Do you have what it takes to be a Virtual Olympian?

GT Sport Audi.jpg

Which sim/game do you think the IOC should use in any future Olympic Virtual Series?

  • Total voters
    1,092
Ahead of the delayed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee has celebrated the start of its inaugural Olympic Virtual Series.

Last month the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that motorsport would feature alongside four other sports, in the first ever Olympic Virtual Series (OVS). The IOC has partnered with the FIA to hold an Olympic-licenced championship run exclusively on Gran Turismo Sport. Qualifications for next month's World Final began this week, and will come to a close on the 23rd of May.

The World Finals for the OVS are scheduled for the 23rd of June 2021, with IOC President Thomas Bach describing their goal as being to use virtual sport as a means to engage new Olympic audiences:

“The Olympic Virtual Series is a new, unique Olympic digital experience that aims to grow direct engagement with new audiences in the field of virtual sports.​
​
"It encourages sports participation and promotes the Olympic values, with a special focus on youth.”​
​
The format of the finals is yet to be confirmed, however the nature of the qualification stage ensures that 16 different countries/territories from at least 5 continents will be represented in the finals. Qualifications are open to anyone over the age of 18 from within the 'Sport' mode of GT Sport. More details about eligibility and selection can be found on the Gran Turismo page about the championship.
​
It will no doubt disappoint the vast majority of sim racers, that this year's championship will be run exclusively on Gran Turismo Sport. However, considering the IOC's understandable preference of partnering with an International Federation (IF), it does make sense that for the first year this is their chosen platform. After all, the FIA has previously certified the 'Gran Turismo Championships' which have taken place since 2018.

While this year's Olympic Virtual Series is relatively small, the IOC Sports Director, Kit McConnell has already indicated that should the inaugural series prove successful, they "will look to probably expand if [they] are given the opportunity in the future". This is supported by positive developments the IOC has seen with other IFs:

"Building on the success of their respective events, both the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), along with other International Federations such as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and World Taekwondo (WT) have confirmed their excitement and commitment to exploring inclusion in future editions of the OVS."​
​
From the sound of things, it could well be that the OVS is here to stay. If so, hopefully it will be in a position to expand such that a much wider platform can be offered to the virtual motorsport world. Not only would this provide opportunities to a wider demographic of the sim racing community, but also further the IOC's efforts to encourage sports participation and engage new audiences.

In recent years, the sim racing world has enjoyed greater exposure than ever before. To see an Olympic-certified series come to fruition is yet another exciting milestone for us to enjoy. Unfortunately, as someone without a PS4, I don't have what it takes to become a Virtual Olympian. We'll pretend it's not the lack of talent that is the real obstacle...

Now over to you, what direction (if any) would you like to see an Olympic virtual motorsport series go in the future?
  • Like
Reactions: Adyl, Starnak, Gabyzen64 and 4 others
About author
Charlie Lockwood
Charlie Lockwood
23. Motorsport and Sim Racing enthusiast.

More in Gran Turismo

Comments

Whills
If we could have a dedicated open-source platform for virtual racing that everyone could download and play, and we have a standard rulebook for virtual racing as we have that for boat racing or bicycle racing, it would be great. Using these commercial platforms is even some kind of disobedience of the spirit of sport I think.
 
D
A better Olympic event would
Whills said:
If we could have a dedicated open-source platform for virtual racing that everyone could download and play, and we have a standard rulebook for virtual racing as we have that for boat racing or bicycle racing, it would be great. Using these commercial platforms is even some kind of disobedience of the spirit of sport I think.
Click to expand...
A better event would see this get developed over four years.
 
mantasisg
Olympics associates to me with absolute finesse. Being incredibly technical, precise and really really true to values, doing everything as optimally and as correctly as possible to achieve best results. None of existing simulations has those associations to me.

Few comes close, but due to some strange marketing/design things comes short of a goal and what is actually possible to do. Besides that, I think Olympics should get special user interfaces, that would be really fine and would be looking very official, so rF2 couldn't be a choice. AC is outdated, as ACC has advanced a lot. However, ACC has UnrealEngine which provides very unofficial vibe, also physics were sabotaged by its own community right in beginning of Early Access. iRacing would be just too expensive and too much like a cult for likes of Olympics. Gran Turismo is just simply not a simulation. Automobilista 2 is using Project Cars foundation.

Automobilista 1 is IMO closest to olympic simulation it is just too obscure, and like AC it is too outdated in reference to various features of rFactor2. AMS would have been truly olympic sim with advanced features of rF2, with olympic UI, and with recognition of AC. Unfortunately they went to Madness engine, perhaps because rF2 proved too difficult to develop too, and with some killer flaws.

One more sim must be mentioned - Live For Speed. In my mind it has the most official vibe of all simulations, it has a feeling of being the only true simulation which is meant to be only for the sake of simulating and as a business in a background of that, while all other sims are businesses in the focus and simulations in the background, although Reiza feels like enthusiasm is extremely important for them too, but choice of madness engine proved that business is serious target as well. But perhaps lack of hardcore management puts these two simulations aside in terms of recognition, although they are probably the most sincere.

Must menton rFactor Pro and Image Space Incorporated. It is very unfortunate they stopped with their rF2 work. It was right on its way, at least in terms of physics, to become truly olympic. However, being ahead of its time and probably lacking finesse in terms of entertainment value, finesse of management for licensing and optimizing goals it didn't made it. Now it is being tossed from one master to other master like an unloved orphan.

By the way, I think Richard Burns Rally is an Olympic sim. Perhaps only its age and being limited to rally is an issue.
 
Last edited:
D
Laughable shite, if the IOC go ahead with this the games is doomed.
 
Gabyzen64
In my opinion Assetto Corsa Competizione is the right and balanced game for any E-Sports Olympics. I also thought about rFactor 2 and iracing but they are still too niche for many. :thumbsup:
 
Charlie Lockwood
Kingkoenig said:
My main concern is that the trend seems to be more and more toward online play. I'm afraid offline racers who race against the AI for fun are going to be left behind eventually. I admit: I have zero interest for online championships, with prize money and the rest. I don't watch online sim races. I simrace so I can have fun and drive. If I want to watch, I want to see real cars and real drivers.
Click to expand...
I think to some extent it's already happened. When I think about the range of games and Sims available, and the funding they have, it's quite surprising how poor the AI is.

What gives me hope is that more and more people are going down the route of careers in software development and coding. So long as enough of them have a passion for sim racing, I would like to think there'll be enough of a community to make sure everyone is catered for. Idealistic maybe, but here's hoping :)
 
ShredatorFIN
I don't consider sim racing sports, but I don't consider lot of olympic sports as sports in the purest sense

IMO real sports involve extreme physical discomfort and that's the only kind of sport that has physical and mental health benefits, which are the main reasons doing sports has any value to humanity in the first place

But there seems to be some correlation with sim racing and real racing, Jimmy Broadbent has shown pretty strong driving in Britcar Praga series, despite being "only" sim racer. Even the Britcar commentator mentioned this, astonished by how quickly Jimmy has learned.

Jimmy has to go through a fitness regimen though, and that's still the part he seems to mostly be struggling with. Neck muscles (possibly arms idk) and overall conditioning

IMO they should use something more realistic like ACC rather than Gran Turismo so there would be more correlation to real racing, but it's commercial reasons (Gran Turismo is huge, sims are not) so not much can be done
 
Last edited:
C
What my main problem is with it what everyone here seems to be completely missing is the fact what the Olympics actually stands for itself it’s equality not to discriminate to allow everyone equal opportunity no matter the race or gender to fair sportsmanship,
I feel quite offended they choose a Olympics system to discriminate everyone by choosing to only use PlayStation it’s a paywall pay to play it’s not fair game and I do not feel it stands for the fundamental Olympic traditions of equality for everyone,

Choosing iracing is the same issue or any PC related title like rFactor 2,
Like I mentioned in a previous post the most logical sense was ACC
It’s available on all platforms it gives everyone a fair chance and a equal playing field,

would you like it if they suddenly started disallowing woman from certain sporting Olympic events or based on your skin colour ?
Sorry but I see 0 difference here at all,
Simple discrimination at best.
olympics.com

IOC Statement on gender equality in the Olympic Movement - Olympic News

Inclusion, diversity and gender equality are integral components of the work of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
olympics.com olympics.com
 
Last edited:
Filip Carlén
I say rF2. I don't play rF2 much, but I think it is the most realistic in terms of driving. It has day/night-cycle, full weather effects, enough content and modability for unique content. Formula E used it for their virtual races, and it seems to work pretty good. Although iRacing would also be a good contender, not because it is the most realistic (but realistic enough), but because of the several series and big events that has been held using it (Virtual 24H, streamed races every week with commentators, several famous "real racing drivers" such as Max Verstappen and Simon Pagenaud has been competing using it. Either or is good if you ask me, I don't play any of those really (RaceRoom for the most part for me) but I think they would be the best for this type of event.
 
Cote Dazur
Since the beginning of the modern Olympic era, the purpose and goals of the events have eluded me. Not on the athletes point of view, that aspect is clear, but on the organizations agenda.
To me it is just an other organization, trying to make a buck and survive in an increasingly competitive entertainment landscape.
So my opinion on adding Esport or any other new sport/spectacle is: whatever! I am not going to watch any of it anyway.
I definitely do not need the Olympic committee blessing to enjoy Esport, or anything else for that matter.
You are missing a choice in the poll, so I could not vote, was looking for Mario Kart. :roflmao: :roflmao:
 
B
mantasisg said:
"Must menton rFactor Pro and Image Space Incorporated. It is very unfortunate they stopped with their rF2 work. It was right on its way, at least in terms of physics, to become truly olympic. However, being ahead of its time and probably lacking finesse in terms of entertainment value, finesse of management for licensing and optimizing goals it didn't made it. Now it is being tossed from one master to other master like an unloved orphan."
Click to expand...
I was thinking just the same the other day.
When ISI was at the helm, this was the only true hard core commercial sim on the market.
I'm thankful for what Studio397 has done, mainly in the VR department.
But regarding the vintage content, all is lost. Apart from the historic Mclarens, we got nothing.
Nothing beats the EVE F1/ Belgium 1966 combo, made by ISI.
 

Latest News

Article information

Author
Charlie Lockwood
Article read time
3 min read
Views
14,971
Comments
80
Last update

Share this article

Are you buying car setups?

  • Yes

  • No

Results are only viewable after voting.
See comments…
Back
Top