What is included in the game "Ferrari"? Bashny.Net

The story of how the machine is licensed for gaming, why in the GTA will never be real cars and that manufacturers are prohibited from making virtual cars.





Racing games today - not only the first simulator for future pilots and tools for running advanced concept cars, but also the most affordable way to ride in a car dreams. But there is a problem: the car of your dreams in your favorite game may not be.

Anyone who is able to distinguish the "Mercedes" of the "BMW" and "Mini Cooper" - from the "Tavria", at least once wondered why Gran Turismo and Need for Speed ​​are the real car, and Grand Theft Auto - No ? And why in the same game features "Porsche", "Ferrari" and "Lamborghini" and the other - a maximum of "Toyota" and "Ford»?

It seems that car makers should be interested in video games as much as video games - in them. For the player, fell in love with a certain brand or model of the car in the game will certainly be dreaming about it in real life. And children and teenagers for the first time today, sit behind the wheel of the car was in a video game: the best way to grow your own audience of fans from childhood to automakers simply do not have - the game developers have come up with all of them. Good game allows you to achieve what is quite impossible to feel when watching a movie or a new release transfer Top Gear - a sense of unity with the machine (a screenshot from the game Assetto Corsa)



But in reality things are not so smooth: the automotive industry and games - two very different world with its own laws, rules and prejudices. And, despite the growing popularity of video games, these worlds are still often communicate in different languages. Developers not enough just to build in the 3D-editor, beautiful models, provide them with realistic physics and paste into the game. First you have to get special permission from the car manufacturers - the license. And this is - a complex process, in which the gaming company specializing in special people - Licensing Manager. It is from their work depends largely on it, what kind of cars we will be able to see in the game, and what - no.

During the preparation of the material to my questions were answered three licensing manager, who are working on completely different games: Xenia Bashkirov of Mail.Ru (World of Speed), Marco Massarutto of Kunos Simulazioni (Assetto Corsa) and Jay Eckel from SimBin (RaceRoom: Racing Experience). And also the producer World of Speed ​​Ivan Wozniak.

Work on any racing game almost always begins with the selection of subjects (street racing, serious motor racing, off-road racing, and so on) and drawing up a list of cars, tracks and championships that it will include. But here there is the first problem: carmakers can hardly give a license for the machines into the hands of an unknown developer, who will not be able to show them at least a piece of the future of the game. Game publisher often takes all the difficulties with mining licenses, and pay for themselves. Independent developers are doing everything yourself (screenshots of the game World of Speed)

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Xenia Bashkirov: The licensing process is not fast, so the work on the contract is better to start in advance, long before the announcement of the game. The company is interesting, what is your game. They ask for screenshots, videos, demo. It is much easier to establish a first contact with partially finished product that can be demonstrated.

Ivan Wozniak: publishers like Sony and Microsoft for many years engaged in racing games, and no one doubts the quality of their products. I have not seen their contracts, but I'm sure they simply prolong the time in several years, adding to some new models and updating conditions. Less well-known publishers and developers all this goes not so simple.



Some car manufacturers require their car in the game is always in the lead. Developers in response to have to explain why this is not possible (screenshot of RaceRoom Racing Experience)



Jay Eckel: For the license to pay - it is normal practice today. But if you have a good relationship with the car manufacturer, then you can put a price tag is not the biggest, but sometimes it costs a mutually beneficial exchange. We simply offer the manufacturer renderings, videos, special version of the game for demonstration at exhibitions or other materials they want to use for promotional purposes. That is "free" to obtain a license for a particular brand may be, it is necessary only for the good, long-term relationship with the manufacturer. He needs to be sure you and your games.

Ivan Wozniak: There are companies that just sell a license, and there are those who look at what will be the game of their machines. And the cost of the license at all different. For example, the "Ferrari" - one of the most expensive companies: they are very value their reputation. Minimum price tag at them - hundreds of thousands of dollars, that is to include "Ferrari" in the game is often more expensive than buying the car in reality. And the price you pay immediately upon signing the contract, and in fact many also require a percentage of the sales of the game. All different, as the Treaty. Again, it all depends on the product. The online game, mobile - for all the different price tags.

Jay Eckel: To be honest, to include in the game "Ferrari" and "Lamborghini" is quite simple - it requires only a large suitcase of money. Therefore, let it currently can only the richest publishers. But in very rare cases, "Ferrari" can be seen in the independent driving simulations for the PC, like the Assetto Corsa.

Marco Massarutto: Because the car "Ferrari" is in Assetto Corsa, need to say thank you to our long and fruitful cooperation in various fields - I, unfortunately, I can not reveal all of its details. Some results of this cooperation are visible to the public (such as simulator Ferrari Virtual Academy), and some - not. But usually the problem of licensing of a brand is always solved with money - if there just is not implicated exclusive agreement with someone the third.

As an example, the "Porsche", which is now represented only in games Electronic Arts and nowhere else. Each automaker requires an amount that, which, in his view, reflects the prestige and the historical significance of the brand. So the choice is always for publishers and developers - need to be assured that the possible sale of the game beat off these expenses. Well, a little bit of perseverance does not hurt - if people take every day, sooner or later they will surrender and give you a license! In 2012, Microsoft had to pay an undisclosed sum for Electronic Arts, to add to the Forza Motorsport 4 cars Porsche. EA now has exclusive rights to the use of the German mark in games



Jay Eckel: Do automakers have a common misconception that the game industry is rotated a lot of money, so they sometimes expose us to a very heavy price. In fact, most of the funds in the hands of a very small number of studios and publishers.

Ivan Wozniak: Sometimes it happens that the finished car, for example, the brand "Aston Martin", we have been in the game and looked perfect. But from the "Aston Martin" we were told that right now they have decided to change the company's policy on licensing and no more licenses are not given. And the model of the game disappears, goes to wait for his moment of glory. And this case - is not the only one. Companies somewhere want to be represented, but somewhere - no.

Some companies are motivated his refusal to give a license so that their machines are presented and so many games and they do not want to sell the license to someone else. To ensure that users, God forbid, do not feel as if their machines are everywhere. After all, in real life they are very expensive and rare! It sounds strange, but there are also such.

Bashkirov Xenia: But before you get a license have to undergo a lot of bureaucratic procedures: a lot depends on the licensor. "Fiat", for example, now merged into one company with "Chrysler" and licensing agreement negotiated first in Italy and then in the office of "Chrysler" in the United States. This is in the case of direct communication. After all, many manufacturers have official agencies that represent them in matters of licensing.

It is especially difficult to work with Russian automakers, because for them the video games - this is a new experience. Communication often occurs in the official format requests paper. And we give them really write such requests like "Please consider the possibilities of cooperation" on the official form.

The most difficult part in the conclusion of a contract with one of the Russian producers was found in the company of a man who is responsible for contracts in relation to intellectual property. Because for them it is atypical procedure is incompatible with the primary activity. No one understands how licensing agreement for online game should look like, they do not have templates and procedures for such cases. Foreign companies usually much more experienced, they already have their own patterns of contracts, which, unfortunately, tend to have boxed game with a lot of points about the retail and wheels that, accordingly, calls for the adaptation of online games. If the machine is already out of production, game developers often have themselves to restore its precise shape using a photo or laser scanning. For new car manufacturers sometimes send CAD-accurate computer model

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Ivan Wozniak: There are linguistic complexity: not all the same business model and explain to whom they give a license, it is not so simple. Some Japanese companies generally insist that their change can not be a standard contract. And it is entirely written about boxed games on disk and there is no word about online. Or sign up as it is, or leave me alone.

Bashkirov Xenia: If you approach a similar agreement formally, you can sign a standard contract and pay nothing, because it has a clear link to the proceeds from the sale of disks with the game, which in the case of World of Speed ​​will not.

Ivan Wozniak: The Japanese do a lot of strange things. The company "Nissan", for example, prohibits in the game to customize the Nissan GT-R. There is a standard model - and with it you can not do anything, even to establish a new spoiler. They show YouTube-video of Gran Turismo 6, in which the same machine, you can tune, but they are all the same answer - no. GT-R is beautiful in itself.

Everything depends on the people: for example, the Italians always refer to any kind of cooperation with open mind. They are sincere, they say "must come to us in Maranello, we will all show all!".



Cars in GTA 5 is very similar to the real thing, but giving them real names and tinker with obtaining licenses Rockstar hardly ever will. None of avtoproizoditeley not want to have their car knocked pedestrians



Bashkirov Xenia: But in general there are special requirements of all - for example, to the fact that it represents the game and how it behaves in the car. Basic requirements: not to shoot down pedestrians, not to kill police officers, no brutality or racist. Machines must not explode, should not break in itself should not fall off the edge of the cliff, that is, if the game is open, the machine should just drive to the edge and stop. This is probably why in GTA licensed cars there and probably will not be - the automakers are not ready for this.

A British manufacturer specifically states that if the glass is beating - it should not fly apart into pieces, allowed only a crack. There is a contract in which it is written that the damage to the body are allowed, but no parts need to fly away, in another contract specifies that the extent of damage to the machine manufacturer that should be comparable to damage other cars in the game. The third requires the manufacturer to the car, despite the damage, remained recognizable.

There is one basic rule: Inflicts the car should not be the main goal of the game. It is important to prevent damage to its image.

Ivan Wozniak: Many especially indicate that reward the player for improper driving - you can not. For example, you can not crash the car into the wall to knock someone and get some bonus. Violation of the rules, leaving the opposite lane - is possible, and all this - it is impossible. Automakers themselves lining up to popact in the new part of Gran Turismo: so great authority of the game and its creator Kazunori Yamauchi



Marco Massarutto: In Hollywood films accidents, explosions and killings still occur, and with real cars in the frame. And some manufacturers even pay extra for the filmmakers to have their cars there lit up. Apparently they believe that movies are designed for broader, solvent audience than the game. While racing games real cars need much more.

Ivan Wozniak: I think these double standards are already beginning to gradually recede into the past, but not for all. The most interesting collaboration between the game and the automotive industry, which I saw was at the Gran Turismo 6 - with the creation of concept cars for the game. I'm sure that Sony and Polyphony Digital anybody did not pay for it, it was at the expense of producers. But this is a lot of money - one of the only concept of "Mercedes" employs 20 people. Kazunori Yamauchi Gran Turismo and can afford it. They are for the industry - something like an icebreaker, which hit the road. Perhaps an example of Gran Turismo will change something, and the automakers themselves would line up to the developers of video games, to offer themselves to turn their cars. But while the opposite is true.

Beyond this material there are still a lot of stories. For example, what adventures await developers, if they decide to transfer to the game a real city or racetrack. Why games supercars should act only against the family class supercar, but not not cheap small car. What is CAD-files and what penalties are waiting for their "drain" in open access, as well as - what part of the body of the driver looks especially bad in the small "Fiat 500". But all of this - as some other time.

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