iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations has acquired ex-NASCAR Heat developers Monster Games which could see the service bring its expertise to the console market.
Image credit: Monster Games
The developers of the leading simulation racing title iRacing have bought out the studio that developed the first four NASCAR Heat titles, Tony Stewart’s All-American Racing and SRX: The Game: Monster Games. This comes not too long after they also acquired Orontes Games, the developers of DRAG.
iRacing maintains that the acquisition of Monster Games and Orontes Games will not get in the way of their core focus, that being continuing to develop the simulator and adding new content. They did note that having Monster Games onboard will “further the company’s ability to bring the highest quality racing games to the broader market, including the console space.”
“The acquisition will bring another level of expertise under the iRacing roof, and further the company’s ability to bring the highest quality racing games to the broader market, including the console space.”https://t.co/UAlspmZwUY
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) January 4, 2022
Is iRacing coming to console?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We are perhaps still many years out from very large simulation titles like iRacing could ever come to a PlayStation or Xbox, but it doesn’t mean that more console-centric titles couldn’t adopt many of iRacing‘s own methods when it comes to developing handling models or tyre physics.
That corner of the market could benefit from simulation developer’s expertise but that goes the other way as well, as the people at both Monster and Orontes could provide a new perspective that would benefit iRacing. In any case, it bodes well for fans of both sides of the gaming world.
Monster Games president and owner Rich Garcia worked with iRacing CEO and CTO Dave Kaemmer at Papyrus Racing.
Dave Kaemmer:
We are at a point as a company that we are comfortable building out these two new teams to explore the broader racing game market to ultimately funnel serious sim racers to our flagship product iRacing on the PC. Rich and the Monster team will be an important part of that strategy as we use our code and experience to bring their games to another level. I am very excited to be working with Rich again, as well as the extremely talented team at Monster Games.
Rich Garcia:
I’m really excited for the future of Monster Games and iRacing,” said Garcia. “To be working with my longtime friend and colleague Dave once again is awesome. Our studios will really complement each other’s and I fully expect to see positive impacts on both products. To now have tools and resources, and quite frankly time, to build these games and to do it with the leading racing simulation company in the marketplace is beyond exciting for me. I can’t wait to get started!
Monster have a project currently in the pipeline that they will continue to develop on, nothing has been announced just yet but with iRacing‘s expertise, it’s sure to benefit in some way and bring elements of the software to a wider audience. Could this spell a beginning of the console market recieving the luxuries that PC racing sims have enjoyed for many years?
What do you make of Monster Games acquisition by iRacing? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
