Today's guest is a special one, in fact, he's so special we couldn't even afford to put a star in our reasonably-priced car last week - ladies and gentleman, Jordan!
So, Jordan, you're quite the busy chap - but what inspired you to do all of this and what kept you motivated to continue onward?
My inspiration was pretty straightforward: I had long wanted to make a website about something, and one of my favorite games of all time - Gran Turismo 2 - seemed to be an obvious choice. Thus, GTPlanet was born.
This was back in 2001; I was young and really didnt know much about what I was getting myself into, but I liked it. When people started posting things in the forum and a community began to form, it offered a unique sense of satisfaction. I love providing a service, and knowing that other people enjoy using and being part my community is more than enough motivation to keep pushing forward.
When the original Forza Motorsport released it clearly borrowed rather heavily from the established DNA of Gran Turismo and succeeded in places that GT could not; do you think that trend is still as true now as it was then?
I think Turn 10 has made some innovative design choices that are finally beginning to differentiate Forza from GT. Its great to see Forza where it is today, introducing a lot of modern, connected, and social features that change the way we think about and play a driving simulator.
With ForzaPlanet being your brainchild how do you think things have developed thus far? Anything you would have done differently, or not at all?
Im very happy with how the site has grown and where it is today. Even as mainstream interest in Forza 4 is slowly beginning to wane, the sites traffic is holding steady.
If I could launch ForzaPlanet over again, I probably would have worked out a way to integrate the forums with GTPlanets message boards. Not for social reasons - the community here has picked up enough steam on its own - but for technical simplicity. I hesitated to launch ForzaPlanet for years because I was concerned about the additional workload it would place on myself, and unfortunately my concerns have proven correct!
Because GTPlanet and ForzaPlanet are so technically similar, every software or template tweak made to one site must usually also be made on the other. Its become pretty daunting!
Being as busy as you seem to be, I assume you have a slew of boffins you trust to overlook things?
Im the only boffin, in the strict definition of the word, overlooking the technical side of things here. I do all of the design, software, and server maintenance.
However, the site couldnt truly run without the moderators here! You, Terronium-12, have been particularly pro-active about the health and growth of this community, and a lot of its success is owed to you here. I think I speak for everyone here in thanking you for your great efforts keeping the blog up-to-date!
It says here that you've met Dan Greenawalt - what can you tell us about that?
I did have the opportunity to meet him at the Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlant last year. I was surprised that he knew exactly who I was, and fortunately harbored no hard feelings for some of the less-than-kind things that have been said about him in GTPlanets forums over the years!
We had a great chat about cars, driving games, licensing, and online communities; I could easily have talked with him for hours on any of these subjects! Hes passionate, intelligent, and very excited about what his team will be doing with the Forza franchise over the next few years. I believe Turn 10 has a bright future ahead under his direction.
How are you enjoying Forza 4 thus far?
I am very impressed with the game and Ive really enjoyed it, though Ive really only scratched the surface in regards to the community features. The graphics and sound are exceptional, and I really like the car and track selection.
My only real complaint is how some of the tracks have been re-created. There are certain minor discrepancies between Forza 4 and the real world that drive me crazy, like the severity of the esses at Road Atlanta, or the suspiciously wide, flat Nordschleife. Ive walked and driven both, and certain nuances in elevation change, curb height, road width, and scale, seem annoyingly off in the game.
How long have you been an active Forza player?
Lets see...how many days has Forza 4 been available for sale?
Frankly, Ive only been playing the game a little bit until now, because Ive been limited to using a controller with my Xbox 360 (and Im pretty useless with a controller!). Fortunately, I just received an rSeat EVO V3 earlier this month, so I can finally, fully enjoy the game with a properly-mounted Fanatec GT2 wheel and ClubSport pedals.
Are you into motorsports at all?
Yes, I dont think Ive missed an F1 race in the last 10 years or so! The series remains my favorite because it was one of the first I began to watch, and I feel like I have come to know many of the personalities involved.
Of course, Im happiest behind the wheel. Although I have not raced competitively, I have put in quite a few laps at track days and Skip Barber schools and lapping sessions at various circuits around the country, including Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca.
It says here that you represent yourself by something called an "avatar" of a Citroen C4 Sport - any reason for that?
Im surprised how often I am asked this question.
For some reason I cant quite explain, Ive always had a certain fascination with French rally cars.
I believe it may come from far back in my past, when I was probably 11 or so, when I first began to really understand the differences between international manufacturers. I think I had long just assumed European cars were either German or Italian, so the idea of a French car seemed especially novel and interesting to me.
The
TOTAL Peugeot 206 WRC is one of my favorite race cars, and the C4 Sport is a close second.
How long have you been a petrolhead, and more importantly, what was it that changed your outlook on cars being the conventional means of getting from Point A to Point B?
Since birth! A lot of little boys are into things like sports, dragons, aliens, monsters, etc., but I never had much interest in those types of toys. Instead, I preferred toys, cars, trucks, boats, planes, trains, and anything else that related to construction or transportation.
As such, I dont think I have ever looked at cars as simply the thing that gets you from A to B; instead, I see them as the reason to go from A to B at all!
Outside of the obvious do you have any hobbies?
Golf is the sport I play the most, and the one I seem to be the best at (aside from motorsport, of course!). I also enjoy cycling when the weathers nice. Travel is another passion of mine; my goal is to visit each continent, including Antarctica. I want to see and do as much as I can before my time is up!
Right. Now, the single-most important thing you'll do, and the reason you've come all this way: the lap - how was it out there?
I was surprised my lap turned out as well as it did, really. Hammerhead wasnt as smooth as I would have liked, and I lost a lot of speed in the last two corners. I could not find the best turn-in point at Bacharach, and ploughing through Gambon just didnt feel too good in this little Ceed.
Where do you think you've come on the board?
Id be happy with anything in the top 5, but I am probably going to be on the bubble of that with my time.
I understand Stig has taken quite a liking toward you, so, anything else you'd like to say before he comes and attempts to propose to you with a burning tire?
Thanks for the heads-up on the Stigs pending proposal.
Hopefully hell be too embarrassed by my lap time and will move on to Famine...
Really, though, I would just like to say thanks to all of you who have helped ForzaPlanet get off the ground, including Turn 10, who continue to support and supply us with DLC codes to promote our community competitions!
Other then that, I hope I will not be bottom.
