SimBin: 'Don't worry about bankruptcy rumours'

[Howard]

Various websites have posted news regarding potential bankruptcy of SimBin Studios AB, here's a little substantiated clarification.

RaceDepartment understands that the current SimBin Studios AB company is undergoing a large restructuring. Current projects, such as R3E, are expected to be continued under the new banner of the new studio.

It is understood that there have been a handful of job losses at SimBin, however the majority of the development team is expected to remain at the 'new' studio. We'd like to wish those who have lost their jobs all the best in finding a new position.

We're confident that the information we're providing to you is up-to-date and correct, and is not based on speculation from social media.

SimBin's own @Jay Ekkel said, on RaceDepartment's forums:

Ill keep it short and sweet for now.

New Studio, new (tbd) name, new location, (almost) the same team. And most importantly we will continue the development of the project(s).

More (good) news will follow soon (tm)

Don't worry about it, services and development will continue as planned.

There's nothing to worry about in regards to support of current games, or the release of future games. Content that has already been purchased will still function as normal.

Image: SimBin Studios AB​

 

[Christian Casey]

Shame about Simbin, GTR2 is my all time fave.

Top tip Simbin: GTR3 or a proper DTM sim.

 

[Majuh]

Why is everyone asking for GTR3? What is it supposed to feature anyway? The FIA GT Series is dead.

 

[Peter Johnson]

See, this is why. GTR3 was not used.

 

[ajokay]

Why is everyone asking for GTR3? What is it supposed to feature anyway? The FIA GT Series is dead.

But Blancpain is alive and well. Endurance races seeing fields of more than 50 cars, Sprint series with a grid of over 20, and thats before you think about British GT and ADAC GT Masters run by the same people. French, Italian, Spanish, Australian, Asian and Benelux have similar national GT series. Then there's Pirelli World Challenge, Super GT and the Creventic (24HSeries) which feature GT3 machinery somewhere.

FIA GT Series may be dead, but the GT3 machinery (the base of most of the world's current GT series and a fair amount of the GT cars in R3E) is most certainly not.

 

[Emerson Meyer]

Not to worry? Tell me how. This is a business right? For both sides. I am a customer here.
And we have paid yet.
Enough with "support the team", and blah, blah, blah...I did it. Hotlapping for one and a half year with all the content.
Based on promises and expectations, between vacations and delays, I have the right to be pissed now.
The support will continue? Really? How? What are the planes? Dates?

 

[Ben Lee]

But Blancpain is alive and well. Endurance races seeing fields of more than 50 cars, Sprint series with a grid of over 20, and thats before you think about British GT and ADAC GT Masters run by the same people. French, Italian, Spanish, Australian, Asian and Benelux have similar national GT series. Then there's Pirelli World Challenge, Super GT and the Creventic (24HSeries) which feature GT3 machinery somewhere.

FIA GT Series may be dead, but the GT3 machinery (the base of most of the world's current GT series and a fair amount of the GT cars in R3E) is most certainly not.

They would never get the required Porsche and Ferrari licences to have a fully faithful GT3 grid.

For me, the rot started with the RACE series. GTL and GTR2 were great pieces of work, not perfect, but they were of a higher quality. RACE had fewer features, if anything, (arguably) worse netcode, and just generally wasnt as polished in many areas.

 

[Olivier Mandavy]

We need now a quick statement from Simbin about what will be the plan because the customer's trust is weak after this story.

 

[Tony Gentile]

SimBin they are still the coolest sim producers

 

[Ernie]

We need now a quick statement from Simbin about what will be the plan because the customer's trust is weak after this story.

Posted by Jay Ekkel yesterday on Steam: (Source)

To clatify for you.

The development of Raceroom Racing Experience aka THE Project, will continue as ever.

It is what I said it is, we are moving studios to a new town, we are most likely getting a new name, we might stick to the old name who knows, Sadly enough we will loose some people in the process. But one of the reason of moving is to get better recruitement options, we are now located in the middle of "nowhere" which makes it hard to convince people to move to location when we want too.The to be announced location is going to give us so much options!

But most importantly development of R3E amd its services will continue.You cars and track will remain available. Lets not forget that we are the same studios that is keeping servers running for our 10+ years old games!

We will keep you posted with more news!

 

[Jay Ekkel]

Thanks @Frank Lehmann!

As said before, the development hasn't stopped what so ever. We had hoped to bring the sad news of the studio stopping and the good news of the new studio continuing development at the same time.

It would have not caused many if any at all question marks if things went as planned, but plans have a habit of changing.

We feel this is going to do us good. We stood still for a moment and thought about what was best for the studio, its development and the best way forward.

 

[Christian Casey]

Why is everyone asking for GTR3? What is it supposed to feature anyway? The FIA GT Series is dead.

See, this is why. GTR3 was not used.

Lol, you guys realise what GTR stands for yeah?

 

[Botond Nagy]

+1 sad. but true.

Not to worry? Tell me how. This is a business right? For both sides. I am a customer here.
And we have paid yet.
Enough with "support the team", and blah, blah, blah...I did it. Hotlapping for one and a half year with all the content.
Based on promises and expectations, between vacations and delays, I have the right to be pissed now.
The support will continue? Really? How? What are the planes? Dates?

 

[Jay Ekkel]

I can understand the frustration, I have the same with other games I signed up for in their beta/alpha phase, but I guess i have a good understanding why things can take a while...

Lets not forget games take many years to develop so please correct me if I am wrong with these dates....

AC is in its 5th or 6th year of development.
RF2 announced mid 2009...5 years in development now
pCars/WMD started end 2011, so 3,5 years now (big team)
R3E is at year halfway the 2nd year (1,5 year) of development.

In the bigger picture we have only just started....

None the less, we are all ears about what is you would like to hear from us.

Lets not forget I can tell you right now what it is we would like to do, but I cant promise if you will get it, and if you will get it, when you will get it.

I like to share information based on that premiss, I rather not have us turn into a 2nd Peter Molynuex...

I rather under promise and get some slack for not telling, then breaking a promise by not delivering.

 

[Christian Casey]

Fair call but I think the frustration comes from having a fully working DLC model without a game.

Edit: I'm not entirely fussed, I installed on release, uninstalled, reinstalled recently, threw on $140, spent up, then was surprised with the content, I have to wait another 3 years to see my return?
But as stated not hugely fussed, tho I can sympathise with others.

 

[Jay Ekkel]

yeah, its fair enough and completely understandable to be eagerly anticipating SP for R3E and MP for R3E. More fun and value for the buck!

 

[Christian Casey]

Thanks Jay, I'm sure it will all pan out in the end.

 

[Tim Meuris]

well, a bit of a shocker reading all of this
but let's hope it does their physics some good

 

[Majuh]

Lol, you guys realise what GTR stands for yeah?

I do, but I also remember what GTR and GTR2 featured and therefore I think there can't be a successor of these games anymore.

 

[Craig Stevenson]

Sorry Jay but the fact that you are persisting with Pay2Play shows that "we are all ears about what is you would like to hear from us" is just hot air, it's quite clear from this thread and others what people really want from you guys and Pay2Play isn't it!.

The SimBin\R3E\RaceRoom\What-ever-you're-going-to-be-called Pay2Play model remains complete lunacy, Christian says he has spent $140, I've spent over £50, on what, there is NO GAME there and people are still being encouraged to throw stupid amounts of money at it.

 

[Andy Kettler]

There is no game ? Then please tell me what have i played 425 hours.