Driving sim better than real life?
Gamers drive same track in game and real-life
Just how real have video games become these days? Popular Science magazine aimed to find out by putting Microsoft Game Studios’ highly anticipated and critically acclaimed Xbox driving simulator, Forza Motorsport, to the test in the cover story of their April 2005 issue, which hit US newsstands on 15 March 2005.
The story examines the blurred lines between reality and virtual reality by comparing and contrasting the performances of two drivers on the real-life and virtual American Le Mans Series track Road Atlanta.
“The drivers weren’t really racing against one another,” said the magazine's motoring and aviation editor Eric Adams. “The most scientific way of testing Forza Motorsport’s realism was to look at how the drivers performed against themselves – in real life and on Xbox.”
Popular Science equipped American Le Mans Series racer Gunnar Jeannette and veteran racing gamer RJ DeVera with the ultimate video game driving rig, which included the all-new Fanatec Speedster ForceShock steering wheel, a VRX Sparco Pro2000 racing seat and a 50-inch plasma screen television to serve as a virtual windshield.
The drivers sampled six of the more than 200 cars in Forza Motorsport – from modification-friendly, 240-horsepower Volkswagen Golf R32 to mind-blowing 605-horsepower Porsche Carrera GT – on the Xbox digital version of Road Atlanta. Jeannette and DeVera were then given the keys to take those same six cars around the track on the real-life course and instructed to report any similarities or differences.
“Forza Motorsport is an incredible driving simulation that we’ve been working on for more than three years and are extremely proud of,” said Dan Greenawalt, Lead Designer, Forza Motorsport. “When Popular Science – a publication that prides itself on technology and innovation – came to us with the idea to put the physics and realism of Forza to the test, we jumped at the opportunity.”
In the end, the study yielded uncanny results with eerie similarities between the drivers’ hot lap times, shift points and apexes on the track and in the game. One factor that could not be replicated by Forza or any driving simulator, though, was the element of human fear.
“Head-to-head, the performances were very similar, with lap times in the game consistently a handful of seconds faster than those recorded on the track,” said Adams. “I think that’s mainly because in the simulator, the drivers started out at a maximum and took the no-fear approach. That is, if they took a corner too sharp and hit a wall, they knew they could always start the race over without any consequence. The fear of real-life impact at 150mph is probably what prevented Gunnar and RJ from taking that same approach on the track, and ultimately what prevented them from reaching the benchmarks they set in Forza.”
No Darwin Awards there, then.
Forza Motorsport ships on 3 May 2005 and will be available at for $49.99 (theoretically about £26.00); real-world UK prices may well be higher as they so often are.
Smooth inputs and proper lines taken in the video game are rewarded with tidy handling and apropriately faster lap times, and the sensitivity of the controls make it possible to produce incredibly consistent results, lap after lap. All the rules of conserving momentum, weight transfer etc. are faithfully reproduced. Tyres even wear independently, depending on their loads.
I also tried the Nurburgring in the game. The entire track is supposed to accurate right down to a few millimetres - cambers, kerbs, bumps, elevation changes and all. I'd love to hear from someone who's actually played the game AND driven the real-life Ring.
The article is right about the fear factor though: there isn't much of one, so that thrill (and the raw feedback) won't be replaced any time soon. But for those of us who can't afford to journey to the Ring, let alone own an M3 CSL, these games can be a pretty good fix.
A few of the kerbs aren't quite right either. Adenauer Forst is wrong in that regard and the right hand kerb into the Wippermann is an area where you can cut yards of track off in real life. Try that in the game and you get bumped onto the grass on the outside of the circuit.
Having said that, most of the time the game isn't punishing enough of incorrect kerb clips and grassy shortcuts. It seems possible to take huge liberties with line in GT4 accelerating from Pflanzgarten to Schwalbenschwanz, whereas in real life there are some kerbs that would put you into the armco damn quickly if you got anywhere near them.
The abrupt change in camber and gradient of Kallenhard doesn't translate to GT4 either. Plus they should have modelled the burger van in the Brunnchen car park!
The other thing - not a GT4 fault - is that it's already out of date due to the fact that bits of the track are being resurfaced.
Try GTR from SimBin and you'll be in more for the fear factor! Crash once and start your laps over again (if you left damage on for extra realism...) As far as I know, it's the most realistic sim i've tried or seen!
I haven't tried GT4 (graphics look better than GTR) or Forza but I've been playing GTR for the past 3 months and have both raced and tracked Francorchamps and the Ring.
The Nurburgring track is an add-on for GTR (which limits itself to the 2003 FIA GT races) so it's not as perfect as Spa is.
Spa in GTR is definitely an exact replica of Spa in real life - including the feel of the curb's vibrators, and different road surfaces of the circuit! The Chicane is the 2003 model (changed in 2004).
The Ring is awesome though! Very very similar (although no cigar for the decor)... But it's quite real. I'll have to see it's curb exactness compared to the videos I've made!
The cars are what is totally surprising. I own a Z3 Coupe (140 HP less powerful than in the game) however both my car and GTR's feel very much the same except for the lack of Gs naturally!
There are interesting times
that was about 5 years ago now, you can imagine what the sims will be like in 5 years from now.
Dr Strangelove said:
I was at Silverstone with the Orange team a few years ago. The reserve drive (south african) bloke was invitied by Microprose to 'race' their then brand new Geoff Crammond's GP3. He came back to the garage in a very excited state, saying that it was a very, very realistic sim. They did have a 'full rig' setup complete with 'motion' cockpit and all that.
that was about 5 years ago now, you can imagine what the sims will be like in 5 years from now.
I wouldn't be suprised if GP3 is a much better sim then GT4 or Forza though, as Crammond is a complete perfectionist and enthusiast from what i've read of interviews etc. The console games really don't match up to the PC sims (GPL/GTR, and maybe GP3). I have GP3 but i never really played it much as i got into GPL at the same time and GPL is so fun because sliding doesn't make you (much) slower...
Cheers,
Rob.
GPL and GTR take the realism to another level yes, but dont forget GPL was a commercial flop when it came out. It was too hard. The average gamer (non-petrolhead?) couldnt keep the car on the track! A hardcore of enthusiasts have kept the interest up and it still is an outstanding game.
IMO you cant really directly compare the two sorts of games
echo the comments wipperman right hander being wrong, phlansgarten just didnt feel right somehow not sure what and the whole kallenhard downhill MHM to breidsheid doesnt convey the arse clenching gradient enough.
from real track knowledge i knew what gear to be in at anytime and where on the track to be so i guess if you can set a good time in game you will know the track pretty well, at least which way it goes and how fast. great game.
Awesome game though, doing a lap of the Ring after a sh!t day of work is soooo therapuedic. Now just to scam enough credits to buy a couple Chaparrals, the E-Type, and the Auto Union
) cheers
Kurt
bad_roo said:
The Nurburgring representation is rather good, especially the sight lines out of the car and so on. What's not so realistic is the car physics where they jump, dive and squat rather too much. Stand by the side of Quiddelbacher Hohe at the Nurburgring and you'll occasionally see a car pick up a wheel or two. In GT4, even modestly powered cars are flying yards off it.
A few of the kerbs aren't quite right either. Adenauer Forst is wrong in that regard and the right hand kerb into the Wippermann is an area where you can cut yards of track off in real life. Try that in the game and you get bumped onto the grass on the outside of the circuit.
Having said that, most of the time the game isn't punishing enough of incorrect kerb clips and grassy shortcuts. It seems possible to take huge liberties with line in GT4 accelerating from Pflanzgarten to Schwalbenschwanz, whereas in real life there are some kerbs that would put you into the armco damn quickly if you got anywhere near them.
The abrupt change in camber and gradient of Kallenhard doesn't translate to GT4 either. Plus they should have modelled the burger van in the Brunnchen car park!
The other thing - not a GT4 fault - is that it's already out of date due to the fact that bits of the track are being resurfaced.
Driving it on your own not having a race is much better, you can go fast where you want to, and then take the dangerous bits slowly.
It feels really good when your not racing.
However, when racing, and in lisences, to win or get gold your on the ragged edge for too long, and it really takes the fun out of the Ring. It's not a ragged edge track, it's a technical track you'd drive smoothly in real life.
Considering the way I had to rag an Audi TT in one of the lisences, in real life the brakes would be on fire after five minutes of driving like that.
Until tyres and brakes and even the engine overheat because your thrashing it, it won't be any good at the Ring.
The fast cars, like racers etc are better, but road cars just can't take that kinda stick for lap on lap doing those kind of lap times your expected to do to win!
Getting my 900 degree wheel soon, so hope that adds something to the game. Use it for my PC sims too, so it should be useful there too!
I like GT4, but I think Forza with a decent steering wheel and *online* in particular will win it lots more friends! The AI in GT4 is sh*te...
Dave
www.nurburgring.org.uk/who/details.php?u=185
Mk2 Golfs aren't exactly rare at the ring!
these are my rides:
www.nurburgring.org.uk/who/details.php?u=167
what do you drive? See you there at easter? My ride is still up in the air, Europcar Dresden wants my 116i back tomorrow, best they have to offer in exchange (that my company will pay for) is a 2L diesel A3. If they have a new 3er, SLK, or something else interesting will poney up the cash myself. Oh and of course if they have a smart roadster by then that'll do!
Kurt
bad_roo said:
Kedelbach,
Are you the Kurt who drives the Ring in a Mk2 Golf?
>> Edited by kedelbach on Thursday 17th March 16:53
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