Motorsport Games Delays Indycar Title Past 2023

Indycar on rF2.jpg
Over the weekend, we learnt that Motorsport Games is delaying its much-anticipated Indycar game further. No longer releasing in 2023, those looking forward to the title are not happy.

Image Credit: Studio 397

It has become a running gag that Motorsport Games is yet to release a game fully developed under its own control. And it is even further from creating a successful simracing title.

Well over the weekend, we found out that the studio is not going to release a good simracing title for at least another year. During an investor call on Friday focusing on earning in Q4 of 2022, the management team announced that the much-anticipated Indycar game won't be releasing in 2023.

A snippet of the call posted to Twitter sees Dmitry Kozko, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport Games, about the current state of the game. Despite "making strides" in the game's development efforts, the team believes it "will not be in a satisfactory position to release to the community this year."

INDYCAR game cover.jpg


Following the news, Indycar iteself responded to Racer Magazine stating: “We are evaluating this information and remain thoroughly committed to bringing the best quality video game products to the INDYCAR community.”

Will the Indycar game ever release?​

Whilst Motorsport Games said the Indycar game is well along in its development and will be ready for 2024, can we really be sure?

This particular title, along with the previously delayed BTCC game, was set for a 2022 release and has been delayed several times since its announcement. From financial struggles to the invasion of Ukraine, countless setbacks have befallen the Motorsport Games development team.

However, the main blockade on this game's path to release is the health of its studio. At the same time as setting up a call with investors detailing the good, the bad and the ugly, Motorsport Games released their Full Year 2022 Financial Results. Going over the company's fourth quarter and full year accounts, there is one glaring issue that could spell disaster for not just the Indycar racing game.


Scroll down past the good news of DLC packs released for rFactor 2 and improvements to NASCAR 21: Ignition. Skip over the bad news of a more-than-four-million-dollar net loss in Q4 of 2022 alone. And you'll arrive at the announcement that a total 2022 revenue of $10.3 million led to net losses in excess of $36 million.

Given the studio doesn't have a successful and current title to rely on, Motorsport Games is in a difficult situation. Negative cash-flow means they are spending more money than they can make. To top off the bad news for Indycar, BTCC, Le Mans Virtual and NASCAR fans, the financial document states the company currently holds around $6 million in cash. The company goes on to mention that "we do not believe we have sufficient cash on hand to fund our operations for the remainder of 2023" and that further investment is needed.

Last year, we reported on the news that MSG lost its entire board of directors. Around the same time, employees of the company were threatening to leak source code for unreleased games due to unpaid salaries. Based on this latest development, will we be seeing more stories along these lines in 2023?

Do you think we will ever see a Motorsport Games Indycar title release?
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Angus Martin
Angus Martin
Motorsport gets my blood pumping more than anything else. Be it physical or virtual, I'm down to bang doors.

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I
u talking about being scared about rFactor future but the fact is that rFactor at the moment keeps moving in very good direction during last 2 years, much better than in previous 8 so actually MSG is the one that bring to the table the best things in a long time for this title
if they will be interested in leaving the business then studio will be just sold with IP which happened to this brand twice already and at worst left on the field for modders like old Assetto
the fact that simracing isn't profitable isn't any news since it's complete niche and games like rFactor or Raceroom are niche in the niche with their daily player count
however these net losses looks really weird but looking at their financial situation without looking at the bigger picture of Motorsport Network as a whole is kinda weird to me since this is just small part of big company

another thing is that for me even plan to drop exclusive games around BTCC, Indycar or Le Mans is just stupid since there is literally no chance that these will be profitable and for sure not as simracing games so I've never understood any excitement about them in simracing community, at the end these licenses aren't wasted because these licenses are part of rFactor which is much better option than releasing any of these games
 
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vitorhs
boxer said:
Agree ... before MSG got the exclusive license none of the other game devs showed any interest in developing and IndyCar game. IMO people should go bitch to them instead....
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A no game situation was better than all this... At least we don't had any expectation, no drama, the Indy 500 on iRacing :cry:, the IR18 coming to the AMS2 probably officialy. Was far from great but was ok, what is not anymore.

Same with Nascar... Nascar Heat was far from perfect, but now we're stuck with the worst Nascar game ever.

MSG did it to the community and they deserves all the backlash. Some people here liking it or not.
 
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Demichkd
Do you think we will ever see a Motorsport Games Indycar title release?
Not a chance. Even if they did year(s) from now who would want it?
 
B
Premium
vitorhs said:
he IR18 coming to the AMS2 probably officialy.
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lets be honest ... AMS2 was looking to proffict from the R18 without an official licence... got their hand slapped... it's like a moder ripping off another moder... no difference... You can put as much lipstick on it as you want wont change the facts.
 
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M
boxer said:
lets be honest ... AMS2 was looking to proffict from the R18 without an official licence... got their hand slapped... it's like a moder ripping off another moder... no difference... You can put as much lipstick on it as you want wont change the facts.
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You mean the same way as RF2 has been living out of mods in the past 10 years?
 
Jebus
boxer said:
lets be honest ... AMS2 was looking to proffict from the R18 without an official licence... got their hand slapped... it's like a moder ripping off another moder... no difference... You can put as much lipstick on it as you want wont change the facts.
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Who slapped their hands?
 
MJQT
boxer said:
Agree ... before MSG got the exclusive license none of the other game devs showed any interest in developing and IndyCar game. IMO people should go bitch to them instead....
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100 percent. What you say is an underrated point not brought up enough in these discussions about MSG. And even if it wasn't an "Indycar game" through and through, I'm surprised (and disappointed) there hasn't been more collections of first-party Indycar-focused content in other sims – like in AMS2, for example.
 
Andy_J
tr1v1um said:
How about waiting before buying something, reading reviews and informing yourself about your options? Nobody forces anyone to buy anything. And if you exceed the refund period for games on Steam it is what it is. It's the same for any product out there. There are good and bad ones. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It's very simple. I could write a long list of stuff that I would have liked to see fixed for our most popular sims/games but those studios work with limited budgets, manpower and sometimes they focus on other things than we desire. It's a freaking computer game and not the end of the world. How often does it happen that we buy stuff that isn't up to our expectations, too expensive and doesn't offer the right quality? That's life. I've been waiting for a good Metallica album since allmost 20 years now. :p

What I miss a bit in todays society is consumer responsibility. I don't want to pretend that the studios aren't at fault either, but allmost in every case there are two sides to the medal and both sides should do their homework before there is a transaction. Everyone with a somewhat decent understanding of game development could see that Nascar Ignition was a fail from miles away. When will people start to realize that we have more options than ever before to control our buying decisions? The Steam reviews speak for themself and the damage is done. I would go as far as saying that MSG has understood the issue and it's one of the reasons why you see the delays for the other games. And anyone who wonders why there is so much money burnt by MSG, it might be worth to make a reality check and ask yourself if the lisence fees that some car manufacturers, track owners or series shareholders demand aren't the real issue. The CEO is driving a sportscar and having parties eventhough his product needs work? I don't know but I have heard that allready before and it's nothing new, even in sim racing.

The reason why this whole discussion puzzles me a bit is because I have experienced a very different side of interaction with a studio that is under the MSG umbrella and I am not dumb enough to pretend that the progress would be possible without MSG. The guys from S397 have been very fast with reaction on user feedback, content fixes, content updates and core updates in recent months and if you have any idea who is part of that Studio or has been part in recent years it should be pretty clear that they are driven by passion for this genre same as Reiza, Kunos or S3. The development corner is huge and offers more info than I can ever obtain in my life. Who ever wishes that ship to sink should really take a look in the mirror and make a reality check.
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Nice rant and wall of meaningless text. But how about you don't ever assume anything? I don't even own the aforementioned Nascar game. Most of the customers bought it via their console downloads or on Disc in the USA. Do your homework and then defend MSG. Or not. Do you work for them by chance? I won't assume you do.:sleep::whistling:
 
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T
Andy_J said:
Nice rant and wall of meaningless text. But how about you don't ever assume anything? I don't even own the aforementioned Nascar game. Most of the customers bought it via their console downloads or on Disc in the USA. Do your homework and then defend MSG. Or not. Do you work for them by chance? I won't assume you do.:sleep::whistling:
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Do you allways come across as such a likable person when you interact with other people calling their posts meaningless? I don't work for the Studio but my tinfoil hat isn't big enough to ignore the fact that there have been people working on rF2 who have been an important part of this hobby. There have been people involved who worked on AC, AMS, AMS2, iR and R3E or should I mention Paul who was responsible here on RD for alot of great content. Would you call all of that meaningless?

Btw, my post wasn't a direct response to your post, eventhough I quoted you, but meant as a general guideline for people who haven't understood how the concept of information works.
 
John B. Ellis
Premium
For those seeking constructive criticism on this matter, especially simracing developers and their employers, here are a few ideas:

1) Exclusive licenses in simracing are terrible for the community at large and stifle competition. Developers, save the money that would have been spent on locking in an exclusive license and put that money to work building a better racing simulator. If you can do that, your superior product will rightfully gain its share of the market. Moreover, an exclusive license paired with a lackluster title will only amplify its own shortcomings--as well as the ensuing negative response. On the other hand, successful titles such as Assetto Corsa Competizione faithfully simulate a fully-licensed racing series, without impeding other developers from including identical content.

2) Of the four titles associated with Motorsport Games, two are of relative quality (i.e., rFactor 2 & KartKraft) and two are disappointments (NASCAR Heat 5 & NASCAR 21). As KartKraft is arguably a stand-alone, niche product, rFactor 2 represents MSGM's best opportunity to contribute something on a larger scale to the simracing genre. To this end, the content of NASCAR 21 should have been injected into rFactor2 directly as a comprehensive NASCAR paid DLC. Official NASCAR and IndyCar content has sat aside all manner or content for years in iRacing; MSGM should likewise focus their efforts on making rFactor2 its very best in terms of licensed content. Make that one title the best it can be, and you'll be surprised how markedly your fortunes can improve.

3) Developers please stop--stop!--promising things you clearly cannot deliver. Just as a lone drunkard is an obnoxious distraction among the sober, it is so, so obvious to the rest of us when a developer is simply full of crap. Morever, the vast majority of us do realize that developing and maintaining a racing simulator is a highly complex endeavor with inherent and inevitable limitatations, trade-offs, delays, pitfalls, and unintended mistakes. Just honestly communicate those along the way, and the community will sincerely support your efforts. We aren't looking for a cult of personality--but we are willing to pay for and support the best racing simulator your creativity, financial backing, and technology can provide.
 
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Nitro McClean
Premium
Let's take a look at what we've heard among others about Motorsport Games so far.

They bought Studio 397. I think the developments of rF2 are going faster now than before. Fine.

They have bought the exclusive rights from Indycars and are promising us a new Indycars game. It's not there yet and it won't be anytime soon. Official iRacing Indycars races may no longer be streamed. Motorsport Games has taken something from the community and nothing in its place. Not so good.

According to the annual financial report, the numbers are not good and it seems that it will be very difficult for them to survive. It is currently impossible to foresee what consequences a bankruptcy of MotorSport Games will have for the continued existence of Studio 397 and rFactor 2 and for the exclusive licenses that MotorSport Games has.

All in all, I don't think it's something we should be happy about. And we are concerned about it given the many comments here.
 
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Andy_J
tr1v1um said:
Do you allways come across as such a likable person when you interact with other people calling their posts meaningless?

Btw, my post wasn't a direct response to your post, eventhough I quoted you, but meant as a general guideline for people who haven't understood how the concept of information works.
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I was thinking the same about you. But nevermind. Remember, you have an opinion. So do I.
 
D
John B. Ellis said:
On the other hand, successful titles such as Assetto Corsa Competizione faithfully simulate a fully-licensed racing series, without impeding other developers from including identical content.
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Just wanted to point out that no other title simulated SRO GT3 racing that was featured in ACC. Several sims DO include GT3 cars & tracks but nowhere did they infringe upon SRO licensed content. Similarly, ACC with it's SRO exclusive license, did not infringe upon other title's content by strictly sticking to ONLY SRO content.
 
John B. Ellis
Premium
davehenrie said:
Just wanted to point out that no other title simulated SRO GT3 racing that was featured in ACC. Several sims DO include GT3 cars & tracks but nowhere did they infringe upon SRO licensed content. Similarly, ACC with it's SRO exclusive license, did not infringe upon other title's content by strictly sticking to ONLY SRO content.
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Thanks for the insightful clarification. That sort of dynamic between competitors is perfectly reasonable and demonstrates a mutual respect of trademark territory. GT3-class vehicles do compete across a broad range of series, so SRO is only one section of the GT3 pie. Different case when it comes to IndyCars, for example--they only show up in one series.
 
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Wayne Hutchison
iRacing is just waiting for the chance to release the Indycar game that MSG was supposed to do. They already have all of the content licensed, and they just last year released World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing for XBOX/Playstation https://www.iracing.com/world-of-outlaws-dirt-racing-available-now-for-playstation-and-xbox/ so they know how to do that too. Once they get the green light from Indycar I'm sure they could have a standalone game out in a matter of months...
 
M
Wayne Hutchison said:
iRacing is just waiting for the chance to release the Indycar game that MSG was supposed to do. They already have all of the content licensed, and they just last year released World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing for XBOX/Playstation https://www.iracing.com/world-of-outlaws-dirt-racing-available-now-for-playstation-and-xbox/ so they know how to do that too. Once they get the green light from Indycar I'm sure they could have a standalone game out in a matter of months...
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A bit of wishful thinking always gives some flavor. What standalone game are you dreaming of? iRacing will only use the license for themselves. No spin-off or silly stuff ever. Let's stop dreaming.
 
John B. Ellis
Premium
Wayne Hutchison said:
iRacing is just waiting for the chance to release the Indycar game that MSG was supposed to do. They already have all of the content licensed, and they just last year released World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing for XBOX/Playstation https://www.iracing.com/world-of-outlaws-dirt-racing-available-now-for-playstation-and-xbox/ so they know how to do that too. Once they get the green light from Indycar I'm sure they could have a standalone game out in a matter of months...
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Pass. Overtake_gg basically says the only iRacing in the game is on the track billboards. Ditto other reviews sampled. 7.1 review score on Metacritic, FWIW. Hardly "iRacing revolutionizes next-gen console simracing" stuff. But I guess John Henry needs the extra cash grab so that Klopp can buy some new talent--or to offset Champions League revenue loss. Or, to be kind: just a different title for a different audience.
 
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