especially with it's 4 point contact patch physics.
espically if added to the off-road content combined with it's loose surface physics :)
 
I've played iracing, and honestly, the physics never liked me too much.
So that, I've quit because for this cost I would be expecting it to be the best in everthing.
I'm very interested in this topic and I hope iracing would have a top physics thanks to that deal.
Then could really woth it.
 
Drag seems an interesting title, or seemed, but comments on steam state that the development has stopped. It is said that it features a deep damage model and a strong simulation on the 4 points of contact of the tires. Interesting but isn't what any sim or racing game is about?
 
iRacing should add an offline-only "subscription" where you pay like 40 € once and have access to the content, but for offline practice and AI racing only. If you want to go online you need to have an active sub and buy cars/tracks like now.
This is the only way I'd ever get into iRacing. Not paying a single cent for a subscription.
 
How in hell is everybody missing the big elephant in the room? This deal means iRacing gets their hands on a new, highly advanced physics engine! The move is ON.
 

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