Kunos End of Year Message Hints at Future Plans

[Paul Jeffrey]

Marco Massarutto of Kunos Simulazioni has released the now traditional end of year message to fans of Assetto Corsa, with some interesting insights revealed...

Launched across the various Assetto Corsa social media channels earlier this afternoon, Massarutto pays homage to the work undertaken to get Assetto Corsa to the stage it finds itself today, whilst dropping the most significant hints yet that a new project could well be under way in the not too distant future... read on for the full New Year message post from Kunos:

Since we started the Assetto Corsa project, each year we have experienced something remarkable: in 2011 we unveiled the new IP, in 2012 we presented the game at Gamescom and announced the Ferrari licence, granted to an independent production for the first time ever. In 2013 the game was released in Early Access, in 2014 we launched version 1.0, in 2015 we introduced the Lamborghini licence and released the first version of the Nürburgring Nordschleife based entirely on laserscan data. In 2016, we released the simulation to consoles thanks to the partnership with 505Games, and announced the Porsche Programme, which brought the very best selection of Porsche cars in a genuine simulation after 13 years. In 2017, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of Ferrari with a dedicated pack that is one of the most successful DLC packages ever released for Assetto Corsa. More importantly, throughout the years our entire team has worked hard to improve every single aspect of the simulation: adding new features and improving physics, performance and the underlying tyre model as well as single- and multiplayer features, with the aim to provide our fans with a driving simulation that can keep high standards in vehicle modelling, sound effects, handling and gaming features. This long-term support has been possible thanks to our loyal user base and all those sim racers and gamers who have purchased our product and given us suggestions and positive criticism day after day with the aim to improve the game. The free Bonus Pack #3 recently released is dedicated to all of them.

Another remarkable event in 2017 was when Kunos Simulazioni became part of Digital Bros, a decision that as founders of the studio, Stefano Casillo and I, made with the objective to consolidate the team, guarantee more stability, strength and resources for the present and future of the company.

Yes, the future: what can you expect now? As I have said, Assetto Corsa has kept Kunos Simulazioni busy for almost seven years, and we have continued to update the game for three years following its 1.0 release. Assetto Corsa is not just a “game"; it is based on a technology designed and developed in-house, which is not a secondary detail, given that this is the technology that will determine and define the quality, gameplay and potential of the games to be based on it down the line. This is why we dedicated years to improve an engine that had originally been conceived in 2011, and this is why during 2017 we also dedicated time and resources to R&D activities that will define what we are going to be busy with in the years to come.

In 2011, Assetto Corsa was conceived to be a moddable platform featuring - possibly - 20 cars, 5 tracks and the basic functionalities typical of a driving simulation. Today, it offers 177 cars in 20 classes and genres, 19 tracks in 35 configurations, an offline career, custom championships, a solid multiplayer experience and much more, not to mention the ongoing support for modding, which has seen improvements through the years and resulted in an incredible collection of third-party content created by a dedicated community. And sometime we still can't believe that Assetto Corsa has gone so far.

But it is not just the software that has changed and evolved throughout these years, but also the company itself. What was once a group of four guys trying to wage war on the most established names in the business is now a bigger team. Finding the "right people" to insert into such a peculiar working environment such as Kunos Simulazioni is not an easy task, and it's something that has kept us busy during 2017 as well. I am glad to say that the results are encouraging and the future looks bright thanks to the new talents we were able to add to our team and that will join the ranks alongside the founders me and Stefano, the guys of the "old guard" who joined us since the beginning and all the other people you've learned to know during this adventure.

All of the above thanks also to our new "Benevolent Overlords" in Digital Bros, allowing us to think and dream bigger than we could only a few months ago.

Talking about the Team, in 2017 we welcomed four new programmers specialized respectively in graphics and gfx, UI and animations, mechanic and physics, online racing environment and ranking, with the aim to improve in those areas that can make your experience with Assetto Corsa games better and better.

There is always a margin for improvement: even after a lot of hard work to reduce this margin throughout a long development period, 2017 was a highly important year to us to define the new basis in the technology we will use in future. Even today, the community keeps asking for something new, and that is great as it means that you continue to keep us involved in fuelling your hobby, passion and training tools. To meet your expectations, and to support the features that our current technology cannot manage, some – actually a lot of – work will be required. So, it's time to move forward.

When it arrived, there had been nothing like Assetto Corsa before. We are working hard to replicate this feeling with what there is to come in the future. - Marco Massarutto, Assetto Corsa's Brand & Product Manager

Want to know more about how Kunos go about making cars for Assetto Corsa? Well worth a watch:

Assetto Corsa, available now for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Check out the Assetto Corsa Sub Forum here at RaceDepartment for the latest news and discussions regarding the sim. We host quality League and Club Racing events, have a selection of fantastic mods to download and some of the best community conversation. Join in the discussion today.

Like what you see here at RaceDepartment? Don't forget to like, subscribe and follow us on social media!

RaceDepartment YouTube
RaceDepartment Twitter
RaceDepartment Facebook
RaceDepartment Twitch
RaceDepartment Instagram

What do you make of the end of year message from Marco? Looking forward to the future of Assetto Corsa / Kunos? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[ltcars]

https://www.facebook.com/marco.massarutto.1/posts/10210527537098637

This is the english translation (from facebook translator)

Hi Matteo Bàkkhos Righetti, I reply here to your comment on the official page of the race race because I don't think it's controversial but in its proactive way, and since I quote text - you are increasingly amazed by my managerial, managerial and entrepreneurial skills (I would add Supercalifragispiralitoso

) I would like to offer you some insight that might also be interesting for others. You Write (the square brackets are mine):

" in ac2, it was not announced or mentioned I can tolerate the same graphic graphics, an audio not at the highest level, I can tolerate the lack of mechanical damage, the parts of bodywork that do not depart and the Wheels that don't roll as a result of an accident. I can even tolerate the lack of the longed-for rain and the night. But please, I beg you to kneeling on the coals, fix the multiplayer. That's the soul of the game. There is everything, it has immense potential, but unfortunately it is not exploited. AC is wonderful but, forgive me, it's more often than swearing that the times you entertain. Every time I get out in a worse mood than before. I'd like a ac2 with a decent multiplayer to amuse me. I would like a multiplayer online multiplayer, with a point system or filtering. That would be the real breakthrough beyond graphics, Oculus and simulation. This is a necessary and mandatory passage for me. Who cares if the new engine won't be able to handle more than one source of light? "

Apart from the fact that if to follow your suggestion in ac2 there was no night, they would come looking for you at home (and we would do anything to make you find

), your analysis follows a common logic to many gamers: if you He is interested in the "x" aspect of a video game, then x becomes (also for all other gamers) the key to success, and everything else becomes secondary to it. Without x, everything else becomes an end to itself. In Your Case, the x is the multiplayer. One tomorrow, in ac2 will not be important graphics, damage, night and rain, VR support, no: but the multiplayer. I'll give you some numbers that will give you and others a thought. Running framework is on steam one of the most popular driving games and played daily (steam data, eh): more games out of the same period, and even more recently played games. By following the numbers, if we look at the total of from 2014 to today, about 0,2 % play online. In Numbers, 2 players out of 1000. But it is an end calculation to itself, and so we delete all users from 2014 to today, and let's pretend (sorry the caps but I can't emphasize or highlight

) that The active users are only those who have purchased framework in the last 3 months, seems fair, agree? We are therefore talking about 50.000 users, who are certainly active because they bought around 200.000 DLC during the same period. Of them, about 3 % play online with a minimum of regularity. That is, 3 players out of 100. The other 97, no (and I remind you, that I removed from the equation more than 600.000 users). Does that mean the multiplayer isn't important? Nothing at all: but it means that the multiplayer is as important as all other features of the game: Graphics, cars, circuits, single player, special events (Inorridisci if you want, but they are the most clicked element of the game

) , career. As developers, we have a duty to treat all aspects of the game, otherwise our management management would be unsuccessful. So I can't share your vision of what a hypothetical ac2 "should" be, although i understand that you wanted to express a paradox. But you see: if you play a game with an excellent multiplayer system, but with graphics, sound, and functionality "a bit like this", you'll find empty servers because a game like that, nobody cares.

Speaking of "bankruptcy", this is the term with which you define the multiplayer, and I quote:

" the multiplayer was unfortunately unsuccessful and still is. I'm very sorry to say it, but I think it's in everyone's eyes. , and this is " under everyone's eyes. In the public servers you can't make a clean race, and to make a decent one, you have to go to the search for serious groups, not knowing exactly what and when and who to look for and with what means. Srs was a device that partially filled this gap. I wish I could see in Ac2 Server with clean races. I would like there to be a system that skimming inexperienced by experts, or better, c **** the."

Following your analysis, it doesn't come out that the multiplayer is unsuccessful because it doesn't work, because the server servers, because it is unstable, because *****, because it doesn't have the functionality to create a game, connect and compete with others (also because This is not happening. No: you think it's "failed" because it's hard to find experienced players, who can be on track and respectful of others.

How to say: I, municipality of whatever, organize separate collection, a sufficient number of dumpsters and ecological islands: but if people download washing machines and refrigerators on the street and do not remove the needs of their dog, they are not the others at Being uncivilized, it's my management to fail. Very good. First of all, we will relax you: whatever we do in the future there will be night, rain and an advanced rating system. So we all get along. On one thing I agree with you: at the interface level, the pc run framework could be more user friendly and be more immediate in search and selection of a server, in the booking system, and so on. On this we can only improve, with the console interface we have proven to be sensitive to the theme, and we have learned a lot. And as I said, in the future, we will create tools that will organise online competitions in groups of homogeneous players and sanzioneranno the wrong ones. I also agree that the rating and tools for e-Sports (in my very own opinion the next bubble after VR) today is much more important than it was 7 years ago when the race was conceived ( That is why, after so much time, it cannot be changed, and that will therefore be essential in the future. But to be unsuccessful here is the attitude of players who buy a video game that has all the tools to be used decently and enjoy ruining others. Not the fact that the game itself prevents him from doing so. The problem common to many players is that they know the charter of their rights very well, but they do not consider the duties, first of all, respect for other players. It's news from yesterday that the developers of player unknown: Battlegrounds have banned 1.500.000 of cheater: one and a half million people. Video games and technology need to evolve, to be on the market and step by step. Perhaps it is time for the users to do so. Learning also to understand that everyone has the right right to prefer a game to another, and a particular feature of another, but at the same time trying to have a broader view of things, so that they enjoy their passion for 360 degrees, i.e. better, and more. For our part, we will do everything we can to please you.

 

[Edivad82]

Reiza vs Kunos? Automobilista vs Assetto Corsa? What are we talking about?
No, thanks. Automobilista and Assetto Corsa are two great Sim, both with merits and defects (perfection will always remain a utopia) but absolutely two titles that have done, do and will do the history of the simulations (on PC in my case). Long life to both. Thanks to them I rediscovered the passion for simulation after Gtr2.

 

[Rui Santos]

Lack of a dynamic racing line was one of the flaws AC allways had in my opinion. We could live all those years without night/day or rain, but a dynamic racing line was maybe the "most wanted" feature that really should be implemented since the beggining that could have avoided wars like "simcade vs simulation"...

When it comes to the development of AC2 i think it's more than predictable, after the huge success of the first series it would be STUPID to don't continue and develop a more complex project. The profit is guaranteed because all AC owners for sure will buy the next one, it's a win win situation for Kunos...

Guess that this time they've a great opportunity to create the best simulator ever created, the benchmark, it's just a matter of doing things right!

 

[Guillaume Francois]

https://www.facebook.com/marco.massarutto.1/posts/10210527537098637

thx mate

 

[Shaun Clarke]

I would personally like to thank Kunos and team, for the help they have given me in 2016/2017 and the incredible journey that I have been on.

Thank you guys and Happy New Year to you and to all the community members, thank you for your continued support and advice.

Regards

Shaun

 

[wombat999]

What would REALLY get my attention is a 64bit AC.........

 

[CC]

May AC2 have all the success of AC1 had and much more and lets hope the community create another 10k mods for it also

 

[Tbear]

As long as they keep the content we have already and I don't have to buy a new computer. My gamer is stretched nearly to the max.

 

[Edivad82]

May AC2 have all the success of AC1 had and much more and lets hope the community create another 10k mods for it also

I'll be ready!

 

[CC]

As long as they keep the content we have already and I don't have to buy a new computer. My gamer is stretched nearly to the max.

Backwards compatibility is whats needed here in this situation

 

[Matheus Machado]

What would REALLY get my attention is a 64bit AC.........

Isn't it already?

 

[CC]

Isn't it already?

64bit option for quite some time now

 

[GuitarTech]

64bit option for quite some time now

I'm downloading it from Steam as we speak , as I havn't used it for a while and wanted to save disc space, and it would interest me what version it loads when you start AC using the desktop icon: 32 or 64bit?
Or is it like R3E, where the 64bit version is loaded by default, and if you want to run it in 32bit stone age mode, you have to start it in Steam itself?

 

[Emerson Meyer]

What would REALLY get my attention is a 64bit AC.........

Attention deficit I guess?

 

[CC]

I'm downloading it from Steam as we speak , as I havn't used it for a while and wanted to save disc space, and it would interest me what version it loads when you start AC using the desktop icon: 32 or 64bit?
Or is it like R3E, where the 64bit version is loaded by default, and if you want to run it in 32bit stone age mode, you have to start it in Steam itself?

There is an option in the main UI I believe to force 32/64 bit ,
I believe here from looking its 64bit by default and you can force the lower 32bit ,
not totally sure man , cant remember last time I looked in here to be honest , these guys on here know way more than me

 

[Mr Deap]

Lack of a dynamic racing line was one of the flaws AC allways had in my opinion. We could live all those years without night/day or rain, but a dynamic racing line was maybe the "most wanted" feature that really should be implemented since the beggining that could have avoided wars like "simcade vs simulation"...

Players exaggerate a lot with the simcade stuff. It's mostly about the number of types of implemented physic simulated.

Simcade doesn't really exist as the correct term is only simulation. Some feel more realistic, some may feel less realistic.

Yes, Mario Kart is a sim.

 

[CC]

Players exaggerate a lot with the simcade stuff. It's mostly about the number of types of implemented physic simulated.

Simcade doesn't really exist as the correct term is only simulation. Some feel more realistic, some may feel less realistic.

Yes, Mario Kart is a sim.

Yes we discussed this before a while back , Mario Kart is a simulation , its simulating what the developers created ,
simulation is a pretty vague term I believe , PRS , Pure Racing Simulator ,
anything is a simulator if you built something to accurately represent your vision ,
like there was a farm simulator a while back with sheep or something

 

[Alex72]

actually graphicswise is nice, i especially like cockpits and shadows in vr, but imo they are too heavy on pp fx, especially blur and bloom. Since you dont play on ultra those effects may be lower for you so game looks crisper (thats the case with some games, especially when few effects are under one setting eg. arma 2 or pubg)

You dont need to have PP options on at all even if you play on ultra. You can turn them down individually and have everything else on max.

 

[GuitarTech]

There is an option in the main UI I believe to force 32/64 bit ,
I believe here from looking its 64bit by default and you can force the lower 32bit ,
not totally sure man , cant remember last time I looked in here to be honest , these guys on here know way more than me

Thanks for replying, now I see the pic from the menu it all comes back to me. 64bit default it is

 

[FeltHat]

You dont need to have PP options on at all even if you play on ultra. You can turn them down individually and have everything else on max.

yea i know
but u have to admit its not ultra anymore