The latest World eX Bizz Talk before the Valencia race featured Marcel Offermans, the driving force behind \u201cThe Last Garage,\u201d and offered an interesting glimpse into the world of sim racing. Marcel, a veteran in the industry, shared insights on the state of sim racing, the challenges and opportunities facing new platforms, and his vision for the future \u2013 both for his own project and the wider sim racing community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the key takeaways from the talk was Marcel\u2019s honest assessment of the sim racing landscape. \u201cSim racing went through a little bit of a hype cycle during the COVID days, especially the Esports side, and we\u2019re kind of seeing it slowly transitioning back to where it was before that,\u201d he noted. While the Esports scene has struggled with viewership and sponsorship, Marcel sees this as a call to creativity: \u201cI think that\u2019s also where we as sim racing need to get a bit creative, because a lot of the things that happen in the real world don\u2019t have to happen in the sim.\u201d He emphasized the importance of making sim racing more engaging for spectators, suggesting that shorter, more dynamic formats could help retain audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marcel\u2019s journey is especially interesting. After leaving Studio 397, he found himself \u201cstarting with a blank sheet,\u201d which he described as \u201ca very luxury situation.\u201d With over a decade of experience, he is now building a new platform from scratch, focusing on flexibility and long-term adaptability. \u201cYou probably won\u2019t do everything right, so you need to make sure that you build something where, in 10 years\u2019 time, it\u2019s still easy to make changes to the platform,\u201d he explained. This approach is a direct response to the technical debt and legacy issues that many established sims face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development process for The Last Garage has been hands-on and iterative. Marcel showcased early versions at sim racing events, prioritizing driving feel over graphics. \u201cI really wanted to make sure that I have the driving feeling, the driving experience right, and that\u2019s what I focus on first, so graphics aren\u2019t top notch, etc. I really don\u2019t care yet \u2013 that can come later.\u201d Feedback from sim racers has been positive, encouraging him to expand the project. He recently organized an Esports event where drivers had little to no prior practice, mirroring real-world racing conditions and making the experience more spontaneous and exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Innovation is a recurring theme in Marcel\u2019s work. He highlighted a collaboration with Simucube to demonstrate brake fade in a sim, using active pedals: \u201cAfter a couple of corners, you sort of felt that pedal going soft, and if you continued braking, it would go all the way to the floor, and you would hardly brake anymore.\u201d This kind of realism, he believes, is only possible with close integration between hardware and software. Another project involves building a digital twin for Donkervoort, a Dutch sports car manufacturer, to optimize car design in the sim before costly real-world testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marcel also discussed the current state of major sim racing titles. He praised iRacing for its large online community but noted that its physics are \u201ca little bit conservative.\u201d He called rFactor 2 and LMU \u201chard to beat\u201d in terms of physics and features. Regarding WRC Sports, he observed, \u201cthey jumped on the Esports bandwagon at exactly the wrong moment,\u201d and suggested that the platform\u2019s evolution has been challenging. He expressed optimism about Gran Turismo and Forza, hoping for a PC port of Gran Turismo and better hardware integration for Forza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the topic of sim racing as a training tool, Marcel was realistic: \u201cI\u2019m not sure if it replaces karting. I think both give you some unique experience.\u201d He acknowledged that while sim racing is a great training tool, the physical sensations of karting are hard to replicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking ahead, Marcel believes console support and cross-play could be game-changers for the industry. \u201cSince the current generation of consoles is powerful enough to run full sim physics, why have all these platforms as sort of isolated systems? Why not have them all running together?\u201d he asked. He sees this as a way to expand the player base and make sim racing more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The talk concluded with Marcel\u2019s enthusiasm for racing in World eX: \u201cWhen I get an invitation, I always show up. No worries.\u201d His passion for sim racing \u2013 and his willingness to experiment and innovate \u2013 make him a true champion for the community. As he put it, \u201cI do it out of passion. I think that\u2019s key in sim racing, the enjoyment we get from it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Find out more about The Last Garage: https:\/\/thelastgarage.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The World eX Bizz Talk takes place before every World eX race via Zoom and features conversations with interesting personalities who have a close connection to our topics of motorsport, sim racing or the energy transition. Join our unique sim racing community to take part in the talks and ask your questions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Marcel Offermans offered an interesting glimpse into the world of sim racing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-ex"],"acf":[],"_wp_attached_file":null,"_wp_attachment_metadata":null,"_elementor_source_image_hash":null,"_wp_attachment_image_alt":null,"_elementor_is_screenshot":null,"elementor_font_files":null,"elementor_font_face":null,"_yoast_wpseo_title":null,"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":null,"__elementor_forms_snapshot":null,"_wp_trash_meta_status":null,"_wp_trash_meta_time":null,"_wp_desired_post_slug":null,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"12","_wp_old_date":null,"_oembed_47151242e000855220e5d4f5cf766260":null,"_oembed_time_47151242e000855220e5d4f5cf766260":null,"_":null,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":null,"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":null,"_edit_last":"1","_edit_lock":"1748777864:1","_elementor_edit_mode":null,"_elementor_template_type":null,"_wp_page_template":"default","_elementor_page_settings":null,"_elementor_data":null,"_elementor_version":null,"_elementor_pro_version":null,"_elementor_css":null,"_elementor_conditions":null,"_elementor_page_assets":[],"_elementor_controls_usage":null,"_elementor_screenshot":null,"_wp_old_slug":null,"_elementor_template_sub_type":null,"_elementor_screenshot_failed":null,"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"4","_thumbnail_id":"2994","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_wordproof_timestamp":null,"car":null,"_car":null,"ready_player_me":null,"_ready_player_me":null,"since":null,"_since":null,"startnumber":null,"_startnumber":null,"linkedin":null,"_linkedin":null,"instagram":null,"_instagram":null,"full_name":null,"_full_name":null,"profession":null,"_profession":null,"hobbies":null,"_hobbies":null,"victories":null,"_victories":null,"trees":null,"_trees":null,"team":null,"_team":null,"youtube":"","_youtube":"field_65b1674782d3a","footnotes":null,"origin":null,"yoast_head":"\n