WRC9 WRC 9 The Game

[Paul Jeffrey]

WRC 9 is just around the corner, and one of the new locations set to make an appearance in the game is the New Zealand Rally - with some first preview imagery from the states now out in the public domain.

Set to release on console and PC in September this year, with next gen console release slated for a little while afterwards, the ninth instalment of the WRC game series (can you believe we are on number 9 already?!?) looks to be shaping up rather nicely over at KT Racing - so much so that the studio have decided to release some preview footage from an early build version of the title - and already it looks fantastic.

As per usual, the upcoming game enjoys the official licence of the FIA World Rally Championship, this time taking the opportunity to recreate the 2020 season that is currently on hold, and as such returning favourites such as the Safari Rally in Kenya, Rally Japan and the featured Rally New Zealand.

“Roads in New-Zealand are amongst the most beautiful and the most appreciated in the Championship’s history.” tells Benoît Gomes, Lead Level Designer at KT Racing.​

“Famous for its fast chains of turns and a sustained pace rhythm, along with breath-taking landscapes, Rally New-Zealand truly offers a particular experience. A long preparation work allowed us to replicate, as closely as possible, the luxuriant vegetation, the light and unique ocean views, as well as the road’s topography and surfaces, mainly composed of gravel. We’re convinced that players will enjoy taking up this challenge as much as we did in WRC 9.” concludes Benoît Gomes.​

WRC 9 Key Features:

• 3 new rallies: Japan, New Zealand, Kenya
• Over 50 official teams and their livery from the WRC, WRC 2, WRC 3 and Junior WRC
• Over 15 bonus cars that have left their mark on the history of the WRC
• Exclusive new game modes soon to be discovered

WRC 9 will release on Xbox One, PS4, PC this September 3rd.

Want to know more about this new game? No worries, keep an eye out for the upcoming WRC 9 sub forum here at RaceDepartment to engage with your fellow sim racing fans.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I wonder how they make money via Epic Store.

Epic pays for a set number of sales.
Let's say they need a sale of 120k units on PC to break even, and they expect 150k. Then Epic pays for 150k units sold, and for the 150k first units sold at Epic, they keep all the money. Then they split it for every sale after 150k.

That's my understanding of how they have done those exclusive deals.

I love people crying about a game being offered on a different store than the one they like (despite the fact the one they don't like is far more forthcoming to the game developers and publishers).

I just don't like the way Epic Games does these things, they way they portrait themselves etc. So I stay away.
I have no issues with multiple launchers though, uPlay and Origin is installed and used.

 

[Alexandre]

It doesn't look like a next-gen game for me.

 

[Metla]

I love people crying about a game being offered on a different store than the one they like.

I think its absurd that retailers expect me to install and run a front end just to run the item I purchased, To me the point of purchase is irrelevant, But I see no reason to install and run that "store" when its the product I purchased that I want to run. I express this view by not purchasing their products.

So well done them.

It would be like having Harvey Norman (obnoxious real world retailer in Aussie) insisting on putting a small tv beside the big TV I purchased in my lounge, and I would have to turn on the small TV with Harvey Norman branding and interface before I could access the TV I purchased and intend to use.

Pointless crap to contain the end user in a commercial market space, and its not for our benefit.

 

[Case_]

I think its absurd that retailers expect me to install and run a front end just to run the item I purchased, To me the point of purchase is irrelevant, But I see no reason to install and run that "store" when its the product I purchased that I want to run. I express this view by not purchasing their products.

That is of course a perfectly valid approach, as long as you apply it to Steam as well, meaning you don't buy games that require Steam to run (= "expect you to install and run a front end just to run the item you purchased").

 

[Metla]

That is of course a perfectly valid approach, as long as you apply it to Steam as well, meaning you don't buy games that require Steam to run (= "expect you to install and run a front end just to run the item you purchased").

Nice.( i shall now stand in the hole I just dug)

I would avoid steam if I could, and I did for as long as I possibly could. So, yes, I do use it but only because its forced on me.

I have also installed store front ends from other companies (ubisoft) but as soon as I finish the game its tagged onto I uninstall the game and the front end.If I ever get sick of AC, ACC and Wreckfest then steam will go as well.

 

[Shannon Flynn]

The only place around my house that sells beer I like is the liquor store.

I only go the grocery store, so I buy either crappy or no beer.

 

[erba72]

Hehm, I have a serious question guys :
What is the name of the epic music at 50 seconds into the video ?

 

[sonicviz]

I have WRC8, but that NZ footage doesn't do it for me. I know it's alpha, but it just looks too "sharp", could be smoothed a touch.
DR2 NZ looks better, plus it's in VR.

Is there no VR in WRC 9? Really?

 

[TechnoRacerX]

Looks good. if they got some fixes on the physics, i'm in.

 

[kmanitou]

Epic lack of interest.

 

[tlsmikey]

This game comes down to ffb and maybe triple screen support. If those aren’t good I’m out.

 

[BloodSinking]

Physics looks worse than Wrc8. Don't know what they are doing to be honest.

 

[cteters]

The stages are normally breathtaking and some Japanese asphalt should be a blast, but still no telemetry support from my understanding. Although I bet they get FOV right this time.

 

[HoiHman]

The stages are normally breathtaking and some Japanese asphalt should be a blast, but still no telemetry support from my understanding. Although I bet they get FOV right this time.

And.... no telemetry support means

- No accuforce support
- No simvibe support
- No simhub support
- No SFX100 support
- No windsim support
- No GS-5 support

So......Again no buy for me

 

[tpw]

I just hope they have sorted the frame-pacing issues. Loved the game but on a 144hz monitor even at 90fps I'd get stuttering, which seemed to affect a lot of people.

Yep, the stuttering regardless of settings eventually killed WRC8 for me.

 

[tomythto]

I don’t want to be the one who says “The king is naked” but it is wrc 8. Even particle generation mechanism is same; line by line no smoothness. No buy for me either. Wrc8 is already a regretful buy for me.
Anyway why would anybody buy WRC 9 if they will barely update it like wrc8 and leave us alone with an unfinished buggy game. And after sells they move on for WRC 10? Other developers give 3-4 years for a game and kyloton just do it in 1 year? Don’t be fool and don’t expect much.

 

[Sébastien Degraeve]

VR anyone?

 

[Nevini]

I really fail to understand this faux hate and virtue signalling for the Epic store. Steam needs the competition, Steam became Lazy and Greedy. Just like apple a 30 percent cut is pure greed. If I was developer I would be all over EPIC, steam can go and take a jump.

However I have over 400 games on steam and about 25 on epic a dozen or so on Origin and half a dozen on GOG and ubisoft.
I admit, not a fan of multiple launchers, I buy my games from the cheapest not always direct I use cd keys etc and greenman.

As games are no longer hard copies and its all digital with painful DRM, competition is good a monoply is GREED and creates complacency.

Back to the game, not buying as it will not support VR just like codemasters F1 and at the end of the day its an ARCADE game that is intentionally hard to make some think its a sim..

 

[kmanitou]

I really fail to understand this faux hate and virtue signalling for the Epic store. Steam needs the competition, Steam became Lazy and Greedy. Just like apple a 30 percent cut is pure greed. If I was developer I would be all over EPIC, steam can go and take a jump.

However I have over 400 games on steam and about 25 on epic a dozen or so on Origin and half a dozen on GOG and ubisoft.
I admit, not a fan of multiple launchers, I buy my games from the cheapest not always direct I use cd keys etc and greenman.

As games are no longer hard copies and its all digital with painful DRM, competition is good a monoply is GREED and creates complacency.

Back to the game, not buying as it will not support VR just like codemasters F1 and at the end of the day its an ARCADE game that is intentionally hard to make some think its a sim..

There's no competition if it's an exclusive.

 

[turbo86]

and if they released it as dlc other people would complain.

I don't see anyone complaining about the free DLCs in ETS2 and ATS.
I don't see anyone complaining about fairly priced DLCs for other games.
Hell i don't see anyone complaining about the super expensive DLCs one some simulators.
The only complains i hear about DLCs are when some greedy publishers sell them at outrageous prices for the content they offer.
In the end,if the price is right for the content you get, i don't say no to payed DLC policy.