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[isamu]

Y'know, November is going to be one hell of a kickass month. We're going to get the very first next generation home console, the X-360, as well as what is arguably going to be THE greatest FF steering wheel known to man, the *Speed 7 FF wheel*.

This got me wondering....could Tim and Simon Ball have purposefully delayed releasing the Speed7 wheel from July to November because they are working on getting it to support the Xbox 360? I am sure they are well aware that Project Gotham 3, Ridge Racer, and Need for Speed Most Wanted are going to be the hottest three racing games during that month and X360 owners will be yearning to get their hands on an FF wheel because those games will support it!

Norseman.....can you do me a favor? Can you please please PLEASE find out if the Speed7 wheel will be compatible with the Xbox 360 when they both launch in November? Can you find out if Tim and Simon are smart enough to realize that this would be a very good move on their part , to get this wheel working on the 360?


If you discover there are no plans to make it support the 360, then can you PLEASE let them know they are making a HUUUGE mistake by skipping Xbox support? Can you let them know that it shouldn't be that difficult to get a standard USB PC wheel working with the 360 as long as the game supports it?

Norseman....I am begging, begging, BEGGING you to please talk to Simon and Tim and see what they say. Please speak to them on behalf of those of us that want to play this wheel on our Xbox 360s! Let them know that not everyone is a PC sim head and some of us want to play arcade games with an expensive, high quality industrial and professional FF wheel!

Thanks man....we're counting on you!!!!!

 

[isamu]

I am gonna guess that most console owners arent going to want to spend the money that the BRD FF wheel is going to cost. I am thinking that high end PC gaming and console gaming are two completely different demographics/market sectors. Just an assumption on my part.

Steve

I agree mnypit and I get the feeling BRD will as well.

I think the new wheel is more aimed at serious simracing hobbyists and personally I do not think this includes many console owners because... Well, if they are serious they should probably be racing on thier PC!

However, the future of simracing could change considerably with the advent of the next generation consoles, depending on whether titles like Gran Turismo or Forza push themselves towards being solid simulators as opposed to covering the "halfway house" between sim and arcade. As it stands, Sony/Microsoft will have to develop these games to be playable on a joypad as this is what the majority of the demographic will be using, this brings compromise in the tyre model.

Of course, as with GTR different game modes could be used, it really depends on how much of a market for serious simracers on consoles is perceived by the developers.

I would have thought if things change in the next gen console market and serious sims start coming our way, then BRD will adapt the wheel to support the consoles. But I would be very susprised if there is support for it initially.

Jon.

Given that consoles standards (with controllers) keep changing, spendng £1000 on a wheel and pedal set for something which may not work on the next console in 3 years time is a bit much.

X-Box = Racegames

BRD = Racesims

::sigh::




All of you couldn't be anymore wrong.


Who's bright idea was it to stereotype all home console players and label them as "the crowd that only buys and plays with hand controllers"? Umm....excuse me, but have you noticed that sales of Logitech's Driving Force Pro FF wheels have skyrockted since the release of GT4?

The popularity of the Driving Force Pro on home consoles have risen substantially since GT4. More and more people are realizing that they wanna play their console racing games with a REAL controller! Not some crappy analog pad.


But even the Driving Force Pro isn't satisfyng enough!! I cannot begin to tell you how many people complained about the lack of high quality steering wheels for both the PS2 and Xbox. When responding with "Dude...what do you mean? The Driving Force Pro *IS* a high quality steering wheel for PS2.", their reply was always "Umm, it's alright, but I want something more professional and even HIGHER quality! I want an FF wheel without ANY plastic parts and made strictly out of either metal, aluminum, or stainless steel, with no notchy feel or play in the steering."

I have received email after email from people from all over various console gaming boards telling me things like the following...


"Isamu. Thank you for making your voice heard about the state of the console steering wheel market. I agree with you 100% that the Xbox and PS2 community needs a PROFESSIONALLY built True Force Feedback steering wheel, that costs over $1000 and IS NOT a toy!!! I really really really hope that that upcoming FF wheel you showed me from those guys called Ball Racing Sims supports the Xbox 360. I hope they realize how bad we will want to play our console games with a high quality True FF wheel."


Guys....this is just one of a number of emails I have received. What you need to realize is that just because a racing game is an arcade racing game, doesn't mean it should be played with a gamepad or crappy plastic wheel.

Let me ask you a question....if this is the case, how do you explain the fact the steering wheels that have been used on arcade cabinets for the past 30 years are sturdier, heavier, more industrially built and MUCH more expensive that the current wheels used by consumers in the PC market? So because a game like Sega's Daytona USA or Sega Rally Championship uses a wheel that could literally rip your arms apart, you wouldn't condone an adult going to the arcades and play them? Do you consider the 20 somethings and 30 somethings that play Daytona USA for a living in Japan too softcore for you hardcore Sim-heads? Does their taste for arcade games and their dislike for all PC racing sims mean that you guys are "above" them? What would you guys do if you went to an arcade and they had analog gamepads strapped to their cabinets instead of steering wheels? Would you think that's appropriate?


You guys need to take another look at the home console arcade racing loving crowd, and just who you're talking to. Stop assuming it's only kids who only want to pick up a small gamepad and play Burnout 3 for a few minutes. I can guarantee you the demographic has changed DRAMATICALLY


Isamu has spoken.

 

[Gek54]

If devs are smart they will support the DFP as well as whatever MS officially supports.

 

[isamu]

If devs are smart they will support the DFP as well as whatever MS officially supports.

Good point. But here the million dollar question....

If the 360 has standard USB ports, and the racing game in question has FF support code built in, then why wouldn't a standard USB PC TFF support the game? Has MS made ANY comment on this? Why would Team Xbox say in one of their articles that there are a number of third party manufactuers currently making FF wheels for the 360? WHO CARES.... when all 360 players have to do is buy an existing PC FF wheel?

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

Why would Team Xbox say in one of their articles that there are a number of third party manufactuers currently making FF wheels for the 360? WHO CARES.... when all 360 players have to do is buy an existing PC FF wheel?

Microsoft locks out unauthorized peripherals; company to receive a cut of all third-party accessory sales for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft is looking to squeeze a profit out of the gaming market with a new royalty program tied to the release of its next Xbox console.

Only accessory makers that get Microsoft's blessing--by forking over a slice of their sales to the software maker--will be able to produce Xbox 360 gamepads, steering wheels, joysticks, and other controllers.

It'll only support wheels blessed by Microsoft? That's what I get from this quote. LAME!

 

[Gek54]

That is supper lame. I am pretty sure even Sony developer, Evolution Studios supported non-playstation licensed wheels.

 

[Uncle Dukey]

Doesn't GT4 not support the MOMO wheel?

 

[isamu]

It'll only support wheels blessed by Microsoft? That's what I get from this quote. LAME!

That is lame to THE FUCKING MAX! No wonder 3rd party devs are doing their own wheel! I guess this squashes any chances of Ball Racing's FF wheel having native support for the 360....still, I'm sure a custom interface box would definitely be possible from either them, or a couple third party arcade controller modders I know...hehe

 

[Ryudo]

Doesn't GT4 not support the MOMO wheel?

True, but it does have the DFP.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Who's bright idea was it to stereotype all home console players and label them as "the crowd that only buys and plays with hand controllers"? Umm....excuse me, but have you noticed that sales of Logitech's Driving Force Pro FF wheels have skyrockted since the release of GT4?

The popularity of the Driving Force Pro on home consoles have risen substantially since GT4. More and more people are realizing that they wanna play their console racing games with a REAL controller! Not some crappy analog pad.

There isn't a viable market for wheels like that. Would they sell? Yah a little, but its not going to be anything significant or anything close to what the DFP does. There are people that think that the DFP is expensive, and this thing has pedals that costs more than double that of the DFP. That's what they're talking about. Stuff like this are for the people that go out and build racing cabinets to play games like GT in and that's an extremely small percentage of people that buy the series.

 

[isamu]

There isn't a viable market for wheels like that. Would they sell? Yah a little, but its not going to be anything significant or anything close to what the DFP does. There are people that think that the DFP is expensive, and this thing has pedals that costs more than double that of the DFP. That's what they're talking about. Stuff like this are for the people that go out and build racing cabinets to play games like GT in and that's an extremely small percentage of people that buy the series.

SSX what are you trying to say?