Auto Sport Driving (Mac Racing Sim) Now Available on Mac App Store...

[JaguarGod]

For more information please go to the Official Site of the Auto Sport Driving game here or to the Official Auto Sport Driving Facebook Page.

Updated News as of May 26th 2012:
1. ANNOUNCEMENT! SiniScope is very excited to announce a unique partnership with Batterseas and Race Driver Frank Hart, which have agreed to be the featured real-life racing driver in Auto Sport Driving - Siniscope's motorsport simulator for Macs.

Frank Hart Racing
Batterseas

Frank's helmet and likeness will be featured along with advertisements for his website, FrankHartRacing.com, and Batterseas. Players will be able to select a car very similar to the Mazda2 Frank pilots in Grand-Am TOTAL Performance Showcase, and compete against his AI replicant in competitive races comprising of the same vehicle. Or you can select and play as Frank himself – put him on pole where he belongs!

Updated News as of April 26th 2012:
1. Version 1.2.0 (which includes the 357F Series) is now available as a free update with Version 1.3.0 coming soon from the Mac App Store!

Just to let any Mac racers out there know, I have now officially released the first game in my Auto Precision Driving Series. The game is called simply enough..... "Auto Sport Driving". It is the first in a new series of Mac racing games (hey, the Windows side has enough of them to choose from ) that will eventually include this sports car racing title along with stock car and truck, Open Wheel, Cart and Rally games. It is a small title due to the fact that my development studio consists of me and...well...me. Paolo Cattani (physics guru and engine creator) was a prime consultant during the development of the game and will continue to do so for the next games in the series. But remember, this is a small title. I want to bring a really nice driving and racing experience to the Mac that is a little more realistic, but not impossible. Also, the AI is smart, smooth and tough to beat on higher levels. The AI is some of the best in any sim on Mac or PC.

Here are some features of Auto Sport Driving
- Realistic Physics Engine
- Stereoscopic 3D Technology (Anaglyph/Anachrome Tested)(Shutter tech is actually implemented, but will not run on any Mac gfx cards yet)
- Wheel and Gamepad Support with FFB* (Logitech and Macally tested)
- Online Racing with Lobby Support
- Scalable graphics options to accommodate all Intel Macs
- Cockpit Views to heighten the immersion
- Pick-up-and-play (most tuning options have been removed in this version to appeal to the casual gaming crowd also. Hardcore versions may come later)

*FFB has been disabled (actually left out) in Lion, but can be easily put back in. FFB works with Logitech wheels only on Lion right now. Thrustmaster wheels have been tested and work, but with no FFB effects. The game works really well with the MacAlly iShockX too.

Here are a few pics...

 

[laserbeam273]

Great to see more racing games for Macs!

 

[JaguarGod]

Great to see more racing games for Macs!

I know there is not a huge market for Sim Racing on the Mac, but I truly love doing it and to bring together both of my passions, sim racing and Macs, is very nice (Don't tell my Wife and Kids I said that!).

I hope in the future, Mac racers can become a larger group.

I will be holding a contest in the near future with the v1.1.0 update. I can let you know what some of the prizes are....
1st Place - Logitech Driving Force GT (Worth App. $150.00USD)
2nd Place - Macally iShock X and a $20.00 iTunes Gift Certificate (Worth App. $50.00USD)
3rd Place - $20.00 iTunes Gift Certificate (Worth App. $20.00USD)

 

[laserbeam273]

I know there is not a huge market for Sim Racing on the Mac, but I truly love doing it and to bring together both of my passions, sim racing and Macs, is very nice (Don't tell my Wife and Kids I said that!).

I hope in the future, Mac racers can become a larger group.

I will be holding a contest in the near future with the v1.1.0 update. I can let you know what some of the prizes are....
1st Place - Logitech Driving Force GT (Worth App. $150.00USD)
2nd Place - Macally iShock X and a $20.00 iTunes Gift Certificate (Worth App. $50.00USD)
3rd Place - $20.00 iTunes Gift Certificate (Worth App. $20.00USD)

What's the contest? Fastest lap times? And would it be available to people outside the US (e.g. Australia)?

 

[JaguarGod]

What's the contest? Fastest lap times? And would it be available to people outside the US (e.g. Australia)?

As we preliminarily test the online multiplayer a bit more, I am planning on taking the top 8 lap times on a track to be named later and placing them into a full online race. This would determine the winners. If all testing goes well, it should be open to people outside the US. But again, this is still preliminary.

Thank's for showing interest in the game. There are not many sim racers on the Mac.

 

[laserbeam273]

Ooo... that sounds pretty cool.

 

[VPrime]

Looks interesting, how does this compare to something like Live for speed ( great sim for windows).
Any support for clutch pedals ( specifically with the G25 wheel).

 

[JaguarGod]

Looks interesting, how does this compare to something like Live for speed ( great sim for windows).
Any support for clutch pedals ( specifically with the G25 wheel).

I have been a sim racer since the early 90's and I still love it. Live for Speed and netKar Pro are great sims along with the beta of rFactor 2. But I really want to start creating a more sim-like experience on the Mac itself as that s what I truly want.

The game is really meant to be played with a wheel like the G25 or G27 or at least a gamepad. But you can also use a keyboard or even a mouse. It is a sim based on the VGP3 engine, but it has been stripped a bit for a more casual crowd. Most of the setup options have been defaulted for best lap times and grip to give the driver the best natural setup. There are pre-production plans to create full sim versions of all of the games in the series, but these games are trying to appeal to a larger crowd.

Unfortunately, OSX will not recognize the clutch pedal through HID. But Logitech wheels work on Mac OSX with FFB. But in Lion, FFB has been left out! But it can be put back in. Here is how.....

1. First download this kext installer.
2. Take a copy of the Logitech ffb kext (LogitechForceFeedback.kext) from 10.6 and copy it to your desktop in Lion.
3. Open the kext utility and drag the logitech ffb kext into it, type your password and install.
4. You may get a message saying that it looks like it installed fine and to reboot.
5. Before you reboot, close the kext installation utility. You may have to force quit the utility as it is made for previous versions of OSX and does not work perfectly. If you do not quit the app first, when you reboot, the file may delete itself as OSX always tries to fix any conflicts when shutting down and when starting up.
6. Once it has closed, restart.
7. Check to make sure the file "LogitechForceFeedback.kext" has been added to your extensions library at /system/library/extensions.
8. Once this is confirmed, you should now be able to use your Logitech FFB peripherals again.

Thrustmaster wheels also work, but with no FFB which kind of defeats the purpose. I wish Thrustmaster and Logitech would "Officially" work with Apple to get proper control panels created for their wheels.

 

[JaguarGod]

Version 1.1.0 is now live on the App Store!

The Millstowe Speedway Oval is now available in this version.

For more information on Auto Sport Driving, please go to the Official Game Site!

 

[JaguarGod]

The game now shows correctly in the "Racing" and "Sports" categories on the Mac App Store! The game encountered a bug in the Mac App Store regarding creation and release dates. It has now been fixed with the v1.1.0 update.

Go to the Official Site for more information!

 

[JaguarGod]

A couple of updates....

I am now testing the quick and smooth 357 Racing Series. This racing series will be available in the v1.2.0 update. I will have some spy shots soon

I have now set up a really crappy facebook site for the game here. If anyone has the time, please like the page. I could use every bit of publicity for the game. I would really like to create a series of games that Mac Racers can be proud of, but it will take a lot of time.

 

[JaguarGod]

OK, sorry for the delay on the contest. I had to rework the prizes to make sure players from around the world can play for prizes (as long as they have an iTunes account able to accept gift certificates).

Winners from the US and Canada will have the choice of the actual hardware prizes or the equivalent in US dollars. Example, if a player in the US wins the grand prize, he/she can choose the Logitech Driving Force GT or $150.00 in an electronic iTunes gift certificate.

All other players will receive an electronic iTunes gift certificate due to shipping costs. If you do not have an iTunes account able to accept iTunes gift certificates, you can still play, but you will not receive any actual prizes.. Sorry!

The official information on the contest is coming early next week. Also, this contest is still being hammered out. If for some reason it falls through, I will let everyone know.

 

[whiterabbiit]

Logitech MOMO on OS X LION

Hi,

Im trying to get my logitech momo working on OS X LION, i have LION installed and cant find the LogitechForceFeedback.kext file cause i dont have a computer with snow leopard installed (i do have snow leopard install CD), can anyone help me to get this file cause i dont want to install snow leopard just to get the file that i need to get forcefeedback working!

Thanks for your help!

 

[JaguarGod]

Hi,

Im trying to get my logitech momo working on OS X LION, i have LION installed and cant find the LogitechForceFeedback.kext file cause i dont have a computer with snow leopard installed (i do have snow leopard install CD), can anyone help me to get this file cause i dont want to install snow leopard just to get the file that i need to get forcefeedback working!

Thanks for your help!

Oh Crap!!! Did you ever get the file? If for some reason you still need it, you can find it on my website in the support section.

 

[JaguarGod]

Version 1.2.0 with the new 357F series is now available on the Mac App Store! Remember, if you already purchased the game it is a free update and will show in the Mac App Store "Update" section. Coming soon is the 1.3.0 update that will include the new Sportsman Course and better and smoother cockpit views.

 

[JaguarGod]

A bit of an update on future plans for Auto Sport driving...

Hiring Help
This is a big one. I am currently looking into hiring 3D artist for help. I already have many tracks and cars underway, but it would be nice to have help here as it would give me time to work more on presentation and handling and actually getting the game a bit more advertised.

More Cars
I am currently working on getting approximately 7 more series' into the game. These include an actual F1 style car, new 2012 Indycar style, stock car and truck and even Pro Carting.

More Tracks
There are well over 15 new tracks being worked at any given time. Not sure how many will make into the new sales model, but hopefully all of them will and really should make it. With help, this wil be key.

New Game Sales Structure
Right now the game is being sold on the Mac App Store which I believe is a very good design. It has sold well, but I really believe that as more content goes into it the game will sell much better. The plan is to keep the game at it's current $14.99USD, but as major series' along with the accompanying tracks are added to the game, the price may go up a little. In-App purchase are not in the cards right now as the way the Mac App Store utilizes this feature is not well suited to the way I would like to release the addons. An example of this new pricing would be something like this..... When the Stock Car addon (which would include a stock car series, a truck series and around 5-8 accompanying tracks) is released as an update, the price may go up a few dollars for any new buyers. This would reward the early adopters greatly. Again, this is not set in stone, but due to the way the App Store handles in-app purchases and how they are stored and downloaded would not work well for me as it is currently set up.

Adding More to the Engine
The engine is now being update to suit this game and wil get beter over time. Some new effects are coming along with other updates.

 

[VPrime]

For 3D artists check out www.polycount.com Its a community for 3D game artists.
They have a job posting section.

 

[JaguarGod]

Thank you for the info.

I found a 3D artist locally and he had just started working when he was approached by another small indie company that develops iOS and Android apps. That is where the money is so it was a better fit for him as the Mac platform is much smaller and racing sims, though mine is a casual sim, is fairly niche. He would have worked both, but I would have felt bad if he spent any time on my game when he had a large role he would be playing for the other company that was established.

 

[laserbeam273]

A bit of an update on future plans for Auto Sport driving...

Hiring Help
This is a big one. I am currently looking into hiring 3D artist for help. I already have many tracks and cars underway, but it would be nice to have help here as it would give me time to work more on presentation and handling and actually getting the game a bit more advertised.

More Cars
I am currently working on getting approximately 7 more series' into the game. These include an actual F1 style car, new 2012 Indycar style, stock car and truck and even Pro Carting.

More Tracks
There are well over 15 new tracks being worked at any given time. Not sure how many will make into the new sales model, but hopefully all of them will and really should make it. With help, this wil be key.

New Game Sales Structure
Right now the game is being sold on the Mac App Store which I believe is a very good design. It has sold well, but I really believe that as more content goes into it the game will sell much better. The plan is to keep the game at it's current $14.99USD, but as major series' along with the accompanying tracks are added to the game, the price may go up a little. In-App purchase are not in the cards right now as the way the Mac App Store utilizes this feature is not well suited to the way I would like to release the addons. An example of this new pricing would be something like this..... When the Stock Car addon (which would include a stock car series, a truck series and around 5-8 accompanying tracks) is released as an update, the price may go up a few dollars for any new buyers. This would reward the early adopters greatly. Again, this is not set in stone, but due to the way the App Store handles in-app purchases and how they are stored and downloaded would not work well for me as it is currently set up.

Adding More to the Engine
The engine is now being update to suit this game and wil get beter over time. Some new effects are coming along with other updates.

Nice to hear. So it seems like you're very focused on track-only cars? Don't plan on having any production cars (modified or not) any time soon? I do enjoy racing the production cars as it gives a bit or perspective on it all.

 

[JaguarGod]

Nice to hear. So it seems like you're very focused on track-only cars? Don't plan on having any production cars (modified or not) any time soon? I do enjoy racing the production cars as it gives a bit or perspective on it all.

First, let me thank you for even taking an interest in the game! For a small game it is always nice to talk to racing game fans.

I am concentrating a bit more on true "racecars", but with help, I could definitely get into production car inclusion also. I love production cars and playing them in-game. I think the problem lies in timing. When choosing a vehicle to create for the game it takes a good amount of time when you do not have much help, so I normally choose the track car instead.

I look at this long term and I think at some point, the game will include more production cars.

 

[laserbeam273]

First, let me thank you for even taking an interest in the game! For a small game it is always nice to talk to racing game fans.

I am concentrating a bit more on true "racecars", but with help, I could definitely get into production car inclusion also. I love production cars and playing them in-game. I think the problem lies in timing. When choosing a vehicle to create for the game it takes a good amount of time when you do not have much help, so I normally choose the track car instead.

I look at this long term and I think at some point, the game will include more production cars.

Not a problem, sounds good. Yeah I suppose modelling a car and its race dynamics actually takes a bit of time! I just wish everything could be modelled.. would be so cool.

 

[JaguarGod]

Not a problem, sounds good. Yeah I suppose modelling a car and its race dynamics actually takes a bit of time! I just wish everything could be modelled.. would be so cool.

Don't feel bad, I feel the same! I wish I could model everything! It is so cool to drive everything from the smallest car to the fastest on earth. I think if I can find good help, it may be a possibility.

Do you do any 3D work?! I need all the help I can get!

 

[laserbeam273]

Don't feel bad, I feel the same! I wish I could model everything! It is so cool to drive everything from the smallest car to the fastest on earth. I think if I can find good help, it may be a possibility.

Do you do any 3D work?! I need all the help I can get!

I don't, my brother is learning Blender though. He's able to do some stuff but by no means an expert though. How good of a 3D artist are you looking for? Also is it a paid position?

 

[JaguarGod]

I don't, my brother is learning Blender though. He's able to do some stuff but by no means an expert though. How good of a 3D artist are you looking for? Also is it a paid position?

I am in talks with a 3D artist now, but they would have to be proficient in modeling but by no means an 'expert'. Yes, it would be paid, but the structure has not been figured yet. Thanks for the interest though!

Hey, here's a few spyshots from an F1 Hack for ASD, and yes, Alonso is driving all of the cars right now.

 

[laserbeam273]

I am in talks with a 3D artist now, but they would have to be proficient in modeling but by no means an 'expert'. Yes, it would be paid, but the structure has not been figured yet. Thanks for the interest though!

He's getting there, but still learning. If he gets good I may let you know - he's young and looking for work, and he seems to pick up the art quite naturally so I think he'll get good.

Looks good though! Always good to have some Formula cars in a racing game!