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.

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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!

 

[FeltHat]

Awesome and correctly spelt title.
i hope for more racing series, hopefully full grids, also day/night, weather and stuff, also crisply clean and clear graphics instead of this blurry mess

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Awesome and correctly spelt title.

Edited it for ya

lol thanks man, updated

 

[Deleted member 223075]

Awesome and correctly spelt title.
i hope for more racing series, hopefully full grids, also day/night, weather and stuff, also crisply clean and clear graphics instead of this blurry mess

I think we can't have night and weather conditions. The game engine can't have multiple light source. THe only solution is to create a new game engine so probably for AC2. To bad that Kunos haven't thinking about night and weather condition in the beginning of Assetto Corsa.

 

[FeltHat]

I think we can't have night and weather conditions. The game engine can't have multiple light source. THe only solution is to create a new game engine so probably for AC2. To bad that Kunos haven't thinking about night and weather condition in the beginning of Assetto Corsa.

oh, i hope for all this stuff in ac2, i doubt for free engine update

 

[CC]

Awesome work guys , what an adventure!!

 

[Kurupt CDN]

Hopefully the new hires can bring weather, night to day transition and a more advanced live track techknowledge with loose surface physics to the sim to advance this title more .....but by the sound of things the current engine is tapped out like Raceroom and will most likely have to wait for the next title.
One can keep hoping

 

[Serge.M]

Take that pic of the fireworks and brighten it (a lot). It’s the first corner of spa, at night

 

[Inbekannt]

I hope they do it like Project Cars 2, a new game with all the content of the previos one.

 

[Serge.M]

I hope they do it like Project Cars 2, a new game with all the content of the previos one.

Hope that’s the only thing they do like PC2... well, that and maybe the prety weather

 

[Epistolarius]

Hopefully the new hires can bring weather, night to day transition and a more advanced live track techknowledge with loose surface physics to the sim to advance this title more .....but by the sound of things the current engine is tapped out like Raceroom and will most likely have to wait for the next title.
One can keep hoping

Well to me it sounds like they're developing a new/updating their existing engine in-house that allows them to implement features like that. I was hoping they go with something like UE4... but developing everything in-house does give them freedom to do whatever they want.

Take that pic of the fireworks and brighten it (a lot). It’s the first corner of spa, at night

Yep, and to me it does look like a in-engine screenshot, because it doesn't quite look real (clouds and sky in particular). So this might be our earliest look at what's to come (in very early WIP form). But I could well be wrong and it's just some photo or shopped image.

 

[melanieuk]

The clouds look like Kunos clouds.
There is also a poster of a Porsche on a night green hell, floating around in a recent video interview, the Race Department staff had with Kunos at the Simracing Expo, the night sky and clouds plus stars in the night sky, looks very similar to the night image shown.

 

[NASCRAP]

Of course we all want night and rain in the next iteration. I also want more of the racing part simulated.

In short, I want Kunos to emulate Reiza in that department.

I want Reiza to emulate Kunos in GT car variety.

 

[darkelf1]

1. Good luck, began to play AC from 2015, bring my good memory of GTR2 back...

 

[Edivad82]

Thanks Kunos but also THANKS to the community (professional and private modder) that has given us and will continue to give us fantastic mods improving our dear Assetto Corsa more and more.

 

[thepharcyde]

Rain / 24 hours cycles next please

 

[Edivad82]

I hope they do it like Project Cars 2, a new game with all the content of the previos one.

New game (AC2?) but compatible with actually AC mods. Always completely moddable not as PC2. Planet Mods is the fuel of AC (7522 files/mod only on RD).
Surely improvements as weather (rain), night and day (with correct car and tracks lights) and a better AI (for Offline). And a correct reflections on the mirrors in external camera. I hate them!

 

[clemencaman]

I am on AC since early access in 2013, you have done such a great work since this days guys ! To bring AC to VR was a real great step for me, for the game and for the community, since my first VR drive with the Rift i kicked my plasma tv system and i will never go back!

Thx for the great work guys !

Lookinf forward to see rain and daycyle in AC hopefully in 2019

 

[sissydriver]

on marcos faceook account there is a really interesting "wall of text", as stefano says, nice to read

 

[Mike Shaw]

Keep up the good work guys,long may it continue,looking forward to your much appreciated commitment and effort in 2018,happy new year to you all.