September 16th, 2016, Image Space Incorporated (ISI), makers of the well known PC sim racing titles, rFactor, rFactor2 and rFactor Pro (which is used by many top line professional racing teams in their simulators) have announced a new strategic partnership with the Dutch software group Luminis. The software developer was founded in 2002 and the new company ”Studio 397”, under the direction of Marcel Offermans, will be based in the town of Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.
In their own words, the team at Luminis are dedicated to developing new technology and identifying emerging technologies and techniques that offer the potential for exponential growth. Employing 150 developers, both in The Netherlands and the U.K., it develops advanced technical software related to cloud computing, data sciences and interconnected devices.
What can we expect from this partnership? The aim is to streamline the development of rFactor2 with an ambitious developmental roadmap. The new partners hope to shake up the title with the adoption of a DX11 based graphics engine, paving the way for VR support for both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive! This is great news for everyone waiting for news on VR support for this title!
Cars and circuits will appear with greater frequency, focusing primarily on racing cars and racing series. Popular circuits will also come in for special attention. The new partnership will increase their interaction with the modding community, allowing them to work together on free and paid content for rFactor2.
The UI will include a new HTML based front-end and matchmaker. This allows for more web-based community features. In-game UI updates will make the game more accessible for people new to the title, as well as those who are very familiar with it already.
Hopefully we will learn more about what Studio 397 has in store for rFactor2 shortly. When we do, we will update you all right here!
The main players in this new partnership expanded on how they view working with each other, here below are their statements as released today on the Luminis website.
Gjon Camaj, Vice President of Image Space Incorporated:
We at ISI are very pleased to have found a partner that shares our enthusiasm and vision for the continued growth of rFactor 2. We look forward to working with Luminis to expand the reach of rFactor 2 both in Europe and beyond. After having worked with Luminis for some time and seeing their passion for motorsport simulation, this partnership was a natural next step. By leveraging each of our company’s individual strengths, we will be better able to serve our current customers and further expand our reach into the world of motorsports.
Marcel Offermans, Luminis Fellow and Managing Director of Studio 397:
I am really excited by the opportunities that our partnership with ISI offers; rFactor 2 represents the best of breed simulator platform in the industry. Online simracing has been my longtime personal passion, so the opportunity to combine it with my business feels like a great privilege. By infusing the platform with some of our own technology we see great opportunities to accelerate development in general and specifically in the areas of competitions and training.
