View Full Version : Thank you for all you did Ian
So sorry to see the Wookie leave...this has caught me,and i'm sure many others,completely by surprise.
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Official communication:
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-10-29-slightly-mad-studios-founder-and-ceo-departs
Race Department:
https://www.racedepartment.com/news/founder-and-ceo-ian-bell-announces-departure-from-slightly-mad-studios.267/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
Bsim:
https://www.bsimracing.com/slightly-mad-studios-ceo-ian-bell-leaves-the-company/
WMD1 & WMD2 and more than 5.000 hours of enjoyment in PCARS1 & PCARS2. I only can say: Thanks, Ian
Slightly Mad Studios just got slightly less mad...
BrakeCheck101
29-10-2021, 10:44
Can't say I'm surprised. As soon as that deal was done with Codemasters, thought he would either leave immediately or be kept on for a while to help the SMS team integrate into Codies and keep a sense of continuity for them.
A shame, but yeah, not shocked.
Would be nice for some clarification on whether Project CARS 4 will be a thing, but one thing's for sure - Ian isn't in a position to comment on it now.
Without a shadow of a doubt, these last 10 years - since WMD1 opened its doors - have been brilliant fun. I went from an offline player to a time-trial addict, e-sports participant and have been a staff member of a league that formed from the ashes of the very first Project CARS league to form (the long-departed The Gentlemen's Club). I have sunk a few thousand hours into pCARS1 and 2 and made a good many friends, both from our league and within SMS themselves.
None of which would have been possible without Ian and the team creating WMD to build the first Project CARS game, so I am enormously grateful to Ian et al for that.
From the gist of Ian's tweet, it looks like he has achieved his aims. He has secured the future of his team and has most likely secured his own future too, so why not sit back now and enjoy the spoils of the hard work of the last 10 years.
Thank you Ian and may SMS continue to thrive under their new stewardship.
ps. If I have to have only one memory to take with me from the last 10 years, then it will be Jan Frischkorn's wife gloating to me at how her husband beat me in a karting race at Nürburgring (at the sim-racing expo). "It was very funny, ja!". Ja, it was very funny, looking back on it :)
I didn't always agree with Ian's thoughts or decisions, but I'm thankful for what he brought to sim racing. He challenged the norms and pushed things forward that forced others sim racing devs to up their game. Kudos!
Given his previous comments on what happened with the Shift series, I'm not surprised to see him step down with Codemasters being consumed by EA. I still hope there is a Project CARS 4, which includes Sebring now :p (Ian stated that he hated the track).
John Hargreaves
29-10-2021, 15:37
He's not dead though :), who knows maybe once he gets bored with being a millionaire playboy he might have another cunning plan. Ready when you are boss, I've enjoyed the ride along with so many chums here, it's been a good story. Who knows, there may yet be unwritten chapters to discover.
David McKenna
29-10-2021, 16:05
Thank you so much for everything you have done for us. Wishing you the very best in your new adventures :)
RyokoMaruyama
29-10-2021, 19:37
Well that sucks. I hope 4 is mostly completed. No other sim racer manages to interest me, so I'm worried about the future.
Good luck, hope his new venture goes well!
Well, I hate to see this! I have thoroughly enjoyed the Project CARS Series. They finally got the cars all handling very well out of the box with PC3. I think, they should have included a few things for the vitriol community.
We do know something are in the works and with the progression of the ME. Ian raised the bar for simulation standards to not have dry tracks act like heavy rain or ice conditions with tire slip angles. The road tires are an absolute blast compared to reality.
If, they are keeping the name as PC4. I hope they take a similar package of PC2 and implement the vehicle handling model from PC3.
EmilGlockner
30-10-2021, 02:22
Thanks for starting all of this madness, Ian. And good luck for whatever you may plan to do in the future.
Olijke Poffer
30-10-2021, 07:40
Sad to hear but nothing last forever. That said, I hope Pcars will continue as a serie. If not than that is a pity but not the end of the world.
I wish the Wookiee all the best with his new chosen path. Drink a beer on my account. Bottoms up Ian.
David Wright
30-10-2021, 09:27
I am very grateful to Ian for saving simracing in the early 2000s. EA dropped ISI and Papyrus was closed. Ian stepped into the gap with the original GTR and followed up with GT Legends and GTR2 which remain my favourite sims of all time. I am sure that Simbin's licensing of the ISIMotor2 really helped ISI survive as an independent developer and the original Simbin went on to spawn the new Simbin, and Blimey Games which then became SMS when 10Tacle went bust.
Ian's ambition and drive were perhaps a mixed blessing. Great in taking a modding team to a class leading racing sim developer, and the Project Cars concept rescued a talented development team after EA dropped them, but the idea that SMS should take on Gran Turismo and Need for Speed head to head has led to his downfall. After the disasters of Fast & Furious Crossroads and PC3 it is surprising he didn't go sooner but it was hard to imagine a good relationship with EA given their past history.
So I wish him well and hope Codies recognise the talent in the SMS team, and make the most of it.
It is unlikely that we will soon find out the true reason for this act of Ian, but I think that there is also the reason that Bill Gates once said: "If you want to get a software product, first of all you should fire all super programmers except one." I hope that Ian will find a worthy application for his strength. And thanks for PCARS 1/2 and AMS2 :)
What does it mean for the future of simracing?
I would imagine it doesn't change much,the team he worked with,and shared his visions with,are pretty much all still there...
What does it mean for the future of simracing?No more cunning plans?
Other than that, who knows. If you've got somebody at the head of the team who has enough drive to push the genre forward then the future would still be just as exciting :)
EDIT: Ninja'd harder than a hardened ninja on a hard day in toughsville.
John Hargreaves
30-10-2021, 15:45
What does it mean for the future of simracing?
Ian should phone up some of his old mates from the Reiza team, inject a ton of cash into Automobilista 2 and turn it into the best simracing game ever. Circle complete.
mcarpenter
30-10-2021, 21:17
We all should appreciate what Ian did for simracing.
But I can't imagine he's the guy that just takes the money and walkes away.
Well, time will tell. Whatever he's up to, I hope he enjoys it.
Ian and all the people behind him, thanks for plenty of fun.
John Hargreaves
31-10-2021, 08:27
Looks like he's going back to one of his earlier lives
https://www.gtplanet.net/ian-bell-leaves-slightly-mad-studios-20211029/
According to his updated social media profiles, Bell will make a quite a left-field move, into the area of mental health. Stating that he is a British Psychological Society-registered psychologist, his new venture is aimed at providing therapy for those who cannot afford it.
I would imagine it doesn't change much,the team he worked with,and shared his visions with,are pretty much all still there...
Fingers crossed they come up with a decent (full simulation) sequel of PC.
This is a bummer, for all his madness he was also a great innovator pushing the boundaries of what sim racing can be. I worry that his passion was the driving force behind SMS, I hope Codemasters let the team do what they do best and make a true sequel to project cars 2. This is all I dream about, might be a pipe dream now…
Like i said before,the original team is pretty much still in place.
They share Ian's passion.
Benjamin Benichou
02-11-2021, 20:59
By By Ian, and good luck for the dev.
Like i said before,the original team is pretty much still in place.
They share Ian's passion.
What Konan said is correct! The SMS team is still in place.
Edit: We do know they are working on the next title. PC4 or whatever it may be.
Like i said before,the original team is pretty much still in place.
They share Ian's passion.
Yes I’m not worried about the team, we know they are plenty talented to handle it… I’m worried who will be pointing them in what direction to take. Ian was hinting at a full-fledged return to heavy Sim, I am just hoping that stays the intended direction for the future of this franchise. Very excited to see what they come up with!
Ian was hinting at a full-fledged return to heavy Sim
...it wasn't just Ian who hinted at that...
That's what you get for doing other things than roaming this forum - completely missed this!
I can only echo what's been said already about Ian and his men&women having been a huge part of sim racing history. Hopefully SMS will continue successfully, and I wish Ian all the luck in his new life. :encouragement:
chieflongshin
11-12-2021, 12:50
I hope they allow me to put the shift3 troll in me to bed and make something decent this time around
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