Incorporate cars/tracks DLC voting system into the game ?

[TurismoBad]

We have the suggestion forum to vote on tracks and cars but in my opinion the top voted entries might be different from what all the GT fans out there playing the game want.

I suspect that GT players might want something else than the old M3 (just an example ) and if they do it'll be more beneficial for the series to satisfy as large as possible group of fans.

Sure it might be very similar here and there but what I think is happening here is that GTP gathers a specific type of dedicated racing fans that may have slightly different desires than the overall of GT purchasers.

In any case it's still better to give each game owner a chance to express his opinion.

Obviously voting for cars in-game would gather together only cars from similar class and period of time.

 

[John_Marsten]

That is a damn good idea.

If done properly, it could really work. PD could give us say 5 options to choose from, then give us 1 month to vote, then they commence work on the DLC.

 

[ClydeYellow]

It's not that easy to implement. To give you the option to vote, they'd have to already license all the poll options. And seeing as licensing is the hardest part of getting a car in the game...

 

[TurismoBad]

It's not that easy to implement. To give you the option to vote, they'd have to already license all the poll options. And seeing as licensing is the hardest part of getting a car in the game...

Do you know that by a fact or you're just speculating ? If that's the case though PD could simply point people to a section of GTP - plenty of "VS" polls on the net and no one is claiming anything.

"Vote For Content" section would be added to GT6. Click on it and you're taken to GTP to vote on track/car.

Could work for prioritizing features and asking for feedback too.

 

[ClydeYellow]

Do you know that by a fact or you're just speculating ?

Car names are trademarked, therefore they need to be licensed.

It would be totally feasible to implement it, as you said, to see what features should take priority. But it'd be much harder to add to the game a poll for cars. What they could do if they had any official forums is to create a "Community Choice" DLC by creating a wishlist thread and seeing what cars they can license are called for more often.

 

[TurismoBad]

Car names are trademarked, therefore they need to be licensed.

It would be totally feasible to implement it, as you said, to see what features should take priority. But it'd be much harder to add to the game a poll for cars. What they could do if they had any official forums is to create a "Community Choice" DLC by creating a wishlist thread and seeing what cars they can license are called for more often.

Ok I understand what you're saying but still - you're just speculating. We don't know if in this particular case it can be done or not or how hard it is.

"Car names are trademarked, therefore they need to be licensed."

There is a Porsche sign on La Sarthe and there are Porsche references in RUFs descriptions - if everything was as straightforward as you're implying that wouldn't be possible as the Porsche license is in EA hands.

A poll to determine what car to get could be in a grey area.

 

[ClydeYellow]

There is a Porsche sign on La Sarthe and there are Porsche references in RUFs descriptions - if everything was as straightforward as you're implying that wouldn't be possible as the Porsche license is in EA hands.

It is not; I may have oversimplified it, in the interest of brevity. Usually, there are different trademarks and patents on a car. Licensing it requires a developer to acquire the right to use the content protected by those trademarks and patents and that is represented in the game. It's actually even more complicated, as licensing deals usually involve some of the most complex and mind-boggling contracts (having read a couple, for reasons not related to the entertainment business, I can tell you they're truly nightmarish).

The EA-Porsche exclusive deal only involves the right to feature Porsche cars in videogames. AFAIK there's no copy of the contract going around on the web, but I guess it doesn't cover use of the Porsche name, brand and logo.

[speculation]Porsche has all the reasons in the world to allow this - it can only increase the recognition for their brand that right now is bogged down by the exclusive deal with EA (a deal that is rumored to be on its way to become a thing of the past). Other brands, however, would be far more happy to see their cars featured in their game, and intellectual property rights to be sold in bulk. This is the reason you will see Porsche references in RUFs descriptions, but rarely a reference to a non-featured model will surface in the description of a model from another brand. [/speculation]

With that I am not saying that it wouldn't be possible for PD to actually do this. And it'd be a good, refreshing idea. However, doing so in terms of providing a poll with multiple car optons of which only the winner would ever be featured in GT would require some of the most hardcore behind-closed-doors dealings in the history of car videogames to do so.